Tomorrow's Treasures is proud to announce our first Facebook contest! We are giving away one free family photo session to one lucky winner. Participation is easy - all you have to do is comment on our wall how long it's been since you had a family portrait session, and then ask all of your friends and family to "Like" your comment. The comment with the most "Like's" wins! It's that easy! The more family and friends you have, the more likely you are to win this contest!
The contest runs from April 27th through May 1st - so make sure you get the word out! Write a note, post it on your wall, or put it in your blog! Make sure your friends and family know that YOU want to win this contest!
EVEN IF YOU DON'T WIN, we're going to give every participant $15 off their next photo session with us! No one will be left out! Don't wait - comment today and get "Like'd"!
The fine print: The photography session must be redeemed before December 31, 2011, and occur within 30 miles of Imperial, MO. The $15 discount does not apply toward mini-sessions.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Picture of the Day - April 20th
This is Sarah and Jackson - two of our favorite clients! This was our first session with them, and the pictures were amazing. It was a Sunday morning, around 8 a.m., and we barely squeezed in the shoot before a big thunderstorm hit. We drove around this tiny community and took pictures on this bridge, the train tracks, by trees and anywhere else we thought of. There are several things about this picture that I love. I love the pose - Mommy holding her little boy's hand - it doesn't get any sweeter than that! I love the old bridge, and the natural framing it provides. The overcast morning provided punchy colors and soft, even light.
If there were anything about this picture that I would change, it would probably be to see more of their path, in front of them. I would've loved to show a long trail on the other side of the bridge, complete with trees overhanging, and a winding suggestion of life. In real life, though, the other side of the bridge was a dead end, and how poetic is that? Not very. So I chose to not show it. In spite of that, I love this picture for the rest of the elements, and forgive the lack of a future path!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Picture of the Day - April 19th
This picture is one of my favorites - and not because it's my husband's hand holding my daughter's hand. I love the symbolism and the meaning. I love the contrast of his larger hand holding her tiny hand. I tried printing this picture in color, but the black and white image has a timeless feeling. I used a macro lens for this shot, and the light spilling in from my living room windows.
In this picture, my daughter was already four months old. I wish I had taken it when she was smaller, but to look at this picture now, all I see is her being a baby. This picture was actually something my husband requested, and that's a rare occurrence!
Monday, April 18, 2011
Picture of the Day - April 18th
My daughter is the one in the middle! This was from a dance recital that she was in last year. I was in the audience, and my role was as a parent. We weren't hired to photograph this event. For this shot, I used a telephoto lens with a larger aperture. I needed to let in as much light as I could. Even with the lens open as wide as it could be, the shutter speed was still too long to hand-hold, and not get motion blur. I leaned forward and rested my lens on the seat in front of me to help steady the camera. I really liked the silhouette of the girls as they waited for the lights and their cue to begin dancing. I took many more pictures of my daughter during the performance, with the lights on, and the rest show her costume and her face, but this one is my favorite from that night!
Friday, April 15, 2011
Picture of the Day - April 15th
This is Olivia's 6-month picture. She didn't sit still for long, but we did get this perfect picture! This was the only one in this pose that turned out - as she was busily taking her shoes off, pulling her headband off, and trying to crawl away from the camera. We didn't give up, though, and it paid off!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Picture of the Day - April 14th
From our birth story session for the O'Hara family:
This is McHale. I was honored to be at the hospital for McHale's birth. His mom asked me to be there to photograph his birth story. They called me when they left for the hospital, and I joined them there. The plans didn't go as smoothly as we all hoped, and Amanda was taken into the operating room for an emergency c-section. The hospital wouldn't allow me in the operating room, so I waited in the waiting room until she was taken to recovery. I was allowed to be in recovery, and I got a few quick shots of Amanda holding McHale as she woke up from her anesthesia, and a very sweet moment with her and her husband.
I spent the next half hour outside the glass of the nursery, taking pictures of all the stuff that they did to McHale. The nurse was cleaning him, and giving him eye drops, doing a glucose test and swaddling him in new blankets.
Once Amanda was in her room, and ready for me to come in, I was able to get this shot! She had held him once before, but she was groggy from the anesthesia, and they were taking McHale to the nursery. This was a very relaxed, soothing, bonding moment with mommy and baby, and I was lucky enough to witness it.
All of the emotions behind a birth story come through in the images, and tell a story. I didn't use a flash for this shot. I wanted a soft and warm light, creating a sleepy-soothing feel. Sleeping babies get me every time! There is nothing more peaceful than a sleeping baby!
