Sarah Borchgrevink

November 9, 2017

Family, Maternity, Motherhood

Shooting a Maternity Session on a Cloudy, Foggy and Overcast Morning

Sarah Borchgrevink

November 9, 2017

Family, Maternity, Motherhood

Located in Houston TX & serving the surrounding areas, Sarah Borchgrevink Photography offers lovely outdoor pregnancy and family portraits in an outdoor atmosphere. Check out some effective tips for creating dynamic images on cloudy, dark, or foggy mornings.

Photography a Family or Maternity Session on a Cloudy, Foggy & Overcast Morning

Hi, friends! Good morning to you! Today's blog post is an overview on photographing a family or maternity session on a day in which the weather is cloudy, overcast or even foggy, such as the early mornings. While most of the time, the warm golden light look is what is most preferred, sometimes sessions are time sensitive, such as maternity or family photos. For example, maternity portraits typically take place between 32-35 weeks, however, you may be limited on time frames because of things like high risk pregnancies, baby arriving early, or perhaps Dad travels often and of course, Dad is a vital character in all things maternity or family. This in mind, these tips and tricks are helpful in ensuring you can move forward with your session and provide stunning outdoor images despite the weather being gloomy.

Before we delve into the three tips I am going to list, please allow me to introduce the R family to you! They're a sweet family of three. They'll be adding a new baby girl to their family in just a few short weeks! They'll be on my newborn calendar for a studio baby session so I am excited to see them soon. We photographed this session in Houston, TX and began right at sunrise. I typically spend about 25-30 minutes with my outdoor family sessions so we will hit many poses and have a lot of fun, but not tire the little one out and expect too much of them.

Be Inspired By the Scenery and Surroundings

When working outdoors in an on location setting, look around and allow yourself to be inspired. How do the trees frame your images? Where are the clouds? Ask yourself how color of the grass will photograph and where your subjects will look best. By checking out your environment, you can see where the light is most soft, even and dispersed beautifully so that you may place your subjects there.

Open your aperture

Since the light on a cloudy day is more soft and subdued since there is less sun, you can open your aperture, or use a wider f/stop, to allow more light to enter the image. You'll also want to compensate for subject movement, so make sure to keep your shutter speed fast enough to resist blurry movements, but also keep your ISO high enough to be properly exposed without too much noise. I use a Mark iii body and a Canon 135 mm f/2.0L lens when working outdoors so these settings are based on the equipment I use.

For these shots, my f/stop is at f/2.2, shutter speed is 1/500 and ISO is 800. My white balance is also set to around 7500 for the skin tones and I used spot metering so that their skin is illuminated properly.

Houston Professional Family Photographer

where to take maternity pictures in houston

Be mindful of where the clouds and sky are

While a beautiful blue sky filled with brilliant golden light is lovely during a sunrise session, during a foggy or overcast morning, the sky can look flat and grey, which may not add interest to your images. For this session, I choice to avoid using the sky and focus on connections and love between this expecting mother and her family.

Affordable Maternity Photography Houston

Sarah Borchgrevink Photography is a Houston Newborn Photographer specializing in gorgeous posed newborn sessions. Her studio is located in Northwest Houston. In addition to breathtaking baby portraiture, Sarah also offers stylish natural light family photography as well as dynamic outdoor maternity sessions for expecting mothers and couples. Sarah joyfully serves the entire Harris and Montgomery county areas including North Houston, Cypress, Tomball, Spring, Jersey Village, The Woodlands, Magnolia, Conroe, Willis, Montgomery, Humble, Kingwood, Porter, New Caney, Waller, Memorial & West Houston, Katy, Fulshear, Sugar Land, Pearland, Hempstead, Richmond, West University, Rice Village and Porter TX. Connect to chat with Sarah today! Please consider booking your session at your earliest convenience in order to secure your appointments on the calendar.

Sarah Borchgrevink

November 1, 2017

Family, children

Five Simple Ways to Create Variety in Outdoor Fall Family Sessions

Sarah Borchgrevink

November 1, 2017

Family, children

Five Simple Ways To Create Gorgeous Fall Family Sessions Full of Variety, Vibrancy and Love

Adorable Outdoor Fall Family Photography in Houston TX

Greetings, friends! Good afternoon to you! Thanks for clicking over to my blog to see some awesome simple tips on how to create variety in your family sessions, particularly outdoors in a natural light setting. As a Houston photographer, I can tell you that sometimes it's easy to feel "stuck" during a session. This is probably the first time you've met the family and you are a stranger to their children. However, I have been working a newborn and family portrait artist since 2013 and have accumulated much knowledge through trial and error. These are helpful tips I've found to work for me and my own business model. I hope you enjoy reading!

