Tag: Kids Stylized Sessions

Ice Cream Session Red Deer

Ice Cream Session

Some things just go together perfectly. Like peanut butter and jelly. Macaroni and cheese. Spaghetti and meatballs. (Can you tell it’s almost lunch time?) But the best in my opinion: summer and ice cream. I’ve always had a sweet tooth, and that’s something I passed down to my daughter, Iyla. She loves anything sweet. Anything…. but one of her favorites is definitely ice cream. So this ice cream session was perfect.

I took her down to the local ice cream shop and ordered the biggest ice cream cone she’s ever had. Her big brown eyes got even bigger when she saw it! Then… I handed it to her and let her devour it. I tried my hardest to turn off my mommy instinct and NOT wipe up all the drips and clean her face… and I’m happy with the result! (And she was pretty happy, too!)

Her big brother, Liam joined in as well with his Minion ice cream… we couldn’t leave him out. (Cause I’m biased and find him so dang cute!)

So here we go… iyla and her ice cream….

 

Red Deer Photographer

Beloved Life Photography

Red Deer Photographer

Beloved Life Photography

Red Deer Photographer

Beloved Life Photography

Red Deer Photographer

Red Deer Photographer

Beloved Life Photography

Beloved Life Photography

Kids Photographer Red Deer

They ‘cheers’ all the time.

Kids Photographer Red Deer

Kids Photographer Red Deer

Kids Photographer Red Deer

Kids Photographer Red Deer

As much as it drives me crazy, Iyla always has a messy face. Always. So this messy ice cream session suits her perfectly!

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Red Deer Kids Photography

Red Deer Kids Photography- Avlyn

 

How difficult is it to photograph your own kids?

Turns out… very difficult.

But a stunning niece? Not so hard.

This is Avlyn. She’s nine years old and the definition of a sweetheart. Seriously. She’s also my only niece. Yup- out of 6 grandkids, only 2 are girls. One is mine, and like I mentioned before, photographing your own kids can prove to be a challenge, so I take photos of Avy. (It helps that she’s a little stunner.)

Being a children’s photographer, I get all sorts of personalities in front of my camera… the shy ones, the posers, the runners, and the cheesy smilers. I’ve learned, over the past few years, that in order to get the most authentic photos of them, I have to let them be themselves. If they are silly, I have to be silly too. If they are shy, I take a quieter approach. If they are runners, I better be wearing good shoes.

Avlyn was simply, Avlyn. Super sweet, quiet, but when she had an idea, she spoke it. She had ideas for locations and outfits and poses (you can see some of her ideas below- and she loves contortionists and acrobatics!)… and as much as I had ideas in my head, I listened and followed along, allowing her to express herself, which made her more comfortable. When kids (or anyone, really) are comfortable, they let their guard down, and that’s when I can capture them at their best.

 

 

Red Deer Childrens Photography

Red Deer Childrens Photographer

Beloved Life Photography

Beloved Life Photography

Beloved Life Photography

Red Deer Photographer

Beloved Life Photography

Beloved Life

Beloved Life

Beloved Life Photography

Beloved Life Photography

Red Deer Photographer

Avy suggested she lay down and ‘sleep’ in the grass….

She also wanted a photo of her smelling the roses that she picked.

One more pose- all on her own!

Here are some of her ‘bendy’ poses…

Red Deer Childrens Photographer

ouch.

Red Deer Kids Photography

Beloved Life Photography

Red Deer Childrens Photographer

Red Deer Childrens Photographer

Red Deer Childrens Photographer

Avlyn-….follow those circus dreams. Auntie’s behind you all the way.

 

Click here to see more kid’s photography, including themed sessions!

And as always, check out my Instagram and Facebook for more photos and to see what I’ve been up to

Stylized Photography Sessions

What are Themed Sessions? | Beloved Life Photography

Themed sessions are my jam.

I find them so inspiring and feel like I can be creative in any way I envision. My goal is to get photos of the child(ren) being themselves and uninhibited. Children love to play and pretend- whether it be a superhero, princess, artist, cowboy, ringmaster, or something they have fabricated in their imagination. Whatever it is, I want to grab photos of them in that moment that will portray them in a personal way.

