Well, I believe differently, I believe any photo is more than, “Just a photo.” It’s like the cliche says, “A picture is worth a 1000 words,” because every photo tells a story.

My job is so much more than clicking a button to take a picture. As a professional photographer, of course, I’m required to have the skills to create a technically well-composed image. But as YOUR photographer, it is my job to create images that capture more than light.

As your photographer, I am committed to making you look and feel gorgeous as I create the most beautiful images of you, your children, and your family that you’ve ever seen.

“How can you do that?” You may ask. By understanding the love you have for yourself and for your family, then cultivating an environment which allows that love to unfold from in front of my camera as I direct you through a series of poses and setups that capture you in your most beautiful state: as yourself.

As a wife, mom, and entrepreneur, I understand what it feels like to give so much of yourself while you work to be the best you can be to those around you. I also understand how it feels to see yourself in a photo and think, “OMG, that’s how I look?”

We run around all day, work through the night, constantly putting ourselves on hold. As your photographer,  I need you to understand that these are so much more than, “Just photos.” They are a reflection of you in this very moment; a reflection of the life you’ve built, of the challenges you’ve overcome, the hurt you’ve survived and may still be surviving. Portraits are proof of life, proof of your life, and your life is too precious, too beautiful to ever be just another object.

What I do is more than taking pictures because I give women a chance to reconnect with themselves and rediscover how beautiful they can be when they embrace who they are and carry themselves with love and confidence. Sometimes it’s through portraits of themselves, sometimes it’s through portraits of those they love the most, either way, she walks away feeling a little stronger and has that much more love for herself. And that’s why I take my job so seriously, and why you can never convince me that it’s just a picture.

At the start of this year, I decided I wanted to shift TMP into the direction of being a Motherhood studio. After working with moms for five years, I realized the work I was doing went way beyond just pictures. The portraits I create for moms are priceless. Why? Because their little one will never be this small again.

As they say, after you’re born, you only get older.

If I were to ask you what you wanted to remember most about your child at this age, what would you say?

For me, I want to remember how my five-year-old is obsessed with “writing” in her journal and drawing pictures of us as a family (seriously, melts my heart every time!). Also, I want to remember how she tells me she loves me and I’m the best mommy every 10 minutes, just in case she doesn’t feel the same approaching her teenage years.

I want to remember how my two-year-old takes every opportunity to cuddle with me, how she still fits in my arms despite no longer being an infant, and how she sounds when she says, “Mommy, I want you,” and reaches for me to pick her up.

Honestly, I don’t know how to put all of this in a magical capsule to preserve forever, but I do know I can come pretty close with the magic of photography.

So, I’ve designed a special Mommy and Me experience set to launch in time for Mother’s Day!

Introducing: Notes to Mom

Take a moment to relax and enjoy a fun Mother’s Day craft with your kiddos as you create a precious keepsake personalized by your child with reasons why they love you. And if your child isn’t writing yet, we’ll still use their adorable scribbles and doodles =]

During this event, you’ll also have a 10-minute mini-session so we can use the images to design a custom collage with images of you and your kiddo along with the handwritten love notes.

From your Notes to Mom session, you will receive an 8×8″ mounted print of your personalized collage and an online gallery to view and purchase images from your mini-session. No additional purchase is required for your collage.

What we do at TMP is more than just photos, we have the honor of taking your most precious memories and immortalizing them so that you can always remember your favorite things about your kids today. I truly hope I get to see you there, because I designed it especially for moms like you, who just want to take in as many moments in motherhood as possible.

To book your Notes to Mom session, click here. 

Notes to Mom FAQ

Where is the event located?
Oakland, CA; the exact address will be provided three days before the event.
How long is the mini session?
For the Notes to Mom event, the mini session is 10 minutes long.
How many edits will I receive from the mini session?
Each Notes to Mom booking includes 10 edits.
Are the digital files included with the booking?
No; aside from your custom keepsake, all prints and products are sold separately.

How can I order additional prints and products?
You will receive a link to a private online gallery where you can purchase additional prints and products from your Notes to Mom booking.
What if I want my children’s grandmother to come?
Please invite her! You will still have the same amount of time for your booking, but having your mom at the event will make that much more precious.

If I can’t make it on the day of the event, will there be another day?
Unfortunately, these are the only dates available. If you would like information on a custom photoshoot experience, please contact TeAirra Mitchell Photography at https://www.teairramitchell.com/inquiry

For those of you who don’t know, batch editing is a process where you run a preset over your images to save time in editing. Some photographers will batch edit their entire process, others (like me, well, like the old me) will only batch edit certain steps in their workflow (sharpening, skin smoothing, temperature, etc.).

As much as I love the extra time batch editing saves me, and believe me, I truly love saving time, I’m going to have to do away with batch editing altogether. Why? It’s just not worth risking the quality of images for my clients.

Let’s take this gallery for example:

I batch edited a majority of these, and although they seem pretty good, my client pointed out a couple of issues that I’ve had other clients point out as well.

The first being that this image printed on the dark side (I wish I had a Star Wars pun right now).

Sure, images printed appear to be a bit darker than images looked at on our screens because our screens are backlit, and paper obviously can’t light itself. However, had I taken the time with this image to double check its RGB values, I would’ve predicted that the print would be too dark.

Another issue, this image had strange specks on my client’s face. Not cool. The cause? Over sharpening; since I run actions during my workflow, I gave up the power to ensure the sharpness was just right and instead gave each image the same amount of sharpening.

Of course, I sent out replacement prints, but this gallery also made the shift of hand-editing each image. My client’s trust me to capture their most precious memories so that they can relive them for years to come, no one wants dark and spotty prints in their folio box.

So, bye-bye batch editing, and HELLO to consistently clean prints! Every image presented at your reveal will be hand-selected, hand-edited, and reviewed thoroughly before printing. Because your portraits are THAT serious.

The trick to any successful shoot is proper planning, but how does one plan a shoot when they don’t know if the subject will even be born yet on the day the shoot is scheduled for?

Just like your doctor, we newborn photographers use your EDD as a guide for when we can expect to see you in front of our camera with your new baby. Once we have your EDD, we stay on-call for your newborn session, because it’s simply impossible to know exactly when your baby will be ready for her close-up

At TMP, we encourage moms to set a date for their newborn session at the same time they set a date for their maternity session. In the weeks leading up to baby’s EDD, we send friendly emails to check-in and see how baby’s baking is coming along so that we can make any necessary adjustments for the date of baby’s newborn session.

For example:

A mom’s EDD is September 3rd, and she decides to book a maternity and newborn session. She chooses to do her maternity session mid-July so that she can have maternity photos at her baby shower, and we pencil baby’s newborn session for September 8th.

On August 16th, we send an email to check in with Mom and see if there are any updates on Baby. We don’t get a response from her right away, and understanding that the last trimester can be a doozy, we give a few days before sending another check-in. As long as the doctor hasn’t scheduled an induction or c-section, we’ll stick with the original session date until Baby actually arrives.

On September 3rd, we give mom a call and she says, “Oh my goodness, TeAirra, the baby was born on the 1st and I’ve just had so much going on, I haven’t had a chance to let you know!” To which I reply, “Congratulations, Mama! No worries, I totally get it. You keep enjoying your bundle of joy, and I’ll see you all on the 8th. I can’t wait to meet your little one!”

Another example:

Mom wants to book a Baby Plan with a maternity session add-on, and during the booking, she expresses concern about her pregnancy being high-risk. She explains that although her EDD is November 21st, the doctors have been telling her the baby can arrive up to three weeks before her EDD due to the circumstances of the pregnancy.

“No worries,” I say. “Let’s schedule your maternity session for the beginning of October to give you plenty of time to rest just in case he does arrive three weeks early.” We then schedule her maternity session for October 2nd. After talking more about how the doctors have been approaching the pregnancy, we decide to book the newborn session for baby’s actual EDD. This way, if he comes early, he has time to be evaluated as necessary, and if he’s on time, we can move the date ahead a week or so. We also schedule a 6 Month Milestone session and Baby’s First Birthday Portraits.

As the doctors anticipated, Baby arrived three weeks early, but what Mom and I hadn’t anticipated was that baby wasn’t allowed to leave the house for 6 weeks, pushing Baby out of the newborn age for posed newborn portraits. Mom really wants photos of baby as a newborn, before he turns a month old. So, we talk about it some more and decide to do an in-home lifestyle session instead, on our original date of November 21st. This way, mom gets her newborn photos and her baby is not exposed to the outdoors before his doctor gives the ok.

There have been plenty of times where the baby has gone past their due date or arrived a little early, or is asked not to venture outside due to medical reasons or personal beliefs. All babies come in their own way and in their own time. While we pencil a date to ensure you have space on the books, we also stay on call for you until your baby is able to safely come in for their session. We’re all about the babies, and the mamas, so we’ll pretty do whatever it takes to make sure you get newborn images you love.

For more information on TeAirra Mitchell Photography’s portrait services, visit us at www.teairramitchell.com.

“My Joy”

Have you ever loved doing something so much, you literally find yourself doing it day and night? I mean you wake up in the morning, twiddle with it, throughout your day you find yourself buried in projects and tasks dedicated to that one love, and when you sleep at night, you dream that you’re still working through those projects. You’re so consumed with this one thing, it’s become a burning desire deep inside you, taking over your life, and bringing you an immense amount of joy and satisfaction.

This is how I feel about my photography.

