Kind Words from April Portrait Sessions: Sweetest Clients in Houston

See what real clients are saying about their newborn, family, or maternity portraiture experience with Houston Photographer Sarah Borchgrevink. 

Last month on the calendar: 2018 April Testiomonials and Reviews

Good morning, friends! Thanks for visiting! Today's blog showcases all the beautiful new babies, parents, and even a few baby bumps for that I had the honor of documenting during the month of April. 

“Sarah is very professional. She has a lot of experience and her studio is fully equipped with all the materials, fabrics, head pieces and little extra unique pieces that will make your session super special. Even when her studio is located at home you won’t even notice it. I know is hard as a parent let other people to handle your newborn especially if you are a first timer (like I am) but trust me! Sarah is very delicate and she handles babies with all care and patient. The pictures are beautiful and honestly this is an investment you won’t regret.”

— gretchen o

“What can you say?...Sarah is an awesome photographer. We did outdoor family photos for a large family and she was very patient with the kiddos. She is very kind and knows her stuff! We look forward to many more family photos using Sarah!”

— Larnell Nolan

“We loved our newborn photo session with Sarah. Sarah is very sweet, professional and talented. I had complications after the birth of my daughter and thought I wasn’t going to be able to take part in the photo shoot. Sarah gave me several options and we were able to reschedule our session. I really appreciate what she did for me and I highly recommend her. Her work is beautiful!”

— Klaudia Peterfeso

“Sarah is excellent! Very professional and easy to work with. She recently did our baby boy’s newborn pictures and we couldn’t be happier that we chose her for such a special time in our lives. We look forward to working with her again in the nearest future. Thank you Sarah!!!!!”

— gloria okocha

“Sarah is absolutely amazing to work with. We had the best experience with our first family pictures. She was so patient and kind with our 6 month old. The photos turned out absolutely beautiful!!”

— Skylar Kahla

“Sarah was awesome for our newborn shoot! I found her via Google search and loved the gallery on her website. What sold me was how responsive and friendly she was via email and the fact that she offered full rights to the digital images versus many of the photographers I researched who require you to purchase all of your printed images through them. She answered every question I had, most of them before I even thought to ask and even ordered a special prop just for our session based on our conversation. On the day of the shoot she was super friendly and warm and so easy to work with. She handled our little man with such care that I was at complete ease and just sat back and let her do her thing. We just got our pictures back and I am obsessed! We will treasure these pictures forever and I am so grateful to her for helping us capture such a special moment in time. I wholeheartedly recommend Sarah for your newborn photography. She will take such good care of your family and your new addition and provide you with priceless memories to last a lifetime.”

— April Borrego

“From the maternity session to the newborn session, Sarah was very open and accommodating to what we were trying to achieve and made the whole experience pleasurable and exciting. Her work speaks for itself, and she has the knowledge and skill to capture those important moments in life for future generations to cherish”

— Shawn Croat

“Sarah took newborn photos for us and did an incredible job. She incorporated family photos and was excellent at getting shots of our toddler as well. She definitely put us at ease and was very flexible to accommodate our sons need to eat during the session. She requested specific information prior to the session and used that to tailor our time to exactly what we wanted. Our photos are amazing and we would happily use her again!”

— Rachel Gauthier

“Clear and informative communication from start to finish. We are thrilled with the results from our first shoot with Sarah and already looking forward to future sessions!”

— Taylor Robinson

“Working with Sarah was a complete blessing! We chose her for our maternity and newborn pictures based on the amazing reviews and we were not disappointed! Starting with our maternity pictures, Sarah was very professional and clear about what to expect. She brought a very pretty quilt and gave helpful advice on wardrobe selections for me and my husband. She was punctual, polite, and energetic at the photoshoot and her positive energy helped to renew my energy (which had been drained from the pregnancy). The photos were STUNNING! We absolutely could not be happier with the maternity photos she captured. After our son was born, Sarah did our newborn photos. Oh. My. Goodness. I am so thankful that we chose her as our photographer. Her prep guide was INSTRUMENTAL in having an amazing photoshoot. She was so kind and thoughtful during the process too, which is super helpful to a new mama. She took my pose requests and made them a perfect reality. Her newborn props and wraps are gorgeous too! Basically, if you want your once in a lifetime pictures to be stunningly beautiful, Sarah is the photographer you need in your life. The entire experience was transparent, professional, peaceful, and memorable. We truly could not have had a better experience with anyone else... of that, I’m convinced. She is worth every penny and then some. I really don’t think I could ever use another photographer now that we’ve been spoiled by her! Thank you, Sarah, for providing my family with the most gorgeous images during these once in a lifetime experiences.”