When I mention ‘themed sessions’ to people, most can’t picture what I’m describing… the words ‘prop’ and ‘theme’ are usually associated with something cheesy or tacky. And I agree, they certainly can be. I am careful to include props that only add to the personalization of the photos- nothing to distract from the kids I’m photographing. The point of having a themed session is to show and include what is important or inspiring to these kids at this certain stage in their life. I want them to look at these photos down the road and remember what it was like to have child-like freedom and a busy imagination. (These are the essence of childhood, in my opinion.)

I tend to use wooden swords, bow and arrows, hats, blankets, or any other prop to give them something to interact with and do with their hands. Sometimes they bring their own props and outfits, and sometimes I supply them (I do have a small collection of kids clothes, accessories, and props).

Below are some photos from 4 kids styled sessions. The first is a ‘Wild Boys’ theme, based on the story of Peter Pan. One of the best parts of this session was watching the boys’ faces when we told them to go get dirty; to roll in the dirt and wipe it all over their clothes and on their faces. Kids are always expected and told to be still and smile during photos, so this was a very pleasant surprise for them! I adored showing these brothers that photography doesn’t have to be boring or stiff; that it can be relaxed and enjoyable, and they can just be who they are without standing still and smiling.

All the props and outfits were put together by the brothers’ mom and myself. We just compiled all of our ‘boy stuff’ and it came out beautifully. The wooden sword actually belongs to my husband and was made by his dad when he was young.

 

Stylized Photography Sessions

Stylized Photography Sessions

Beloved Life Photography

Beloved Life Photography

Beloved Life Photography

 

This next series is circus-inspred, which all started with this girl wanting photos with her horse. Instead of doing typical photos, we decided to incorporate lively props and outfits, which resulted in some fun, bold pictures. I found the pants and jacket at a local consignment shop ( Once Upon A Child). The top hat was part of a Halloween costume from Value Village, and the shirt, boots, and whip were provided by this lovely girl.

 

 

 

Themed Sessions

Stylized Photography Sessions

Stylized Photography Sessions

Stylized Photography Sessions

Kid Sessions

 

Inspiration for a themed shoot usually comes to me randomly while I’m driving, listening to music, or playing with my kids. Once I thought about how cool it would be to have an old bed in a forest… then I began visualizing it and knew I wanted to do a ‘Wendy’ theme, based on (yet again) Peter Pan. I had photographed this girl before, and knew she’d be perfect for it, so I sent her mom shopping for a nightie and I got to work on putting the set together. I have a friend who owns a vintage rental company (Something Borrowed Vintage Decor), so she provided the bed and bedding, and a family member of mine has a bunny and leant it to us for the afternoon. It all came together perfectly.

Kids Stylized Sessions

Stylized Photography Sessions

 

Some themed sessions use minimal, simple props, while others take a lot of pre-planning, crafting, and include more elaborate clothing and accessories. Last summer, a friend of mine and I planned a steam punk session, complete with handmade props, smoke bombs, and a trip to a tiny town in rural Alberta. This was a big vision- but the work paid off…

All props and outfits were provided by the girls, or put together by myself, or my friend, Candice. (And yes, her hair really is that blue!)

 

Lastly, my vision for these ‘Dorothy’ photos came from a dress and a dog. I believe I found the dress while shopping at Once Upon a Child, and knew I could use it for a future session, but didn’t have a specific one in mind. Then I remembered that a friend of mine had a huge sheepdog and an adorable daughter, and I thought it’d be perfect for a Wizard of Oz inspired session. I didn’t want it to be a typical outfit, so I thought I’d get some red Converse shoes, to replicate the ruby slippers in a more child-like (and comfortable) way. The underskirt was, again, provided by Tannis at Something Borrowed, as well as the picnic basket. This is simply my take on Dorothy and Toto.

Red Deer Kids Photographer

Red Deer Pet Photography

 

I have a list a mile long, full of ideas for different stylized sessions- like I said, this is my jam.

Thanks for checking out my work and blog… and remember to leave some love in the comments. Also- my Instagram handle is @belovedlifephotogrpahy… just sayin.

