We did this cake smash at the BEACH! Who doesn't want to have some family pictures taken then eat cake on the beach? But, seriously! it is actually a great place to do a cake smash. You just need to bring a blanket, cake, and a hungry one-year-old.
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Lighting is one of the biggest things I take into consideration when I shoot a home since I use all natural light. Be prepared to open ALL of your curtains and blinds so we can take advantage of whatever light your home naturally gets. But don’t stress over the perfect lighting, I’ll always do my best to find a space that will work for the shoot. Although the main rooms I prefer to shoot in are the master bedroom, living room or nursery, I won’t hesitate to take some shots in another room that has amazing light coming in.
Don’t feel like you have to stress yourself out cleaning your house from top to bottom before an in-home shoot. Dust won’t show in the background and neither will dirt. Plus, I know new parents are usually tired and the thought of having to clean the house can be too much. The focus of the images is going to be parents and baby, so it’s not a problem if it has been a while since dusting has happened. The important thing is capturing these memories of your baby and your home exactly as it is right now.
That being said, a good place to spend your time prepping your home is clearing visible clutter from surfaces. On their blog, the professional designers at Havenly suggest using closed storage containers to hide knick knacks and power cords, which is a great idea. The last thing you want to notice in your photos is a tangle of phone chargers on your coffee table. Clearing unnecessary clutter will let the aesthetic of your home really shine through in photos
New parents have usually spent a lot of time preparing the nursery for their little one, making it an excellent location for photos. In the past I have incorporated shots of meaningful wall art or cute mobiles when shooting in a nursery. Baby furniture such as chairs, cribs and changing tables are usually my go-to’s for featuring in photos so focus on those pieces when you’re styling your room for photos. If needed, you can easily change the ambiance of a chair by draping a blanket over it, so keep in mind that we’re always able to play around with the look of things.
As you can see, there’s no reason to stress out over an upcoming in-home shoot. Shooting photos in your home is a great opportunity to preserve the details of their childhood home for your children to look back on. If you’re ready to book your own in-home session don’t hesitate to contact me!
patty
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The best thing about an in-home Newborn session is that you do not have to leave the house. Your child will get to see where you lived when you brought him or her home from the hospital or where you had him if you have a home birth. It is a beautiful way to freeze time for them to see just how wanted and loved he was (and is!)
CONTACT ME to book your in-home newborn session
If you think you HAVE to come to a studio to do your newborn pictures in Tampa, you are wrong!
I offer in-home lifestyle newborn sessions. You do not need to have a spotless house for it either.
Here is the C family's newborn session in their home.
I love when I south Tampa families pick me to capture their families portraits, and it is especially special when those families are here on vacation visiting relatives and choose me more than once for family pictures!!
Julie was here a few years ago and had me take pictures of her and her twin boys so when she came again last month she shot me a message asking to do it again. It is so fun seeing these boys again and seeing how they have grown. This time dad was available to join the fun.
You can see her last session HERE.
And here is what we got this time:
CONTACT me to talk about your family session.
HOLIDAY MINI SESSIONS
Time to update your family portraits and get pictures for your holiday cards!!!
I love doing family and child or baby mini sessions in and around the Tampa Bay area. 30 minutes is the perfect amount of time to capture the connection of your beautiful family.
Let's get your session scheduled as soon as possible so you get your choice of location.
This year I am offering a discount for studio sessions. (see below)
option #1 $275 for 3 (full size) images from your session
option#2 $350 for 5 (full size) images from your session
option #3 $400 for 10 (full size) images from your mini session
option #4 $700 for all (full size) images from your mini session
(20+ images)
- all sessions will be 30 minutes long (unless more than 5 people)
- 5 people or less (additional cost and time for additional people)
- The sessions will take place in South Tampa (travel fee of $50 for travel outside of South Tampa)
- Mini session slots are limited and need to be done before December 10 for delivery before Christmas
- On-location sessions will be at sunrise or sunset only
- Cannot be combined with any other offers
- Cannot be a newborn session
- Studio can be used and session will be discounted $75
- Studio times are more flexible.
- Family pet as always is welcome!
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Let's get you on the schedule! CONTACT ME
]]>When was the last time you felt sexy? Beautiful? When was the last time you did something JUST FOR YOU? If you live in the Tampa area and want to feel sexy, feel like a goddess then lets talk about a boudoir session.
Amy is a scientist and in her everyday life, wearing a lab-coat and working in a male dominated industry.
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Q. Name?
A. Amy Ashley
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Q. What is your occupation?
A. Laboratory Analyst
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Q. Why did you do a boudoir session?
A. I did a boudoir session because it intrigued me. I had friends who had done it and they all said it was an amazing experience. I had recently started working out more at the gym and had started feeling great about my body. I know that most people do boudoir shoots as a gift for their significant other but I did it for myself.
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Q. Did you enjoy the experience?
A. The experience was wonderful! I felt so confident and sexy!
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Q. What was your favorite part?
A. I've never been able to do my own makeup very well so getting all dolled up with hair and makeup was definitely my favorite part!
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Q. What would you say to someone who wants to do it but is scared?
A. I would say that as cliche as it sounds, you only live once. Doing a boudoir session is a unique experience that can help you regain confidence in yourself and help you to realize your true beauty.
What are you waiting for???
CONTACT ME to get started.
Patricia Cannon is the owner and artist of Sweet Plum Photography. She has been empowering women through her photography since 2011.
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Angela is my primary hair and makeup artist. She is the first person you will hang out with when you book your boudoir session with Sweet Plum Photography. She is about as sweetest person I have ever met and she makes everyone feel at ease while she makes them look amazing for their shoot. When she asked me about doing her own session I was thrilled. She, of course, styled her own hair and makeup :)
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Jenny wanted more of an intimate setting for her maternity so we decided to do her session in my Tampa Studio. She brought her children as well so we could get some family style images as well.
Q. Name?
A. Jennifer Felderman
Q. What is your occupation?
A. Sexual Health Advocate
Q. Why did you do a boudoir session?
A. I had just had a baby, and wanted to feel sexy and more like myself. When you're a boob all day and night, it's hard to remember that there's a fun, attractive woman inside there somewhere. I sell lingerie, but I didn't realize the important of lingerie until my session. That sounds silly, but is true.
Q. Did you enjoy the experience?
A. I loved it and can't wait to do it again.
Q. What was your favorite part?
A. Makeup and hair and stretching into different poses. I felt like a fun model.
Q. What would you say to someone who wants to do it but is scared?
A. I would say to go for it ! Angles make everything is so flattering. Everyone looks incredible when behind Patty's camera.
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Q. Name?
A. Karina M. Plemmons
Q. What is your occupation?
A. Embroidery Artist
Q. Why did you do a boudoir session?
A. Not to say I think I'm unattractive, I just haven't really ever thought of myself as sexy. I'm married, a mother in her 30s, so if anything over the last few years that side of me was even more non-existent if you can believe it! Someday when my hair has gone completely grey, and my skin is wrinkled and papery thin, I'm going to look back at these photos and remember this season of my life.
Q. Did you enjoy the experience?
A. It was such a fun and empowering experience. I honestly feel like it helped me find a confidence I didn't even know I had.
Q. What was your favorite part?
A. It was such a relaxed comfortable atmosphere, everything about it was great! Having hair and makeup professionally styled was super fun too.
Q. What would you say to someone who wants to do it but is scared?
A. DO IT! Do it even if no one ever sees the photos but you and Patricia. Do it for yourself. Do it to remind you or maybe even to show yourself for the first time this whole other side of you.
This was Brittany's second boudoir session with me. I cannot express how rewarding it is to be trusted to take these pictures for woman. As woman we are expected to be so many things and so often we are expected to be sexy, but not too sexy. We are objectified. We are way more then just objects and we need to own all the things... It is so satisfying to see woman own their sexuality and make it theirs. Brittany could honestly be my muse. She just exudes confidence and loves her body. Im sure many would kill to have her body, but she too sees things wrong with it. How sad is that? She is perfect and all women's bodies are.
Are you ready to book your own empowering boudoir session? Contact me HERE.
Join my private boudoir group HERE
Subscribe to my email list HERE to get info first of specials I run for boudoir and family sessions.
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Michelle contacted me a few weeks ago and said she needed some images of her daughter before she turned 10.TEN!!! I bet you a million dollars she feels like Brooke was a toddler just yesterday. How old is/are your child(ren)? Doesn't it feel like just yesterday they were tiny? I miss my sweet babies so much. Time goes so fast once you have children and they change so freaking quickly. It is so important to capture the way your family looks RIGHT NOW. Because right now will be a distant memory so quickly and you will forget things.... we all do. So, when she called I told her I was doing motherhood sessions. She was concerned that dad would not be in any and I of course said he could be!
Here is a sample of what we got in my natural light studio in Tampa.
Mommy & Me Portraits 2017
Love and connection is where it's at in these sessions. Join me in my studio with your little human and snuggle in. Let me capture how much you love them and how much they love you.
Sessions must be booked in April or May.
30 minute session
150 for 3 images
250 for 5 images
300 for 10 images
Session is for 4 people or less can only be Mom and her children, grandma and daughter and grandchildren or grandma and grandchildren. You can book more then 4 people, but an additional slot will have to be purchased.