This is McHale. I was honored to be at the hospital for McHale's birth. His mom asked me to be there to photograph his birth story. They called me when they left for the hospital, and I joined them there. The plans didn't go as smoothly as we all hoped, and Amanda was taken into the operating room for an emergency c-section. The hospital wouldn't allow me in the operating room, so I waited in the waiting room until she was taken to recovery. I was allowed to be in recovery, and I got a few quick shots of Amanda holding McHale as she woke up from her anesthesia, and a very sweet moment with her and her husband.
I spent the next half hour outside the glass of the nursery, taking pictures of all the stuff that they did to McHale. The nurse was cleaning him, and giving him eye drops, doing a glucose test and swaddling him in new blankets.
Once Amanda was in her room, and ready for me to come in, I was able to get this shot! She had held him once before, but she was groggy from the anesthesia, and they were taking McHale to the nursery. This was a very relaxed, soothing, bonding moment with mommy and baby, and I was lucky enough to witness it.
All of the emotions behind a birth story come through in the images, and tell a story. I didn't use a flash for this shot. I wanted a soft and warm light, creating a sleepy-soothing feel. Sleeping babies get me every time! There is nothing more peaceful than a sleeping baby!
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Picture of the Day - April 13th
From our mini sessions, Grace was a pleasure to photograph. She was happy and playful, and wore bright tights! What more could we ask for?
This was the last picture of her session, and she was ready to play and chase leaves on her own. There were no special lighting or camera settings for this one. The reason that I like this one so much is the color contrast. I love autumn, and all of the colored leaves, but her bright pink coat, blue skirt, and striped tights aren't the fall colors you expect to see in October. Laumeier Sculpture Park was covered with a blanket of big, crisp leaves for us to play in, and they provide an interesting foreground and background to Grace.
This was the last picture of her session, and she was ready to play and chase leaves on her own. There were no special lighting or camera settings for this one. The reason that I like this one so much is the color contrast. I love autumn, and all of the colored leaves, but her bright pink coat, blue skirt, and striped tights aren't the fall colors you expect to see in October. Laumeier Sculpture Park was covered with a blanket of big, crisp leaves for us to play in, and they provide an interesting foreground and background to Grace.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Picture of the Day - April 12th
Nikki's maternity shoot gave us a lot of beautiful pictures. This one is easily my favorite!
This picture of Nikki is one of the most beautiful pictures I have ever taken! She was 36 weeks at this point, and exhibited that mythical pregnant glow. The lighting in this picture is soft and warm, which really helped to convey the relaxed anticipation that Nikki felt while waiting for baby Chloe. To get this effect, we used natural light that came pouring in through the windows, and a reflector to bounce that light back to Nikki's face. The light carpet and furniture helped to bounce the natural light around, too.
There is nothing I would change about this picture! I love it just the way it is!
This picture of Nikki is one of the most beautiful pictures I have ever taken! She was 36 weeks at this point, and exhibited that mythical pregnant glow. The lighting in this picture is soft and warm, which really helped to convey the relaxed anticipation that Nikki felt while waiting for baby Chloe. To get this effect, we used natural light that came pouring in through the windows, and a reflector to bounce that light back to Nikki's face. The light carpet and furniture helped to bounce the natural light around, too.
There is nothing I would change about this picture! I love it just the way it is!
Monday, April 11, 2011
Do you really need two photographers on your wedding day?
Instead of our Picture of the Day blog, I have decided to write about an important topic for brides to consider. Do you really need two photographers on your wedding day? Only you can answer what is right for you, but I hope I can help make that decision easier by writing this blog.
The most obvious reason to have two photographers is that you will have double the coverage. While Trisha is taking pictures of the bride and bridesmaids getting ready, I am with the groom and groomsmen. When we split up, you get coverage that you wouldn't get with one photographer. If your groom is getting his boutonniere pinned on him, while your mom is putting your veil on you, the only way to capture both of those moments for you, is to have two photographers.
We also work together, and there is an added benefit here, too. When we are taking your park pictures, one of us can hold a diffuser or reflector to improve the quality of your images. We are able to take the same pictures from two different perspectives. Trisha and I have very different styles, and taking the same pictures results in two vastly different images for you.
Because Trisha and I have two very different styles, hiring us is truly like hiring two photographers. If you hire someone else, whose second shooter was trained to shoot the same as the main shooter, you will have more images and more coverage, but not the same variety that we offer. I shoot more traditional images and posed portraiture, while Trisha is more contemporary with a love for candid and detail photography. This translates into great portraits and lots of journalistic coverage of your day, which go together wonderfully in your wedding album!
All of those reasons above are great reasons to hire two photographers for your wedding day, but there is another reason, and one that no bride (or photographer, for that matter) wants to talk about. Missed shots. Every wedding photographer understands that your wedding day is a once-in-a-lifetime event, and most of us thrive on the pressure - that's why we're wedding photographers. But, with all of the experience and planning and preparation, there will still be times when circumstances get in the way, and a photographer can miss a shot. The circumstances can be an equipment malfunction, guest interference, unexpected (for the photographer) events, or simultaneous photo opportunities. Whatever the reason, with two photographers, we're less likely to miss something big on your wedding day.