But I allowed myself to drift away from my work, from the only ‘job’ I have ever been able to imagine myself doing for the rest of my life. In June of 2015, I took a full-time position as a communications coordinator. The job description seemed to fit me, I would practically be doing all that I love doing for TeAirra Mitchell Photography, just for someone else. And in the beginning, I didn’t mind it at all, I actually quite enjoyed working there. But slowly, I started to feel like something was…off.

At first, I was still working on my photography, obviously with only a limited amount of time since I now had a full-time job. My mornings shifted from coffee and breakfast with my daughter, to rushing out the door to get her to daycare and me to the office. My days were now filled with many, many, many, emails (so many emails), from people who couldn’t quite come to a decision on what I felt were simple manners. But I stayed cool, well, not really. I tried to anyway.

Eventually, I became overwhelmed by the inconsistency in the office, feeling trapped in my little cubicle and sneaking off to do photography work here and there. I became so overwhelmed, I just sorta felt numb to the routine: get up, take the M&M to daycare, go to work, come home, prepare for dinner and bed, sleep, repeat. Never realizing how much of me was missing from that routine. Little by little, I started posting to social media less, I became inconsistent with getting my photography work completed, and eventually fell into depression.

I was no longer doing creative projects for photography throughout the day. I wasn’t editing galleries nearly as much as I would like, I definitely wasn’t booking sessions, I mean I was barely on social media anymore. And the dreams had stopped. The daydreams, the night dreams, the random inspirations that would hit me as I drove past a nice meadow, all gone. It had all just stopped. My world became dark, and that immense feeling of joy was replaced with a deep sadness.

One day, I was sitting at my prison cell (read as “cubicle”), purposely avoiding my work by scrolling through Instagram, and I noticed someone had sent me a direct message requesting information to book a maternity session. At first, I panicked; I hadn’t finished all of the many things building on my to-do list like prep guides, pricing guides, you know, the essentials. But when I read her message, something sparked in me, that little flame of joy began to burn, and I got right to work, praying I could book her session.

The session was booked, the images turned out beautifully, she loved them, and I realized why I had been depressed.

I had stop doing the one thing I really, truly loved: my photography.

Photography isn’t just taking photos and editing them for me, there’s an entire creative process involved, and I love to get lost in my imagination. I so missed filling my sketchbook up with ideas for a shoot, bugging my sisters to model for me, staying up late figuring out new editing techniques– I missed it all so much. And the dreams! Oh, how I miss dreaming of posing little newborns, going into the water for a photoshoot, or jumping from a plane to get the perfect shot (my dreams get real lol).

That little cubicle distracted me from my real calling, and I had forgotten why I had taken the desk job. The communications coordinator position was to only be a stepping stone in my professional and personal development so that I could give my clients an even greater experience. Instead, I allowed it to be the reason I neglected my clients, and just let TMP fall by the wayside. Once I reminded myself of this, I could feel the dark cloud of depression lift away, and I got back into doing what I really loved.

I haven’t looked back since.

Don’t give up on your dreams, they come to us for a reason. They are little videos of what our life could be, and they are there to guide us into a greater purpose. For me, a portrait business is just the foundation of an even greater vision. I want to change the way people see themselves so that they love themselves more, and then pass that love to those around them. I want to share my joy with others so that they can be inspired to follow their dreams. It’s way more than photography to me, but I can’t lose sight, I can never again allow anything to steal my joy.

Originally written August 17, 2016, and a much-needed reminder to myself. 

But you know what’s not so fun? Wanting those picture-perfect portraits of your baby but missing out because you’re too busy getting used to caring for your new baby and trying to maintain at least a somewhat normal lifestyle.

In my five years of working with moms, the number one reason I hear mom’s say they didn’t get a certain photoshoot with their baby, be it maternity portraits, newborn, milestone or even the first year, was because the window to take the portraits came and went faster than they thought.

So, I’ve been working to perfect this exclusive TMP package (drumroll please!): BABY PLANS!

Cool, but what is a Baby Plan?

A Baby Plan is a total booking package to not only document milestones from your baby’s first year of life, but to also create beautiful imagery to immortalize these fleeting moments.

Our Baby Plan packages each include a Newborn, 6 Month Milestone and First Birthday customized portrait session for your child starting about a week or so after they are born. Once your Baby Plan is complete, you will pick a favorite image from each session and I will design a 20×20″ canvas storyboard of your baby’s first year personalized with your child’s name and birthdate.

How do scheduling Baby Plans work?

Understanding that baby’s birthdate is more than likely out of your control, we’ve come up with a plan to ensure you have worry-free scheduling for your baby’s entire Baby Plan membership.

During the last trimester of your pregnancy, we’ll schedule out approximately when we will do your baby’s newborn session using your EDD; Since each baby arrives in their own time, we will send friendly emails to check-in and see if Baby has made their arrival.  While we’re penciling in your newborn session, we will also set a date for your baby’s 6 Month Milestone session as well as their First Birthday session.

In addition to planning ahead, I’ve also included several poses and set-ups that are easy for any baby at any age. Whenever your baby comes in, we’ll be prepared to get shots you’ll love.

Why book a Baby Plan if I can just book a regular session?

The best reason to book a Baby Plan is the peace of mind knowing you will have those beautiful images of your baby you’ve been dreaming of since you found out you were pregnant, and you’ll only have to plan for them one time! As an added benefit, by booking more sessions at once, you’re saving on your total investment especially when you factor in your customized 20×20″ canvas storyboard. All in all, the Baby Plan is valued at  $2, 350, but packages start at $1,200– that’s just about half off when you book a Baby Plan package!

What EXACTLY is included with Baby Plans?

A Baby Plan includes:

• 3 pre-determined custom portrait sessions
• 1 20×20” customized canvas storyboard
• $150 towards each Portrait Order ($450 Total Print Credit)
• A free sitting fee once a year during Baby’s birthday month

Every Baby Plan package includes a Newborn, 6 Month Milestone and First Birthday customized portrait session for your child, along with a $150 print credit for each session, Baby’s customized 20×20″ canvas storyboard, and an online viewing gallery so you can share Baby’s updated photos with the entire family.

What if I want to gift a Baby Plan to an expecting family?

Give a gift card and encourage the family to schedule their appointment right away! Because customized portraits are such a personal experience, having mom reach out to schedule her Style Consultation once you gift the Baby Plan will allow us to get started right away with planning for her session.

I am absolutely over the moon with excitement for this new package! In all the excitement, I’ve decided to gift a complimentary maternity mini-session with every Baby Plan until Friday, May 31, 2019.

For more information on Baby Plan bookings, click here.

When you’re bringing a life into this world, you are not just birthing a baby, you’re birthing a new woman, a woman who will grow to be a loving and nurturing caregiver with a strength she never knew she had. And both new lives need to be honored. Get in touch today to learn how we can create beautiful portraits together.

I am sooooo excited to say I can now offer in-studio maternity portraits! This is HUGE because I’ve had mamas request to stay indoors for their shoot, or there have been times when we were rained out of our location, and, since babies come when they please, it’s not always possible to reschedule a maternity shoot before baby makes their grand entrance.

Over the last couple of years, I’ve been working on figuring out how to still give beautiful portraits in-studio without having to ask clients to rent a separate space. And I think I’ve figured it out.

This mama had a very specific, yet simple, vision in mind for her shoot, and it worked perfectly in our space. Honestly, I was worried we wouldn’t have many good shots, but I ended up having a hard time deciding which images to edit for her reveal.

She didn’t want to look at the camera (personal preference of hers), but we still got a ton of great angles with different types of light setups to give her even more diversity in her gallery.

Above, is the simple beauty light setup, and below is her backlight set up.

The best part about in-studio maternity shoots? Mamas not having to be nervous about people watching as they shoot. This mama even got excited about doing a fine-art nude setup (not pictured), along with some drama-ish shots (below).

Then there’s the big question: But what if I REALLY want outdoor portraits?

No worries. I got you covered.

There’s a park not too far from our space, and it’s perfect for adding on a quick outdoor segment to your session.

For booking inquiries, please visit www.teairramitchell.com/inquiry. Don’t forget to ask about our Maternity and Newborn Bundles!

In the beginning, I just wanted to get people in front of my camera. At the time, all I really knew was how to make a proper exposure, and I just wanted to get as much practice as possible to build a portfolio, start “marketing”, yadda, yadda.

And I did.

And eventually, I felt good enough to charge (a whole other story for another day), and suddenly, I had a photography business. As most new photographers, my session fee included all the images from the session in some type of digital format (new business experiments and such) and I had products I tried to sell, but I had no clue what I was doing–  it was just a hot mess.

TMP’s business experiments continued, testing what various industry leaders had to say about ISP (in-Person Sales), online sales, selling products, ditching digitals, only selling this, and only selling that…

Obviously, there is more than one way to run a photography business. But, naturally, I started to refine exactly how I wanted to run my business.

Low-Volume, High-Touch

I didn’t want a high-volume studio; I wanted to have personal encounters with my clients. I wanted them to feel like they were coming to see an old friend when they booked their session.

Stylized Shoots

I wanted clients to feel like they were models in a magazine shoot; stylized hair, makeup, and wardrobe were a must. I wanted clients to be able to just show up, play dress-up, and have an amazing photoshoot.

Ready-to-Hang Products

I wanted to sell beautiful products because I LOVE those products, and I can’t wait to buy a house and fill my walls up with portraits of our family. I felt if I could show other moms how beautiful these products were, they’d understand why they needed them. What mom doesn’t love seeing big adorable photos of their babies all over the place?

I wanted to do all of this while being a mom to my baby (now, babies). Which further validated my low-volume preference =]

So, that’s how I made the decision to revamp into a full-service custom portrait studio. Of course, there’s a lot more depth to it all, but, you get the picture.

