Take perfect pictures

We are really excited today to partner with local photographer Adair Freeman, owner of Pete and Zoe Photography. We asked her to put together five top places to capture that perfect family photo along with five great tips when taking these photos.  We asked her to keep it short and sweet as we know life is starting to churn quickly again….

So, for all those out there still needing to snap that elusive holiday card picture….  here are some pointers.  Of course, you could also email Adair at [email protected] and put a professional behind the lens, for guaranteed success!

Adair:

Sometimes the best locations for photographing are right under your nose. Here are my top five spots you may have overlooked:

• A blank wall in your house: slide some furniture over and carve out a space for a clean, simple background. Hardwood floors make this an especially great option.
• Your front porch:  if it’s covered, your porch will often have great light throughout the day.
• The master bath: no kidding!  Sometimes the bathroom has the best light and is great for photographing babies.
• River Park in Brentwood: there’s a great little bridge over a creek that’s especially nice for larger families.
• Shelby Bottoms: back along the trails the tall grasses and foliage make interesting foregrounds/backgrounds.

A blank wall and wood floors work well for a picture.

Five Tips for Making Great Photographs:

• Less is more! Let the focus be on your children, not their environment. Think back to the “blank wall in your house” idea above.
• The best time of day to shoot with natural light (which is what I always use when shooting kids) is early, early in the morning or late in the day.
• Keep it simple. You may have found the PERFECT location, but if it’s 45 minutes away and you only have a 30 minute window between your toddler’s ballet class and your newborn’s afternoon nap to get there, change clothes, and shoot… Stress City! Stressed families do not make for strong portraits, no matter how gorgeous the location. Consider your front porch instead.
• If you’re shooting in a park, consider photographing during the week when it’s less crowded to avoid random people in your background. Also, crowds are often distracting to young kids.
• Avoid wearing solid blacks or bright whites. Solid colors are always a safe bet, but if you are going to do patterns, stay away from big, bold prints that will distract from your child’s beautiful face.

The less is more concept. This picture is all child and it's stunning!

Early morning and late afternoon sun provides nice light.

To see more of Adair’s work, check her out at: www.peteandzoephotography.com.  Just who are Pete and Zoe?  They are her dogs, of course!

Be sure to check out THIS WEEK to see all of the FABULOUS things going on around town in Nashville!  There’s tons.  AND, we just added a fabulous $650 cross pendant necklace, designed by Nashville gal Robin Haley, and sponsored by one of our fabulous sponsors this month – Anatra Jewel. Our sponsors (who we thank from the bottom of our hearts) all have 20% off deals going on, so TAKE ADVANTAGE!!!  Anne Cowden Portraits, Anatra Jewel, Santa’s Trees and the sister companies of The Cosmetic Market, Therapy Systems and Private Edition. See THIS WEEK for more details.

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