CONTACT ME TO BOOK YOUR SESSION
Kellie and her wife are expecting their first baby and he is already so loved!! As a Tampa photographer it is such a pleasure to capture these beautiful life events. It is an honor and a pleasure. You can see how much love they have for each other and how excited they are for this new chapter in their lives. I even took video at their session so they have that too as a keepsake to show baby A when he is older and he will see how excited his moms were to be expecting him!
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Q. What is your occupation?
A. Stay at home mama
Q. Why did you do a boudoir session?
A. To celebrate loving the woman I am and the body I have right now without waiting for the "right time". Also to surprise my husband with a sexy gift :)
Q. Did you enjoy the experience?
A. I did! Patty was super sweet and laid back and made the experience comfortable.
Q. What was your favorite part?
A. Getting my hair and makeup done and seeing the final results!
Q. What would you say to someone who wants to do it but is scared?
A. Do it, right now. Even if you don't feel confident, fake it til you make it! You may be surprised by the results!
Would you like more information on a boudoir session? Contact me.
]]>Have you heard of a fresh 48 session? It is a session that happens within 48 hours of babies birth. It can happen at the hospital, at your home or birth center. Where ever you give birth, that is where it happens. It is real, beautiful and baby is fresh. If you dont think you want a birth photographer but want those first few hours captured a fresh session is for you.
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I have a new addiction and my family only has so much patience for my shenanigans. I have learned a new skill of film making and I am genuinely enjoying it. I want to add it as an add on service to my portrait sessions and offer it as a stand alone product as well.
I love so much about video. I love that I can capture little things that I cannot capture in a still photo. Little movements that will change as your child ages. Their voice!! Laughter and sweet hugs. So much richness and memories that can fade as we all age.
For a limited time I am offering my lifestyle family shoots (2 hour shoot with a 2-3 minute video) for $250
Video will come with a digital copy
Session will take place in your home or on location
Your house does not need to be spotless. This is about your life and about you and your children interacting with each other. It will not be about how clean your house it. You're not going to care about any of that 20 yrs from now.
Here are a few of my own lifestyle videos of my own family
To book your family video session contact me here.
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For the last few weeks I have been taking an on line course to learn a little about everyday films. I really enjoyed the course and wanted to share my final project with you.
Im not sure how/if I will be doing these for clients in the future, but I just might. At this point I WILL be shooting some video during your session and if I get enough to make a video I will and I will play it for you at your reveal session. <3 <3
Here is my final project and a little look into my life :)
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A. Kelly Freire
Q. What is your occupation?
A. Stay at home mommy
Q. Why did you do a boudoir session?
A. I wanted to give my husband an album for our five year wedding anniversary. It's not often I get to feel sexy with 3 kids at home. I also wanted to remind myself that I can still be sexy, even after 3 kids and not a lot sleep.
Q. Did you enjoy the experience?
A. I truly loved my shoot!! It was so incredibly empowering. I left feeling like a brand new woman.
Q. What was your favorite part?
A. My favorite part about the boudoir shoot was how it made my feel about myself. My confidence was boosted and I was reminded that I am more than just a mother and a wife. I am gorgeous. I am sexy. I am more than I give myself credit for.
Q. What would you say to someone who wants to do it but is scared?
A. Do it. You won't regret it. Don't be afraid. Patty is amazing and will guide you through the shoot with such a fun and laid back ease.
For more information on boudoir photography CONTACT ME HERE
]]>so why would someone share their boudoir images with the world? Because they are proud of them and want other women to experience the power of embracing their body.
Q. Name?
A. Taylor Bland
Q. What is your occupation?
A. Mother/Student
Q. Why did you do a boudoir session?
A. I wanted to do a boudoir session for myself after going through a negative period in my life. I wanted to feel empowered and beautiful again and have pictures that help me love myself so I could move forward!
Q. Did you enjoy the experience?
A. Yes I loved it! I would do it all over again.
Q. What was your favorite part?
A. My favorite part was getting dolled up by a professional doing my hair and makeup. I felt like a true model!
Q. What would you say to someone who wants to do it but is scared?
A. There is NOTHING to be afraid of! Your body is beautiful no matter what size or shape. I have had a child. My body is far from perfect. But that's what makes you YOU. It will help boost your self esteem so much and Patty makes everything extremely comfortable and fun!
Let me show you how amazing you are!! Contact me for a free consultation for your boudoir session.
]]>It is always flattering to be hired by another photographer to capture their special moments. Tina and her family were here vacationing. She is the talented owner of Tina Bobnick Photography . Her family was fun and loving and it was my pleasure to capture them over the holidays.
Have you had your family's portraits taken recently? Let's chat!!
]]>For the first time, this year, I offered Christmas PJ Mini sessions in my studio. To say it was fun would be an understatement! It was a blast and I will definitely be offering it again next year.
For more information of booking with Sweet Plum Photography CLICK HERE
]]>While I was there I learned that she had lost her father while pregnant so she had not done maternity or newborn portraits.
We had such a good time. Charlotte is a doll, the cows are adorable, and the dogs make my heart happy.
Here is a video with both video and stills of my time with this sweet family.
]]>I am really excited to offer Pajama Mini Sessions this year!! So grab your children bring some cute PJs and come to the studio for a lot of fun!! But hurry, I have limited spots for these sessions. I will have two dates with limited spots open. One during the week and one on the weekend. I will update this blog as times get taken. Payment must be made to hold your spot within 24 hours or your spot will be released.
$175 (in studio)
30 min session
5 digital images from the session
($300 for all images from the session)
CONTACT ME to reserve your spot now.
]]>What a wonderful family these twins were born into! Mom and Dad brought these sweet little bundles of joy to my studio for their first photography session. With little fingers, toes, and sweet smiles, these two just stole my heart! They grow up so quick, which is why it is such a joy to help their parents remember these moments in time.
If you are interested in scheduling your newborn session, please contact me
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HOLIDAY MINI SESSIONS
Time to update your family portraits and get pictures for your holiday cards!!!
I love doing family and child or baby mini sessions in and around the Tampa Bay area. 30 minutes is the perfect amount of time to capture the connection of your beautiful family.
Lets get your session scheduled as soon as possible so you get your choice of location.
This year I am offering a discount for studio sessions. (see below)
option #1 $275 for 5 (full size) images from your session
option#2 $350 for 10 (full size) images from your session
option #3 $475 for all (full size) images from your mini session
(20+ images)
- all sessions will be 30 minutes long (unless more then 5 people)
- The sessions will take place in South Tampa (travel fee of $50 for travel outside of South Tampa)
- On location sessions and session locations are limited due to mini sessions being scheduled back to back
- On location sessions will be at sunrise or sunset only
- Cannot be combined with any other offers
- Must be scheduled for October or November 2015
- Cannot be a newborn session
- Studio can be used and session will be discounted $75
- Studio times are more flexible.
- 5 people or less (additional cost and time for additional people)
- Family pet as always is welcome!
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This family was gracious enough to invite me into their home to capture these moments with their new baby. The grandparents were also present to celebrate three generations of the family together! What a wonderful opportunity to celebrate new beginnings and the joy that comes from these memories that they can look back on for years to come. It is always such a pleasure to meet so many wonderful people that touch my life as I am having the opportunity to share these important moments with them.
To book your newborn session click HERE
]]>It was such a pleasure to meet this family on holiday from Switzerland! We shot this session at Picnic Island, in the South Tampa area. What a wonderful group of people that were willing to endure the Florida heat and extreme bug population to capture this moment together! Their lovely girls are 15 and 18 now, so it was the perfect time to be together as a family before they are all grown up and going out on their own. What a great opportunity for anyone who is going on vacation or while you are on vacation and want to make this a part of your time with the ones you love. If you are looking to schedule a session with your family, remember that it is better to wait until after your pictures are taken to get that first sunburn of the season!
The best part of my job as a Tampa Newborn Photographer is getting to snuggle squishy newborns.
Cora was such a sweet little baby. 18 inches of adorable newborn. You can see how much mom, dad and big brother love her.
Olivia and Drew are expecting their first baby. I can't wait to meet him.
We did their beach maternity session at sunrise.
To Book your maternity session CONTACT ME
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I met this wonderful family while I was on a vacation with my family at St. Pete Beach. Mark and Lisa had just recently moved to the area and wanted to celebrate their new location with their extended family. They were such a great couple, that were kind enough to spend time with my family and introduce me to theirs. What a fun day that we had getting to know each other and enjoying this shoot on Redington Beach.
To Schedule your beach family session CLICK HERE
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Olivia Jade showed up at my studio and I could not get over the amount of hair this beautiful little girl had. Newborns are so fun to photograph and she was no exception. She slept like a champ and you can see just how in love mom and dad are with her.
To book your newborn session Contact Me!!
]]>You might remember this sweet family from their beach maternity session at Redington Pier. They were equally as sweet at their newborn session in my studio in South Tampa. Big sister did amazing despite being 3 yrs old. Little brother was as adorable as could be, of course.
To schedule your newborn session Contact Me.
]]>Ann was looking for someone to capture her family while on vacation in St Pete. Going on vacation is such a fun time and a great time to update your family pictures. She also wanted to get some pictures of Kennedy who just turned one!
You want to remember your vacations and I know Ann will remember this one for sure and so will I. This being the time the 3 yr old got naked and danced on the beach. So so so fun!!!
They could not be cuter! I had so much fun with them. It is always extremely flattering and a little nerve wracking when another photographer hires you. But, when I saw how cute they were I got over it pretty quick.
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*A lives in South Tampa and her boys were very excited for their little sister to come home.