Pun intended =]

I didn’t want to give a mediocre experience, I wanted to give my clients something they would always remember. And maybe, they can relive all the love and joy that went into making those portraits each time they walk past it, or look through their album, or open up the folio box. And maybe, just maybe, they’ll find stories to share as they look at the portraits with loved ones, eventually passing the stories down for generations.

I want it to be special. As special as the love they have for the people they created their images for.

So, if you’re looking for more than just some pictures, maybe you and I should chat =]

The simple version of the answer is: I just have a burning desire to capture beauty.

While the simple answer is very true, there’s a bit more to the story.

I’ve always been in love with photography. When I was 7 years old, my mom gave me a toy camera for Christmas. It was a clear pink plastic wind-up camera. She probably gifted me the toy camera because she had gotten tired of getting me the disposable cameras since I had spent that year filling them up and taking them to the drug store to get developed. How I loved that little toy camera. I would stalk my family and friends, waiting for the perfect moment to capture the perfect expression. I was fascinated by capturing people then, and still am now.

Starting in middle school, I became known by my friends and classmates to always have a camera on me. I couldn’t quite describe the burning desire to “freeze time,” as I would say, but it was there, and it was strong, and it never ceased.

I knew I wanted to be a photographer, but I thought the only way was to work for someone else.

In 2013 we were expecting our first child, and that burning desire became even stronger. Naturally, I wanted to record as much of our daughter’s milestones as I possibly could, but I also wanted to finally figure out how to become a photographer. So, I typed into the Google search engine “how to be a photographer.” Expecting to see articles explaining the process of being an intern at some magazine firm or newspaper, I was surprised to see pages and pages of blogs and articles explaining how to start a photography business.

Instantly, that burning desire turned into a full fire, and the rest is history.

There I was, sitting for hours in the dark at our kitchen table, realizing that I could not only make my dream of being a professional photographer come true, but I could start a business that would allow me the flexibility to be the mom I wanted to be. At the time, it sounded simple enough: write a business plan, set some prices, build a portfolio, and open the business. Boom, instant professional photographer.

Needless to say, it wasn’t that simple.

Once our daughter arrived, I could not wait to begin creating beautiful portraits of her and recording all her milestones with all of the amazingly adorable ideas I put into my portfolio plans. When she was 7 days old, I shot her newborn photos— well, I attempted to shoot her newborn photos.

During the “shoot,” I was so excited. I was swooning over the little headbands I bought from Burlington’s, so proud of how I matched them against the swirly fur fabric I found at Joann’s, and so in love with how precious my little one looked.

I imported the images to Lightroom, picked my favorites to edit, and completed my first set of newborn photos. Unfortunately, my excitement didn’t last much longer once I posted the images in a photography group I found on Facebook.

They ripped those pictures of my precious little girl apart (they were pretty bad though lol). I was crushed. I had failed my first newborn shoot. More importantly, I failed to get those beautiful portraits of my first-born that I had desperately wanted.

Although I’ve had moments where I wanted to quit, this wasn’t one of them. Instead, my failure pushed me to get it right. I knew I still had some things to learn before I was ready to be a professional photographer.

I took to Google, looking for any resources on photography basics. Google searches led to free blogs and articles, which led to YouTube gurus, and finally, I began investing in education. I spent every possible minute soaking up anything I could about the business and art of photography. Even in all the researching, studying, and practicing, I still didn’t quite understand why this was all so important to me.

What was it about photography that could drive me to go months without sleep in a quest to “get it right”?

Time went by, and I started working with my first paying clients. After we worked together, I would often hear things like, “Oh, I love these pictures, thank you!” and, that was nice and all, but I still felt like something was missing.

It wasn’t until I tried my hand at boudoir portraits that it finally clicked.

At my first boudoir event, I worked with four ladies. Each lady had all of these things they didn’t like about themselves, but I didn’t really understand what they didn’t like. They were all gorgeous to me, and whenever they would tell me their biggest insecurities about their bodies, I remember thinking, “What? Why don’t you like your [insert body part]?” Which was often followed by me thinking “I would KILL to have [insert body part] like yours!”

The responses I got from those ladies once they received their images literally brought tears to my eyes.

Every one of them told me that they couldn’t believe it was them in their portraits, that they never thought they could look that beautiful. One of the husbands of the ladies even sent an email to thank me because his wife was more confident than he had seen in a long time since she’d received her images.

When I look at a person, I see more than their face, more than their insecurities, I see a story. When I talk to that same person, I can see the story come to life before my eyes. I see beyond their physical features, I feel their energy; then their energy just radiates in front of me and I HAVE to capture it, I HAVE to tell their story so that they can see what I see. So they can see the beauty in their story, even when it may not be the picture perfect fairy tale they hoped for.

It may sound cliché, but everyone has a beauty about them.

Everyone: the mom preparing to bring a life into this world, the new baby gracing the earth with their innocence, the woman who just found out she’s ill, the child that would rather throw a tantrum than give a hug, the family that bickers about everything, the sisters who barely see each other, the young lady who’s about to become a wife, the grandmother who found out she’ll have a great granddaughter soon; the women who think they have 20 pounds to lose, the women who have 20 pounds they want to gain, and the women who just want to be loved for who they are.

We all have a story to be told, and we all have beauty to capture. I believe this with every fiber of my being, and THAT is why I wanted to open TeAirra Mitchell Photography.

Get adorable portraits of your favorite baby this July with a photoshoot specially crafted to capture the tiny features of babies 30 days to 12 months old. TeAirra Mitchell Photography is hosting a one-day Milestone Minis special to give moms a memorable portrait experience with their little ones Saturday, July 7th, in Oakland, CA.

This 30-minute portrait reservation includes the props and outfits needed for the session, along with a full-set of poses to give moms a gallery of beautiful “no-fuss” portraits to remember these precious moments of her sweet baby.

Perfect for mom’s who want to update their baby’s memory book, or get some cute shots for this year’s holiday cards, the Milestone Minis special includes wardrobe and props provided for baby, a 30-minute photo shoot, a viewing gallery of 12 fully-retouched images, one 5×5″ photobook of 10 images, and 3 digital downloads available in an online gallery. All for a limited-time offer of $300. 

To book your Milestone Mini-Session, you can visit our online store by clicking here.

For more specials from TeAirra Mitchell Photography, visit our newest page on the site: www.teairramitchell.com/Oakland-Photo-Specials

For moms who want to be in the photos with their babies, ask about our Motherly Package upgrade; an additional setup to include mom all dressed-up with her baby, with hair and makeup provided. 

It’s February 1st, which means Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. Now, before you start thinking about everything you need to get in order for the kids, the gift you had in mind for your partner, or the fancy dinner you’re going to host for all of your friends, what are you doing for YOU this Valentine’s Day?

If you’re anything like me like most moms and/or wives, you had no plans lovin’ on yourself this Valentine’s Day.

Well, ladies (and gents, too), do I have news for you!

I’ve had the pleasure of teaming up with an amazing Bay Area based makeup artist, who travels across the country helping brides slay on their wedding day, and her name is Allie Yamaguchi. Allie and I both have a personal mission with our work to help women embrace their true beauty, Allie with her makeup artistry, and I with my portraits.

This Valentine’s Day, we are hosting the Heart Day Giveaway where one lucky winner will win a makeover with Allie Yamaguchi and photo shoot with yours truly. You can use the prize all for yourself, or invite your partner, or even gift it to someone who may need a pick-me-up this Valentine’s Day.

The winner will be announced on Valentine’s Day, February 14th, 2018, and they will be able to book their makeover and photo shoot session. The photo shoot will also include a credit of $100 that may be used towards additional photo services or portrait products.

To enter:

1. Head over to your Instagram and follow both @teairramitchell and @allieyamagichi
2. Post one of the #HeartDayGiveAway18 flyers (scattered though this blog post and on our timelines) on your timeline with hashtag “#heartdaygiveaway18”
3. Tag three of your friends who you think would like to win a makeover and photo shoot in the caption of your post.

All entries must be submitted by 2/13/18 at 11:59pm. **This giveaway is in no way sponsored, endorsed, or administrated by, or associated with Instagram. **

So, there you have it, a nice way to treat yourself this Valentine’s Day. I hope to see your entry.

Good luck!

For info on wedding and portrait services by TeAirra Mitchell Photography, please visit www.teairramitchell.com.

2017 was a pretty good year for us: we had a new baby, I finally began working full-time as a photographer, and I was graced with a many humbling life-lessons, which I’m always grateful for.

One major thing that happened last year was the Revamp. I had planned on keeping everyone updated on the in’s and out’s of everything that was happening as it happened, but, I’m not going to lie, adjusting to full-time momtrepreneur was more than I anticipated. With that said, the Revamp brought many changes internally, that shouldn’t affect you all too much, and some changes that you won’t help but be able to notice.

Ultimately, the Revamp was the first step to turning TMP into a full-service Wedding and Portrait Studio. A larger studio space is in the works, but it was absolutely necessary to establish some new systems to make sure our clients have a portrait experience they’ll never forget.

Refined Booking System
I’m excited to say that we have been booking more and more sessions (you may want to check out our FAQ about how early to book your sessions), which also meant we needed to revisit some things to create a system that allows us to take in more inquiries without them getting lost among the many other emails coming in.

Now, when you’re ready to book your portrait reservation, we have a new client portal system to keep track of all of the details of your session and portrait order. The best part, all you have to do is send the inquiry from our Inquiry Form and you’ll automatically be sent booking information and be added into our studio queue.

