Phoenix Maternity Photographer

Bringing a new baby into a family is always a special event.  Remembering the pregnancy with the entire family is becoming a popular addition to maternity photo sessions.   Sometimes its siblings, other times it is grandparents are brought into the shoot.

Typically the siblings arrive towards the end of the shoot after mom has gotten her solo photos taken.  This allows mom to concentrate on creating great photos without having to worry about anything else.

There are as many options as there are families when it comes to creating the perfect maternity photo.  We are always open to your ideas to help you make your photos a true reflection of you.

Shortly after maternity photography session a bundle of joy enters your world.   And of course you will come back to get some great newborn photos.  One of the fun things to do is to compare how tiny your newborn is as they grow so very fast.

Sometimes a photo shoot has a change in plans.  As a photographer I need to be ready to adapt to whatever happens.   From bad weather to equipment problems, there are always surprises.

This week on of the pleasant surprise is when Amber came into the studio to shoot.  She was showing me her lingerie and said that the one outfit was very retro.  My eye immediately saw pin-up for the outfit and asked her if she would like to do some classic pin-up with it.

Amber jumped at the chance.  She hadn’t even considered doing any pin-up photography for her shoot before, but now she was excited by the idea.

She loved the final shot and everyone she showed it to told her it was one of their favorites.

The holidays were very busy and I finally have managed to get caught up and take some time to update my blog.  I’ve gotten a lot of messages from client s telling me how much their loved ones all loved the photographs.

This week I did get a chance to create some boudoir photographs.   I decided to end the shoot with some shoots using water.   Water can help to create a very sexy look.   As I think you will see in this sample from the shoot.

It is already time to start thinking about getting your Valentines Day boudoir images shot.  So I will be getting busy again.

The theme this week was pin-up.  It seems that pin-up photographs may over take boudoir photos as the leading gift for this holiday season.  It is easy to see why when you look at how fun these photos can be.

Let’s face it, who wouldn’t want to get a fun pin-up art piece of the woman they love.

Family portraits are also very popular for the holidays.  Families come together and it is the prefect time to get some photos of everyone.   You never know what is going to happen.

E-mail me at special-offers@orcatek.com to get coupons just in time for the holidays!

I had an amazing array of clients over the past week.  I have numerous students take private photography lessons.   I really enjoying helping other photographers develop their photography skills.

An old friend from high school need senior portraits for her daughter.  We did a mix of location and studio shots.  It was fun to catch up while her daughter was changing outfits.

Also this week a shot a great deal time enjoying time as a pin-up photographer.   Pin-up is always a lot of fun for everyone involved.  Lots of laughing going on as we try to capture those flirty looks of classic pin-up.

I take the base photo from the shoot and convert it to an pin-up illustration using way too many steps in Photoshop.  I like the end result, so I will keep doing it.

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.   I know I ate too much.

E-mail me at special-offers@orcatek.com to get coupons just in time for the holidays!

Most high end photography today is retouched.  The amount of retouching I do really depends on the type of photograph.  For example an actor’s headshot will get a retouch which just does a basic clean-up.  An actor needs to look like their headshot when they come to the casting.

Now for family and senior portraits the retouching can be a little bit heavier.  Some extra polish on the skin, removal of scars and softening of lines.

Of course the most retouching can be done for boudoir photos.   These photos are about fantasy and glamour.  So super smooth skin and even sometimes some digital plastic surgery all in line with creating that final look.

Great retouching makes the difference between a snapshot and a photograph.   Today retouching is done in Photoshop.   In the past it was done in the dark room.  Hollywood had teams of retouchers that would hand alter negatives of the stars to create the famous glamour photos.

This week my big news is I have another cover on the newsstands.   I photographed Elle in a very sexy and intimate set of photographs for College Gentleman magazine.  The shoot was all about glamour and teasing, never showing too much.   Have to leave something to the imagination.

Elle didn’t even complain when we ran out of hot water – LOL.  What a trooper she was.

This week I also taught several photography classes.  I enjoy working with other photographers to help them get better at the art.

Next week is going to be full of surprises.

E-mail me at special-offers@orcatek.com to get coupons just in time for the holidays!

One of the favorite set-ups for sexy boudoir photography is a bathtub or a shower.  Some bubbles and wet skin just make for a very intimate photograph, like you are intruding into her life.

This is especially effective when she is not looking into the camera, as if she is an aware.  Of the reality of having flashes and my female assistant helping adjust this and that makes this just a fantasy, and fantasy is what great boudoir is all about!

I take this idea one step further and have used it for my maternity photography clients.   It is not to be sexy, but to create a very intimate photograph.  It sets a mood of a quiet time when the mom to be is relaxing, enjoying some time to herself.

I like to give my clients something different, so every shoot may have it’s standards, but I always like to shooting something I haven’t done before.   This is how the shower/bath became one of my maternity classics.   Of course it helps that I have a bathtub set in my studio.

E-mail me at special-offers@orcatek.com to get coupons just in time for the holidays!

This week as I was reviewing some of my boudoir photography I started thinking about how critical mood is to these photographs.  This photo for example would look very different if the tones were not subdued.

These soft colors help to set the mood and bring the mind to another place.

As I retouch the photographs I use to create the custom designed boudoir albums and calendars, I work to make each one unique.   My work is not about assembly line productions, it is creating the prefect memory, telling your story, creating your fantasy.

These design rules apply to all areas of my work.   Maternity photography is another great place for setting moods and telling stories.  Capturing the joy and happiness of your pregnancy in your photographs takes planning.   I tend to have a picture in my head of what a final photograph will look like before I even take the shot.

This week will be busy with two casting calls and teaching an Introduction to Photography class.

Photographs preserve memories, so grab your camera and take a picture of your friends and family this week.   Many years from now you’ll be glad you did.