How To Appear Natural And Relaxed In Family Portraits
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1. Let go of all expectations
Letting go will take some pressure off and help you relax and enjoy this occasion. Remember - the perfect family portrait may be different than the one you have in your mind! Relax & have fun.
2. Why so serious?
Remember to be silly, play, laugh and let go. Make your family photo session a fun event, something to look forward to.
3. Focus on yourself
It’s a common mistake to focus on getting everyone else looking perfect. Focus on looking your best yourself and leave everyone else to me.
4. Keep it moving!
Moving between shots is actually the best way to create authentic and candid images. Even supermodels move between their shots!
5. Remember to breathe
It’s obvious, but oh so easily forgotten. Deep breaths will help you calm your nerves and slow your heart rate!
8 Creative Ideas When Taking Family Portraits
/Props! - Let your little ones express their personality with some toys and props laid out on a blanket.
There are no "must-have" shots - Yes, they're cute, and yes, everyone wants to have them, but I can guarantee they're not going to be your favorite. So have them taken at the beginning and then just let go and have fun with your kid. These candid shots are the ones you're going to appreciate later on.
Activity Photos - Think of a fun activity for your shoot to share with your kids. It can be building a sand castle, collecting autumn leaves, building a snowman, or whatever else you wish.
Include the kids - Since they're participating, they can also make the rules...for a little while. Let them choose the poses for a couple of pictures or dress up in their favorite costume - you'd be surprised of how creative they can be!
Consider their interests - Toddler, child, or teen - I know not all of them love the camera. So to let them feel more included, let's take a couple of pictures of their interests - their favorite instruments, hobbies, and so on.
Rep the school colors - Do you have someone in college? Or a kid that's part of their school's sports team? Or a husband that loves his favorite basketball team, just a little too much? Have all of them bring out their gear and rep their colors!
There are levels to this - Do you have an extended family? Include your grandparents, let your older children bring their children, and have fun with the generational levels. Sit in order, from youngest to oldest, the oldest one holding the youngest one, the possibilities are endless!
Share an experience - Realistically speaking, how many pictures of standing around and smiling do we really need? Let's have fun with something different. Let's have you show the children how to cook something together, or the whole family cleaning the yard of autumn leaves, or the dad showing them how to fix something.
Gracen - 6 Month Milestone Session
/For this growing baby session, little Miss Gracen was turning 6 months old and was ready for her milestone moment. The sitting up milestone is a time I always love to capture, and man was she an expert already! So strong! I have a feeling this little lady might be walking the next time I see her. Ha!
Check out some of the amazing images we captured in this Growing Baby 6 month session.
If you’d like to schedule a 6 Month Milestone Session, I’d love to hear from you. Please, get in touch! And if you’re in Washington, and want to to schedule a tulip field session, let me know that too! I visit Skagit Valley often and love to schedule sessions during tulip season!
Molly & Stephen :: A Day to Remember
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Molly & Stephen had the sweetest, intimate wedding ceremony on the Seattle Waterfront by Pier 56! The vows took place on Saturday with only 16 of their closest family members in attendance including Stephen’s father. Molly wore the most simple, elegant white dress with a spring bouquet in tow. The ceremony took place overlooking the water and afterwards, everyone enjoyed some fun at Elliot’s Cafe. After a week of Seattle rain we were lucky to get some lovely sunlight. We had the most perfect sunset which made for some gorgeous newlywed pictures on the dock! Everything came together perfectly and these two will continue the celebration next week with a honeymoon in Mexico!
Friends are made, dreams are uncovered, and every single email, card and testimonial I receive lets me know that I am truly being of service – it’s the most fulfilling and rewarding work I’ve ever done! I was left with a little testimonial from the happy bride:
“Shaylee was perfect for what we needed. My husband and I came into Seattle from KC for a small, intimate wedding. We were looking for someone to capture photos of us and our families, and Shaylee was great to work with. She answered all of my questions ahead of time, offered props, and got our pictures to us very quickly. She was also very accommodating as far as our preference in editing styles! We are especially grateful that she was able to work some photoshop magic to create a particular family grouping we had neglected to shoot. Thank you, Shaylee!”