I mentioned equipment malfunction in the previous paragraph. We have back up cameras, lenses, flashes. We're prepared for malfunctions. Every wedding photographer should have this equipment. If your photographer doesn't have back up equipment, this should be a red flag for you. It's wedding photography 101, make sure you have back up equipment! We do. But, wedding photographers will also agree, that the most important tool I have, is me. My brain. My creative talent. And, when you hire two photographers, you are allowing us to have a back up photographer, too.
Maybe you're reading this, and thinking to yourself, "I don't need coverage of the boutonnieres, and I love candid style, and don't need traditional, posed portraits. Heather, this doesn't apply to me. I only need one photographer." That's great! You can likely save money by hiring only one photographer. I have photographed weddings by myself before, and it is entirely possible to get a lot of great pictures from one photographer and save money by doing so. I can't think of any other benefits to having only one photographer.
Whatever you decide, we hope your wedding day is the day of your dreams!
The most obvious reason to have two photographers is that you will have double the coverage. While Trisha is taking pictures of the bride and bridesmaids getting ready, I am with the groom and groomsmen. When we split up, you get coverage that you wouldn't get with one photographer. If your groom is getting his boutonniere pinned on him, while your mom is putting your veil on you, the only way to capture both of those moments for you, is to have two photographers.
We also work together, and there is an added benefit here, too. When we are taking your park pictures, one of us can hold a diffuser or reflector to improve the quality of your images. We are able to take the same pictures from two different perspectives. Trisha and I have very different styles, and taking the same pictures results in two vastly different images for you.
Because Trisha and I have two very different styles, hiring us is truly like hiring two photographers. If you hire someone else, whose second shooter was trained to shoot the same as the main shooter, you will have more images and more coverage, but not the same variety that we offer. I shoot more traditional images and posed portraiture, while Trisha is more contemporary with a love for candid and detail photography. This translates into great portraits and lots of journalistic coverage of your day, which go together wonderfully in your wedding album!
All of those reasons above are great reasons to hire two photographers for your wedding day, but there is another reason, and one that no bride (or photographer, for that matter) wants to talk about. Missed shots. Every wedding photographer understands that your wedding day is a once-in-a-lifetime event, and most of us thrive on the pressure - that's why we're wedding photographers. But, with all of the experience and planning and preparation, there will still be times when circumstances get in the way, and a photographer can miss a shot. The circumstances can be an equipment malfunction, guest interference, unexpected (for the photographer) events, or simultaneous photo opportunities. Whatever the reason, with two photographers, we're less likely to miss something big on your wedding day.
I mentioned equipment malfunction in the previous paragraph. We have back up cameras, lenses, flashes. We're prepared for malfunctions. Every wedding photographer should have this equipment. If your photographer doesn't have back up equipment, this should be a red flag for you. It's wedding photography 101, make sure you have back up equipment! We do. But, wedding photographers will also agree, that the most important tool I have, is me. My brain. My creative talent. And, when you hire two photographers, you are allowing us to have a back up photographer, too.
Maybe you're reading this, and thinking to yourself, "I don't need coverage of the boutonnieres, and I love candid style, and don't need traditional, posed portraits. Heather, this doesn't apply to me. I only need one photographer." That's great! You can likely save money by hiring only one photographer. I have photographed weddings by myself before, and it is entirely possible to get a lot of great pictures from one photographer and save money by doing so. I can't think of any other benefits to having only one photographer.
Whatever you decide, we hope your wedding day is the day of your dreams!
Friday, April 8, 2011
Picture of the Day - April 8th - Happy birthday, Abigail!
This is my daughter, Abigail. Today, is her 4th birthday, and I wanted to share my favorite picture of her. In this picture, she's 9-months old. We were playing on our deck, and she was walking/crawling all over the place. The thing about this picture that grabs me, is her focus and dedication. She was so focused on walking and crawling, that she didn't know I was there, taking pictures of her.
There are two things about this picture that I would change, if I could. The first thing I would change, is I would have put a frog by her foot - so that she was reaching for the frog. Having been there, and watched her, she was reaching down for the ground because she was too timid to let go of the rail. But, viewers of my picture don't know that, and I wish there was something there for her to be reaching for.
The second thing I would change, is the depth of field. I would've used a larger aperture and had the background less distracting. I used the best lens I had, at the time, and have since upgraded my equipment to help improve my images.
