Family Portraits on a Boulder Mountain – Outdoor Colorado Family Photography

Here’s a video of a recent Family Photography Portrait Session, taken in the beautiful Colorado mountains above Boulder and including their sweet family dog.

As you may know, it’s important to view a photographer’s work end-to-end (such as a full family session, or a full wedding) to get a good feel for what their work is like and what you can expect from your photo session. It’s the best way to know how the session will flow, what type of images the photographer will create. Anybody can take one or two good photos, but you want to understand how consistently their work for all clients matches the level of the few favorite images they post on their website. If you would like to see more full-session family portrait videos, visit my video page here.

One thing you’ll notice is that most of my family sessions include photos of the kids individually, with each other, with parents, parents alone, just the parents, etc. I like to provide a variety of combos so that we can create a lovely album or wall collage for your home and so we honor each of the individual relationships in your family.

Westminster Family Portraits Outdoors in the Boulder Mountains from N Lee on Vimeo.

Speaking of Collages, here is the one we did for Dad for his office:

Boulder Family Portraits by Natascha Lee Studios

Boulder – Mountain Family Portraits

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10 Questions with Ana, Stylish Urban Family Portraits – Washington Park in Denver

Denver Family Portraits - Stylish Urban Photos at Washington Park - Client Interview

  1. Ana, tell us a little bit about your family…
We are a mixed bunch! Two teenage daughters, my little baseball player son and hard working husband. We try and make our family time the most important time.
  1. What made you decide this was the time to do a photo session?
We felt this is a perfect time in everyone’s life to celebrate with a family photo shoot, and look back at this time with appreciation via the portraits.
  1. Was there anything you were nervous or worried about before the session?
It’s always nerve wrecking to be in front of a camera. In the end we found that just being ‘us’ gave the best photographed memories.
  1. How did the actual  photo session go?
It went great. It was a bit of a struggle getting the entire family up at 4:00 am and ready for a golden hour (sunrise) shoot but we made it. Wash Park was a perfect choice, weather couldn’t have better and we had a bit of help in the gardens!
  1. What did you think or feel when you saw your final photos at the viewing session? 
The presentation was amazing and it was so much fun! One of our family members wasn’t able to make it and she missed out on a very special experience.
  1. What made you choose Natascha Lee Studios?
My daughter Lucia was referred by her modeling agency for model portfolio headshots and I loved how Natascha had such lively and patient interactions with her during the first shoot. I was immediately inspired to have her photograph the entire family!
  1. What do you hope your children will say/feel/think years down the road when looking at these images?
How much fun it was, how those years shaped all of our lives.. That they remember the special dynamic of our family and see the love we all have for one another.
  1. Any advice to other families before their photo sessions?
During the initial viewing and picking of the photos it helps to view them as large as possible to identify any issues you want to have edited/Photoshoped before the image is printed. I didn’t realize how just the tiniest things jump out at you and is distracting from such a beautiful photo.
  1. How did you feel/what did you think when received your order/had your products delivered?
I was amazed!!! Shocked and so impressed by the professional presentation, quality of work and care that Natascha goes through to see a smile on everyone’s face. Bravo Natascha! We will definitely be back!

Thanks Ana! I has so much fun getting to know you and your family – I know we are already talking about Spring portraits and I can’t wait! Those kiddos change so quickly! You are wise to capture them regularly!

Wash Park Family Portraits in the Gardens by Natascha Lee Studios

Denver Photographer for Stylish Urban Families

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Denver Kid's Photography – Which is better for you: Indoor Studio Portrait Sessions vs Outdoor Portrait Sessions

Denver Kid's Photography - Indoor Studio Portrait Sessions vs Outdoor Portrait Sessions Studio Image and Portrait on the Left, Outdoor Image and Portrait on the Right[/caption]

Denver Children’s Portraits: Indoor Studio vs Outdoors

It’s beautiful Fall in Denver! Clients often ask me where we should take their family photos:  Indoors @ my Studio, or outdoors? (Click here for a tour of my amazing studio.) To help you out, here is a side-by-side comparison for studio vs outdoor photography for *family* photos for the top 6 Factors to consider: (BTW, for business headshots, I almost always recommend indoor, either @ my Studio or @ your place of business if the lighting there is great). Factor #1: Weather Indoor, of course, is stable and predictable. And if you are doing newborn infant portraits, it’s about the only way to  go (unless it’s super warm outside). You can wear whatever you want, since you don’t have to consider the temperatures. And you probably won’t have to reschedule due to weather (snow storms excepted, of course.) Outdoors, you may have to reschedule if it’s really cold. But I have done portraits in the rain, in the snow, etc. It can add some great variety to your family portraits to have snow softly falling. The wind can make your hair look great – like a fashion model with your hair blowing around you! Winner: Tie, since indoor is weather-neutral, but outdoor can offer great variety and even some hair-flattering wind! (Yes, I am a predominantly outdoor portrait photographer – that’s why I love the variety) Factor #2: Light Indoors is a bit more stable, but if it ‘s cloudy, then outside get the win. It’s lovely to photograph in cloudy weather; we call it God’s Softbox. If your kids have blue eyes, they will be more sensitive to the sun, and indoors will be easier on their eyes – so we have less squinting. Winner: Since I am mostly a natural light photographer, and I have an amazing studio with  great light, the win for this goes to indoors. Factor #3: Backgrounds