Custom Styling + Styling Guide
In the past, clients often came to me saying that they didn’t know what to wear to their session, or how to do their hair and makeup, and since this was for their portraits, it could sometimes be stressful. To ensure you get the best experience when planning for your portraits, you will have a one-on-one style consult where we’ll talk about how you want to look in your portraits and go over every detail.

We will discuss everything from basic wardrobe, to hair and makeup, and even any insecurities you may have about your body so that I can plan on how to pose you. The goal for every session is to create beautiful pictures that you love with all of your heart, and the Custom Styling + Styling Guide allows you to truly design the perfect portrait session.

In-Person Reveal + Order Session
Ok, so in the past, figuring out how to sell portrait products was tough for me, but there is something so powerful in holding a physical portrait. I cannot begin to describe the joy that wells up in my heart when I hold portraits of my own family. And if I’m truly being transparent, I get the feeling as I’m putting the final touches of my client’s orders. Seriously, printing your portraits is such an important part of your portrait process, and I want all of my clients to have gorgeous heirloom portraits that leave a legacy for their family’s future generations.  

When your portraits are ready, clients are invited to return to see their images and choose their favorites to build their Portrait Order using our simple pricing menu. Being in-person allows whatever questions you have to be answered right then, taking out the hassle of sending emails back and forth, playing phone tag, and putting more time between you and your final product. We want you to get excited about designing your portrait display, and we’re here to help however we can.

New Service
Remember how I said clients often were overwhelmed by hair and makeup? Well, now we will have (drumroll please!)….

HAIR AND MAKEUP STYLING WITH SESSION BOOKINGS!

Yes, friends! TMP now has a hair and makeup artist to help ease the stress of achieving that picture-perfect look for  your portraits.

“Who is this artist?” you may ask, well, that is a blog saved for another day, so stay tuned for the big introduction.

Well, friends, that’s all I have for you this post. I’ll be back to share some stories from TMP and give more insight into who we are as a company, but for now I just want to say: thank you for reading.

You can find TMP online at www.teairramitchell.com.

Follow me on IG @teairramitchell for day-to-day updates on TMP, quotes, tips, and my life as a Momtrepreneur.

Like us on Facebook for more TMP updates, DIY’s and behind-the-scenes.

Best Ways to Contact

Phone calls are by appointment only

Email: info@teairramitchell.com

Inquiries: www.teairramitchell.com/inquiry

No worries, I’ve got you covered.

Portraits are created to immortalize a moment in time, and often, these portraits are displayed front and center in your home. The pressure to look good is a little heavy, and that’s where I step in with my clients.

During their Style Consult, we talk a lot about the look they are going for. Sometimes clients know exactly what they want, and other times they have no clue. When I sit down to plan a client’s session, here’s what we do:

1. Choose a style. 
   When you submit an inquiry form on our website, we ask how you would like to be photographed, and include some examples to choose from; this is your desired Style (or Styles).
   The mom from this Fall Family Portrait session knew she wanted everyone to dress classically: dressy attire, but not too over the top. So we went from there.

    

   

2. Decide on colors. 
   How are you planning to display your portraits? If you’re thinking of a room in your home, you may want to consider having a pallet that compliments the room you have in mind. Or maybe there is a holiday card design you’ve been eyeing, think of colors that will look good in that layout.
   We wanted to go for a gold and cream look here, and we knew Burgundy would offer a nice contrast, especially considering our shooting location.

    

   

3. Book hair and makeup appointments. 
   Even if you feel you can do your own hair and makeup, take it from me, it’s so much better to treat yourself to booking with a stylist and makeup artist. Not only are you guaranteed to look amazing for your shoot, but you’ll also be a lot more relaxed with one less thing to worry about.
   For this shoot, the mom’s hair was styled by @taylordhair and her makeup was done by @allieyamaguchi. Be sure to check out these ladies’ Instagrams, especially if you’re looking for artists for the upcoming holidays.

    

   

4. Accessorize.
   Accessories will truly make or break your shoot. Sure, “less is more,” but I would love to style a session with many shiny and sparkly pieces. =]
   The dress was our accessory for this shoot. I found it in my studio stash and instantly knew it would be perfect for this style. (Yes, I do look for outfits for my clients, but only if they let me.)

    

   

5. Rock the shoot! 
   Now that you have all the styling components for your shoot, get out there and work it! Even if you’re a bit nervous, your photographer should be able to direct you into poses that flatter you. No need to worry about if you “look good,” your photographer has that under control.
   As I tell my clients, “Relax, and be beautiful!”

    

   

Just remember, your portrait experience should be enjoyable. And with a little planning and preparation, you will absolutely love them.

To see more images from this session, click here. If you would like more information on booking services with TeAirra Mitchell Photography, please reach out on our website. We’d love to hear from you!

Want inspiration on what to wear for your Fall Family Portraits, check out our board on Pinterest. 

I shoot a lot of maternity and newborn portraits, but that doesn’t mean I don’t shoot families. Actually, since I meet a majority of my families during their pregnancy, I usually get to see them once a year after for their family portraits.

Fall Family Portraits are  quite popular for a few reasons:

1. Fall gives a Golden Hour that is totally worth keeping the kids out a bit past bedtime (Daylight Savings makes it even earlier).
2. The leaves are changing and gives a backdrop of yummy warm autumn tones.
3. Holiday Cards need to be made and mailed, and what  makes a better Holiday Card than a gorgeous family portrait?

Right now, we are offering a free set of Holiday Cards with your Family Portrait reservation. Choose a design from out catalog, and maybe even custom postage stamps, to give Holiday Gifts your family and friends will surely adore.

For more information, submit an inquiry form at www.teairramitchell.com/inquiry and we’ll send over some information right away.

There’s still time to get beautiful family portraits, just be sure to reach out today.

Want a closer look at a Family Portrait Session? Here are a few of my favorites from a recent Fall Family Portrait session.

Click here to view the entire gallery.

Hair done by Taylor’d Hair, check out her IG!

Dress from Oak and Arrow (their Grand Opening is November 11th, 2017!), check out their IG.

Why the revamp?

3 years ago, I decided to embark on the journey of building a photography business because I wanted to give mamas the gift of having nice pictures of their little ones and the bellies that those little ones were carried in. As time went on, I added services while deciding to specialize in Maternity and Newborn portraits, but always felt something was missing. Sure TMP has been growing and doing pretty well, but with each client, I would find two or three things I wished I would have done differently. Recently, I’ve realized I’ve lost focus of what was most important to me in my business: the women I was creating these portraits for.

The purpose behind this revamp is to bring the focus back to these women, their babies, the partners who love and support them, the new chapters of their lives, and any other reason that is significant enough for them to decide to document through photography.

What will be changing?

I’m transitioning TMP into a full-service Wedding and Portrait studio, meaning from start to finish every detail of our clients’ experience with us will be tailored to them and the artwork they want as keepsakes for their homes. I’ll be updating my portfolio, adding services and products, and simplifying pricing.

Keepsakes clients may want could be wall art hung as large individual pieces or group of portraits hung to create an in-home portrait gallery. Or perhaps you would rather keep your walls as they are and would prefer to have a gorgeous folio box to hold many portraits or have a handcrafted album designed with your portraits. I want our clients to have many options for custom products, and I want our clients to know that the possibilities are endless.

With all these changes taking place, they key focus overall is to provide a simple structure that makes our clients’ experience enjoyable and unforgettable. Great communication, excellent service, and quality products are a part of the improved structure, with client satisfaction being our top priority.

What will be affected during the Revamp?

While everything is under construction the TMP website and social media platforms will be changing, and some technical difficulties are sure to arise. These platforms will be quiet for awhile, and I will slowly resume posting in about a month or so. My responses will be slower, session availability will be limited (we are open during construction), and other complications I can’t even begin to fathom may occur, but I will do my best to address issues that come up as swiftly as possible. I apologize in advance for any inconveniences.

What does that mean for you, reading this?

The whole motivation behind this revamp is the satisfaction of you, the client (and also our fans!). So I want to hear from you, tell me what you’ve like most about TMP until this point, tell me what you would like to see done differently, let me know what you’re most excited about the revamp and any suggestions you may have. You can click here to complete a survey, or leave a comment below.

If you would like to be kept in the loop about the Revamp, including being the first to know when the relaunch will happen and how you can participate, sign up for our email list here.

Thank you to everyone that has shown their love and support to TMP over the last few years. I’m forever grateful for the feedback you’ve all given, the good, bad, and the ugly. Even more so, thank you for allowing me to be me and pushing me to be better. The experiences I’ve had on this journey have been priceless in my growth spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. Words could never express the gratitude I feel and I hope to be even better with TMP 2.0.

Stay tuned for more updates, I’m excited for what’s to come, and I hope you are too!

It’s been awhile since TeAirra Mitchell Photography has had a Mini-Session event, but I really miss hosting them. The kids are always so full of personality and the galleries are just so adorable to edit! Since the time for holiday cards and personalized gifts are quickly approaching, I figured why not have Fall Mini-Sessions?

Read on to get more info on TMP’s 2016 Fall Minis. Already know you want to reserve your session? Scroll straight to the bottom for booking details =]

What are the 2016 Fall Minis?

2016 Fall Mini-Sessions will be at an outdoor location in Oakland that has a variety of backgrounds perfect for capturing little ones in their fall attire. With trees, tall grass, and a beautiful sky background,  the Fall Mini-Session galleries are sure to have images that you can’t help but swoon over.