Selecting a great location that's inspired by fall

So: in Houston, we have two seasons: hot and hotter. We also sometimes get hot and muggy, too! The best time to take outdoor family photos in Houston is always the fall. This is when we have a slight reprieve in the warm weather and it may be around 85 or 90 degrees, which is essentially a cool front for us! When working with your clients outdoors, select a location that is timeless, classic, and not distracting to the viewer. This session will become a treasured family heirloom; pick a spot that will look forever stunning upon the walls. Avoid places that have random signs or buildings that do not work with the aesthetic. For this particular session, I chose Telge Park, located in Northwest Houston, during golden hour, which is right before sunset. Here's a helpful map just for you:

Make Sure Your Camera Settings are spot on

In order to create vibrant family sessions full of variety, you have to have the correct camera settings. You are the boss of your camera. Your camera is simply a tool that acts as your paintbrush. Your location is your canvas, and the light is your inspiration. I always use camera settings that are appropriate to my subjects, such as moving children. For sharp, crisp, and lovely family images, I like to use my Mark iii camera body as well as a Canon EF 135 F/2.0L lens. I typically will keep my settings at about ISO 800, shutter speed 1/640, and f/stop (aperture) at around 2.2 - 2.8. Sometimes I'll also shoot wide open if all of the subjects are on the same focal length. The wide aperture gives you a creamy, gorgeous background that's compressed and also makes sure that your subject "pops" from the background, too. Your camera settings need to reflect the movement, light, and final look of the images you're looking to produce.

Make a list of all combinations

During a family session, there is so much more than just family photos. As a mother, I can tell you that it is wonderful to have many options to consider when hanging the photos. For instance, my final gallery comes with 35 retouched digital files for my outdoor family photography sessions in Houston, TX. I may take around 200 clicks, but during this time we cover many poses and options. Some of the family photo combinations you might consider are:

3-4 family set ups showcasing everyone
Dad with the children
Mom with the children
Children together
Individual photos of the children

Keep the session moving without pauses

By having a consistent shot list in mind, you will achieve two things: first and foremost, you'll have a ton of variety and each image will stand alone without looking repetitive. You'll also be able to keep the session moving very quickly. For example, I often do a full family session in about 25-30 minutes. There are no awkward pauses or fumbling; over the years, I have learned how to keep things fun, fresh and focused. If something is not working, don't let the client know you're displeased. Instead, move on and make a mental note you may need to return to that combination. Also a great tip is to find out if there are any images Mom does NOT want. To explain, she may not need an image of her with each child, but would instead prefer a photo of all the children with her. I can tell you, a Mama wants to be surrounded by her sweet babies. I would not hang an image of one child without including the other. That's just me. :-)

how to pose families during outdoor family sessions

how to work with children during photography session

Keep Everyone Involved and Up to Speed

Communication is key! In life, so many mishaps can be avoided by simply communicating with your family clients. During the session, relay to them what is going to happen. Before the session occurs, they should truly know what to expect, but as you're working, don't be afraid to say, "Hey, Mom and Dad: after this we're going to move on to kids as a group." That way, everyone knows. I might also say, "Mom, would you mind sitting next to me and helping to sing a song the children love?" By keeping your clients involved, effectively communicating, and making sure everyone knows what's next you will be able to have a great deal of variety simply by keeping things running smoothly.

For example, after the family photos for this session, Mom also reserved time to do an outdoor cake smash inspired by all things pumpkins and fall for her own little one. See his one year photos and how he is such a sweetheart! By keeping his parents involved, they knew when the pumpkin pie smash would take place and how to prepare for this so baby would be happy.

Thanks so much for stopping by to read 5 simple ways to create variety in your outdoor fall family photography sessions! You may also be interested in reading about the following:

Sarah Borchgrevink

October 25, 2017

Family, children

How to Pose Families & Create Natural, Carefree and Candid Photos

Sarah Borchgrevink

October 25, 2017

Family, children

Houston Family Photographer, Sarah Borchgrevink, uses dynamic natural light, timeless locations, and candid, close knit posing to create fun and carefree portraits.

