Monthly Archives: April 2016

How to Master Your Family Photography Session Like a Pro

By | Family Portrait Photography | No Comments

If your family is growing up too fast, then you should schedule a family photography session in Brisbane soon. Many families have their photos taken when they’re welcoming a new family member, celebrating a special occasion or having a family reunion. Regardless of what your reason is, arranging the occasion and ensuring that you get great-quality and meaningful keepsakes as a result can be a challenge.

As a professional and highly experienced photographer, let me share with you some foolproof tips on how to master your family photography session in Brisbane like a pro.

Choose the entire family’s outfits carefully.

One of the biggest factors that affect the quality of family photographs is clothing. Since there are many subjects in the photos, there should be some coordination in the clothes that your family members wear. With this, I do not mean matching clothing, but clothes that blend well together, especially when captured in a photo.

In my experience as a Brisbane family photographer, I find that the easiest types of clothing to work with are those with neutral colours and light, flowing fabrics.

When it comes to colour, choose a combination of pastels, tans and other light hues of brown, grays and light shades of blue. However, clients are always free to add bold colours if they feel that these match their family’s personality better. The best bold colours to use as accents are yellow and bright red, which can be nicely toned down by hues of light colours, like gray.

My top tip would definitely be to stay away from clothing that is patterned with florals, stripes or spots and also clothing that has large logos on them as this can be distracting in the photographs and we want to photograph on your emotions and faces in the photographs not the patterns in your clothing.

Make sure everyone’s in good spirits.

It may be tricky to schedule a family photography shoot. While the weather in Brisbane can accommodate us at practically any time of the day, I suggest choosing a time that your children, especially younger ones, are likely to be in good spirits. Steer clear of their nap time and bedtime.

If you choose an accredited and experienced photographer, such as myself, you can be sure that you’ll get great quality photos no matter what time of the day it is. In my 8 years of offering family photography in Brisbane, I have done shoots with the sunrise or the sunset as a backdrop and have given my clients great results either way.

Another way to ensure all members of your family are in a good mood for the shoot is to feed them beforehand. It helps to have healthy snacks on hand or to schedule the shoot before dinnertime. If there’s a baby in the family, be sure to work around his or her feeding time.

Finally, don’t forget to talk to all members of the family, especially the dads, to be cheerful participants during the shoot. It is important that everyone’s on board, so there’ll be only bright smiles in your photos. While some members, commonly the dads, dread photo sessions, it helps to explain to everyone how important it is to have family photos to keep and treasure for the years to come.

Don’t rush into it.

When you schedule your family photography session, don’t forget to include the time it will take for you and your entire family to get ready. So you wouldn’t have to rush around before the shoot, give yourself plenty of time to get your hair and makeup professionally done and to give the kids a bath. Remember that if you are rushed and frazzled prior to your shoot, it will certainly affect the quality of the photos you get at the end.

To make things easier for my clients, I always suggest that we do the shoot in their own homes. This will not just make the kids feel more relaxed, but will also save you from the need to prepare a lot of props and accessories. I suggest simply incorporating the activities you already have on hand in your home, like your favourite board game, your favourite ice cream, your kids’ favourite books, your cosiest blanket and so on. This will not only take a huge load off your shoulders, but will also make your family photos more meaningful for everyone.

Make it fun and spontaneous.

In their desire to get portrait-quality photos, I’ve experienced some mums to be very strict in the shoot, asking everyone to look at the camera at the same time and flash bright “cheese” smiles. But this does not have to be the case.

As an award-winning photographer who offers in family photography in Brisbane, I can assure you that more natural photos that show you and your family having genuine fun will always look better on your walls. The photographs my clients have adored the most are those that show members of a family interacting with each other – laughing, giggling, embracing, jumping, playing and snuggling. These photos show true emotion and bonding, and are much more favoured than overly posed portraits that look staged and unnatural.

Also, if you choose an experienced professional photographer, you can be sure your family’s most natural smiles will be captured. I make sure to be quick with my shutter so you won’t have to hold awkward “cheese smiles” during our shoot.

Get everyone in the photo.

Do you have a big family? If so, it will take some creativity to place all members of the family within the frame without making the photo look crowded and awkward. Talk to your photographer about this. In my experience, when taking photos of a large family, I make sure to come prepared with the necessary wide-angle lens.

Conclusion

It’s a wonderful experience to have a family photo taken of the entire family. Photo shoots often serve as great bonding moments for families, and the resulting photos give everyone great memoirs to treasure. Preparing for your family and choosing the right photographer will help you handle your family photography session like a pro.

If you are looking for an experienced photographer who specialises in family photography in Brisbane, look no further. Just contact me, Sarah Streets, and we’ll talk about how to make beautiful mementos for your family.

 

Natural Maternity Photography – Capture your belly beautifully with Sarah Streets Studios

By | Pregnancy Photography | No Comments

maternity photography brisbane

I wanted to share these beautiful pregnancy photographs of Laura & her husband Luka.To be honest, this post is a little overdue.. The bub that is in Laura’s tummy is named Aurelia and she has recently turned one! hehe! (Yes, blogging is one of those things I put on the back burner.. hehe!)

