This spring studio mini session in Delaware, Ohio was all about connection. With soft light, neutral tones, and thoughtfully chosen outfits, this mother and her two daughters created something simple and beautiful. Studio sessions like this are a chance to slow down, be present, and capture your love and connection.
Summer is the perfect season for golden hour family photos in Lewis Center, Ohio. With wildflowers in bloom and warm evening light, these outdoor sessions are relaxed, playful, and full of connection.
Looking for what to wear for fall family photos? This guide shares the best outfit tips for fall mini sessions, including what colors photograph well, what to avoid, and where to shop for photo-ready outfits. Perfect for families preparing for fall photography sessions in Lewis Center, Ohio and surrounding areas.
Wondering when to book your fall or holiday mini session? These popular spots fill up quickly, often months in advance. In this post, I’m sharing the best time to reserve your session, what to expect each season, and how to make sure you do not miss out on those cozy, picture perfect memories.
Looking for updated family photos this fall? My Fall Mini Sessions in Columbus, Ohio are quick, relaxed, and designed to capture natural connection in just 15 minutes. In this post, I’ll walk you through what’s included, what to expect, and how to book your spot before they fill up.
I feel like I just finished blogging the month of June. I cannot believe how quickly July went by. It was a fun and crazy month at our house. Lots of grilling out, watermelon, corn on the cob, and a visit to my hometown in Northwest Ohio to see my family. It's safe to say that we are making the most of summer!
I will never forget how intimidating my new DSLR camera felt when I first unboxed it. So many buttons and wheels.. and this thing was so much bigger than any camera I had ever used. The only cameras I was familiar with were an old point and shoot from college and my iPhone camera.
I watched SO many tutorials on YouTube to try to figure everything out and use the camera.. and they were very helpful but I am a hands-on learner so I started practicing with what I knew. I started in Aperture-Priority mode. This showed me my camera and lens' potential. I was blown away at how much better the images looked compared to when I had the camera in Auto mode.
Once I mastered Aperture Priority mode, I started learning manual mode. Looking back, I do not know why I was so scared of going manual. Controlling everything about every single click of the shutter just seemed impossible. How did photographers do it? How does anyone master their craft? Practice. I started practicing. ALL. THE. TIME. I drove my family crazy (and still do) begging them to be my subjects or snapping away anyways like the paparazzi.
And I used to be self-conscious about being the photographer in the room.. not wanting to annoy anyone but now I really don't care. This is my passion and I am owning it. In 20 years when my family looks back on these photos I know they will be thankful for them and that's how I am always thinking. Ok, sorry for the tangent.. back to how I got started in manual mode.
The first picture I took with my DSLR that I was really happy with! This was taken in Aperture Priority mode with my Nikon D5300 and Nikon 50mm f/1.4.
Once you are getting the hang of manual mode, it is also a really great idea to challenge yourself with different lighting situations. Take photos in low light, high sun or harsh light, golden hour, cloudy days, artificial light, after sunset, etc. All of these different lighting situations will help you learn your settings and what works.
One of the ways I got myself into different lighting situations was by starting my 365 project. I have to take at least one photo every day. Even the dark, rainy days or the days when it's 9:00pm and I realize I haven't taken a photo yet. Forcing myself to shoot in these situations has helped me so much. Now, I can walk into a lighting situation and already know approximately where my settings will be which is very helpful when you have a fast toddler you are trying to capture :)
Here are some examples of photos I have taken in different light situations and the settings for each.
Low Light - ISO 1600 f/1.4 1/13s SigmaArt 35mm
Low Light - ISO 1250 f/1.4 1/250s SigmaArt 35mm
Harsh Light - ISO 100 f/2.5 1/640s SigmaArt 35mm
Harsh Light - ISO 100 f/2.0 1/4000s SigmaArt35mm
Golden Hour - ISO 160 f/1.4 1/320s SigmaArt 35mm
Golden Hour - ISO 100 f/1.4 1/640s Nikon 105mm
Cloudy Day - ISO 100 f/1.4 1/800s SigmaArt 35mm
Cloudy Day - ISO 160 f/1.8 1/320s SigmaArt 35mm
Artificial Light - ISO 500 f/2.0 1/320s SigmaArt 35mm
After Sunset - ISO 8000 f/1.4 1/100s SigmaArt 35mm
If you are on the fence about diving into manual mode with your camera, I want you to know that yes, it can be intimidating, but with lots of practice and putting yourself in various lighting situations you can quickly master it!
For more on what I know about manual mode click here
Thanks for stopping by.. If this blog post helps at least ONE person, I will be happy :)
(It isn't summer without watermelon!)
Current situation in my house:
There is a teething toddler taking what I can only hope to be a long nap, about 7 loads of laundry calling my name, 64 crayola crayons scattered on the first floor of our house (amongst other toys that I picked up last night), and 3 sessions waiting to be edited on my computer.
Running a business from home while taking care of a toddler and trying to keep up with the housework is not for the faint of heart. Am I crazy to love it? Maybe. When you are passionate about something, I guess nothing can stop you or slow you down.
Blood, sweat, and tears have gone into this business of mine. And I don't know if anyone outside of my business will ever fully understand that. It is hard to explain the extent to which I care about my families and capturing beautiful moments for them. The hours I spend editing photos until skin tones or colors look just right, staying up until 1am working on my website, sending contracts to my families, uploading galleries, studying and learning, the list goes on.. I do it all because I love it and I want to give my families the best.
Sometimes we don't realize all of the "behind the scenes" work that goes into running a photography business or any business for that matter. What you see is usually the tip of the iceberg of a business owner wearing many hats. When your sunset photo session in that beautiful field is over, it is time for me to really get to work and the 2 hours we spent together usually turns into more than 4 hours of editing for me behind my computer.
I'm telling you all of this because I want to share a little piece of my story with you and what it's like to be on this side of the camera. I pour my heart and soul into my images of your beautiful families. I feel so blessed to be doing many things that I love, including creating art for wonderful people.
As a way to keep in touch with my current and past clients, I would love for you to join me on my private Facebook group just for EVP clients. I will open up session dates and special offers here first and it will be a little oasis for my clients to ask questions or get in touch with me. Invitations will be sent soon and I hope you will join us!
And a special shout out (again) to my amazing husband, Carmichael.. thank you for believing in me and my crazy passion to follow my heart and do what I love. I love you.
I feel like I blinked and now it's July. I cannot believe how fast summer is already going. June was a great month for us. Our son went on his first fishing trip with his Dad and Grandpa and we started potty training! He is doing well but I have to admit that first week was so hard!
Slow down, summer!