This image was taken three years ago. Looking at it reminds me, it's time to make my husband stain our deck again! He'll be thrilled!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Picture of the Day - April 7th
This is a harder picture to get than it would seem! We have tried to do the rings-on-baby's-feet picture often, but we don't often get one like this! The clarity of the feet and the rings, combined with the heart-shaped composition, and the lovely soft light equal a beautiful image, and treasured memory. It sounds cliche to say that babies grow fast, but the reality is that babies grow and change even faster than one can memorize their tiny feet and hands, or the way they look and smell. Images of your baby's first months are precious - and this one is perfect!
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Picture of the Day - April 6th
Sophia, playing in the fountain last summer:
This image is one of my favorites, because of how it turned out. I didn't realize that the spray from the fountain was between Sophia and me. I didn't realize until I uploaded the pictures to my computer, and I almost deleted this picture. I was disappointed at first, that she had a cute expression, and the light was beautiful - but there was rain in the picture. Of course, when I looked at it on a larger scale, I saw the beauty, and was instantly in love with this picture. It was my favorite from Sophia's session, and one of my favorite all-time pictures, too.
There is nothing I would change about this picture. That is strange, coming from me. I am a harsh critic of my own photos, and there is usually a short list of things I would change, even about my better photos, but not this one. This one is perfect!
This image is one of my favorites, because of how it turned out. I didn't realize that the spray from the fountain was between Sophia and me. I didn't realize until I uploaded the pictures to my computer, and I almost deleted this picture. I was disappointed at first, that she had a cute expression, and the light was beautiful - but there was rain in the picture. Of course, when I looked at it on a larger scale, I saw the beauty, and was instantly in love with this picture. It was my favorite from Sophia's session, and one of my favorite all-time pictures, too.
There is nothing I would change about this picture. That is strange, coming from me. I am a harsh critic of my own photos, and there is usually a short list of things I would change, even about my better photos, but not this one. This one is perfect!
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Picture of the Day - April 5th
This is probably one of the best pictures I have ever taken, in my opinion. It's hard for me to say that. I am usually my harshest critic, and never satisfied with my own work. The things that I love about this picture are the clarity and the color. Terra was a beautiful bride, and fun to work with. The perspective of this image was very flattering, and provided a pretty composition. I didn't have a wide-angle lens that would've allowed for her whole head to be in the frame, which would've been my preference. The striking beauty of her eyes and the complimentary blue color in her flowers really make this picture pop!
Austin - Spring Session
On Sunday, we had the opportunity to photograph Wes, Caleb, and Leah. We've photographed them a few times, and enjoy seeing them! Wes is our helper, Caleb keeps us laughing, and Leah is too precious! Unfortunately for their momma, all three kids were sick at our session. In spite of that, we got some really cute shots for their Easter photo, and some great pictures of Leah for her six-month session, too.
Please visit their gallery to view more of their beautiful pictures. Thank you for looking!
Please visit their gallery to view more of their beautiful pictures. Thank you for looking!
Monday, April 4, 2011
New: Picture of the Day!
I am going to start posting a Picture of the Day on this blog. The pictures that I choose to highlight will be based on different factors, and I am going to explain my choice each day. I can't promise that I won't choose some personal pictures of my daughters - when narrowing down my favorites, some are definitely of the girls! I hope to entertain you, while helping to show our style and helping our readers get to know us a little better!
Without further delay, here is today's Picture of the Day:
This is Baby Chloe, at 3 months old. This picture makes me yawn every time I look at it, and that is why I chose it. She is beautiful, and was very happy during her session. I have wanted to get a baby-yawn picture for awhile now, and was lucky that she yawned while I had my camera in my hands. I love the catch lights in her eyes, and the soft lighting.
There are minor changes I would make, if I could, but the biggest is that I would reposition her so that her right arm was in the image, too. I had tried to pose her several times, but she was determined to wiggle her way to freedom!
That said, the appeal of photography for me is the moment - it's having an opportunity to freeze time, and capturing that moment in time. It's being able to look at that picture, and feeling the urge to yawn. It's remembering that I was laying on the hardwood floor, and cooing from behind my camera to keep her attention.
Next picture: a beautiful bride...
Without further delay, here is today's Picture of the Day:
This is Baby Chloe, at 3 months old. This picture makes me yawn every time I look at it, and that is why I chose it. She is beautiful, and was very happy during her session. I have wanted to get a baby-yawn picture for awhile now, and was lucky that she yawned while I had my camera in my hands. I love the catch lights in her eyes, and the soft lighting.
There are minor changes I would make, if I could, but the biggest is that I would reposition her so that her right arm was in the image, too. I had tried to pose her several times, but she was determined to wiggle her way to freedom!
That said, the appeal of photography for me is the moment - it's having an opportunity to freeze time, and capturing that moment in time. It's being able to look at that picture, and feeling the urge to yawn. It's remembering that I was laying on the hardwood floor, and cooing from behind my camera to keep her attention.
Next picture: a beautiful bride...
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