4 Quick Steps to pick a Family Portrait Photographer

and this is when many folks start thinking about portraits. I often get questions like, “How do I pick a Family Portrait Photographer?” So, here ar:

“4 Quick Steps to pick a Family Portrait Photographer”

Step 1: Recommendations from friends can be a good way to go. But a caveat:  just like people have different tastes and budgets for clothing and decor, they will also have wildly different styles in photography. Some people just want a photo that is one step above a snapshot. Others just want one really good family photo. Others want a high-end, boutique experience with a full gallery of WOW images. If you have a friend who has a similar taste and budget in interior decor and clothes, that can be a good indicator that you might like the photographer they use. Step 2: Then check their website. Their photos should grab you, you should feel right away – “Wow! I love these!” Step 3: Videos – I also always suggest that clients look at an entire photo session before booking their photographer. That way, they can see if the photographer can deliver a consistent and full gallery of WOW images.  This means different angles, close up and wide-angle, each person alone, kids together, kids with parents, both posed and casual, different expressions, etc. That’s much more reliable than seeing just one or two good images. On my video page, you’ll see about 30 different sessions, to give you an idea of my style. A few of them even have BTS (behind the scenes) and client interviews, which gives you even more of an idea on what it’s like to work with me. Of course, if you want the quick read, my testimonial page can provide that. Step 4: Contact the photographer. Do they get back to you within one business day? Do they seem to know what they are doing? Do they ask lots of questions to make sure they understand what you are looking for, and you understand what they offer? Do they explain things clearly? So, there you have it. A complicated process simplified to four key steps. I hope this helps you pick your family photographer. And whether you pick me, or someone else, please do have family photos taken this year! Every year your children change sooo much – these precious times deserve to be captured. Oh, and if you are doing holiday cards ….please please include you and your spouse/co-parent if you are together. Your friends love seeing your kids, but even more than that – they want to see YOU! I feel so passionately about this, I should probably do an entire blog post on “Make sure you appear on your holiday card!” Here is a sample session taken in the Boulder mountains. I can’t wait to photograph this family again this weekend, this time with their newest family addition!

Session in Boulder, Colorado (with guest appearance by family dog)

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

*Your dogs are part of your family! And we often include them in portraits. There are a few steps to follow to make sure we get the best photos possible, and one of the key  things is to have someone who can take over the dogs once we are done photographing them. A neighbor, a friend, etc. It’s also a good idea to have them groomed a couple days before, and bring them a little bit hungry so they will pay attention. Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save]]>

Client Story – Broomfield Family Portraits – Fabulous Fall Portraiture

December break that gave me time to  pull all this together. Better late than never, right?  😉 Jade is a local Broomfield mother, and the owner and chef behind Jades Kitchen (Delicious food made with love.) It’s such a treat to get to order healthy, delicious homemade food for your family! And of course, it’s a bonus that you get to support a local mother-owned business. Well, perhaps the biggest bonus is that you don’t have to shop or cook or clean – it’s all done for you. LOVE that! Jade had me do her family portraits and we had so much fun with her sweet calm family. Seriously, the most mellow, calm daughters ever! I wish I could bottle that and release it at my own house from time to time. BTW, she also had me do Headshots with Personality(sm)  to create an image bank (a full suite of marketing photos) for her business, website and marketing materials (more on that later!) For today, I’m sharing  her images from her beautiful Premium Family Portrait album, starting with the cover and the back. I think it’s great to see what a finished product looks like. Esp if you aren’t so much the video type, and you prefer to look @ “still images.” One thing people often notice (and appreciate) is that I take a variety of photos that capture each of the unique relationships within your family: you and your spouse, your spouse and the kids, you and the kids, you and each kid individually, the kids together, the kids alone, etc. 001-002 005-006 007-008 011-012 013-014 015-016 017-018 019-020 I’m so excited to share these beautiful images with you.