All Fall Mini-Sessions are short and sweet at 20-minutes long, and will highlight the personality of the mini-people in your life. For these minis, we’ve done away with props and busy backdrops so that the kiddos are what make the images truly unique. To create a fall feel, each image will be custom edited to bring out the colors of the season, giving your artwork a clean and natural look.

The little model in our test shoot (my darling daughter) was showing off her “pretty dress” from Posh Peanut Children’s Boutique where they have a beautiful variety of gorgeous dresses, rompers, and accessories for any little girl’s photo shoot. For ideas on what your little one can wear to their Fall Mini-Session, check out this fall-inspired style board we put together on Pinterest. As always, remember that you can reach out to us for a complimentary pre-consultation so we can bounce around wardrobe ideas for your mini-session.

When will they be and how can I book?

2016 Fall Mini-Sessions will be held in Oakland on Saturday, October 8th and Sunday, October 9th, with each mini-session including 20-minutes of shooting time, three 5×7″ prints, a 16×20″ frame of your favorite image from your mini-session gallery (a $675 value), and 25% off any custom card holiday order made during 2016 for a sitting fee of $150. You can reserve your mini-session slot with a signed contract and retainer fee of $75, and the remaining balance due the day of your mini-session. We will send the location’s address upon the reservation of your booking.

For more information on the TeAirra Mitchell Photography Mini-Sessions, visit www.teairramitchell.com/minis.

Don’t forget that you can save 15% off your mini-session and receive $100 towards your mini-session portrait order by referring a friend. To see more ways to get the most of your portrait investment, have a look at the TeAirra Mitchell Photography Loyalty Program. 

When Jasmine emailed me about a maternity session, I was over the moon! I’ve so missed seeing that special maternal glow, the way dad’s smile at the woman carrying their little ones, and the excitement from the anticipation of it all. Finally, I get to work gorgeous mamas and their baby bellies! And imagine my excitement when I found out that this mama was expecting two little girls—there are no words.

Throughout the whole week of the shoot, we were worried about the storm that was due to roll in on the day of our shoot. Luckily, the storm decided to come a day later, leaving us with breathtaking skies and clouds during the shoot; sunset shoot, at Ocean Beach, over Sutro Baths with a beautiful couple waiting on their first-born twin girls, simply perfection! The weather wasn’t too cool, the wind didn’t give us a hard time, and everything was perfect, down to the dress Jasmine brought in for her portraits.

I can only imagine what carrying twins must feel like, carrying one baby isn’t exactly a walk along the beach as it is, but Jasmine made it all seem so effortless and graceful. In the beginning she admitted she felt awkward taking pictures and being pregnant with twins (although she looked flawless), but she never once complained of discomfort either, and shared some pretty loving moments with Dad. They were both great to work with, and their gallery is my favorite maternity shoot to date.

So, message to the all the mamas out there, even the ones carrying multiples:

Although you might feel larger that you care for, your belly feels like it might burst if those little people keep pushing around in there, and you just don’t feel as confident as you’d like, you’re beautiful despite it all. You’re creating the most precious little beings who are our future, and your maternity portraits will be an amazing part of your family’s legacy, so don’t let a few discomforts keep you from capturing this timeless moment in your family’s history. Find a photographer, find a dress you love, and get out there and have fun! Then enjoy the beautiful portraits that will result, that’s all there is to it.

For more information on Maternity Sessions by TeAirra Mitchell Photography, please visit our website and send us a contact form, we’d love to get in touch with you. Remember to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram too!

Quick back story: Mariana and Frank decided to have a small courthouse wedding, but wanted to host a reception so they could celebrate their union with their loved ones– and what a celebration it was. 

I met the groom, Frank, at his cousin’s wedding; he was the best man and I was the photographer. Frank’s family knows how to party, and how to show their guests a great time– I had a blast capturing that wedding reception! To add to their party skills, Frank’s family also had an amazing love for life that was felt throughout both Frank’s, and his cousin’s wedding. And Frank’s bride’s family had the same amazing love for life. 

Mariana, Frank’s gorgeous bride, has a great family also. Her family traveled all the way from Brazil to celebrate Mariana’s wedding; Her beautiful mom and sisters, her sisters’ husbands, her father, and her nieces and nephews. Although they were few in number, they made up for it with their presence on the dance floor.  Seriously, their dance moves were breath taking! Just watching made we want to take a vacation in Brazil. I’m even trying to talk my husband into lessons :)  Put these two families together for a celebration, and you have one hot wedding reception; amazing dancing (from the entire family), great food, good company, hundreds of laughs and smiles– simply beautiful.

Everyone was enjoying themselves so much, we ran out of time for bride and groom portraits (but we were still able to sneak in a few). Even their little one joined in with the festivities! Mariana has such a beautiful, loving spirit, and Frank obviously knows he’s found the perfect wife in his lovely bride. Should he ever happen to forget, one look at her and their adorable little boy is all the reminder he’ll need; I’m sure of it.  I was lucky enough to witness two marriages in this family, and I can wait to capture all of their new memories in the years to come. 

Happy Father’s Day!

When we first started dating, you would always talk about how you wanted a daughter, “I want a Daddy’s Girl,” you would say. Then we found out I was pregnant. As badly as I wanted a boy, you just knew she was a girl. When the ultrasound tech said’ “Yep, her legs are nice and open, and she is definitely a girl,” I was a little surprised– but you weren’t. You knew you were getting your little girl.

Being married to you, and watching you grow as a husband, has been an amazing experience, but not nearly as amazing as you being a father to our child.

Listening to all the giggles and laughs you create, watching all the tickle fights and chases around the house; even knowing that one day, you’ll put on a tutu with her, and take her for a “Daddy-Daughter Day on the Town”, it all warms my heart so much.

The late nights staying up with me, trying to get her to stop fighting her sleep. Mornings waking up to breakfast bagel sandwiches, and having Dad’s hotdog dinners. All of it, means so much to me, and Maddie.

I see her throughout the day, going to the front door and asking “Dada?” as she waits for you to finally come home. The excitement in her eyes when she hears you turning the lock, and then her running to the door to get thrown in the air by her Daddy. The cuddles in bed as you sing along to “Let it Go,” with her. The amusement in taking Daddy-Daughter selfies, and decorating them with stickers. I see it all.

We see it all. Because you have a Daddy’s Girl who watches you, adores you, and loves you with all her little heart. She knows her Daddy loves her, and that he’s her best playmate, and the one who won’t let the crocodile tears get her candy–but she wouldn’t have it any other way. And neither would I.

On this Father’s Day, I just wanted to recognize you for the amazing father, husband, provider, and protector you are. Life without you, would hardly be life at all, and I thank God for you everyday. I hope you enjoy your day, even though I know you’re too humble to take it as “your day.”

I look forward to more years of parenting with you, and hopefully another little bundle we can add to our family. I love you, and Happy Father’s Day! 

Back in January I hosted a small Boudoir event, after helping my friend, Danielle, with her boudoir mini-sessions. The event went better than I could have hoped for, and I was thrilled with the positive feedback I received from the ladies. They all told me after seeing their images, they felt more confident, and couldn’t believe that was them in the photos.

I absolutely adore showing women how beautiful they really are!

Here’s a love note from Jhamaria, one of the ladies who attended the event back in January:

Here’s the full testimonial (I was so teary eyed reading this!):

Let me start off by saying, I LOVE TeAirra! I was recommended by a good friend of mine who actually went to college with her. From the moment we began setting up dates for the boudior mini photoshoot I could tell I was going to really enjoy myself because of her warm spirit she gives off the moment you begin conversation with her!

As the week approached to the shoot she was awesome at checking in with me, going over ideas for what to wear, and even the full concept of my vision!  On the day of, she was so welcoming,  offered me a makeup artist and hairstylist,  champagne,  a cute robe to walk around in as she finished prepping everything, and even played my choice of music(so accommodating!)  Typically I am very shy, but the entire vibe (and maybe the champagne&the Beyoncé playing in the background) helped me come out of my shell. TeAirra continously reassured me how great I looked in front of the camera which seriously helped my confidence with being sexy! I would recommend her as a photographer anyday! She even gives you delicious chocolates after the shoot and made sure to remain in touch with me about my photos.

There was a bit of a delay on the photobook I had ordered sowhat did she do to accommodate me? Created an app for me for my phone that had a password that I was able to share with my significant other in the meantime until the arrival of all my book! So thankful for her for doing that because it shows she cares about her clients :)

Nevertheless,  I received my little black book of photos and am SO pleased with them. TeAirra brought the beauty out of me through a lens and I honestly cannot thank her enough for doing that for me! Book her for your next photoshoot now!
–Jhamaria M.

If Jhamaria’s story spoke to you, maybe it’s time you treated yourself to a boudoir session! :) Visit www.teairramitchell.com, and send me a message, I’d love to talk to you about your boudoir experience!

I got an email from my website saying “Hey! I have this idea for a shoot that I’m dying to do and I absolutely love your work. Please give me a call.” So I called her, and I almost screamed with excitement when she said “I really want to do a nude shoot outside with my pregnant belly.”

Seriously, I could’ve passed out!

We decided on Baker Beach, because it is a nude beach. And yes, it was very cold, but this mama was determined and so was I!

In between sets, I had her wear my coat and my assistant and I did everything we could to keep her warm. We wrapped up the session in about 45 minutes because I didn’t want the poor girl to suffer any more. But the results were amazing!

This mama was really excited to add her son into the images; it was so adorable watching him enjoy the beach (despite the cold), and talk about the baby in mommy’s belly!

Do I want to shoot more of these sessions? OH YEAH! If you, or someone you know is interested in maternity photography services, please visit my website, and send a message through my contact form. I love working with bellies and babies!

