Saturday, January 31, 2009

Mary Lynne's Photo of the Day for Saturday, January 31, 2009



They don't always have to be looking at the camera for it to be a cute shot!

Colorado Springs child photographer

Friday, January 30, 2009

Mary Lynne's Photo of the Day for Friday, January 30, 2009

Just a super-fun shot of a little girl who've I've had lots of fun photographing over the past few years. Silly shots like this bring out a child's true expressions. I also really like the bright colors against the white background.

www.ashleyphotography.com
Colorado Springs photography studio

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Mary Lynne's Photo of the Day for Thursday, January 29, 2009


I love shots of kids in motion. Kids being kids. And with this little girl, I would have been hard pressed to have gotten anything else! I think shots like this one show children as they really are, even if they don't always show the child's face. 

www.ashleyphotography.com
Colorado Springs photography studio

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Mary Lynne's Photo of the Day for Wednesday, January 28, 2009



Okay, so here's a little departure from my usual posts of sweet images of sweet little kids. I'm writing a book about working with children in the studio, and needed a shot for the book of me behind the camera with a desperate mom waving a stuffed animal over my head. My friends Bree and Deedle came down to the studio to help me out. I'm the one behind the camera, Bree was the one who got the shot, and Deedle was the crazy mom -- not much of a stretch if you know her. P.S. This trick really does work!

www.ashleyphotography.com

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Mary Lynne's Photo of the Day for Tuesday, January 27, 2009

I used to do a lot more of these "porcelain whites" images, but haven't done as many lately. When I look at this sweet shot of this beautiful little girl, though, I think I may need to add it back into my bag of tricks. I think it looks so timeless. These shots are absolutely gorgeous when printed on an art watercolor paper and then matted behind glass.

And as a total aside, happy 47th anniversary Mom and Dad!

www.ashleyphotography.com

Monday, January 26, 2009

Mary Lynne's Photo of the Day for Monday, January 26, 2009

It sure makes me happy when I can get a great shot of siblings like this one. These kiddos drove an hour-and-a-half to come see me this past November, for what I believe was our third session together.  

www.ashleyphotography.com

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Mary Lynne's Photo of the Day for Sunday, January 25, 2009

Check out the awesome eyes on this baby! I've had the privilege of photographing him ever since he was just a bump in his mom's belly. It is so fun to watch the changes a baby undergoes during his or her first year. He came in with Mom and Dad for my November 2008 special.

www.ashleyphotography.com

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Mary Lynne's Photo of the Day for Saturday, January 24, 2009

Isn't this little guy's expression great? Very serious, even though he really wasn't so serious at all! I think the sepia tones really work with the hat. He came in with his very fun mom for my November special.

www.ashleyphotography.com

Friday, January 23, 2009

Mary Lynne's Photo of the Day for Friday, January 23, 2009

Here's one I really like from my November 2008 special. I totally love this baby's smile. She looks so happy. And that red skirt is so great. I also had the opportunity to photograph her as a newborn, so it was wonderful to see her again. Too bad she just moved out of town!

www.ashleyphotography.com

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Photo of the Day for Thursday, January 22, 2009


I'm excited to start sharing my photo of the day here on my blog, and through tweets on Twitter. I will challenge myself to keep up with this new feature! Some will be from a recent session, and some will be favorites culled from my collection of images that I've created over the years. If you're a Twitter person and would like to start following me there, my username is MaryLynneA. If you landed at this blog post because you're already following me on Twitter, I'm a Colorado Springs professional photographer specializing in babies, children and maternity. I've been creating portraits for families here in the Springs since 2001.

Today's image is of the first baby I photographed in the new year. What a gorgeous gift. She is an absolute doll, and looks so much like her big sister it is just amazing. Her mom had the cute pink bow made for her that morning, and was sweet to give me the bow after the session to use for future images.

www.ashleyphotography.com

Friday, January 02, 2009

Choosing a Maternity Photographer

Selecting a photographer to capture your pregnancy is an important decision. Once the baby's here, you can't go back and redo the shots if you didn't like them, so you need to get it right the first time. It can be tough enough scheduling maternity photos since you may be working until the baby arrives, and taking time off to have a photo session means time you won't get to take off with the baby. So you don't want to have to do it twice!

Maternity photography is different from other portraiture, in that the photographer's skills with both posing and lighting make an even greater difference in the final images. The right pose and the right lighting greatly influence how good you'll look in your photos. Many pregnant women are a bit self-conscious about the extra weight they've put on, and good lighting can greatly minimize any weight gain. The right posing helps with that a lot, too. An inexperienced photographer may pose you in a way that is anything but flattering. Look for lighting that sculpts the curves of the pregnant form, avoiding photographers whose lighting is even and flat in their maternity portraits.

You'll also want to work with a photographer who respects the degree of modesty with which you are comfortable. Talk with the photographer about the types of photographs you want, and find out in advance if they are willing to work with you on that, or if they have certain notions about the photographs that might make you uncomfortable. Don't select a photographer who insists on photographing you in the nude if you're not comfortable with that! The curves of the nude pregnant body are beautiful, and can be photographed in a way that you will not be uncomfortable sharing with others, but it needs to be your choice. You want to have a good level of comfort with your photographer, as it would be great to build a relationship with someone who could then go on to photograph your baby once he or she arrives.

See more samples of Mary Lynne's maternity photography at:
www.ashleyphotography.com. Mary Lynne is a professional photographer specializing in babies, children, families and pregnant mothers in her downtown Colorado Springs studio.