  1. Tell us a little bit about you and your family?
I love my family. As a family we love the big and little things – taking a road trip to a new part of Colorado that we haven’t seen before, hiking in Boulder, playing board games and UNO, watching movies, eating ice cream at our favorite local spot – Sweet Cow, traveling to new places – two years ago we rented a house at the beach in Oregon (favorite vacation so far), eating dinner at Happy Sumo… For myself, I love to be alone in my free time. It gives me time to think and re-energize. If I feel indulgent, I will curl up on the couch and read my book, or watch a movie. I do love coffee dates with friends, but I always have to make sure I carve out some time just for me. The one thing I have always dreamed of doing…is an African Safari. It would be spectacular and frightening at the same time to see all those wild animals!
  1. What made you decide this was the time to do a family photo session?
Jillian, my first baby, was starting middle school, and Ella, my second baby, was about to turn 8. It was the perfect time to capture them, ages 7 & 10. I will always remember them in these photos – still believing in Santa Clause and the tooth fairy.
  1.  Was there anything you were nervous or worried about before the session?
I wasn’t worried about a thing! Natascha is so professional and did such a great job at preparing us so we had an idea of what to expect.
  1. What made you choose Natascha Lee Studios?
I had seen a marketing brochure for her business, and the photos were absolutely stunning.
  1. How did the actual  photo session go? What was your favorite part of your session?
The photo session was everything I hoped it would be! She did such an amazing job capturing the girls in the sweetest of moments. I love how authentic our pictures are, even when we are “posing.” My favorite part of the session was watching Jorin, my husband, with the girls, and the girls tickling him on Natascha’s cue. He loves his girls so much.
  1. How about the viewing session? – What did you think or feel when you saw your gallery of images? What did your husband think?
Oh my goodness! I laughed when she offered me a tissue (Note from Natascha: I often say that “I make moms cry, because a lot of the time a mom will get teary-eyed when viewing her family’s photos for the first time). And then the slide show of my family portraits started, and I started to cry tears of love and joy. Needless to say, the viewing session was very special. for all of us. Natascha is a true professional, making her clients (including the little ones) feel comfortable, and making the session incredibly special, with lots of laughter in between.
  1. What do you hope your children will say/feel/think years down the road when looking at these images?
That they were little, and sweet, and innocent, and believed in Santa Clause… Most importantly, that we are a close family and we love each other so much.
  1. Any advice to other families before their photo sessions?
I would honestly say to them: “Natascha is so talented, and does an amazing job at capturing the moment. She listens to your vision, and then perfects it on a whole new level. Her attention to detail is represented in her work. You can trust that your pictures will be perfect.”
  1. How did you feel/what did you think when received your final order/had your products delivered?
Absolute amazement. And we received so many compliments! I especially appreciate all the details – from the pictures being wrapped in beautiful boxes with ribbon, the homemade tray holding our pictures, to the custom wooden USB – the presentation was beautiful.

Thank you Jade! It was my pleasure to create your family portraits!

Broomfield Family Photographer

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Broomfield Family Photography – Fall Family Portraits | Natascha Lee Studios

fall family portrait. Their Sheltie dogs are super sweet, and we made sure to include them in many portraits.* In addition to the semi-posed images where everyone is looking @ the camera, I love capturing “lifestyle” images, which are like these below – it’s a peak into your life….of course, you all happen to be wearing impeccably coordinated outfits, not a hair out of place, and it’s a lovely fall day with the soft warm light from the setting sun behind you.  😉 BTW, do you see mom’s boots! They are soooo stylish. I want to go buy myself a pair. If you follow me on IG, you’ll see that I post images of cowboy boots there from time to time. I saw so many cool ones during a photography trip to Nashville. Broomfield Family and Pet Photography - with Dogs (Natascha Lee Studios)

Denver Family Photographer

*Your dogs are part of your family! And we often include them in portraits. There are a few steps to follow to make sure we get the best photos possible, and one of the key  things is to have someone who can take over the dogs once we are done photographing them. A neighbor, a friend, etc. It’s also a good idea to have them groomed a couple days before, and bring them a little bit hungry so they will pay attention. This clever family brought the dogs’ favorite treats and just the word “cookie” made them perk up! Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save]]>

Broomfield Family Photography – Canvas Cluster Wall Display

Deciding how to display your family portraits can be daunting. It’s not only a question of where, but also how. If you have several images that you just love (from the same shoot), I suggest a Canvas Cluster, like the one showcased here:

Broomfield Family Photography - Canvas Cluster Wall Display for Family Portraits by Natascha Lee Studios

It’s a great example of a wall display (called a “cluster” display) of my portraits for a local Broomfield Family. The client’s favorite photo anchors the entire grouping – it’s the largest and in the center.