Cheers!

image from http://www.creativelive.com

I’m a huge CreativeLive fan!

I believe the only way to grow my business is to constantly research and practice, and CreativeLive is an awesome resource for creative entrepreneurs, like myself.

You might have read my last blog post, about how I lost myself in the struggle to start my portrait business, and came to the realization that I need to stay focused on my vision.

Well, I tuned into CreativeLive today only to hear one of my favorite wedding photographers to talk about every single issue I was struggling with the night before. So, I’ve decided to commit to her 6-week workshop. I’ve been on the look for a new class to take, and today’s class was a major wake-up call. And I think it would be great to add some spice to my wedding services.

Throughout the 6-weeks I’m going to try to blog the class’s affect, here, of course, and once it’s all over, I’m hoping to do a recap. Why? To hold myself accountable and to document my progress.

I’m not going to post my notes or anything like that though, because I respect and appreciate all that CreativeLive and Jasmine Star does for the creative community. I will, however, link you to the workshop

in case you’re interested in tuning in for yourself. =]

I have not been endorsed by CreativeLive and Jasmine Star in any way to promote this workshop, I simply believe that all creatives should tune in to creativelive.com every now and then to see what all they have to offer.

Cheers!

I wanted sessions to be booked in person, over tea and coffee, and great conversation.

I wanted to have an amazing time at the sessions; creating portraits, and having fun with my clients.

I wanted to deliver images that made my clients so overcome with joy, they said, “I love it!”

I wanted to build relationships with my clients.

I wanted to send birthday cards to the kids, anniversary gifts to my brides and grooms, and baby gifts to my belly mamas.

I wanted my clients to have a beautiful portrait experience with the images to match.

And somewhere, I lost that vision.

I don’t know if it was the pressure to have outstanding work. Or maybe my desire to make everyone happy. Or even the longing of being recognized in the photography community as a truly great photographer, and not just a “mom with a camera” who shoots and burns.

It’s been a little over a year since I’ve started my portrait business, and although that isn’t much time, I feel like I’ve been around the world with all the experiences I’ve had during this journey.

The more I tried to fit in, the more I lost myself and what I wanted my business to stand for.

Tough times reveal who a person really is. And making it this far has been tough– to say the least. But you know what would have made it easier? Staying true to myself and the vision for my business.

Is my work the greatest out there? I wouldn’t say so, but it’s not too bad for someone who’s only been at it for a year.

Can I make everyone happy? Highly doubtful. In the meantime, I’m going to focus on how I can spread happiness through my photography.

Will I ever be recognized as a great photographer in the photography community? Who knows. But I’ll die trying.

I’ve come to the realization that this is who I really am, and I have no reason to be ashamed or embarrassed. And I’ll never get where I want to be trying to tag along for everyone else’s journey.

After a year of trying to figure this whole photography business thing out, I still don’t have all the answers (and trust me, I’ve searched high and low), and I probably never will.

I will, however, get better with time. I can promise that.

I’m done trying to do this to please everyone.

I started this because I had a vision. A vision to make time standstill in 1/250th of a second, so that one moment could last forever.

So that someday, a child could sit in their grandparent’s lap, point to a photo and say, “Who is this?” and hear story after story of all the amazing things accomplished in their family.

I fell in love with photography because it was the easiest way to share a specific moment in time with people.

Everyone knows it: a picture speaks a thousand words. And those words can be anything the photographer wants them to be, all with one click: BOOM. Magic.

It’s that simple to me. And I never should have complicated its simplicity.

Temporarily, I lost touch with myself. But after some reflection, I’m pleased to say I’m back– and I don’t plan to let anyone tell me what I see ever again.

Enjoy these behind the scenes snapshots of me doing some of what I really love: BEACH MATERNITY SESSION!

Behind the scenes snapshot of a beach maternity session by Bay Area Portrait photographer TeAirra Mitchell

Behind the scenes snapshot of a beach maternity session by Bay Area Portrait photographer TeAirra Mitchell

Behind the scenes snapshot of a beach maternity session by Bay Area Portrait photographer TeAirra Mitchell

Behind the scenes snapshot of a beach maternity session by Bay Area Portrait photographer TeAirra Mitchell

Behind the scenes snapshot of a beach maternity session by Bay Area Portrait photographer TeAirra Mitchell

“Why is her husband calling her work ‘lies’?” you might be thinking. Well, it’s pretty much because I will go to great lengths in Photoshop to save an image. And I’ll give you a peek into my process, both during the session, and in post-production.

Just bare with me =]

For Easter, I posted a greeting using an image of an adorable little boy I get to work with every so often.

If you saw the Easter greeting, you know: this kid is really super adorable!

Just as adorable as the little guy is, is just as much as he wanted nothing to do with a portrait session.
He cried, and cried…

…and cried some more.

He didn’t like any of the little toys I bring along to children’s sessions, and he really just wanted to cuddle and play with his dad. But since this session was all about the kids, I had to find a way to make him happy without being in Daddy’s arms.

Knowing that Easter was coming soon, I brought along some Easter props in case their parents (the little adorable guy also has a bigger adorable brother) wanted some Easter pictures. Luckily, the little guy really liked the eggs. So, naturally, I took what ever shots I could get.

And it worked out beautifully! He was happy, I got some shots, Mom was happy, and Dad got to take a break.

Then I get home, and see this:

a gorgeous shot ruined by grass. *face palm*

The shot was just too beautiful not to attempt to save it, which is where my husband’s “lies” accusation comes into play.

Sure, it took a bit of time to remove the grass, but it was totally worth it!

Thanks for reading this far! I hope you enjoyed the cuteness!

And, I guess it really isn’t. None the less, I am who I am, and I’m not ashamed.

With that said, I’d like to wish everyone a Happy Easter! I hope you all had a great time with your families and friends, and have a good week.

Until next time!

Wishing you a Happy Resurrection Sunday, from TeAirra Mitchell Photography

But, like most things in life, my portrait photography journey took a very unexpected turn. That turn made me crash right into Boudoir Photography.

When I first started getting serious about my portraits, I would run into boudoir work of other photographers and be amazed, but I’d think to myself “I’d never be able to do that,” and I just left it at that.

Meanwhile. a really good friend of mine, who is the owner of Danielle Roesel Photography, is crazy about boudoir (check out her boudoir work here). One day, she invited me to shadow her during a handful of boudoir mini-sessions she’d be shooting.

Curiosity kicked in, I agree to tag along, and Pandora’s Box was opened.

I became very intrigued, and got a few great shots of my own.

By the time her last client of the day was there, I was ready to shoot! And I had a blast!

Examples of Boudoir Portraits by TeAirra Mitchell Photography

Examples of Boudoir Portraits by TeAirra Mitchell Photography

Examples of Boudoir Portraits by TeAirra Mitchell Photography

Examples of Boudoir Portraits by TeAirra Mitchell Photography

Examples of Boudoir Portraits by TeAirra Mitchell Photography

From this session, I went home and buried myself in whatever education resources for boudoir photography I could get my hands on. Then, I planned my own boudoir event.

Boudoir photography has now found a place in my heart, and I don’t think I’ll leave it alone.

But you know what? I honestly have such a love for what I do.

Creating cute portraits for parents is such an honor to me, because as a mother, I know how quickly they grow, and how the regret of not having enough pictures tends to haunt you.

And just like with my daughter, I love getting down on the floor with kids and making them laugh. I’m astounded by how no matter how many times you see a little baby finally roll on to their belly after struggling for 5 minutes, it never gets old, and it is never not cute.

This little guy here, had the cutest roll-on-the-belly! I couldn’t get enough of it!

an image from a 6 month milestone portrait session with TeAirra Mitchell Photography

an image from a 6 month milestone portrait session with TeAirra Mitchell Photography

an image from a 6 month milestone portrait session with TeAirra Mitchell Photography

an image from a 6 month milestone portrait session with TeAirra Mitchell Photography

an image from a 6 month milestone portrait session with TeAirra Mitchell Photography

an image from a 6 month milestone portrait session with TeAirra Mitchell Photography

an image from a 6 month milestone portrait session with TeAirra Mitchell Photography

With a little patience, and imagination, photographing babies is a piece of cake, minus the calories =]

I’ll be revealing the signs that your little one may or may not be ready for their close up soon, so stay tuned!

But you know what? I honestly have such a love for what I do.

Creating cute portraits for parents is such an honor to me, because as a mother, I know how quickly they grow, and how the regret of not having enough pictures tends to haunt you.

And just like with my daughter, I love getting down on the floor with kids and making them laugh. I’m astounded by how no matter how many times you see a little baby finally roll on to their belly after struggling for 5 minutes, it never gets old, and it is never not cute.

This little guy here, had the cutest roll-on-the-belly! I couldn’t get enough of it!

an image from a 6 month milestone portrait session with TeAirra Mitchell Photography

an image from a 6 month milestone portrait session with TeAirra Mitchell Photography

an image from a 6 month milestone portrait session with TeAirra Mitchell Photography

an image from a 6 month milestone portrait session with TeAirra Mitchell Photography

an image from a 6 month milestone portrait session with TeAirra Mitchell Photography

an image from a 6 month milestone portrait session with TeAirra Mitchell Photography

an image from a 6 month milestone portrait session with TeAirra Mitchell Photography

With a little patience, and imagination, photographing babies is a piece of cake, minus the calories =]

I’ll be revealing the signs that your little one may or may not be ready for their close up soon, so stay tuned!