Simple Tips for Photographing Natural Family Sessions

Howdy, friends! Thanks for visiting my little blog to see some fun and easy tips on posing families in order to create candid, natural, and gorgeous family portraits. My name is Sarah and I'm a Houston TX Photographer offering lovely outdoor family sessions. My sessions are fun, laid back and carefree. However, over the years I have learned simple tips that help the session run smoothly.

You see, as a mother to three little girls, I treasure the images that are more natural and truly showcase my children's personalities. Photography is a connection to our past, a link to who we are, and will always bring you back to those precious memories, such as babies first steps or a fun milestone sessions. For example, this sweet family I am previewing today has been wonderful to work with over the last year. They began as maternity & newborn clients, and have commissioned me to document their family's outdoor family photography session plus their sweet son's first birthday images. This in mind, they're truly a joy to photograph and I'm thrilled to use their session as an example.

Choose a quiet location

The foundation of a great family session is selecting an environment in which your subjects feel comfortable. I prefer rustic, rural locations such as an open field. This type of location is quiet and will allow your client to relax. It can already be a little bit nerve wracking to have a huge DSLR camera in your face; by selecting a location that's off the beaten path and does not have a lot of traffic, you won't feel like people are staring at you. It'll allow you to take a step back and enjoy the beauty of nature.

To elaborate, when booking a session with me, clients are given a curated location list to browse. This allows you to see sample galleries and different types of sessions from sunrise and sunset, to maternity, child or family. These are locations I have hand selected for quality and aesthetic purposes since it's important the final look be timeless.

how to pose families for outdoor portraits

Give your clients an activity or task

I always start my sessions by giving my clients something to do; typically it's something like playing with their children. I will ask them to tickle baby, or make a "baby sandwich" so that baby is on display. It also helps clients relax to have their child in their arms. Assigning a task or activity ensures they know what to do with their hands and they're not awkward standing there, unsure what to do. The session should flow smoothly and not have any weird pauses or parents feeling like you're not leading. Take charge of your session.

houston family photographer | posing families

tips for photographing natural family photographs

Take a step back and have fun

When I was a little girl and growing up, having your photo taken generally meant you'd sit in one spot at a photo studio like Sears or JC Penny; you would be perfectly posed like a statue and smile directly at the camera. While it is nice to have a few photos of everyone smiling and looking at the camera, it's also great to have images in which the client is not thinking about the camera. Take a step back. Forget what you've always been told about photography. Simple tips for creating vivacious and fun family photos can including little one being tossed into the air, running, playing, tickle fights, or just cuddling up together.

Think about focal plane

Your focal plane is super important in achieving candid, fun photos because everyone needs to be seen. I like for all of the subjects to be on display; it also makes sure everyone is in photo. I typically line my clients up in a cozy position where everyone is comfortable. Don't be nervous to adjust your client. If you can see the bottom of Dad's shoes, just rotate him. If Mom has a leaf in her hair, just remove it; these things are much easier to fix during the session than to worry about in processing. When everyone is lined up in the proper focal plane, you can see all the limbs, expressions, smiles, and also the background.

Encourage your client and give positive feedback

Clients don't like silence. When they're with you, they may feel like the session is not going well if you don't utter a single word. Keep things light and fun; ask them questions but also don't forget to give positive feedback to them. If you notice Mom is super pretty in the golden morning light, tell her. If baby looks precious, make sure to tell Dad how much you're enjoying time with little one. I promise clients respond well to positive reinforcement and it makes them feel more comfortable. When photographing my clients, it's almost like a little "mini friend date". I say this meaning that you have about half an hour to get to know them; you want to treat them like a friend because family photography is a personal experience. They've chosen you and should have a great time during their session.

houston professional family photographers

Thanks for stopping by my blog to read about posing families in a candid, natural and carefree manner! I'm excited you've visited and hope these tips are helpful to you!

Here's what this client had to say about their photo experience with Sarah:

Sarah has done both our newborn posed session and a first year family session. I have ABSOLUTELY LOVED every single picture she has taken and produced. Sarah is a wonderful photographer and goes above and beyond to help you not only save these memories, but make new ones as well. We will definitely use Sarah again!