It was so much fun capturing Daisi's maternity images for her and her expanding family. She really wanted to go to Fred Howard Park for her pictures. She LOVED some of my images from there. You can just see how excited they are to welcome this little one in a few weeks.
Julie contacted me because she was going to be in town and wanted mommy and me pictures with her twin boys. I have a soft spot for twins, having a set of my own!
She wanted some greenery and a beach. OH! and the chair!! She wanted me to bring my chair. I knew exactly where to take her. We met at Picnic Island Park at sunset and she and her boys could not have been cuter.
Let's face it, curves are sexy! I love flattering a women's curves when shooting her. Confidence and Curves are about the sexiest things in my mind. My number one goal when I photograph you is to show you just how sexy you are.
Why did you do a boudoir session?
In the past two years I have been through so much personal growth. I used to hate my body. Always thought I was too thick. Too curvy. Fat and unattractive. I was unhappy with myself and it reflected into my personal relationships. I began to really look at myself, physically and emotionally. I started working out and finding things that I enjoy doing. I lost about 35 lbs. I began loving and embracing my curves. Although, I've gained about 10 of those pounds back, I don't care to the point where I'm generally happy and proud of my body. Thankful that I was strong and able to grow 3 beautiful babies in and out of my womb. That my body allows me to do a job I love, that helps others feel better about their bodies. I want to do this for myself. That way I can have photographs to look back on and say, "Damn, you are hot, gorgeous, beautiful and strong."
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If you know me at all, you know how much I love women... In every aspect of my photography I want to empower women. My favorite thing about boudoir photography is the way women feel during and after it. GODDESS that is the best description I can give to the feeling they feel.
Hair and make-up is the first thing we do when you get to the studio, then we go through your outfits that you brought. We put them in order of importance to make sure we photograph all your favorites first. Then we look at my closet of outfits and decide if we want to use any of those. If so we put those into the rotation. Then we start shooting and I show you the back of my camera a few times so you can see what I am seeing.
EVERY WOMAN is beautiful in her own way. EVERY SINGLE ONE. My goal is to show you just how beautiful you are. I dont photoshop you so that you look like someone else, because I dont need to. Using light, angles and your natural beauty, we work together to get pictures that you will love!!
I love a family shoot. It's like showing up to someone else's holiday family dinner. There's some bickering, and sometimes family members get frustrated with each other. Or there's a child who doesn't want to "play along" and is tired or cranky. But at the end of the day, there's a lot of love and patience. There's laughter and a sense of togetherness. And at the end of the shoot there's also pictures and memories created that will be cherished for a lifetime. I get an overwhelming sense of accomplishment knowing that I helped them create that.
Recently I had the pleasure of shooting something a little different from my normal routines of maternity, birth, newborn, family, and boudoir. I was enlisted by a lovely woman we'll call B* to ask her partner A* to marry her. Now, this was a surprise engagement and as I do not have (much) experience secretly photographing people from behind the bushes, it was a little more challenging than usual. But it was a challenge that I was up for! Well A* said yes to B* and I was eventually invited out from behind the bushes to get some closer shots! I love trying new things and am always up for something different!
People often ask me what to wear to a photo shoot so I created a list of 5 simple tips to help us both make sure your photos are styled to your liking.
1. Pick out clothing for the pickiest person first.
We all have that one person in the family, you know who I am talking about. The one who is hardest to dress and has a lot of opinions on what is acceptable for them to wear. Dressing this person first gets the tough part out of the way and allows you to coordinate colors to their outfit; however vibrant it may be (which brings me to tips number two and three).
2. One bold pattern per 3 people is a good rule of thumb.
This helps eliminate the possibility of your family photos appearing as though you all just arrived from a Jimmy Buffett concert. Although color is a good thing, we don't want your pictures to be too busy.
3. Neons are not your friend.
Reflectives should only be worn for safety, not for portraits. We want your faces and emotions to be the star of the photos, not your clothing.
4. After everything is chosen, lay the outfits out together.
Putting everyones' clothes on the bed (maybe even snapping a picture of them and sending it to me) will allow us to see if everything visually coordinates.
5. Feel free to ask me my opinions.
I welcome you to text/email me pictures of clothing or questions. Since I am familiar with lighting, placement, etc, I know typically what works. That is why you hired me! I'd much rather answer questions before a shoot than have you displeased with photos later. Also, please feel free to browse my gallery for styles that you like.
HERE IS MY PINTEREST BOARD for color ideas.
HERE IS MY PINTEREST BOARD for maternity clothes ideas.
I present you with DUCK CELEBRATION
Watching a child pick and give a flower to his mom, or doing his silly little dance, the way that your husband was looking at you, these are the important things that we want to look back on. These are the little gems that sometimes escape from our memory as we age. These are the moments I want as art hanging above your bed or fireplace, maybe in your living room, or dining room, or hallway. Ones that catch your eye every now and again and your heart swells and you remember... Sure, I can shoot everyone looking at the camera smiling, posing, but that's not real. What I want for you is to encapsulate those unique moments, the real moments that you don't want to forget. The ones that are so real, we sometimes don't even realize when they're happening.
This was such an amazing year for me professionally, and you guys truly made me laugh and occasionally cry. With deepest joy and gratitude I present to you some of my favorites from my 2015 sessions. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for making this such a fabulous year!!! Enjoy!
I realize what an honor it is to be chosen to capture your memories of once-in-a-life-time events. I can't tell you how amazing it is to be chosen by the same family multiple times. It's so rewarding to see you through the different family stages; maternity, birth, family, and (hopefully!) repeat. I appreciate each and every one of my clients, and love to know that my feelings are reciprocated!
Newborn and Big Sister Photos
Daddy Daughter Portraits
Little Sister's Portraits
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I love capturing natural moments between you and your family that you can cherish for a lifetime. There's just a few things I ask of you to help ensure that we get the best possible sleepy baby photos. Please try to incorporate that short list of "To Do" items to make sure baby is happy and sleepy so we can get some wonderful, peaceful baby shots. This makes things easier on you, me, and most importantly that wonderful little person of yours!
This months theme is "My happy place"
Mine would have to be spending time with my family. Thanksgiving and Christmas are amazing for just that. Last week we celebrated Thanksgiving with family and then came home and put up the Christmas tree. I have been so busy over the last month that I really needed that family time to recharge. The other thing that makes putting up the tree in our house so special is we were out of our house for 2 months (aug and sept) due to a flood. So my house, family, and the holidays are for sure my happy place.
Here is "my happy place"
Head over to Kristie Serra's blog to see her happy place post.
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Head over to Tiffany's blog. She is another Tampa Photographer.
I adore maternity sessions. Might be my favorite type of session. I bet it is cause I loved being pregnant. It was the one time I felt comfortable in my own skin. I could have a belly and I LOVED my belly. I find pregnant women perfect in every way. I want to make your maternity session as beautiful as you are so I buy dresses for my clients to use during their sessions. Im always trying to describe them to clients and sending them "searching" on my website to see the dresses in use. I figured having one post with them all on here would make it easier for me AND them. Here are my dresses...so far... I buy a new one to add to my collection every few months.
Cream Lace
White Lace
White Open-Front
Pink Open Front
Oyster Infinity
Pink Infinity
Gold Open Infinity
Dark Grey
Floral Kimono
Green Close Front
If you would like to meet before your session for a style consultation let me know!!
xoxo,
patty
]]>Lately I have been doing most of my newborn sessions in my studio in Tampa Heights, and I love it because I feel my work is better and more consistent. I love the light and all my stuff is there so I encourage my clients to do their newborn sessions there instead of in their home. I still offer in-home newborn. It is a good option for some still. If you have good light in your home you might want to consider paying a little extra to have me come to you.
The day you met your baby? Yep, that to me will always be the most nostalgic of days.
Head over to Tampa Birth Photographer - Ashley Yvonne Photography to see her interpretation of this months topic.
It's that time!! It may be so hot you feel like your melting, but the holidays are just around the corner so lets update the family photos for the grandparents!
Here is the deal guys:
option #1 $250 for 5 images from your session
option#2 $300 for 10 images from your session
option #3 $400 for all from your mini session
(20+ images)
~all sessions will be 30 minutes long
~all session will take place in a location in or close to South Tampa (Travel fee can be arranged if you HAVE to go somewhere else)
~Cannot be combines with any other offers
~Must be scheduled for October or November 2015
~Cannot be a newborn or maternity session
~5 people or less (additional cost and time for addition people)
~Studio can also be used
~Family pet is welcome!
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This is his six month session. We did it at my studio and he is about the cutest thing...
When I think of shadows I think of black and white. Shadow and light are so important for black and whites.
Head over to Kristie Serra's blog to see her interpretation of shadows.
A few months back I took a film walk with some fellow photographers. I had not touched a film camera since I was 9 yrs old and to get my hands on a film camera and playing with it....it was the funnest day. So then I send my film in and then it was the wait.... the long long wait to get my scans back. Then the email come and I get my scans. Instant love. I had forgotten how rich film is. I went out and bought my self a film camera.
I went to the store near me that I had heard had film. I get there and all they have is black and white. I was disappointed. Of course I bought it anyway and used it on some random pictures of my kids and took a maternity session. Then I got my scans back....holy cow! I love black and white in film too.
Now I have a slight addiction to film and try to bring my film camera to most of my shoots. Here is the last session I had with it. This roll of film I grabbed at CVS!!! Still love it! Not even sure what kind of film it was....