I capture people, because I like to freeze passionate moments in time. Your moments of passion, and of plain ol' love, are what makes the world go 'round ... at least in my humble opinion. It's those tiny moments you'll want to save and tell your grandkids about or even just reminisce about 20 years from now. Congrats again, Molly and Stephen! Wishing you a lifetime of happiness!
So, what are you actually paying your photographer for?
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Photographers don't just simply "snap" a photo for you. Many do not realize the extent of what Photographers really do for their clients
Read MoreFLASH Promo: Free Shipping - SRP Society6 Products
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Promo: Free Worldwide Shipping on All Shaylee Ray Photography Society6 Orders
Starts: Sunday, 1/22 at 12:00am PT
Ends: Sunday, 1/22 at 11:59pm PT
Birth Announcement Cards
/Announce your new arrival with a design that lets their photo shine
Available in 4x6in, and 5x7in. Please ask if you’d prefer a different size!
Coordinating Thank You Cards available
White envelopes included
Ships 3-5 days after proof is approved
Pricing information below
Various designs available which can be customized to suit your style - colors, text, & images, etc.!
Restoring old Photographs
/Keep the Photo Restorations coming in! There is nothing I love more than restoring your precious family heirlooms so that they can be passed down for future generations <3
This was a photo of a father taken approximately 76 years ago!
Visit me on Society6!
/Happy Saturday friends! Hope your weekend has been swell! I have a very cool announcement to make today!
Have you been in dire need for some fresh art on your walls? A funky phone case? A tapestry to make your room feel cozier? A travel mug for your coffee? Well you're in luck!
My art is available on Society6!
So many awesome products on Society6! Go ahead and check it out!
And if you're interested in some Shaylee Ray Photography originals, take a peek over at my store!
VALENTINES DAY SESSIONS :: SHARE THE LOVE!
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Valentine photo sessions are a great gift for family members and significant others !
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⠀⠀ Save money...this is a gift that can be given to all of those who are close to you!
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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Booking now! Share the love. ❤️
Email Shaylee@shayleerayphotography.com for more details or fill out the contact form at shayleerayphotography.com/contact
JANUARY NEWSLETTER || WHATCOM PHOTOGRAPHER
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Click above to sign up!
There’s so much going on here at Shaylee Ray Photography. So much to tell you about! And the only way to hear it all is through my monthly newsletter!
I’m hard at work on January's newsletter, so make sure you sign up. It’s full of all sorts of goodies, promotions, and discounts… and they’re ONLY available to newsletter subscribers. AND – one lucky subscriber will be winning a gorgeous 8×12 fine art print next month from my shop.
So click here to sign up and you might have a brand new piece of art in your home before you know it!
Maternity Session 12/10
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ERIN + BABY SUNNY :: WINTER WONDERLAND MATERNITY SESSION
What a brave mama Erin is! She was such a trooper outside in the snow in order to capture her maternity portraits. I told her I had a vision of what I wanted to create….and I’m so glad she 100% trusted me to go along with all my crazy ideas! I’m so happy we even got to capture a couple with the snow on the ground ♥ ☃ She is an absolutely stunning mama-to-be, and I can’t wait to meet her precious little one when we take sibling photos!
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Expecting couples are so much fun to photograph! ☺️ I love maternity sessions & capturing the waiting, expectancy, and excitement of #moms and #dadstobe! 💕⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀☄ShayleeRayPhotography.com/contact Fill out the contact form to book your maternity session!
CYBER MONDAY DEAL - ACT FAST!
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The Perfect Gift
Give the gift that keeps giving. For the next 2 days, get up to $30 in Shaylee Ray Photography store credit when you gift a $100 or $150 gift voucher.
Use code GIVE30 at checkout!
Holiday Mini Sessions
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