Laura is a very close friend of mine who is just the most beautiful girl inside and out so when she asked me if I would do a maternity photography session for her I could not wait! Most of these photographs were captured using the natural daylight although there a a couple of photos were I used my speedlite to create more drama in the lighting. I hope you love these photos as much as Laura and her family does.

 

Capturing your pregnancy is one of my most favourite things to do.. I love the pregnant body with all it’s curves, if you want your pregnancy documented and you want to look fabulous make sure you hire a professional photographer to capture this very special time, like me! I have been photographing pregnant women for 8 years now so I know the best angles and how to bring out the best in you to get gorgeous posed photographs as well as fun candid photos too! If you would like to book a maternity session in Brisbane please contact me now by heading to my contact page.. I look forward to chatting to you soon! xox

 

How to Choose A Brisbane Photographer for Your Wedding

By | "How To" - Information | No Comments

Your wedding is one of the most important and meaningful days of your life, so it goes without saying, that you will want gorgeous photographs to remember it by. Working as a Brisbane photographer, I meet a lot of couples who are getting married, and I’ve heard from them firsthand how hard it is to find the right wedding suppliers, including a photographer.

As an accredited professional photographer myself, I would like to share with you the right questions to ask when choosing a Brisbane photographer for your wedding.

Are you a professional photographer?

The rise of powerful digital cameras has led to a massive increase in the number of wedding photographers. Nowadays, even basic camera models are equipped with automatic functions that allow practically anyone who can “point and shoot” to produce great quality photos. Unfortunately, not all Brisbane photographers are professional photographers by trade. Many of them are hobbyists with full-time jobs and only shoot weddings during their free time or on weekends. Although you will undoubtedly find real talent among them, many have no formal training in photography, insufficient equipment and no insurance.Movie Fifty Shades Darker (2017)

Thus, ask follow-up questions like:

  • Do you have Professional Indemnity and Public Liability insurance?
  • Will I get a written contract? Your written contract should detail the exact price you are asked to pay and the inclusions of the package you are offered.

Simply put, a great-looking portfolio alone does not guarantee that you will get high-quality professional service on your big day. What you need is a professional Brisbane photographer who is passionate about and devoted to wedding photography, such as myself!

Do you specialise in the style of photography that I want?

I’m sure you are looking for more than photos that simply show what happened at your wedding. Wedding photography is more emotive than other types of photography. Weddings are celebrations of love, and in my professional opinion, the best wedding photos are the ones that really capture these lovely emotions during the big day.

To produce photos like that, professional Brisbane photographers don’t just “point and shoot” and leave the rest to their camera’s auto function and post-processing. To achieve the natural, documentary-style photos that are popular today, we photographers know what to look for, where to find them, and the best moment to press the shutter button. It is also important that your chosen Brisbane photographer knows just how important your wedding really is. This way, they’ll do their best to give you the photos you want.

Can I see whole samples of your wedding photos? Do you have an office or studio where we can meet?

When looking through a photographer’s portfolio, ask to see photos of the entire wedding day, not just snippets. It is natural for photographers to show their prospective clients only their best shots. This is why it is also important to meet the photographer in person, preferably in a real physical office or studio where they have complete wedding samples on hand.

Are you a member of a professional organisation?

If you’re looking for Brisbane photographers, you’ll want someone who is recognised by the Australian Institute of Professional Photography or the AIPP, the membership organisation of choice for professional photographers all over Australia.

The AIPP can help you find the best Brisbane photographer for your wedding in two ways. First, the organisation has set accreditation standards that photographers have to meet. These standards ensure that photographers offering professional services are technically capable of delivering what they promise and have the legal business requirements, appropriate insurance coverage and an adherence to a Code of Professional Practice. So if you want a real professional, just look for the AIPP logo on the photographer’s website or ask them if they are an accredited member.

Second, the AIPP gives out National and State awards to photographers for their outstanding work. I myself have received several awards, which are listed on my website.

How long have you been a wedding photographer? How many weddings have you shot?

Speaking from the perspective of a professional Brisbane photographer, I can assure you that nothing takes the place of real, actual experience. The experience I obtained since I began my profession as a photographer almost 8 years ago is invaluable to me. It’s all those years and all those weddings I’ve had the honor of shooting that has trained me in dealing with all kinds of unexpected situations that arise on the big day.

So in all the weddings I shoot, I make sure that unexpected problems, such as bad weather or poor lighting, do not affect the quality of the photos I deliver. This is why, even though I love making the most out of Brisbane’s natural light, experience has taught me to always have backup equipment on hand.

How many photographers will be there on the day itself? Are you one of them? Do you have backup photographers in case you fall ill? What will you wear during our wedding?

These may seem like minor details but they make a big difference during your wedding. It’s best to have at least two photographers onsite so they can capture different moments and different angles of the wedding. Make sure the photographer that you meet with will be present, and not just some a photographer on staff or a representative. Lastly, wedding photographers should be dressed in smart casual attire and should be clean and professional-looking.

Conclusion

Your wedding is a once in a lifetime event. If your photographer fails to deliver the goods, you won’t get a second chance to do the day over. Consider asking the questions that I have outlined above to ensure your precious lifetime mementos are perfect, right down to the last shot.

 

If you’re seeking a professional Brisbane photographer who specialises in weddings – and can give you lasting keepsakes that you can hang on your wall and look back on for all the years to come – call me, Sarah Streets, and we’ll schedule a meeting together!