Do you live in the Tampa Bay Area? Yeah, me too.
Have you noticed how hot it is outside? Yeah, me too!
If you want to capture the amazing thing that is happening inside your beautiful belly, but the thought of sweating is making you opt to just stay inside? Yeah, I have an alternative for you!! Come hang out with me in my lovely studio!! I love it in there and all the clients I have had in there love it too!!! So let capture that beautiful belly and stay cool in the process!! CONTACT ME to book!!
This months topic is "laughter" and nothing to me is better then when a whole family laughs together. I love when my kids, my wife and I all laugh at something. It's the absolute best. My one goal when photographing families is to get a family laughter shot. Every family session, ONE FAMILY LAUGHTER SHOT. Yep, if I get nothing else that's the winner. I love it.
Now head over to Tiffany Walensky's blog to see her laughter blog post.
When Ali told me she and her husband wanted to include their VW Westfalia in their maternity session I was like, SIGN ME UP! Nothing makes me happier then bringing something unique and personal into your sessions. How cool will it be for Nora to look back at these pictures and see how excited her parents were for her arrival!?!
Are you thinking of booking a session? Lets do it! If you feel like you want to add something special into your session, but are hitting a road block (punny!) lets talk!! I bet we can find SOMETHING to do or bring that will make your session all about YOU! Just click HERE to get started.
Here are the highlights from this adorable maternity session:
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I breastfed my twins till they were 3 and a half. I never thought that was a thing till I was in it. What I found was that breastfeeding was way more then just about the milk. As we entered the toddler stage the girls started having typical toddler meltdowns and until you have a toddler you think these meltdowns are controllable (at least I did). Well, I am here to tell you they are not. Wires get crossed and the child has no control over what they are doing (most of the time). This is where breastfeeding a toddler came about for me. I discovered that the minute my crazy, crying, uncontrollably insane child would put mouth to breast she would calm. And when I say calm I mean look like she just had a yoga class followed by an hour of meditation. She would suddenly be grounded again. So for my image this month I picked one from the breastfeeding session I did with one of my forever clients. She wanted to commemorate her breastfeeding time with a session because she is about to go on some medication that she cannot breastfeed with.
Now head over to Melissa Korta's blog to see her Grounded post.
My studio is located in a old house in Tampa Heights. I love the light I get in there so much. It is magical. Brycen and his brother (and parents!) came to my studio for their newborn/family session a few weeks ago. Big brother was not that into the session, but we managed to get some great ones with him and his little brother. I love sibling shots, but they can be really hard to get when the older sibling is not THAT much older. It takes a lot patience and time and sometimes bribing.
I get so excited when clients want to capture maternity, birth and newborn. Taylor and I had so much fun at Fred Howard Park for her maternity session. She is lovely and so much fun to be around. She wanted to wear one of my maternity gowns. I have a slight addiction to these gowns. I have like 6 of them now. I just can't help it. She picked the off white one and she brought a few outfits too.
When the whole family gets together it is so very important to get pictures done. I love doing extended family sessions and we all know how much I love shooting at the beach, so.... I of course enjoy the heck out of extended family sessions on the beach!!
The A family picked one of my favorite locations for their session. Redington Long Pier is an amazing location for any portrait session.
Extended Family Sessions cost a little more then a regular family session because I have to make sure I get the group (EVERYONE!) then I get the smaller groups, siblings, parents, grandparents with grandchildren and so on and so on.
I was really impressed with how well this family coordinated their clothes for their shoot. They looked great wearing light blue, khaki and white. It made all their shots look cohesive.
These moments are fleeting, don't let them pass by with out a picture to remember them.
I have been photographing L and her mommy since she was a little bitty thing. L's mom is getting ready to start medication that she will not be able to nurse while on, so she wanted to save this special bond for ever. She asked if we could do a breastfeeding session. When discussing locations she said she liked the intimacy my studio would provide.
I had such a good time with the H family!! These kids know how to have fun. Mom booked a mini session just to capture her kids in this point and time. They will not be this little (or big!) again. They are ever changing and it's important to get them in front of the camera. Equally (if not more) important is that mom get in front of the camera too! Pictures of the kids are for the parents. Pictures of the parents with the kids are for the kids! They want to know what their parents looked like when they were young. They want to see how much love there is between you. So get in front of the camera mom and dad! Do it for your kids.
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Other favorites are:
these gorgeous lips by Tiffany Walensky Photography
This beautiful dress reflection by Contemporary Captures
And these stunningly soft trees by Yvonne Niemann Photography
Visit our facebook page Twelve by Twelve for June's topic.
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This months topic was picked by me. The topic is "soft". I think I try very hard to be soft in my life. I had a very hard childhood that was filled with lots of yelling and hitting. The minute I decided I wanted to have a child I knew I wanted to be softer and that the house my children grow up in with not be filled with yelling and hitting.
I work daily on being soft. In the way I talk to them to the way I approach them. I wish I could say that I am always soft, but alas, I am human. Sometimes I yell, but I always apologize (something that never happened in my house growing up) and I tell them I love them daily, heck sometimes hourly.
Im submitting two pictures I took this month that represent "soft". The first is a maternity shot. Pregnancy is where my journey to be "soft" started.
My next is a mama and baby images cause there is nothing softer then this...
Now head over to Contemporary Capture's blog to see her post for this months theme. She is a Tampa Wedding Photographer.
]]>Mia was actually my first newborn in the new studio. I love that mom and dad made sure to keep her awake before her session so she would sleep really soundly.
I keep the room really warm and have white noise playing for my newborn sessions. This helps the baby sleep. When baby was in mommy's tummy it was a warm noisy place, so they like warm and noisy in those first few weeks.
To book a newborn session please contact me.
For the last few months I have been working on opening my studio in the Community Roots Collective house in Tampa Heights. It is such a lovely space. The whole house is amazing and my studio is my little slice of heaven. I love it in there.
Cooper and his parents (and his grandma!! I love grandmas!) came and saw me last week and when I say I love this session I mean it!!
If you would like to book a session (Maternity, Family, Child) in my studio I am offering a great deal for a limited time. For $150 you get a 30 minute session and 5 full resolution images. $225 and you get 10 images.
Contact me to set up a session!
The Studio in Tampa Heights is ready to use! The light is gorgeous and I love being there so much! What better way to enjoy it then with a bunch of beautiful women?
I am only booking 6 women for the day 10am-3pm. You would be there for an hour and a half. Hair and Makeup will take an hour and we will shoot for half an hour. HAMU will be done in a different room so you will not be seen by anyone else except me if you don't want to be. I will have some snacks and champagne there as well. It really is fun and you can bring a friend if you would like. If you have a friend book a session I will give you 5 digital images from your session (and she will get 5 too) . If you get 2 friends to book they both get 5 and you get all your edited images from your session.
Only six spots open!!! Email me [email protected]
If you wanna see some from my last marathon here is the post from it.
]]>It was hard for me to pick a favorite color because I love so many of them, but I tend to gravitate to all forms of green. I love light shades you would find in the sea, and I love dark shades you find in the trees. (ha! I rhymed!!)
For me, I feel like green equals life. As of late I have found a little spot that I have shot at a lot and it has about the prettiest shades of green...
Here is my favorite color:
Now head over to Tiffany's blog to see her favorite color!!
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Are you pregnant? Did you know that now is the time to hire your photographer for your newborn session?
You see your newborn session (if you want posed, sleepy baby pictures) should take place at around 6-12 days after baby is born. You may think that is plenty of time to get a photographer lined up, but it really isn't. Many factors can play a role in you missing out on these picture. Like, sleep deprivation for one!! Also, you want to make sure you hire a photographer that is good and knows how to handle babies. There is a special skill to photographing newborns and not everyone is great at it. Also, they may not have any opening... This would cause you some undue stress at a time that can already be stressful.
So while your pregnant start looking for the photographer who you would like to capture your little ones adorable fresh baby self! These are treasured memories and you want someone who you both like their work and like them. Ask questions and really dig through their work to make sure their style fits your taste. You want your newborn pictures to look good in your house so if your house is decorated in all modern furnishings and you hire someone who's work is natural and organic you may not want to hang any wall art from your session. Once you find them book it. Then when baby comes you let them know and they put you on the schedule. Easy peasy!
This adorable little boy with the webbed toes was one of my last minute bookings. And I am really glad I was able to fit him into my schedule because he is absolutely delicious!!!
Through the month of April I will be doing these mommy and me mini sessions. I love capturing the connection between mom and baby and what a great gift for mothers day!!
To say I like to shoot at the beach would be a complete understatement. I LOVE having maternity sessions at the beach most of all. This family of two will soon be welcoming a little girl into the world. You can see that they are already so much in love with her. I cannot wait to meet her when she gets here and I get the pleasure of photographing her newborn shoot.
just look at that smile on mama!! She is over the moon happy.
]]>This months theme for the blog circle with Twelve by Twelve is "comfort".
As I kept thinking of what I would do for "comfort" I kept going back to a few things, my family, the beach and vacation. Over and over those three things would pop into my mind when I would try to think of comfort.
Family:
My family is such a huge source of comfort to me. My WIFE!!! and I have been together for over 20 years. We finally were able to marry last month making us legal. Legal, with all the same rights and protections as all other families. Our girls, they bring comfort to me because they are healthy, smart and oh so freaking hilarious. We waited so long to start a family in the traditional sense for lots and lots of reasons, but I am so happy we finally did.
