Step by step
Day by day
A fresh start over
A different hand to play
The deeper we fall
The stronger we stay
And we’ll be better
The second time around

Ok I’m done singing…this really has nothing to do with the show…this is our NEW package!!! We have always thought of creating a package that includes a photo shoot for every month of a babies life until they are 1 and now we’ve finally made it happen! Here are the details:

Studio sessions at each of the first 12 months of the baby’s life (newborn through 1 year). Newborn and 1 year sessions are full length, while the interim sessions are briefer half-sessions. At the end of the year, you’ll watch your child grow up before your eyes through a DVD slideshow, a hard-cover book filled with images from the sessions, and a 12-month calendar for the year to come.

We are SUPER excited about it so hurry up and get their pictures, because before you know it, they’ll be “Soooo big!”

It’s that time of year again…Playmatters Mini Sessions. For those of you who are familiar with our 10 minute photo shoots at Playmatters Toys, we are now finding that they are actually working out better here in our studio. We are giving mini sessions a “shot” here in our studio this Summer and hope that we can continue to have them here in the Fall and Spring. We have found that there is much more space and less distractions here at our Little Italy location, which makes it much easier for us and less stressful for the parents. We have set-up this special event for several years now and would love to see you guys continue to participate as well as all you newbies out there! For those of you who are unfamiliar with out mini sessions…well they’re pretty much the coolest thing ever :) 1. Call and sign up for a 10 minute slot (1 slot for each child or a group photo) on a day that we hold the event. Each session is $30 and you receive a FREE 5×7 print of Kim’s choice. 2. Come in at the time of your session and 3. Just put that smile on your face…it’s that easy (and if you don’t think  its that easy  for your child/children like the camera, don’t worry Kim ALWAYS has a way to capture that great shot). What a deal?! Right? And if you want to see or buy additional images don’t worry, we post them all online for you to share with family and friends! With a deal like this you can come in a couple times a year and capture your children as they grow. Call us today and see what days we have available for the Summer of 2010!

I love photographing kids! People ask me how I can do it all day, every day, but I love it! Kids are unpredictable, funny, expressive, and just fun… what’s not to enjoy about capturing all of that?!? Over the five years I’ve been a child photographer in Cleveland and DC, I’ve developed a style that seems to work for me, the kids, and the parents. For me, photographing kids, especially toddlers, is as much about my interactions with the kids, as it is about my photographic technique… After all, if the kid doesn’t like me, he/she is not going to relax and let their guard down enough to enable me to capture portraits that truly represent who they are. That’s my goal… to produce a photograph that captures the essence of the subject. If he is serious, then let’s see that. If she’s a performer, I want to show that… Pensive, thoughtful, sweet, coy, mischievous, goofy… whatever the personality is, I want to show it! So how do I go about doing that…?
First of all, I want the kids to not feel intimidated by the large camera I’m holding. I want them to be interacting with me during our photo session. I begin by allowing them to warm up to me, and getting to know them. Are they shy? Do they like peek-a-boo? Will they start crying if I make a scary face? Once I get a feel for what makes them tick, we can start taking the pictures. If we’re in the studio, I need to work with them to keep them where the lights will reach… Playing games, distracting them, sometimes (often) making a fool of myself!! When we’re outside for a natural light, on-location session, the photo shoot has a whole different feel. This is my favorite type of shoot for toddlers because they can go where they want! I follow them wherever they go, and they feel free to explore, climb, play and have fun. Outside, we can get the most variety and the most natural expressions in the portraits, and often with the least amount of hesitation from the kids. The at-home photo session is another great option for toddlers– they are most comfortable in their own environment, and often have so much fun showing off all of their toys, blankies, and favorite places.
Wherever we take the pictures, one thing always stays the same… that is my approach. I always want to make sure the kids have fun. Having photos taken should not be like going to the dentist for a kid! They should have a great experience so they’re excited next year when it’s time for their anual portraits. I work to become their friend. To learn about who they are. I litterally get down on their level (mentally and physically). Doing this not only yields better images, but allows the kids to feel comfortable, which to me makes all the difference.

Toddlers are so much fun!

With a completely sold-out day of mini-sessions at the Shaker Square Playmatters Toystore last weekend, we had a very busy Saturday!  Thanks to the help of my boyfriend and my mom, we had so much fun!  Stories were told, songs were sung, and jokes were shared… The portraits from the day really captured the kids– from sassy to sweet… happy to sad.  Our next stops bring us back to the Avon store, and then on to a back-to-back appearance in Solon!  We can’t wait to get some more great kid portraits!

Here are some of my favorites from this past weekend at Shaker Square…