4 Quick Steps to pick a Family Portrait Photographer

by | Sep 7, 2017 | Boulder Headshots, Broomfield Colorado Family Photography, Broomfield Colorado Parks, Broomfield Family Photography, Broomfield Senior Portraits, Child Model, Colorado Family Photography, Colorado Family Portraits, Denver Colorado Family Portraits, Denver Kid's Photography, Denver Photographer, Dogs, Families, Fathers, Featured Post, Golden Family Photographer, Great Nature Locations, Louisville Family Photography, Outdoors, Pets, Photography, Portraits

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

by | Jan 3, 2017 | Broomfield Children's Photography, Broomfield Colorado Family Photography, Broomfield Family Photography, Clothing, Colorado, Daddy, Fall Colors, Families, Father and Child, Fathers, Featured Post, Girl, Golden Family Photographer, Mother and Child, Outdoors, Siblings, Sisters, Style, Testimonial, Westminster Children's Photography, Westminster Colorado Baby Photography, Westminster Colorado Family Photography, Westminster Family Photography, What to wear

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

by | Oct 5, 2016 | Big Brother, Boulder Headshots, Broomfield Colorado Family Photography, Broomfield Colorado Parks, Broomfield Family Photography, Broomfield Senior Portraits, Child Model, Colorado Children's Portraits, Colorado Family Photography, Colorado Family Portraits, Denver Colorado Family Portraits, Denver Kid's Photography, Denver Photographer, Dogs, Fall Colors, Families, Fathers, Featured Post, Golden Family Photographer, Great Nature Locations, Highschool Senior Portraits, Louisville Family Photography, Outdoors, Pets, Photography, Portraits

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]]>

Denver Family Photography Photographer | Natascha Lee Studios

by | Aug 3, 2016 | Baby, Big Brother, Children, Colorado Children's Portraits, Colorado Family Photography, Colorado Family Portraits, Denver Colorado baby photography, Denver Colorado Family Portraits, Denver Kid's Photography, Denver Photographer, Families, Featured Post, Newborn, Photography, Portraits

A boy and his favorite toys. Photos that capture your kid’s unique personality might not always include their face – this is a perfect example. I love how it captures the fun, quirky magic of childhood. Hexbug nanos  are a favorite…and, I guess jingle bells? Funny backstory – he insisted on leaving the hexbugs switched on, so they kept vibrating off his leg and onto the floor…. BTW, capturing your child or family’s true spirit is one of the things that my clients most frequently mention when describing what it is like to work with me.

Denver Children's PhotographerDenver Family Photographer

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Denver Family Photography Photographer | Natascha Lee Studios

by | Jul 22, 2016 | Baby, Big Brother, Children, Colorado Children's Portraits, Colorado Family Photography, Colorado Family Portraits, Denver Colorado baby photography, Denver Colorado Family Portraits, Denver Kid's Photography, Denver Photographer, Families, Featured Post, Newborn, Photography, Portraits

Denver newborn family photography session a few months back.  Don’t they look like a rockstar family? She’s one of my favorites! And she has been a little sick recently, so I hope this cheers her up. Funny backstory: Mamma texted me a photo before this shoot (her fourth shoot with me, I think) and it had three shirts laying on a bed – one for her, one for her older son and one for her husband. I mistakenly thought her son was supposed to wear all three shirts layered (obvs -the photo didn’t do a great job of showing the relative sizes).  I wrote back something like….”all three shirts layered? I think he will get hot.” LOL. Then she explained what she meant. BTW, getting the clothing together for your family shoot can be stressful – but it can also be a blast! After years of doing family portraits, I know that getting the  clothes together for your family shoot can be challenging- so I offer lots of prep help in different formats, to meet your own preferred style of learning. I have email/text tips, Pinterest Boards, and even a custom Studio Magazine with prep tips and suggestions for any type of photoshoot. Of course, I also offer help via phone and/or text. Anyway, I loved this shoot. Her beautiful, stylish home was designed by her, and has the most amazing light everywhere. Denver Family Photography - Newborn and Big Brother

Denver Newborn Baby Photographer

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Earth Day – Earth Mother – Cherry Creek Photography

by | Apr 22, 2016 | Art Series, Cherry Creek, Cherry Hills Village, Child Model, Children, Denver Model Photographer, Families, Featured Post, Model, Modeling Porfolio, Portfolio, Spring, Studio

modeling headshots/ portfolios for both of her beautiful daughters. When I interviewed them, she said if she could have any superpower, it would be EarthMother, so I had an EarthMother drawn for her. BTW, the insanely talented artist who did this is Electra from Italy. I am so lucky to be able to work with people like her. Every time I get a piece of art from her, it makes me smile all day. Do you have anyone like that you work with? Every time they deliver their creativity to you, it delights you so much that you smile all day? Earth Day Mother Earth - Cherry Creek Family Portraits by Natascha Lee Studios

Cherry Creek Children’s and Family Photographer

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