The Beach:
What can I say... Im a pisces and love the water. I am drawn to it in a way I cannot explain. I love to look at it, frolic in it and shoot at it. If I could only go to one place ever again, I would pick the beach.
Vacation:
When you take those other two things and put them together with no work obligations, you get my ultimate comfort....vacation.
Spring Break happened just 2 short weeks ago... here is my comfort...
I love how easily kids can become fast friends. While at the pool one day our girls met and became friends with these boys. They all played for hours together, not parting till the sun was gone completely.
Thank you for reading,
xoxo
patty
Head on over to Kristie Serra Photography to see her comfort post.
]]>Come celebrate your nursing relationship with with me!! Breastfeeding is close to my heart. When the girls were born I had a really hard time getting them latched without pain. It took me eight weeks to finally resolve the issue and we nursed for a nice long time after. I became a CLC and LLL leader when they were 9 months old and I love helping mamas nurse (without pain!!!)
The thing that I love to capture the most is connection and to me the connection between mama and nursling is just beautiful!
In honor of Mothers day I thought I would do some mini sessions.
I want you to have a beautiful reminder of you and your nursling. You will never get this moment back so lets capture it and freeze it.
WHEN:
April 11 & April 18th
|
April 11th 8:30am |
April 11th 6:00pm |
April 18th 8:30am |
April 18th
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| 8:45a | 6:15pm | 8:45a | |
| 9:10a | 6:40pm | 9:10a | |
| 7pm & |
|
WHERE:
South Tampa (Picnic Island)
THE DEAL:
15 min sessions
proofing gallery of 10-15 images
Contact me to reserve your spot.
Payment for session due with-in 24 hours to reserve the time.
PACKAGE 1 $85
1 High resolution download of your choice and a 5x7 of the same image
PACKAGE 2 $125
3 High resolution downloads of your choice and 3 5x7s of those images or 1 8x10 of one of them.
PACKAGE 3 $200
All Edited images available for download. 10-15 images.
Want it for Free?!?*
I will be giving one mini session away.
Share this on facebook for entry.
Comment below for an entry .
Good luck and I can't wait to see you and your little nursling!!
*winner will be notified via email on April 1st. If you sign up for a session and win, your session fee will be refunded.
The S family was as sweet as they looked. Mama is just gorgeous and you can see dad and big sister adore her. They are all three looking forward to baby's arrival.
Repeat clients are the BEST!! I love it so much cause I get to watch (and capture!!!) little ones growing.
Dad is usually the one taking pictures in the *L family so mom wanted to take advantage of my valentine mini sessions and get some pictures with dad in them.
I have to say when little *L stepped out of the car I was so happy to see her outfit. The jean jacket...the TUTU!!!...the boots?? Over the top cute right there!!!
I was honored to capture Caitlin's baby girls birth. This was her second baby and I was there the first time as well. Birth is one of my absolute favorite things to capture so when I get the opportunity to do it more then once for the same client I am blown away!!
When I think of "Us" I think of a new fresh family. One that was just two people, and now is 3 (or more if the new little is a multiple) There is no greater feeling that bond a baby can bring to a couple.
Here is my entry for "Us" :
Head over to Jen's blog to see her "Us"
http://shootingforkeeps.blogspot.com/2015/01/twelve-by-twelve-project-january-us.html
Come visit with us on facebook!!
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When *J told me she wanted to do her newborn session on the beach (IN WINTER!!) I was a little scared it was going to be a huge flop. I was afraid baby *B would be miserable and not sleep at all and cry the whole time. I could not have been more wrong. I made sure to bring lots of wraps to swaddle him and keep him warm. Mom and Dad brought grandma to help (and for some pics) she was able to hold up blankets when it was windy to keep the wind from little baby *B.
Needless to say I cannot WAIT till my next beach newborn session!!
Bree contacted me months before her session. Her husband and she were going to be stationed here for a few months, but there was a chance of them being somewhere else. I am so happy it worked out that they were here and I was able to photograph their pregnancy. They are back in their home state of CA now and Im so sad I wont get to photograph this family as it grows.
One of the best compliments I can get is when a client comes back and does more sessions with me. I just love this family so much!! I was there for their maternity, birth newborn and christening. It had been a while since I had seen them though so it was so much fun seeing little *S and her family for their holiday mini session at one of my favorite beaches in Tampa.
The *J Family:
Baby boy *B was not very sleepy, but boy was he relaxed and sweet.
I tell all my newborn clients who are doing a posed session with me to keep baby awake for at least an hour before I get there. This is not to torture baby or mom, but to make sure baby falls into a deep sleep. It works 99% of the time, but there is always that 1%
*B had to go and be that one percent.... That's ok! Cause, look how beautiful he is...
Mama *J Purchased a Grow With Me package so I get to watch this little guy and his family over the year. I can't wait till the next session when he is a few months old.
]]>D's family I was lucky enough to photograph their last birth so when she told me she wanted to do a family session for the holidays and wanted a place that spoke "Tampa" I knew exactly where to take them!!
During any of my family sessions I try to get at least a few of the parents together. I find that most parents have not had any portraits since their wedding!!
We first met at Sawgrass in St Pete and then headed over to pass a grill to finish our session.
We had such a fun time at Fred Howard Park the evening of our session. I love love love their style and you can just tell how much they love each other and baby *P is going to cherish these pictures when he grows up. Imagine looking at pictures of your parents when they were pregnant with you and seeing how excited and happy they were for your arrival! All the more reason I am excited to capture their love for him once he is earthside.
Here is the deal:
* Weekends will go the fastest so book early!
That's what this beautiful family did. Having your family photos taken while on vacation can be fun and look at the end product!!! Priceless!!
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K* won a session at a school auction. I donate a family session to the preschool that my girls used to go to every year. I loved that little school and the teachers there. Im so glad I did because I would have never had the pleasure of meeting the *S family!! They are beautiful inside and out (and so is their home!!!)
K* wanted a more natural session for her newest member of the S* family. It was such an honor to get to capture this special time for them.
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Jillian had twin girls and they were so sweet and slept like little champs!!
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Here is the deal:
* Weekends will go the fastest so book early!
* Session must be booked now and take place Sept 1st thru December 12th for this deal.
I did Gretchen's maternity and newborn pictures when baby Max was born. Time flies so fast and Max is already 6 months old. Mom wanted to do a family session at their home. I love doing sessions in the families home. It is so great that when Max grows up he will be able to look back and see what his home and parents looked like when he was a baby. He will be able to see his lifestyle even if he does not remember it.
*M and *J got engaged flying over Ft Desoto, so what better place to capture their family getting ready to grow!
Baby *I is due in a few short weeks. Looking forward to capturing the whole story of her birth and newborn.
I was so pleased with how well he slept!!
Here is baby Jayce.
Needless to say baby A did not sleep much for her session, but lucky for me she is a really laid back little lady, so we were able to get some gorgeous shots of her and of her and her sister.
This was mom's favorite and she ordered it on a nice big canvas. I love it too!!
This year mama wanted flowers. The place near me I had not found yet so the only place I knew of was in North Tampa. So that's where we went! We started in a beautiful lush area with a gorgeous structure, then we drove to the flower field to finish up our session.
You might remember these lovely ladies from their first session with me a little over a year ago. http://sweetplumphotography.com/blog/2013/7/turning-one-times-two-tampa-family-photographer
They have turned two now and look how sweet they are...
We did their maternity at the Redington Beach Pier. I love this location. The light is beautiful, the pier is stunning and it's rarely busy.
I love the pop of color in dad's shirt.
When I book a newborn session I send the parents a questionnaire to fill out. In it are questions about what type of furniture they have, colors in the house, in the baby's room. So glad I do that cause Im not sure I would have brought the wrap if I had not known they had a teal couch.
We had fun at one of my favorite little beaches to shoot at. The first thing I love about it is it's proximity to my house!!! It is about 6 minutes away right off of Westshore. The next thing (and more importantly) the light, the sunsets and the BEAUTIFUL scenery that makes for gorgeous pictures. I love it there.
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When we met at the beach for her maternity session I thought she was very pretty, but when I got home and started going through all the pictures I realized she is that rare person who the camera JUST LOVES!!! Picture after picture she was just stunning!
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This beautiful couple is pregnant with their first baby. Soon to be a family of three! You can just see how excited they are to meet their baby. Im excited to meet him too!
Kaylie and Josh own The Paper Walrus. They brought some props with them of course and I love this sign!!!
Wonder what she will have for his newborn session!?! Im sure it will be nothing less then stunning!
We had our session at one of my favorite locations lately. There are some secret areas that I just love at Al Lopez Park in Tampa.
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Here is my favorite! I just love this one....
Then a few days later at a different beach we have this perfect couple getting ready for their first baby. We had so much fun!! Can't wait to meet this little one for their newborn session!!!
The one thing I think all families should do ESPECIALLY when there are extended families together is have pictures taken. It's so important to future generations to capture those moments.
This is the 3rd time I have had the pleasure of photographing this adorable family. It is really fun watching them grow.
This couple and their adorable dog wanted to do a a holiday session for their Christmas card and we had a great time. Their furbaby was well dressed with his tie and equally as well behaved.
Here are some of my favorites from 2013!!
I really enjoyed this relaxed family. The C* family was so much fun to be around and so relaxed. The colors mom picked for everyone to wear were perfect for the cloudy beach session.
