Where did the year go??? I can't believe that 2015 is gone, and today is the first day of 2016!! This year has been amazing, so many awesome families, and sweet little babies. 2015 was a year full of changes and challenges. August marked one of our busiest months to date. August also marked the month my husband left his full-time work to work with me. We have 4 kids, and I must admit that it's a bit scary to be the main income for a family of 6, especially when two of them have special needs. We decided to step out in faith. It's been incredibly rewarding, and in spite of all of the work, it's worth it. We see great potential, and it's exciting to think that we can support our family doing something that we love.
I decided to put together a post of all of the birth stories and newborns I have had the honor of photographing this year. We photographed one fresh 48, 7 births (one chose to remain entirely private, so it is not represented in the image below), and 64 newborn sessions (two sets of twins, so 66 newborns all together)! I can't wait to see what sweet little faces 2016 brings. Bryan and I thank all of our amazing clients from the bottom of our hearts! Here's to more beautiful bellies, births, and babies. Happy New Year!!
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- Session Prep - Tips for skin and makeupYou found a photographer that suits your style, your session is booked, and you are all set... now what??? I get asked about session prep all. the. time. and I get it, it's not like you have professional portraits done every day (well, at least most of you!), and you want to look your best. Here are some tips to help you feel confident in front of the camera! 1) Sparkles/shimmer in your makeup is not a great idea unless it's in your eye shadow only, OR unless we are doing a themed session and that is the look we are going for (and with most themed sessions we would have a professional makeup artist doing that for us) - while it's a great look in person, in still images it ends up looking like random bright white specks on your face, or super-shiny skin. A little subtle gleam isn't too bad, but in general, a matte finish foundation and blush is going to look more natural, and more flattering. 2) I try to have tissues on hand, but sometimes we run out. It's always a good idea to have some oil blotting sheets, or just regular Kleenex with you to dab if you tend to get a little shiny (or if we are going to be outdoors and it's hot/humid). 3) Make sure your foundation is as close to your natural skin tone as possible - make sure to do a trial run, and have a trusted (brutally honest) friend or family member look at it in good natural light and tell you if it blends well with your skin tone. 4) Waterproof/smudge proof eyeliner and mascara 5) Bring your lipstick/gloss in case you need to refresh your color 6) Avoid tanning/tanning beds/self-tanners right before your session. Artificial tanners tend to photograph orange, and often leave small streaks here and there. Tanning in the sun or a tanning bed can lead to tan lines or a burn, and red or peeling skin isn't usually the look we are going for. :) 7) A portrait session is a great excuse to get pampered! A knowledgeable makeup artist is invaluable. You can find several fantastic options right here on my website under information - just check out the resources page! A Day in the Life: San Antonio Birth, Maternity, and Newborn Photographer - Mamarazzi Photography8/12/2015 Ever wondered what goes on after I finish photographing the babies, mommas, families and seniors? Well, besides the hours of editing that get me to the beautiful finished product, this is pretty much "a day in the life".
We often have multiple consultations on the same day, and as you know these can take some time. Showing samples, the different options, discussing details, and more. We host a number of consults at "Stork Vision here in San Antonio (www.storkvision.com - be sure to check them out for your Premier 3D and 4D ultrasounds, they are awesome! If you book a session with us, you can get a special from Stork Vision too!). They have allowed us to do consults there for clients that live on that side of the city, and as a bonus, Kristen is also letting us hang our work in the office. We are still in the process of selecting images, and ordering goodies; so far, we have one wall featuring our gorgeous canvases complete, and we love it! I spend most early mornings, and later evenings after the kids are in bed doing paperwork, responding to leads online, and answering emails. Along with the less glamorous tasks of taxes, record keeping, marketing, and other business necessities, I also sneak in a little retail therapy on occasion. After all, I love getting new props to use with my little newbies and of course, with my glowing mommas too! I am a night-owl by nature, but when I'm on call for a birth, I do my best to be in bed by 10, just in case I get that 2 AM call! We have a busy life with the business, four children, fish, two dogs, a cat... and a partridge in a pear tree?!? We run around crazy just like everyone else. I always try to keep at least one day out of 6 working days in a week open, sometimes I use that day to schedule a last minute newbie. If I end up keeping that day free, I use it to work on our custom products and editing. Sundays are for us, my kids look forward to it, and so do I. :) We are a family that likes to be together and help other families preserve their memories in a beautiful, and timeless way. Want to book a session with us? Spots fill up fast, so don't wait! We'd love to hear from you! *We are proud to network with Stork Vision. You can find them, along with other fabulous businesses we network with on our resources page! Who doesn't like to get a little messy? This little guy wasn't shy about getting into his birthday cake! Isn't he the cutest?! I LOVED his cake too - his momma is in culinary school, and made the cake AND the candle herself! Seriously cool.
Want to plan your own smashing good time with us? Click here, and let's plan some messy good fun! Adoption has a special place in my heart. I have an adopted nephew, and my best friend of over 20 years just recently brought her son home from Korea. I watched the ups and downs, the struggles, and the victories as the process unfolded. One thing that was consistent in both families... they were totally invested, and totally in love with their children. I can't imagine having MY child thousands of miles away, wondering what he or she is doing, if they are hurt, happy, afraid. Yet this is precisely what these adoptive families experience, day in, day out, over what can become years as they wait for that ultimate day... the journey home.
