the Curran family, fall family photos in Montrose, Michigan

Alright, guys, I have said it once, twice, and probably a thousand times more, but this family is amazing! I have now officially photographed Amber's and Wayne's wedding, their baby shower, and now their first set of fall family photos all in the last year and a half. Even better yet, this year’s fall family photos in Montrose, Michigan also doubled as Grace’s three-month photos!

Basically, these people are some of the most supportive people in my life, and I love being able to capture these moments for them. This also means our one hour, one outfit session pooled over into three outfits (okay, Amber and I could not just pick one outfit when we had so many cute options!) and lasted about two hours.

Have I mentioned yet that this was also my first time working with a three-month-old? While I do my best to be flexible with all of my session lengths, this may or may not have been part of the reason for our session lasting two hours! We started the session indoors where I created a mini set on the living room floor using two blankets, a couple of clips, and two laundry baskets. It was early, and the Curran family had driven at least an hour for our photos, so it did take awhile for Grace to lose some of her morning sleepiness. Once she did though, what. a. gem! Just take a look at those bright eyes and those little baby cheeks! I have spent the last couple of weeks just in awe of that angel face as I edited each photo.

Amber and Wayne had technically invested in one of my children sessions, but since we had the time, and it was Grace’s three-month milestone, we made sure to fit in a good amount of photos with Mom and Dad. So, when Grace’s solo time in front of the camera was finished, we moved outdoors with just a blanket and found a good, leafy spot for family photos. We took a few pictures of the three of them together and then plenty of individual photos with Mom and Dad.

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WHAT THIS SESSION TAUGHT ME:

A lot of people have the mindset that photographers only work a couple of hours a week; that they take the photos and the work is over. That is definitely not true. I spend a lot of time emailing back and forth with my clients before a session begins, and after the session, I spend hours and hours in front of my computer culling, editing, and perfecting the client’s gallery. Each gallery is uploaded separately onto my website for the client to access. Once all of this is done, there is still time spent with social media previews, mini Facebook albums, writing blog posts, and more. It’s honestly a lot of work but so worth it. I love it. And every single time I do a session or edit a group of photos, I learn something new.

This session was no exception. During the actual session, I learned that everything I had read and studied about three-month photos was definitely true. If you’re a mother looking to take photos of your three-month old, do NOT bother with poses! Just lay your baby down on a blanket, either on her back or stomach, and let her squirm about. You’ll find that you will still be able to capture plenty of adorable photos despite the lack of posing!

Another thing that I learned with this session is how to do some quicker edits in Lightroom. How I was completely oblivious to some of the brushes I have for editing eyes and skin is beyond me! The editing process sped up a lot once I figured out how to smooth skin with just a wave of my editing pen. I also learned how to edit eyes both creatively and more naturally while putting this gallery together. I’m really proud with the way these photos came out, especially with it being my first time working with a three-month old!

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See that gorgeous barn wood sign? That is actually a prop Amber’s father designed and built for me! It is enormous but absolutely beautiful. I will link to his Facebook page beneath the photos if anyone is interested in his woodworking business!

A few of my typical side notes:

• I am currently booking all of the sessions! Contact me to learn more, or check out the session types listed below "services" at the top of this page.

• My 2020 calendar is here and ready to order! There are several ways in which I am collecting payment, but if you are out of state and wanting to order, the best way may be through my Etsy listing. If you have any questions, definitely feel free to reach out!

• Take a peak at Sanford's Creations! This is who designed the beautiful barn wood sign mentioned above. He does stunning work!