Congrats Meg and Rich!
Anna was a referral from a fellow photographer. Her husband and son were a pure pleasure. Baby could not have been sweeter. He was 9 months young and so so happy!!
9-10 months is actually a great time to do family portraits if you have not done them since the newborn shoot. They are happy, can sit up, but can't run away!
Here is my favorite from the session.
Last year we had the session in Lettuce Lake Park and I got one of my favorite pictures to date.You can see it HERE. I always have such a good time with them and this year was no different.
Wendy wanted a beach session so I had her meet me at (one of) my favorite little beaches to shoot at. Cypress point is such a nice small beach and so close to tampa. I love it!!
It was Wendy, her husband, teenage son and daughter. They were a lot of fun. I love the clothes they wore to the shoot. They have that preppy look that contrasts well with the laid back feel of the beach.
They thought I was crazy when I told them to put their feet together for a picture of all the toes, but it ended up being one of their favorites!
I thought I would do some Black Friday specials for my past, current and future clients. Here are the deals. All are good till Tuesday Dec 3rd at midnight.
PAST CLIENTS! have you had a session with me in the past and did not buy all your digital images? Did you know that I still have them archived? I still have them. If you would like to have them you can purchase the entire gallery for $125 (my current price for session on disk is $450)
CURRENT CLIENTS! (and past!) Want a professional canvas from a past or future session? What a great present to give or to GET! How about 30% off your canvas orders? (must be paid for by dec 2nd. You CAN pre-order a canvas as well for future sessions.)
Regular Prices 30% off SALE PRICE!!
8x10 $85 59.50
11x14 $115 80.50
12x18 $125 87.50
16x20 $175 122.5
16x24 $175 122.50
20x24 $235 164.50
24X36 $315 220.50
30x40 $390 275.00
FUTURE CLIENTS! Plan on having a session with SPP in 2014? Buy a gift certificate and for every $50 you buy I will give you an additional $25. That's free money, y'all! Gift certificates can be used for session packages or print orders. They make great gifts.
Have a pregnant mama on your Christmas list? GC can also be used for maternity, newborn and birth packages as well.
*gift certificates must be for future sessions not already booked.
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I live in south Tampa (but just barely) and I never thought I would have a beach so close to me. I can get to a beach in 6 minutes! It's a causeway beach, but a beach non the less! And here's the thing... it's really pretty. It has the best sunsets. It's small and easy to find. I have shot here many many times and I feel like I still have not scratched the surface of little places that are great shots in the waiting, just add a family!
One of the many joys of being a family photographer is watching families grow. Capturing milestones. I got to meet this cutie (Baby E) at her first breath. I was there and I was there to take pictures of her mama when she was still in mommy's tummy. Now look how big she is! When I see her next (at least for photos!) she will be ONE YEARS OLD! How amazing is that?
Last month Anna's mom thought it would be fun to do her monthly session at the zoo. I agreed whole heartily!
We had a blast and took some amazing pictures!
*K emailed me about doing *L's cake smash and after chatting with her about possible locations she said she REALLY wanted to do it at the beach.
One of the things I love the most about being a family photographer is getting to watch and capture the important moments of a family when baby *L was first born I got to take his newborn pictures and now I get to capture his first birthday!
I got to the beach before they did and scoped out where we would set up for the cake smash. I knew she wanted to do some family shots too. Normally a cake smash would be the last think on the list to do, but due to the light and where we would do the two different sessions I opted to let *L get messy first then clean him up and do the family shots. I wanted to make sure I had the sun setting when I captured the family. Im so happy with how this session turned out.
And this might be one of my all time favorite pictures I have taken... The birds are real. As they were standing there I told them to kiss and all these birds just took off and I said, "Oh my goodness all the birds! Did you see that?" and they were like 'no?' lol puffy heart love this picture!!
A little something to make the holidays that much sweeter!
Location must be in South Tampa or there is a travel fee of $40
only 5 or 10 images will be edited
print product will be discounted 20% if ordered within 2 wks of gallery going up.
last date for pictures done before Christmas is Dec 15.
email [email protected] to schedule your session
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Meet sweet baby Ivy...
I was going to do her birth, but she decided to do a fresh session instead. Here are her beautiful twins fresh and in the hospital before they headed home.
Happy Birthing, Ya'll!
patty
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Anna's mom has me do pictures of her once a month (If your interested in monthly or bi-monthly sessions contact me and we can talk! The pricing is different due to the frequency.) About every other month mom has me do Anna's pictures at her house. Love these sessions. Anna's relaxed and more willing to engage with me because of it!
Im sure you would like to send out a Christmas card with a recent photo of the family? Yes? How about making those northern relatives jealous of your tampa bay lifestyle? Yeah... sounds good right?
Here's your chance for a good deal and a fun mini session!
Contact me ASAP to reserve your spot!
]]>I met Angi through Julie's (my partner) work. Angi was one of Julie's work friends and quickly became one of mine. She tells the best stories and has the driest of humor (my personal favorite type of humor!)
I photographed her birth of her second son Silas. She contacted me a few months ago wanting to get scheduled for a family session. We decided on the beach. Normally I would do a sunset at the beach, but Silas is happiest in the morning so we decided it was more important to have happy baby then sunset.
Here is a peek at what we got...
Thanks for reading!
ps, if you leave some love for them and they get 10 comments they get an 8x10 gift print.
]]>I really wanted to make the session special. I asked some of my fellow photographers if they knew of a children's clothing designers in the Tampa area. One of them suggested I contact Sarah Boyd Design . I found her on face book and sent her a message about *E. I really assumed I would never hear from her. Much to my surprise she messaged me back and said she would be thrilled to make something for *E and her sister. And that she did. Stunning outfits. The girls loved them so much. When we were leaving the session *E whispered in her mom's ear and asked, "are we gonna get to keep the dresses?" I answered, "of course. They are yours."
Mom wanted to show *E how beautiful she is and also how amazing her feeding tube/tummy is. Needless to say I am in love with the entire family. They were so sweet and fun.
This is Emily. She is strong, beautiful and I am lucky to know her.
The day of the shoot looked like it might rain and sure enough it drizzled right before the shoot and made the sky darker then it normally would be at the time of the shoot. We still managed to make it work.
*J really wanted the flowing fabric photo. It was her ONE request, so I of course had to make it happen. I think it turned out pretty darn good!
This is how we started the "session". Happy cheerful smiling...
You can start to see them not liking this too much any more... getting a little...tired of it...
Common girls one more shot... stand over there...
yep... that's how fast my over photographed kids get tired of having their pictures taken.
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I love this picture!! How bored does he look?
Happy 6 months Blythe!!
First I met K&K at their 3D ultrasound and I got to see little Savvy for the first time.
K&K got married at Clearwater Beach so we did their maternity session there.
Kat wanted to have a natural birth. I knew for that to happen in a hospital setting it was best for her to have a doula. I talked to her about it and she agreed so I helped find her one.
In the end she actually ended up having a c-section because baby's heart rate was dipping too much.
I got to the hospital right after Kat got out of surgery.
To me this is a great example of how even if you end up with a c-section your birth story can be told beautifully. I know that Kat and Keith would not trade these pictures for anything!
So many beautiful firsts! The first time mom and baby laid skin to skin.
baby's first bath...
Grandpa meeting his first grand-daughter....
A few short days later I went to see Savvy again!! I did her newborn photos.
We even took Savannah to the beach for a quick mermaid pic!! This may be my all time favorite newborn picture to date!!
Here is Savannah's Hello Baby video.
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Her boys were so sweet and cute together. What a sweet family!
They are all moving to Texas and wanted to get some family pictures before they leave. Im so sad to see them go!!
For her family portraits Courtney did not want a park or beach. She wanted something a little more urban. So we took a little walking tour of Ybor and did her family pictures there.
She herself is a photographer and had someone scheduled to do her last birth, but they did not show up. So sad that a "professional" would do that on such an important day. This is one of the main reasons when hiring a birth photographer you ask for references and make sure this is not their first time. If your gonna pay for a professional you should know they ARE a professional.
To learn more visit my birth photography page.
For her last two her water broke so we assumed that would be the case with this little one and sure enough it did. Her water broke while she was at the Dr's office waiting for her check-up! They sent her over to the hospital and I headed that way too.
When I got there her mom was applying her make-up.
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And I really love doing family photos at the beach!!
If you want me to take your picture on the beach contact me!
Jamie bought a mini session I had donated. She wanted to get her adorable twin girls first birthday pictures done and was more then excited about doing the session at the beach.
I love the colors she choose! The green and orange are very unique. LOVE!
xoxo,
patty
Tampa Family Photographer
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The superman cape was dads when he was a kid. :)
xoxo,
patty
Tampa Newborn Photographer
]]>Shelley called me to do Sam's 1st birthday pictures and tossed out the idea of an outdoor cake smash session. Shelley was all in!
As an "artist" I get my inspiration from many places and I will admit I get some from other photographers. This tee pee I saw another photographer do and I just had to try it!! I love love love how it turned out!
xoxo
patty
Tampa Family Photographer
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Baby *L was so good for her session she was 6 days new and just precious.
A few short weeks later I came back to do baby's newborn session.