Of course, I needed a portfolio, so I did a few free sessions, and held a couple model calls.

One of my maternity models also won a newborn session, and from that newborn session, she told me how she wanted to be able to document the first year of her daughter’s life.

“That’s perfect!” I was so excited, I probably literally yelled at her!

I’d been wanting to do milestone sessions for awhile, I just hadn’t met a parent that was interested yet.

But now, the journey has begun, and I get to keep seeing this adorable little girl every 3 months to capture all the adorable new things she can do as she grows! Then, for her 1st Birthday, we’ll have a cake smash!

Take a moment to enjoy the adorable-ness!

an image from a TeAirra Mitchell Photography 3 month portrait session.

an image from a TeAirra Mitchell Photography 3 month portrait session.

an image from a TeAirra Mitchell Photography 3 month portrait session.

It was this little one’s first Valentine’s Day, and Mommy and Daddy brought in this adorable red tutu set!

an image from a TeAirra Mitchell Photography 3 month portrait session.

an image from a TeAirra Mitchell Photography 3 month portrait session.

an image from a TeAirra Mitchell Photography 3 month portrait session.

an image from a TeAirra Mitchell Photography 3 month portrait session.

an image from a TeAirra Mitchell Photography 3 month portrait session.

an image from a TeAirra Mitchell Photography 3 month portrait session.

Loved the adorable-ness? Curious if your baby would sit through a portrait session? Stay tuned for a post on knowing if your baby is ready for their close up!

Click here to sign up for the TMP mailing list and receive exclusive updates and specials.

Of course, I needed a portfolio, so I did a few free sessions, and held a couple model calls.

One of my maternity models also won a newborn session, and from that newborn session, she told me how she wanted to be able to document the first year of her daughter’s life.

“That’s perfect!” I was so excited, I probably literally yelled at her!

I’d been wanting to do milestone sessions for awhile, I just hadn’t met a parent that was interested yet.

But now, the journey has begun, and I get to keep seeing this adorable little girl every 3 months to capture all the adorable new things she can do as she grows! Then, for her 1st Birthday, we’ll have a cake smash!

Take a moment to enjoy the adorable-ness!

an image from a TeAirra Mitchell Photography 3 month portrait session.

an image from a TeAirra Mitchell Photography 3 month portrait session.

an image from a TeAirra Mitchell Photography 3 month portrait session.

It was this little one’s first Valentine’s Day, and Mommy and Daddy brought in this adorable red tutu set!

an image from a TeAirra Mitchell Photography 3 month portrait session.

an image from a TeAirra Mitchell Photography 3 month portrait session.

an image from a TeAirra Mitchell Photography 3 month portrait session.

an image from a TeAirra Mitchell Photography 3 month portrait session.

an image from a TeAirra Mitchell Photography 3 month portrait session.

an image from a TeAirra Mitchell Photography 3 month portrait session.

Loved the adorable-ness? Curious if your baby would sit through a portrait session? Stay tuned for a post on knowing if your baby is ready for their close up!

Click here to sign up for the TMP mailing list and receive exclusive updates and specials.

An issue that has come up a handful of times in the last month is clients not being able to share their favorite images from their online gallery with me.

This is not my idea of my clients having an enjoyable experience.

To help alleviate some of the frustration, I’ve decided to make step-by-step tutorials for clients to easily access, just in case I can’t assist them right away. I will personally go through the same processes that will be covered in the articles, and give tips as I learn trouble shooting techniques.

If tutorials really aren’t your thing, don’t hesitate to give me a call. I will happily walk you through sharing your favorites over the phone, or we can set up an online meeting where I can access your computer screen and virtually guide you through your online gallery.

Let’s get to it!
The following steps will help you in accessing your gallery, making a selection, and sharing your selection with me once you’re ready to submit your photo order.

Step 1: Open your gallery

There are two ways for you to access your gallery: through the link provided in your email, or from the client access page on the TMPwebsite.

To access the page from your email, simply click the link at the end of the email.

example of email link provided to access online photo gallery for TeAirra Mitchell Photography

To access your gallery from the TMPwebsite, visit http://www.teairramitchell.com/clients.html or:

1. Visit www.teairramitchell.com
2. Hover over the down arrow next to “Portfolio” in the header menu
3. Click “Clients”
4. Insert your galleryID (*hint: your galleryID is everything after the forward slash in your link.)

TeAirra Mitchell Photography Client Access Page to enter galleryID and view online gallery

If it’s your first time viewing your gallery, you’ll be asked to sign in. If you view your gallery from a different IP address, you’ll be asked to log in again. Logging in ensures that I have your contact information, and helps me flag unwanted viewers from your online gallery.

Step 2: View your proofs

Once you’ve successfully logged into your gallery, you should see this layout:

Example of the layout of TeAirra Mitchell Photography online galleries

The main layout will allow you to see one main image at a time, with the thumbnails and image numbers underneath;

Thumbnails are at the bottom of the main image as a quick-view option for gallery; to see what number thumbnail corresponds with an image, look here.

If you click the main image, it will open the full image view. To exit the full view, click the “X” in the upper right corner.

To see the full view of an image, click the image, and it will enlarge in the same window. To go back to the main view, click the “X” button in the upper right corner.

Step 3: Select your favorites

Now that you’ve seen all your images, it’s time for the hard part: picking your favorites.

Picking your favorites comes in handy to help you narrow down what images you want for either your session package or print products.

To select a favorite, click on the image you like, go to upper right corner of the image, and wait for the little white heart to appear.

The little white heart is what you click to mark a favorite. Once an image has been marked as favorite, it will turn red.

Click the heart to mark the image as a favorite; once the image has been marked as a favorite, the little heart will turn red whenever the mouse hovers over the heart. You will then see a yellow message appear in the upper left corner of your browser window (you might have to scroll up to see it).

After selecting your first favorite in your TeAirra Mitchell Photography online gallery, you should see this message appear.

Once you’ve read the message, hit the “CLOSE” button, and continue choosing your favorite images.

Step 4: Save your selection

After you’ve selected all of your favorite images, you’ll need to save your selection.

Saving your selection allows you to revisit your selection to make changes, share with your friends and family, or share with your photographer (that’s me!). To save your selection, click the orange “SEND” button in the upper right corner of the header bar of the gallery.

The “SAVE” button will allow you to save your favorites selection; the “MY SELECTION” area will tell you how many images you have chosen for your favorites.

You can also see how many images you have in your favorites selection by looking on the opposite side of the header menu and in the parentheses.

In the example above, the selection I made only has 20 images, because all standard sessions come with 20 digital images. If you’d like more digital images, or to purchase a product that contains more images than the standard 20, be sure to include them in this favorites folder to ensure they are properly retouched before being printed or digitally delivered.

Next, you will be prompted to create an account or login to an existing account.

To save images as favorites in your TeAirra Mitchell Photography gallery, you’ll need to first create a new account, or login to an existing account

Once your images have been saved successfully the orange “SAVE” button will be replaced by a “STORED IN YOUR ACCOUNT” message.

When your selection has been successfully saved, you will see “STORED IN YOUR ACCOUNT” in the upper right corner of the header menu.

Step 5: Share your selection

The last and final step, is to share your selection with the photographer.

Click the “MY SELECTION” in the upper left corner of the header menu; you will then see a new window appear prompting you to name your selection, and provide your information, along with a message to the photographer.

To share your selection with the photographer, complete the fields shown in this window.

When setting a title for your selection, try thinking of a title that describes the purpose of your selection (i.e.- “my proof selection,” “my album selection,” “custom wall gallery,” etc..). If you need to communicate special intructions, the message box is the perfect place to do so (i.e.- “Could you use selection 3 as the cover for our album?” “I would also like selection 11 to a 16×20″ mounted print,” etc..).

When sharing your TeAirra Mitchell Photography favorites, please fill out the form completely.

After you’ve finished sharing your selection, you should see a screen that looks like this:

After your selection has been shared, you’ll return back to your favorites selection, and will see “SHARED” in the upper right corner of the header menu.

Notice how the status in the upper right corner of the header menu now says “SHARED.”

And that’s it! You’ve shared your selection!

Hopefully this tutorial will be the first of many to make your TMPexperience as frustration-free as possible. If you’re ordering multiple products, I recommend creating separate selections for each product (after you’ve received your retouched proofs). You may share your favorites with family and friends using the share feature as well!

If you’d like to stay in the loop with TMP, be sure to join the TMPmailing list where you’ll not only receive notifications when new tutorials have been published, but you’ll receive news on specials and events happening at TMP before anyone else, and exclusive discounts for TMPfans!

Have questions or comments about this tutorial? Just want to say hi? Leave a comment below! I’m a social butterfly, I won’t bite =]

An issue that has come up a handful of times in the last month is clients not being able to share their favorite images from their online gallery with me.

This is not my idea of my clients having an enjoyable experience.

To help alleviate some of the frustration, I’ve decided to make step-by-step tutorials for clients to easily access, just in case I can’t assist them right away. I will personally go through the same processes that will be covered in the articles, and give tips as I learn trouble shooting techniques.

If tutorials really aren’t your thing, don’t hesitate to give me a call. I will happily walk you through sharing your favorites over the phone, or we can set up an online meeting where I can access your computer screen and virtually guide you through your online gallery.

Let’s get to it!
The following steps will help you in accessing your gallery, making a selection, and sharing your selection with me once you’re ready to submit your photo order.

Step 1: Open your gallery

There are two ways for you to access your gallery: through the link provided in your email, or from the client access page on the TMPwebsite.