— Brandie Croat

“Sarah photographed our newborn 2 years ago and I loved her work so much I came back this year to get baby #3 photographed. Our gallery turned out amazing! My favorite part of our session was watching her work her magic and wrap my baby into beautiful poses. She is so gentle, patient, kind and nurturing and her talent shines through her images. I can’t wait to frame and decorate my house with pictures we will cherish always. Thanks, Sarah!!!”

— Jessica Valdez

Sarah Borchgrevink Photography is a Houston Newborn Photographer specializing in gorgeous posed newborn sessions. Her studio is located in Northwest Harris County. 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 Houston, Cypress, Tomball, Spring, The Woodlands, Kingwood, Memorial & West Houston, Katy, Sugar Land, Pearland, Richmond, West University and Rice Village.

 

Houston Newborn Photography including Family & Parent Posing | My Style

What to expect from family and parent photos of your baby's first professional photography session with top-ranked photographer Sarah Borchgrevink.

When booking a posed newborn session with me, you're securing an all-inclusive package meaning you select your package based on the number of digital files you'd like to receive. Sessions always include design, time and talent, retouching, and a specific number of digital files you may treasure forever.

The 'wrapped newborn collection' has the option to add family and sibling images. The 'petite' collection includes parent images with option to add sibling images. Finally, the 'full' collections includes family + sibling with no additional fees. All packages come with full resolution images, too, so you may print them as large or small as you wish, as many times, at some really great lab recommendations I have for you! 

One of the number one questions parents asks when booking is if they can be in the photos. Be sure to select a package that includes these or let me know if you'd like to add them onto the newborn session. I will provide you with some nice outfit ideas and also lead and guide you throughout the entire time together. You'll receive a newborn styling questionnaire + a posed prep guide telling you step by step instructions. I promise you're in good hands! 

After family photos, baby is the star! Everything is provided for your session, but the newborn of course, ha! Just bring your diaper bag while I joyfully photograph your precious bundle of joy. 

Sweet & Simple so baby is showcased

During the parent and family posing, my style is natural yet lifestyle in nature meaning the photos will showcase the love you have for baby. I always include a few of you looking at the camera and smiling, but we also like to have tender sweet moments such as kissing baby on the forehead, smiling at your spouse, and just the beauty of you taking baby's features in, marveling in the little life. 

I use this custom wood wall in my studio as well as the white, sheer curtains for two different looks. 

Creating a Soft, Natural Light Look through Artificial Studio Lights

Update: as of June 1st, 2019, Sarah is in a new commercial space and no longer utilizes the space below.

Houston Newborn and Baby Photographer, Sarah Borchgrevink, uses artificial light in order to create soulful yet natural looking portraits. 

Artificial Lighting Tips for a Natural Light Look

Greetings, friends! Thanks for stopping by my blog! I'm really excited you're here because today's post is all about using artificial light. You see, as a Houston Newborn Photographer, one of which specializes in professional baby portraiture, I work with light on a daily basis, but in the beginning of my photography journey, I was really intimidated by studio lighting. I did not understand it or how to work within these perimeters. However, have no fear! I am excited to talk to you about the type of lighting I use, how I set it up, the camera settings and gear you'll find, and why artificial light is truly special. 

First things first: please allow me to introduce my studio to you. It's 400 square-feet over everything you need for adorable baby and newborn studio sessions from props, a huge wood wall, a plethora of prime lenses, and a huge array of hats, bonnets, head bands, and vintage inspired pieces. 