Hallie contacted me before she told any one she was even pregnant. I think she told her husband, but I'm not 100% sure of that. Why would she want to make sure to get her birth photographer squared away before anything else? Cause she herself, is a birth photographer, and it was VERY important to her. She is Hallie of Milk & Honey Birth Photography
Her last two babies came right at their due date. Audrey was on her own time table and cam 2 weeks late. She was born in the water, at home, with her big sisters in attendance. The oldest sister, Reagan, was so very happy for her mother. It was the sweetest thing. She cried tears of happiness....melt...
Thank you Hallie for the privilege and honor of photographing your birth!
Breastfeeding is an important thing to me. I never thought I would be a breastfeeding advocate till I had my twin girls and I was hooked. It was the most rewarding thing to be able to, not only emotionally nourish my babies, but to also physically nourish them as well. It was not easy for me either. I had some major issues that took a while to fix, but we made it through and I nursed them for 3.5 years.
"The "Breastfeeding Is Normal: Anytime, Anywhere" Project was created with the hopes of helping the general public to realize that breastfeeding is normal no matter where it is done. We are hoping that the more everyone sees women breastfeeding in public, the more normal it will seem to them and that one day breastfeeding mothers will no longer be stigmatized and discriminated against when feeding their children in public. The project consists of photographs taken of moms nursing their babies in multiple public locations. The photographs will be displayed at the Museum of Science and Industry in Tampa, FL as part of their "Amazing You" exhibit about the human body."
Went out the other day and met some of the moms to take a few pictures for the project. Can't wait to see this project finished!
Here is my favorite of day:
"oh, awesome! If you need to get yourself in the pictures for your maternity give me a call."
Then we started chatting and I found out she is having twin girls and is planning to try to have them vaginally. We had lots of stuff in common. While she and I were chatting my kids were busy grabbing stuff off the shelves and begging me to buy it for them. Usually they dont do that cause they know the answer will be know. Or they ask once and thats the end. Not this time... I was distracted by a shiny belly so they each got something from the little toys by the register. Im sure it was $6 for something that was .03 cents to make... Oh well...
Courtney and I parted ways and I did not hear from her for like a month. She finally called me and said, I have an idea...
She want to do a beach session, but not do all the normal maternity poses. I was more then willing to oblige cause I had been wanting to do more of a sexy maternity session. I love love love what we came up with!!!
You can see Courtney's work here.
I have too many favorites so I randomly picked this one cause I like the angle :)
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The more beach sessions I do the more I like them. I had so much fun with this family *A's daughter was a blast and so sweet.
Here is my favorite from the session: 
Here is the lovely Olivia!
I love to shoot at the little beach near my house. The only thing that is important to note about it is that it is near the airport so the plans come in and leave really close...and...loud!
At first Olivia was afraid of the planes, but not in the way you would think a two year old would be. She did not cry or run. She hid... it was the cutest thing. I of course had to capture it. :)
Here is my favorite from the session: 
Happy Clicking!!
xoxo,
patty
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Here is my favorite...isn't she the cutest?? 
xoxo,
patty
]]>When I got to Breath of Life (you can see Sarah's birth slideshow video there) Sarah was in the tub but the heat of the water was bothering her so she got out. Some moms find the tub and warm water comfortable and relaxing, but some dont like the heat of the water. It makes them uncomfortable.
Sarah and Justin were waiting to find out what they were having. They wanted to be surprised.
Amy from Barefoot Birth was Sarah's doula. (If you a small business looking to advertise they are needing sponsors for their Barefoot Bus. They will be using it to provide midwifery care to underprivileged women in our communities you can learn more on their blog)
I love getting pictures of the details in the room. These are some of the little things that you will not remember years from now.
Mama, was about the sweetest thing. She was just...sweet. You wanted to be around her and help her. I's so glad I was one of the people there for her.
There are certain pressure points that relieve the pain of contractions. You can see the midwife and doula pushing on some here:
On the 2nd row of pictures, last picture on the right you can see where they learned their baby was a girl!!
Here is my favorite shot from the birth. I love how you can see the worry in dads eye brow as he gently kisses her forehead and she is using him for support.
xoxo,
patty
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Here is my favorite from our session:
Stay tuned for the birth!!!
XOXO,
patty
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I told her to pick out 2 or three daily activities she does with Anna and I will photograph them doing them. Here's what we got:
Playing:
Eating: 
Bath time: 
Bedtime:
Here is my favorite from the session:
Thanks for looking please leave some love for Anna!
If you are interested in a lifestyle session contact me!
happy clicking!
xoxo,
patty
]]>I even followed them into the grocery store. Yep, photographer stalker!
Day in the life photography is one of my favorite things to shoot. I love doing them. Have even done them for clients. (it will be on the blog this week too) It's such a great way to capture your kids and you doing the every day things that make the real memories.
My kids like pineapple on their pizza...i do too... 
YUMMMMM....
If you are interested in doing a lifestyle session contact me for more information!
Happy clicking!
xoxo,
patty
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Here is the segment that ran yesterday (a day early!) on birth photography. I am really happy with how it came out!! Click the link below to watch it:
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The midwives are so kind and have a great hands off approach to childbirth. They respect the body and women to know what they need during labor.
*A is a work friend of my partner so it was even more special then usual to see the birth of Silas. They were keeping his gender a surprise.
When I got there *A was contracting in the bathroom and in between she would spend her time getting hugs from her husband. Each woman is different with their needs during labor. Some want a hands on approach from their partners and some want to be left alone and then there is everything in-between.
Every birth at a birth center or at home has the same thing happen: After baby is born dad usually starts making calls to update family and friends. The conversation always goes the same and it makes me laugh.
Dad: Baby is here!
Silence
Dad: I dont know.
Silance
Dad: No we dont know that yet. They haven't weighed him yet.
Silence
Dad: No we dont know. They dont do that right away here.
You see when you give birth at home or in a birth center they do not do the newborn exam till about an hour after birth. This gives mom, partner and baby time to bond. Those vital signs are not going to change in an hour and bonding right after birth is very important!
Happy Clicking!!
xoxo,
patty
]]>A few months ago I was contacted by a reporter for the local Fox news station. She had asked me if I had any women who where due that would be interested in having the whole thing captured by the news...um NO! Most moms hire their birth photographer because they want it captured, but they want them to be a fly on the wall, discreet. No way to be discreet with a reporter and camera man in tow. So they decided to take a different approach. Interview one of my previous clients, interview me then film me taking pictures of the baby now.
The interview will air May 2nd at 5pm on Fox 13.
Here are some of the photos I took at the interview:
Happy Clicking!!
xoxo,
patty
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Well, she is pregnant with her second little girl and I can not wait to meet her!!
Here is her maternity session from a few weeks ago...
I just love sea grapes... and beach maternity photos would not be complete without them!
Here is my favorite from the session: 
Happy Clicking!
xoxo,
patty
]]>They contacted me because they were having their 10 year anniversary party and wanted to know if I would be willing to do family portraits at the party. Of course!
It was a beautiful day and there were lots of fun activities for the families. The party ended with a "Dunk the Midwife" tank!! Way too much fun was had at that!
Here's a sampling of some of the lovely families that enjoyed the celebration:
CONGRATS LABOR OF LOVE on a successful 10 years of birthing babies!!!
happy clicking!
xoxo
patty
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This time she brought her mom with her for my spring mini sessions in Ybor. I am totally in love with her too! She studied photography in school and had her own light room! The first thing she said to me was she loved my work, so of course we were fast friends! :)
While I was figuring out where to do the next set I happened to notice grandma and K dancing and singing. Oh My Word! Sweetest thing ever. So of course this is my favorite photo from the day:
Happy Clicking!
xoxo,
patty
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Here is my favorite from the session:
Happy Clicking!
xoxo,
patty
]]>We met at Curtis Hixon Park and then walked over to the Tampa Theater to complete or session. We were actually let into the theater and it made for some very cool dramatic lighting.
Here is my favorite from the session:
When she found out she was expecting another baby boy she asked me to do her maternity pictures. I really had a great time hanging out with her and her family. We actually ended up doing two locations on two different days. One of her baby shower hosts wanted to get some maternity pictures to give as a gift at the shower. Unfortunately the day we picked (that was before the shower) was WAYYYYYY cold! We kept that date and added a warmer date that was after the shower so we could do some bare belly shots without Meg wanting to kill me!
Here is my favorite from our session/s :)
Happy Clicking!!
xoxo,
patty
If you could click the google plus 1 button on the top that would be AWESOME!! Thanks!!
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Happy Clicking!!
xoxo,
patty
]]>A few weekends ago Julie suggested we take the girls on a picnic to a park we had not been to in years. Ballast Point Park is in South (way South!) Tampa. It is near where we used to live, near the airforce base.
Across the street from the park is a horse stable. After we ate, I suggested we go over and ask if we could walk around and pet the horses.
I grew up around horses. My mom always had horses, so I feel quite at home at the stable. I love everything about horse stables...even the smell. It smells like leather, hay and oats.
Well, the girls had a fantastic time, and it was not easy getting them to leave.
These "dancing" pictures were taken right before we walked over to the horse stables.
While we were there I saw a young girl washing off her sweaty horse after her ride. I asked her if it would be ok for me to take her picture. I just love the back-lighting on these. 
Happy Clicking!
xoxo,
patty
]]>Here are a few of my favorites from our little outing!
Here are the azaleas and Avery's "pose" in front of them. To say my kids are not very cooperative would be an understatement! That is why 99.9% of the pictures of my kids are lifestyle not posed! 
This is a picture of me taking a picture then the picture I took! 
