BEAUTY + THE RIGHT LIGHT | {high key} portraits

When I heard Leah was leaving for Tennessee in a few weeks, I knew I had to get her in the studio for another photo shoot. We had planned to do some high fashion images outdoors using really cool lighting, but with all the snow we've had lately, it just wasn't possible.

For our second photo shoot - hopefully not our last - I wanted to experiment with High Key Lighting. You often see this style of lighting in fashion and product photography. However, its quickly becoming a trend in newborn and child photography.

High Key Lighting produces relatively shadowless images with a “blown out" white background. One of the goals when using this technique, is to make sure you separate your subject from your white backdrop. All too often, you'll see an image taken against a white backdrop and areas of the subject are overexposed, therefore disappearing into the background.

Here are a few images from my first attempt at High Key Lighting with the beautiful "American Girl" Leah.

I guess its the white background, but looking at these images reminded me of GAP commercials.

This last image was my first attempt at using a gel to change the color of my backdrop. Pretty cool huh? I think the image has an 80s feel to it.

Check back in a couple days for more images from our photo shoot and a farewell to the best model ever!

BABY BELLY NUMBER ONE | {maternity} session

Throughout our lives we experience many emotions. Love, Joy, Excitement and Fear. A couple expecting their first child - and more so a pregnant women - will experience all of these emotions and more during a nine-month short period.

I first met Melanie and Quinton when I photographed their wedding in October 2006. Through mutual friends, Tom and I have gotten to know Melanie and Quinton on a personal level. There exists now, one very large circle of friends. To say its amazing to have once photographed their wedding and now photograph and witness their pregnancy, would be an understatement. Life is funny like that.

The past few years have been very exciting for our circle. Weddings, engagements :) and now babies. It was exciting to learn Melanie and Quinton were expecting. Then a week or two later, we learned our other friends, Dave and Krista were also expecting. Two babies, just weeks apart. Very exciting stuff. Dave and Krista are expecting a girl on April Fools Day and Baby Hewlett's sex is still a mystery. Although, there is much speculation its a boy. Perhaps soon, a prince and princess will join the circle. Just sayin'

Not only do we get to watch our friends embark on this amazing journey, they trust me to photograph each moment. I feel very lucky. I may not be a mom yet or pregnant (lets just clarify that one), but I too am full of joy and excitement for my friends. Its a very exciting time and I'm so happy to share in the experience.

So, let's get to the photos. Here are a few from Melanie and Quinton's maternity session on January 22nd. Doesn't Melanie look fabulous?! ... Don't worry Quinton, you look good too :)