Red Deer Children's Photography

Who is Danielle? Beloved Life Photography

Welcome to my first official blog post as Beloved Life Photography… Some of you may have noticed a change around here, including my business name. I have been “This Beloved Life” since 2006, but recently rebranded and dropped the first word, hopefully making it easier to remember…

Now that that’s out of the way- I’ll tell you a bit about me… Danielle.

I’ve been a photographer since 2006, when I mainly photographed weddings. I’ve now done over 100, and still love to make photos that the bride and groom cherish, but I’ve changed my role, and have been assisting other photographers for a few seasons. It really is a great part of what I do, since I am not wanting to stop wedding photography, but now have more time for my family and other sessions. I simply photograph for the day, then hand over my memory card and relax- no editing for me. And I work with some incredible girls who rock the whole wedding photographer thing… seriously. Shout out to www.candykoated.com and www.lindsaynickel.com

My new inspiration is portraits.

Single, powerful, connected photos of people from toddler to grad. Girls, boys, confident, shy, outgoing, or relaxed… I love themed photo sessions (think Circus-inspired, Dorothy from Wizard of Oz, or the Lost Boys… without cheesy costumes)

But I also feel that simple, natural portraits can portray something that the parents (or even the child) has never seen in themselves. And that is my magic.

 

Some random things about me:

  • I have a son that is six and he loves Pacman and Minecraft. He hates vegetables and haircuts.
  • My daughter is three and is easily bribed with candy and Paw Patrol. She eats anything and everything but is still teeny tiny (I envy this trait)
  • My husband (of 12 years!) works super hard so I can stay home with my kids (and support my thrift store shopping addiction)
  • I love anything that has to do with the Beatles
  • I love Jesus and have dreadlocks and tattoos…a rare combination
  • The Edmonton Oilers are my favourite hockey team and I’ve been a faithful fan throughout their terrible last few years.
  • If I could hire out one job I really dislike, it would be cooking. I hate cooking.

 

 

People sometimes ask where I came up with my business name… and it’s all based around the word, ‘beloved.’ This word has always been a powerful one to me. People always say, ‘I love you. I love her. I love him. I love tacos. I love….’ But when someone says, ‘She’s mine. He is my beloved.’ it just made it deeper and stronger. It’s my power word. So I wanted a business name that used that word, but wasn’t limited to weddings (since that’s what I was photographing at the time)… so I thought about what I wanted people to value.

This BELOVED life.

Another thing people ask me about a lot is my hair (or they just stare and try to figure it out, which is cool too). I’ve had my dreads since 2016 and I love and hate them. They are an excellent conversation piece (yes, I wash them. Yes, I’ll probably have to cut my hair to get them out. I get them maintained every few months, and yes, they are heavy. If it wasn’t in dreads, my hair would be almost down to my bum, and no, nothing lives in them. As far as I know.) But just like anyone else, I often think of changing my hair, but it took a long time and lots of work, so I’m not ready yet. (Sorry mom)

 

 

Beloved Life Photography

My first job was bussing tables at a restaurant on Gasoline Alley, Red Deer. My favourite job (aside from photography, obviously) was teaching preschool. I only did this for a year before I got pregnant with my first, but I’d love to go back one day. The stories those kids tell….and seriously, who wouldn’t want to play and read books all day?

Beloved Life Photography

I am super close to my parents. Not only do we see them multiple times per week, but they live literally 5 minutes from us. They help get my son to school, babysit when I have sessions, help with random projects (like completely gutting and renovating our whole house), and make us supper (remember how much I despise cooking?)… oh! And they randomly show up to shovel my walk and driveway. I know…I can’t believe them either. They are the hardest-working people I know. My mom works at a school AND runs her own home staging business. (Central Alberta Home Staging)

Red Deer Photographer

This is me photographing my daughter… she cried and fussed the whole time- so never feel bad if your kids act out during a session. It happens to ALL of us!

Beloved Life Photography

 

If you’ve read this far, you are a trooper.

Thanks for hanging out with me. I have some exciting posts coming up and would love to share them with you.

And in the comments: What was your first job? Dream job? And what job would you hire out if you could?

D

 

Photos by Candy Koated Photography