A fun backstory about that center image.  I told them, as I tell all my clients, that when I’m photographing a family,  “We want each member to be physically touching another member.” Usually this is done by holding hands, or placing your hand on someone else’s shoulder. Well, this family had another idea for it – esp the boys who are pranksters. I rolled with it (I don’t think they realized I was going to photograph their adorable shenanigans) , and we got an image they love that reflects this family’s unique personality.

As the mom said about her experience working with me:

 “Natascha is a supremely talented photographer. She captures your family’s true spirit, and crafts artistic portraits that you cherish for a lifetime. I highly recommend her.

Jennelle Ertl, Broomfield, Colorado

When you get family portraits you love, be sure to  order and proudly display BIG wall prints / canvas clusters of your family portraits. It’s one of the best ways to celebrate your family’s love and special connection. Also, I recommend ordering a couple small prints for your children’s rooms, and/or bathrooms. Kids LOVE to have their own personal copy of the family photo.

Broomfield Family Photographer

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Broomfield Family Photography – Large Wall Canvas

Broomfield Family Portraits - Large Wall Canvas by Natascha Lee Studios

Here is the lovely Jade next to her large family wall art. I took her family’s portraits last fall, and I recently visited her home for a video shoot/on-camera interview (I’m very honored that a local videographer wanted to create a video featuring me! And grateful that Jade agreed to be part of the project!)

It was a blast to walk around her house and see my portraits of her stunning family throughout the house….She ordered large wall canvases for her front room and hallway, mounted prints for her family room, an heirloom album, and small gift albums for grandparents, etc. I hear the grandparents were over the moon to receive photos of their kids/grandkids for Xmas.

This piece here is a statement piece, and the first thing you see when you enter her beautifully decorated Broomfield home! She’s told me that she receives so many compliments on it. (Guests love seeing family photos when they visit your home. And so does your photographer – ;-)) 

Be sure to order and proudly display BIG wall prints / canvas of your family portraits, it’s one of the best ways to celebrate your family’s love and special connection.

Broomfield Family Photographer

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Broomfield Family Photography – Fall Family Portraits Video

Broomfield family portrait session. One of my favorite sessions of 2015. Now, usually I don’t share full-family photos between October 1 and Dec 25th. That’s because the families having me take their portraits in the fall are typically looking for photos that they can put on their walls AND use in their Christmas/Holiday cards. many of my clients know each other and/or are just one degree away from each other . Plus, as you know, I’m closed during the month of December.    Since many of my clients are friends with each other (word-of-mouth is how most people find me!), and/or they are only separated by 1 degree –  I don’t want to “steal anyone’s thunder” or ruin the surprise. So I wait till after Xmas to share those family portraits. I feel like this is a great place to go off on a tangent, and mention that people still LOVE getting real, physical cards in the mail – esp when they include a recent family photo, (ideally a professionally taken one but really any family photo is great) THAT INCLUDES THE PARENTS! Please, parents, do NOT send cards with only photos of your children. If you are sending cards to YOUR friends then they also want to see YOU! I promise you this. We want to see photos of OUR friends just as much as the photos of our friends’ kids! So, back to the original topic – this lovely mamma has given me permission to put this video up now, before Xmas. I’m not putting it on FB or IG – just on my blog. We took her family portraits in late October, and the colors were splendid! Two weeks later we did her viewing session (loads of fun with wine, chocolate snacks and so many laughs!)  – and then, the day after their viewing session, she sent me one of the kindest texts ever! It made me so very happy. Have you ever done that, just sent a random gratitude text? What a great way to make someone’s day and to increase the positive energy in the world! I love this gal!

Here is Jade’s Family Portrait video:

Natascha Lee Studios Denver Family Photographer – Jade 1080 from N Lee on Vimeo.

Broomfield Family Photographer

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