A few months ago I blogged about a sweet local family that is right this moment, doing everything they can to bring their son home. It takes a lot of support, emotionally, financially, and spiritually. They are happily very close to that ultimate day, and I can't wait! I wanted to invite them to tell us a little bit about their journey. "We began thinking about adoption about 2 years ago but we didn't feel like we could afford international adoption. We loved the idea of adoption and Africa pulled at both mine and my husband's hearts, but we were so fearful of that big number. $40,000 is a huge amount of money. We talked about it several times that year, but in Aug of 2014, I attended a woman's fellowship night. The topic was about being brave enough to do what God has called you to do, and that sometimes we have to get out of our comfort zone to do what God has asked of us. To keep it short, I will just say that God was speaking directly to me through that speaker. When I left that service, I knew that no matter how scared we were about adoption, that it was God's plan for our family. However, I couldn't commit our family to this if everyone wasn't on board, so I began to pray and ask God to ready my family's hearts. Well, ask and you shall receive. The very next church service we went to could have been written specifically for my husband. The preacher addressed almost word for word some of the fears my husband had voiced. As we walked out of church that day I looked at my husband and said that one was for you. He just smiled and said yeah I know. We decided that day to pursue adoption and signed an agreement with an agency the next week. When we signed our agreement, we only had $1000 in our savings account, and weren't sure how in the world we were going to come up with even the agency fees you have to pay when you sign a contract with them. We did a t-shirt fundraiser, and raised enough to cover that first payment. We have cut our spending, and through fundraising, and cutting expenses, we have always had enough to pay each payment along the way. God has always provided. We are so humbled everyday at the way God has moved along our journey. We are living first hand the saying "God doesn't call the equipped, he equips the called". We still need about $12,000 to be fully funded, but we are doing a Both Hands fundraiser this weekend and we are praying that fundraiser will put a huge dent in that number!" WOW! What an amazing story! This story isn't over, if you would like to be part of their journey, please consider supporting them in this fundraiser!! You can do that here: Both Hands Let's work together to bring their little man home! Did you know that I do weddings? My first passion is all things pregnancy and baby, but first came love, right? And I LOVE weddings! With my schedule, and being on call for births, I am only able to take a VERY limited number of weddings every year. If you are looking for a wedding photographer, I'd love to visit with you over some coffee (or water, soda, wine...) and discuss your vision for your big day!
Mother's Day Special through May 31st - Maternity, birth, and newborn photographer - San Antonio5/7/2015 Mother's Day is right around the corner! Do you know what you are getting that special mommy-to-be? Chocolates and flowers are great, but chocolate melts, and flowers fade... but a professional maternity or newborn session will give you memories that will last a lifetime. We wanted to give a little gift to the mommas in San Antonio, and surrounding areas. Book your maternity or newborn session now through May 31st, and save $50 on your session fee. We also have an extra special offer for the next TWO birth sessions booked before May 31st! The calendar is filling up fast, book today!
San Antonio Newborn Photographer - Mamarazzi Photography - Shutterfest - Continuing education4/21/2015 WOW! I tend to be a bit of a perfectionist, and because of that, it's my personal desire to give my absolute best to my clients. To do that, I am a firm believer in continuing to learn and grow. The last two years, Bryan and I have invested in our education by attending an amazing photography conference known as Shutterfest. We arranged for someone to stay with our four kids, packed up, and drove to St Louis, MO, to spend two and a half days with some of the absolute best talent in our industry. We took classes on all kinds of things, and then put newly learned techniques to the test in some hands-on classes. It didn't end there, always wanting to experiment, and grow in our craft, we arranged for some after-hours shooting. This time away from our family, and our business, is critical to always improving the service and experience we are able to provide. We simply couldn't do it without the support and love of our families! After the incredible experience we had last year, this year was even better. It was everything we had hoped it would be, and so much more! We can't wait to go next year. In the mean-time, it's going to be so much fun incorporating what we have learned in sessions to come!!
Trying to get back in to blog more often! I wanted to share this little beauty with you! Isn't she lovely?! I had the honor of photographing her when she was just a few hours old for her Fresh 48 session too! Want to book your own newborn session? Please contact me for more information!
A couple of weeks ago I was blessed with the honor of helping this sweet momma and her two boys welcome her third son into the world. I say I helped, I'm not really sure how much help I was, other than the fact that I preserved this amazing experience for her to share with her deployed husband. She labored so beautifully, with the help and support of an amazing birth team (Nikki, Tracy, and Naomi - you ladies were awesome!). I teared up a bit when she found out that her husband had been given 10 days to spend with them, and he was trying to get a flight home as she labored. As the urge to push became stronger, and the moment of delivery neared, she was able to get her husband on the phone. He stayed on the line as his child entered the world, rejoicing in his first cries with us. I would be lying if I didn't admit that I was more than a little touched, births always make me cry. I think the easiest way to convey the emotion of that day, is to share their story with you. Enjoy! Looking for someone to help you tell your birth story? It would be my honor to do that! You can find information here, and if you are ready to set up an obligation-free consult, please contact me! |
AuthorI am an artist at heart and have been ever since I can remember. I have been blessed with four beautiful children and an amazing husband. One of my favorite things to do is help others capture beautiful memories that will last a lifetime. Archives
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