To access the page from your email, simply click the link at the end of the email.

example of email link provided to access online photo gallery for TeAirra Mitchell Photography

To access your gallery from the TMPwebsite, visit http://www.teairramitchell.com/clients.html or:

1. Visit www.teairramitchell.com
2. Hover over the down arrow next to “Portfolio” in the header menu
3. Click “Clients”
4. Insert your galleryID (*hint: your galleryID is everything after the forward slash in your link.)

TeAirra Mitchell Photography Client Access Page to enter galleryID and view online gallery

If it’s your first time viewing your gallery, you’ll be asked to sign in. If you view your gallery from a different IP address, you’ll be asked to log in again. Logging in ensures that I have your contact information, and helps me flag unwanted viewers from your online gallery.

Step 2: View your proofs

Once you’ve successfully logged into your gallery, you should see this layout:

Example of the layout of TeAirra Mitchell Photography online galleries

The main layout will allow you to see one main image at a time, with the thumbnails and image numbers underneath;

Thumbnails are at the bottom of the main image as a quick-view option for gallery; to see what number thumbnail corresponds with an image, look here.

If you click the main image, it will open the full image view. To exit the full view, click the “X” in the upper right corner.

To see the full view of an image, click the image, and it will enlarge in the same window. To go back to the main view, click the “X” button in the upper right corner.

Step 3: Select your favorites

Now that you’ve seen all your images, it’s time for the hard part: picking your favorites.

Picking your favorites comes in handy to help you narrow down what images you want for either your session package or print products.

To select a favorite, click on the image you like, go to upper right corner of the image, and wait for the little white heart to appear.

The little white heart is what you click to mark a favorite. Once an image has been marked as favorite, it will turn red.

Click the heart to mark the image as a favorite; once the image has been marked as a favorite, the little heart will turn red whenever the mouse hovers over the heart. You will then see a yellow message appear in the upper left corner of your browser window (you might have to scroll up to see it).

After selecting your first favorite in your TeAirra Mitchell Photography online gallery, you should see this message appear.

Once you’ve read the message, hit the “CLOSE” button, and continue choosing your favorite images.

Step 4: Save your selection

After you’ve selected all of your favorite images, you’ll need to save your selection.

Saving your selection allows you to revisit your selection to make changes, share with your friends and family, or share with your photographer (that’s me!). To save your selection, click the orange “SEND” button in the upper right corner of the header bar of the gallery.

The “SAVE” button will allow you to save your favorites selection; the “MY SELECTION” area will tell you how many images you have chosen for your favorites.

You can also see how many images you have in your favorites selection by looking on the opposite side of the header menu and in the parentheses.

In the example above, the selection I made only has 20 images, because all standard sessions come with 20 digital images. If you’d like more digital images, or to purchase a product that contains more images than the standard 20, be sure to include them in this favorites folder to ensure they are properly retouched before being printed or digitally delivered.

Next, you will be prompted to create an account or login to an existing account.

To save images as favorites in your TeAirra Mitchell Photography gallery, you’ll need to first create a new account, or login to an existing account

Once your images have been saved successfully the orange “SAVE” button will be replaced by a “STORED IN YOUR ACCOUNT” message.

When your selection has been successfully saved, you will see “STORED IN YOUR ACCOUNT” in the upper right corner of the header menu.

Step 5: Share your selection

The last and final step, is to share your selection with the photographer.

Click the “MY SELECTION” in the upper left corner of the header menu; you will then see a new window appear prompting you to name your selection, and provide your information, along with a message to the photographer.

To share your selection with the photographer, complete the fields shown in this window.

When setting a title for your selection, try thinking of a title that describes the purpose of your selection (i.e.- “my proof selection,” “my album selection,” “custom wall gallery,” etc..). If you need to communicate special intructions, the message box is the perfect place to do so (i.e.- “Could you use selection 3 as the cover for our album?” “I would also like selection 11 to a 16×20″ mounted print,” etc..).

When sharing your TeAirra Mitchell Photography favorites, please fill out the form completely.

After you’ve finished sharing your selection, you should see a screen that looks like this:

After your selection has been shared, you’ll return back to your favorites selection, and will see “SHARED” in the upper right corner of the header menu.

Notice how the status in the upper right corner of the header menu now says “SHARED.”

And that’s it! You’ve shared your selection!

Hopefully this tutorial will be the first of many to make your TMPexperience as frustration-free as possible. If you’re ordering multiple products, I recommend creating separate selections for each product (after you’ve received your retouched proofs). You may share your favorites with family and friends using the share feature as well!

If you’d like to stay in the loop with TMP, be sure to join the TMPmailing list where you’ll not only receive notifications when new tutorials have been published, but you’ll receive news on specials and events happening at TMP before anyone else, and exclusive discounts for TMPfans!

Have questions or comments about this tutorial? Just want to say hi? Leave a comment below! I’m a social butterfly, I won’t bite =]

Portrait Parties have been introduced, and are picking up in popularity!

“What are portrait parties?” you might ask. Well, portrait parties are actual parties thrown by a Host, who invites the Guests, and everyone get a mini-portrait session (including an online gallery and prints) at a discounted rate!. I’ll have a whole lot more information on portrait parties over the next few weeks, but let’s leave it at that for now.

Anywho, there was a 50+ and Fabulous portrait party one week, A Forever Love Boudoir event the next week, and then a week of newborn sessions. That’s a lot of galleries.

Since I’m experiencing a major influx of business, I’ve been running into more hiccups with my website.

Many people had trouble viewing and selecting their images, from both the desktop and mobile device, and I want to be able to make it as easy as possible for everyone to access their images, and select their final products.

So, I’ve created a series of tutorials with screen shots to help you access, view, and select images in your online gallery. As business builds, I’ll include more and more articles so that you can confidently work around the user interface of the online galleries.

As I publish new articles, I’ll link them back to this post as a table of contents. That way it will all be in one place.

Until then, feel free to call me with any questions or concerns you might have.
Thank you!

PS- The first post will be on adding favorites to your gallery ;)

Existing tutorials (in order of date published):

Adding Favorites to Your Online Gallery

Portrait Parties have been introduced, and are picking up in popularity!

“What are portrait parties?” you might ask. Well, portrait parties are actual parties thrown by a Host, who invites the Guests, and everyone get a mini-portrait session (including an online gallery and prints) at a discounted rate!. I’ll have a whole lot more information on portrait parties over the next few weeks, but let’s leave it at that for now.

Anywho, there was a 50+ and Fabulous portrait party one week, A Forever Love Boudoir event the next week, and then a week of newborn sessions. That’s a lot of galleries.

Since I’m experiencing a major influx of business, I’ve been running into more hiccups with my website.

Many people had trouble viewing and selecting their images, from both the desktop and mobile device, and I want to be able to make it as easy as possible for everyone to access their images, and select their final products.

So, I’ve created a series of tutorials with screen shots to help you access, view, and select images in your online gallery. As business builds, I’ll include more and more articles so that you can confidently work around the user interface of the online galleries.

As I publish new articles, I’ll link them back to this post as a table of contents. That way it will all be in one place.

Until then, feel free to call me with any questions or concerns you might have.
Thank you!

PS- The first post will be on adding favorites to your gallery ;)

Existing tutorials (in order of date published):

Adding Favorites to Your Online Gallery

The two of them together was a pair of never-ending laughs, giggles, snuggles, and kisses. Just watching them interact during the short time we were together, I could tell they were the best of friends.

We met at Lake Chabot, in San Leandro, CA, and I pretty much snapped away as they enjoyed their time together. That’s how strong their connection was: I had to do very little work!

Working on their gallery was such a pleasure because I have a little girl, who I’m hoping will grow into one of my closest friends (once we pass the bratty stages lol).

If you’re a mommy to a little girl, and you’re looking at these photos, I hope they warm your heart as much as they did mine.

Every woman has been created beautiful in her own way, and I want to show women just how beautiful they are.

And as the saying goes: “If you look good, then you feel good.”

These contemporary portraits are inspired by photographer Sue Bryce, who is amazing at her craft.

Although I’m just starting out, I would love to one day be able to create images that can amount to her greatness.

In the meantime, here is a visual idea of what we well be offering.

Keep in mind, this is only a sample. We will be working on more shoots, to give more variety in the different ways women can create their portrait experience.

I will also keep updates on what the process will be like and behind the scenes posts to show how it all works.

Stay tuned for more!

During the month of October, I ran a Fall Family Special, and had the privilege of working with several wonderful families.

This family in particular, had a knack for comedy– all four of them!

We had a great time at Shinn Park in Fremont, and the weather  was perfect for fall photos.

Have a look for yourself!

TeAirra Mitchell Fine Art Portrait: Newborn

These portraits take an immense amount of attention to detail, and good deal of time, but they are more than worth the final product. Fine Art Portraits will be added to TeAirra Mitchell Photography’s session options and product list. In the meantime, I’d like this little guy’s family to know how much I appreciated being allowed into their home, their hospitality, and willingness to let me shoot their handsome man.
Thank you! 

Ps – I plan to whip out a few more fine art portraits, so look out for more!

Even though he’s my nephew, and we have an awesome relationship, this is how I’d like all children’s sessions to go. Kids grow overnight, and their personalities develop almost just as fast. To me, it’s important to capture the essence of who they are, rather than getting a forced smile from the “say cheese” gimmick.

Not all kids are as energetic as my nephew, but each kid has their own perspective on life, their own curiosities, and their own sense of humor; I’d like for every parent to have those unique characteristics immortalized through photographs.
 

Here he is, my bestest little guy!

And as a bonus: my nephew and my daughter, the sweetest apples in my eyes!