However, many times clients are truly shocked to know there is absolutely zero natural light in my Houston Newborn Portrait studio. It's simply a dark room. In fact, artificial light is the only type of light source I use and over the years, I've learned how to create soft, diffused lighting during my newborn sessions in order to be super consitent and manipulate the light to suit my tastes and style. 

A few reasons I enjoy using artificial light are:

• I can take sessions any time of the day, no matter the weather. If there are clouds or stormy skies, there may not be enough light to shoot. Also, this allows me to work at night and accommodate clients travel and work schedules.

• Consistency is very important when working as a professional newborn baby photographer. Clients must receive what they see on your website. Artificial light allows me to have the same lighting in all of my galleries.

• Zero stress. Because I know how the light will look, I can also focus more on posing, wrapping, working with clients, and perhaps putting energy where I am needing to improve. I know the light will be nice no matter what I am doing.

Light is Light, no matter the source.

When I first began photographing newborns, full time, I thought I needed a huge natural light studio. While this is nice if you happen to have an unlimited budget, north/south facing windows, and many other factors, now that I've been working with artificial light, I would never switch over. Light is light, no matter the source. I don't even use an expensive or complex set up. I am currently using constant lighting, which means they're not strobes. They have several bulbs which are always on. It does make my studio a little bit warmer, but during newborn sessions I want the room to be 80 degrees so this is not a huge factor to me. 

In my studio, I have 4 lights. They are inexpensive and I purchased everything from Amazon. 

• I purchased (2) sets of these at $164.95 and removed the softboxes so I could use bigger ones

• I purchased (4) Black and Silver Reflective Parabolic Umbrella with Neutral White Diffusion Cover

I placed the PLM (references above) on the lights linked above and bam, instant lights.

In my studio, I have 20x20 feet of space, thus giving me 400 Square feet. It's just a big white room. 

I had a 5" PVC Pipe installed across the ceiling and use these curtains to diffuse all of my light. The lights are behind the curtains at all times and diffuse the light to create soft images, shown below. I purchased about 30 pairs of these inexpensive, Ikea curtains. 

When I am not working, the lights are off and it's pitch black, as there is not a single window in my studio space. 

How to set up artificial light for back lit sibling portraits 

Sibling photos are often requested by parents. I have three little girls so understand completely how precious it is to see your babies together! As a mama, it makes my heart sing to have photos of my own kiddos taken, so believe me: I want these images to be magical! Back-lit family or sibling images are my favorite to do during your newborn sessions. 

To set up artificial lights so they look like natural light is very simple:

• Make sure your lighting set up is diffused behind curtains, like the sheers I linked above. This will mimic windows, thus resulting in a natural light look.

• Lower lights via your stand so they're close to the ground. Child will be sitting on the ground.

• Place whatever type of rug underneath child, in this case, a white flokati rug I have.

• Photograph little one and encourage them to interact/pose newborn however suits your taste. Since this blog post is about lighting I won't bother you with how I wrap newborns for their sessions, but we'll talk about that next month I'm sure, ha! For now, let's stick to lighting.

When working within my studio, I use professional grade equipment, so the settings I am going to list are based off the type of equipment I use such as (2) Canon Mark iii bodies, a professional grade 50 mm lens, 35 mm lens, 24 mm lens, and 20 mm lens, plus a 100 mm macro lens.

For these particular shots, my settings are typically 1/200 (to allow light in), f/2.0 (with the focus point on baby's face), and then ISO 1/800. This is with 2-3 lights, depending on how large I want my set up to be.

Then I raise my lights again when I move to family or parent images, but use the same settings of course. That way the background is blown completely out and when we get into processing, there is very little work to do on the actual image.

For side-lit images, my settings are a little different. As you can see from the photos below, the curtains are still there diffusing the light, but the subject is standing perpendicular to the light set up. My subject is always around 3-4 feet from the actual light.

These sets up are typically photographed at ISO 400, F/2.5 and shutter speed of 1/160.

And that's it! Creating a natural light look through the use of constant lighting kits does not have to expensive or difficult. I hope you enjoyed reading a little bit of my creative process and how I set up for your newborn sessions! If you're a photographer, feel free to let me know how these worked for you, too! 

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