My studio has tons of different backgrounds inside and out (just check out this recent small business owner headshot session for an example of that), but there is nothing as beautiful as Colorado nature backgrounds. Or your own home, for that matter -whatever space is special to you and your family! I have photographed at Wash Park for a stylish urban family, in the Boulder Mountains for an outdoorsy, community-leaders family, at Red Rocks for a family that LOVES Red Rocks, at a private barn for a close-knit family and at a beautiful local pond space for a sweet active family that wanted to include their crazy dog! If a space is special to you, then we can craft your family portraits there.

Winner: Outdoors. Factor #4: Young Kid-Friendly Kids love being able to move, and run around.  If you have just one kid, Studio Sessions can work well, especially if you like the Urban feel. (I even do photos on the roof @ my studio – very hip and Downtown-Denver Urban vibe.) But, if you have more than one child or a very rambunctious one, and def. if you plan to include the family dog, then outdoors is the way to go so they have plenty of space to run and move. Winner: Outdoors Factor #5: Teenager-Friendly If you have a teen, you already know the answer; teenagers prefer my Studio – the huge loft-like feel, the urban outdoor spaces, etc. But since *Mom* (or Dad) is organizing and paying for the portraits, please go with what YOU want to put on your living room wall. The kiddos will be gone to college in a few years (which, BTW, is a great reason to schedule family portraits NOW), and you will be the one who gets to look at that portrait for years to come. Winner: Indoors/Studio Factor #6: Number of people If you are doing more than three people, I recommend outdoors. The vast space will accommodate more people and move configurations of you and your family members. Winner: Outdoor There you have it, 6 key factors to consider if you aren’t sure whether to go with indoor or outdoor photos. And since “outdoors” won slightly over “indoors”, be sure to also check out this post on the best outdoor locations for family photography,]]>

Denver Urban Family Portraits – Washington Park Family Portraits

family portrait during sunrise @ Washington Park and the sprinklers turned on just as we showed up at our 2nd shoot location by the lawn bowling area. The 1st location was by the boathouse, and the second would be at the other end of the park near the lake, lawnbowling and small playground. As we drove up, I saw that the sprinklers were on, and my assistant and I quickly started to strategize how we could shoot without my clients (or my photography gear) getting wet – it was not going to be easy.  The worst is when you carefully select an area away from the sprinklers, get everyone set up, and then the sprinklers turn off in the other area, and suddenly turn on in the area where you are standing. And these clients had AMAZING beautiful dark hair (well, the mother and daughters did. ;-), and they def would not want water getting on their perfectly blown out locks. All this is going through my head as I get out of the car, and I notice Dad was on the phone as he got out of his car. And this is what I hear, “Hey! It’s me. The sprinklers by the Lawn Bowling area? We are trying to get portraits done here. Can you turn them off for 15 minutes?”  I was both floored and amused, and I had to quickly snap an iphone shot of him.  (See the sprinklers going in the background?) It all worked out; With one phone call he had the sprinklers turned off for 20 minutes so we could finish our portraits without getting wet. That’s being connected in all the right ways! I kept joking with him during our shoot, “You know,  I don’t like how loud that plane is overhead, can you pls make a call and have it re-routed?”  😉 Washington Park Urban Family Portraits by Natascha Lee Studios - Sprinkler Challenges

Denver Urban Family Portraits

To see more images from this shoot, click here and here.

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Family Portraits on a Boulder Mountain – Outdoor Summer Portraits

A super fun client (with the most photogenic family!) came by to pick up his order. We had already done their viewing session, and he and his family saw their amazing family portraits on my big screen TV….but he hadn’t seen them printed yet. In addition to large canvas prints for their home, they also ordered the full digital package which comes with reference prints for each image. Here he laid them all out on my coffeetable to see them at once. There is nothing like seeing your images in print! BTW, he said the cutest thing when he showed up to pick up his order “I feel like a kid on Christmas morning.” I LOVE that I get to create something for people that makes them feel that way…..

Boulder Mountain -Outdoor Family Portraits - Client Order - Natascha Lee STudiosBoulder – Mountain Family Portraits

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Siblings and Zoolander – Washington Park Portraits for Stylish Families

previous post, I mentioned this handsome boy’s Zoolander expression, and here it  is!  I told these siblings to give me their “serious” look and his stunning sisters definitely gave me the “don’t mess with me” look. And the boy, well, see for yourself!  I love it! My favorite is how he is able to get those eyebrows angled downwards. Like a precious cartoon character!

Denver Family Outdoor Portraits - Washington Park - Zoolander Look - Sibilings - Natascha Lee StudiosStylish Washington Park Family Portraits

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