Hills I’ll Die on as Photographer

And I will stand 10 toes down on every single one of these.

I’ve been a family and newborn photographer in Newburgh, Indiana for almost 15 years. I’ve photographed thousands of families and babies and I’ve learned a lot over that decade and a half and there are a few hills that I’ll die on when it comes to photography. Here they are.

Client experience matters just as much as the final images.

I want every single person that that steps in front of my camera to feel comfortable and at ease. I want their time in front of my camera to feel like time with a friend. How you feel during a session shows in your images. If you’re relaxed and enjoying yourself, your images will show that.

I always guarantee that you’ll receive a gallery of stunning images, but I will also do everything in my power to make sure you enjoy your experience with me. I will ask questions and truly try to get to know you and your story. I will engage with you the entire session because I believe that it will make your images better if you are comfortable, but also because I genuinely care about those I work with. You are not a paycheck to me. You are investing in me and my craft and I am invested in getting to truly know you.

Emotion trumps a perfectly posed photo every day.

I PROMISE you that you will treasure true emotion photos over any posed image. Those perfectly posed images have a place, but the emotional, messy photos, those are the ones you will cling to down the road and they will be the ones that tell your family’s story. Because life is a beautiful, chaotic mess that we are so blessed to get to live.

Sure the photo of your two kiddos smiling at the camera is sweet, but it’s the photo of your oldest child squeezing your little one in a headlock while he tries to hug her that will make your heart swell and bring tears to your eyes. Because this is an every day occurrence your house and now you have a photo to remember just how it looked every time he did it.

Simplicity beats trends every. single. day.

I photograph on simple backdrops and I do this intentionally. Simple backdrops keep the focus on your baby – not some elaborate set-up. You notice their scrunched nose and chubby knuckles and not the clutter around them.

I think the milestone photos with elaborate backdrops are super cute. For me, personally, I love simple, timeless photos of my babies. I have an entire album on my phone of my kids at their themed birthday parties with all of their decor. For me, that is enough. For professional photos, I just want THEM. No trends. I want the photos to focus on the curiosity in their eyes, their gummy, toothless grin and their roly-poly thighs. Those are the elements of babyhood I never want to forget.

You get what you pay for.

This one is one I learned the hard way. When it comes to photography, 9 times out of 10 you’re paying more because the photographer is trained, experienced and provides a product that is worthy of that price.

Photography is like most other things in life. Generally speaking, you get a better product the more money you spend. I live what I preach when it comes to this. I invest thousands of dollars every year for photos with my family. It is important to me that we have beautiful photos together. The photos are the artwork in our house, they are included in all our photo albums and they will be passed down for generations. I’ve found that most photographers are within a couple hundred dollars of each other when it comes to pricing. For me, it makes sense to spend a little more to get quality photos. I’ve spent less before and it reflected in the images.

Earth tone colors will always photograph better.

Bright colors are beautiful! Color makes me happy. But when it comes to your photos – earth tone colors will always photograph better than bright colors. Bright colors cause color casts and distract from the focus of the image – your family/baby.

Pretty pinks and bright reds, they just don’t photograph well on a skin. They add a strange color casts to your photos and they don’t coordinate well with other colors. There are, of course, exceptions to this. But generally speaking, it’s best to avoid them as your primary color. Instead, choose an earth tone that will pair well with pink and use the pink in an accessory.

To better understand my thoughts on this, go to Instagram or Pinterest, gather a dozen or so family/newborn photos that appeal to you – not because you like what their wearing and would love to have it in your closet, but because you like the overall look of the photos. Look at that group of photos as a whole and now look at what their wearing. The odds are, they are in more earth-toned colors, as opposed to bright, vibrant colors. They likely are more neutral colors because they tend to blend well with outdoor backgrounds or in-home decor – creating a more cohesive image.

You will never regret investing in family photos.

I can say this with 100% confidence. I’ve never had a client say they regretted having their photos taken. I’ve had several say they regret choosing a photographer at a lower price point because they were not happy with the photos as a whole (see You Get What You Pay For above), but never have I had someone tell me they regret having gotten their photos done.

I’ve personally even invested over $1k on a session that was a nightmare and yet, still, I’m grateful for the couple of usable photos we received because they are tangible memories of that summer that I can take with me in the years to come.

To this day, nearly every time I am at my parent’s house, I flip through albums and look at old photos of my childhood. Photos are just that important to me. Memories with my family and my kids are just that important to me. As my memory goes as I age, I want to be certain that I’ll have tangible items that can bring me back to this magical season of life.

So, if you’re looking for an Evansville family photographer to capture this messy, magical season of your life, reach out for more information. Let’s connect and create something special!