Can't wait for our next photography play-date!
xoxo,
patty
]]>i thought i would make you a handy checklist for a successful family portrait session. here are my top 10 ways to have a great family session:
10. Pick your Photographer. If you already have a photographer you use regularly move on to number nine. If not, you need to find one. Ask friends, search the internet. Look at their work if you like what you see you will like your finished product too. Ask questions of the photographer/s you are considering. Make sure you ask for pricing, and what is included and what extras cost!
9. Pick your location and time. Talk to your photographer about different locations you might want to use. Is there a certain place you and your family like to go or do? It does not have to be a park, it could be the zoo, botanical gardens, at a special restaurant, think about the things you do and you want to remember. Look around your neighborhood as you drive around. Maybe there's a place right around the corner to you. As for time the best light is first thing in the morning and late in the afternoon so dont be shocked if your photographer does not want to schedule your session at noon!
8. What to wear? Once you have your location nailed down you can think about what you and your family want to wear. Make sure you pick outfits that are comfortable and match your personality. You want everyone to coordinate with each other, but they dont have to all be wearing the same colors. You can find inspiration on pinterest and here is a great blog about The Right Attire.
7. Posing your family. Your photographer will have some ideas of what looks good, but you might want somethings that you have seen or you want to make sure you get dad with the kids, etc. I know I love it when my clients already have a few ideas of what they want. You can take advantage of the location for posing ideas as well. If you have a large group of people stairs can come in handy for getting everybody cuddled up close.
Remember in photos closer is better! A small gap between people can look MUCH bigger in pictures.
If you are looking for classic posed pictures you would not want to hire a lifestyle photographer. Look at the family pictures your photographer has and make sure they match (somewhat at least) to what you have in mind.
6. The kids... you want them to be happy about the session not stressed! Talk with them about the session beforehand. Have them help with the planning process! Maybe they could help pick out their clothes? or the location if you have it narrowed down to 2 let them pick witch one THEY want to do the session at. Show them pictures that you like of your family and other families and explain why it is important to capture your family in pictures. If they are involved they will be much more willing to cooperate!!
5.Pinterest! It is a great tool to help you gather ideas. Share your boards with your photographer so s/he can have an idea of what you like. As I mentioned before it's a great place to get wardrobe ideas and posing ideas as well!
4. Communicate with your photographer!! Make sure you tell them exactly what you want and if your not sure ask for suggestions. Make sure you know exactly what is included in your package, how payment is made, what costs extra, etc. Ask as many questions as you need to. There is no such thing as a stupid question.
3. Props? Do you want to include props in your session? I am not a prop heavy photographer, but one of my favorite family photos I have ever taken includes a prop. Why I like it so much is there is a story behind the prop. Dad plays the guitar for baby Sam all the time and she loves it. It makes her giggle. Mom brought the guitar to our session and I had them just do what they normally do and I love love love it. So give some thought to props they can add to your story, you just dont want them to distract from it.
2. Not everyone needs to be looking at the camera to make it a great family portrait! The viewers eye will follow the eyes in the picture and when there is connections made in the picture it tells more of a story and keeps the viewers interest longer. When everyone is looking at the camera smiling, although a great picture, it is not as interesting and has very little to keep the viewer looking.
1. The MOST important thing to do is have FUN!!! A family session should be fun not stressful! It is one of my favorite sessions because I love capturing parents and their children enjoying each other. I tell my families to play with their kids and let me take pictures of them doing that. A few poses then play! The play ones are always my favorite pictures (and usually the parents too!) Try to relax about it. If Jake has to bring his stuffed animal, so what? You will miss that stuffed animal when Jake is off to college! Let your photographer take some pictures with your child and his beloved stuffed animal and 20 yrs from now you will be SOOOOO glad they did!
Contact me to talk about your next family session!
Happy Clicking!
xoxo,
patty
]]>I have learned A LOT in this year and have photographed 9 babies making their entrance into this world and I think I have the best job in the world!
For fun I thought I would put all the videos from 2013 on a blog post.
Enjoy.... :)
If you are interested in having your birth captured, contact me.
Happy Clicking!!
xoxo,
patty
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Happy Clicking!
xoxo,
patty
]]>They have two dogs that have obviously been their "babies" for years. Cloe was a momma's girl and stayed by her mommy the WHOLE labor (which was about 40 hours!) and Carter... well Carter napped a lot. He was a little less worried about momma and a little more worried about getting enough sleep and pets. You will see both throughout the pictures.
I learned a bit of a lesson at this birth too. Don't jump the gun with first time moms! A first time labor can be between 24 and 36 hours. This one was about 40 hours and I was there for 27 of them. I left too early... way too early. I should have talked to the midwife or Doula and made sure C was as far along as I thought she was. I have had quite a few really short births, so this just evens them all out! :)
Momma was handling the long labor pretty well. She had a acupuncturist come and help make her contractions more productive. Due to the time of day it made for some beautiful light. During transition she really wanted us to take her to the hospital so that she could get pain medication. We talked her out of it cause she had come sooooo far and we knew (and so did she, she just could not believe it at the time) that the pushing stage is not as bad as transition. The first thing she said when baby came out was, "Thank you for not transfering me!"
Rosemary Birthing Center was the birth center that guided baby Graham earth side. Below are some of my favorites from his birth.
Welcome Graham Davis, 9lbs, 22in
Happy clicking!!
xoxo,
patty
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It is a session that takes place with-in 48 hours of baby being born. It takes place either at the hospital or at home. It is done during the day so the look and feel is generally softer then the birth photos.
It's great for those who want professional pictures of their fresh baby, but birth photography is not something they want. It's a family session that takes place on the bed. Its a newborn session that is not posed. It is details of your newborn baby's fingers, toes, lips, ears, nose, hair and any other cute bits.
You might imagine that at a birth, once the baby is born, it then becomes a fresh session. That's not exactly the case. I am still a fly on the wall and there are still lots of birth stuff going on. Mom is usually a little tired and not feeling at all like posing with baby. She usually does not want to be too far from baby so getting detail shots is a little difficult. (I do try, but I am still documenting the birth)Mom usually does not feel like she looks her best and not all the family members may be available. If the birth happened at night siblings could be asleep.
If your a little squeamish about the birth being captured, or you want to get the whole family right after baby is born a Fresh Plum Session is for you!
If you are pregnant and interested in having a Fresh Plum Session please CONTACT ME.
Happy Clicking!!
xoxo,
patty
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It's 2013, I have twin 5 yr olds and Vanya and her husband are expecting their first baby. When she asked me if I would photograph her birth I was thrilled. I cannot wait to watch Vanya become a mommy!! (and it could happen any day now!)
We met in Lakeland (half way between Tampa and Orlando) to do her maternity.
Happy Clicking!!
xoxo,
patty
]]>We are starting off in January. For this session mom brought quite a few changes of clothes and we had lots of fun playing in Hyde Park.
Can't wait to watch this little sweetie grow!!
Happy Clicking!
xoxo,
patty
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Happy Clicking!
xoxo,
patty
]]>When they decided to have baby number two they knew they did not want to have the same experience. This time they hired a midwife, so that they could have baby number two at home. They hired me so that I could document baby boys joyous arrival.
The only issue with this is that baby boy was due Dec 27th...yes two days after Christmas. I wasn't too concerned, most babies are late. Well, I got a few texts on the 24th that had me worried... bloody show, contractions... luckily baby was nice enough to wait till early morning the 26th.
Welcome Baby Mason!
Happy Clicking!!
xoxo,
patty
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I just love this family!
Happy Clicking!!
xoxo,
patty
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I thought I would go through every session from 2012 and pull my favorite shot. They are not all gold as I have learned quite a lot over the year and learn something new almost every day. What I do love is that I can see such a huge improvement between Jan and Dec!!
(these are in no particular order)
I'm really looking forward to seeing the difference between Jan 2013 and Dec 2013!!
Happy Clickin!
xoxo,
patty
]]>She went into "on call" status the minute she signed the contract. Her plan was to deliver at Breath of Life birth center.
The best part was when she told me she wanted me to tell her if her make-up was messed up during labor so she could fix it. I laughed and told her I could not do that. During labor I think all women are drop dead gorgeous. Her cousin was going to be her birth coach and said she would make her tell her. um, ok...
She did not once worry about her make-up and she was BEAUTIFUL the whole time!!
Happy Clicking!!
xoxo,
patty
]]>Here are a few from our session:
Happy Clicking!!
xoxo,
patty
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xoxo,
patty
]]>needless to say, they ROCKED the neon!
happy clicking!
xoxo,
patty
]]>This is Andrea, her husband and their sweet girls. I love this park she picked for their session.
This is Tina, her husband and their two cutie pie boys.
Grandpa and Grandma then joined us...
The picture below with the adorable boy running at the camera? That was him running to give me a hug. How sweet is that?
Happy Clicking!
xoxo,
patty
]]>Home births are especially sweet. Mom can do whatever she wants. She can eat, walk, move yet
throughout the birth process mom and baby are still monitored.
Serenity was born in a special tub that keeps the water warm. Other home birth tubs you have to add and remove water to keep it warm, but this one has a heater. Mom and baby can stay in the water for some bonding after baby is brought gently into the world.
Happy Clicking!
xoxo,
patty
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Happy Clicking!
xoxo,
patty
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]]>Her mom threw her a fun party at her home with family and friends.
If your little one/s is getting ready to have a birthday and you would like it captured contact me!!
Happy Clicking!
xoxo,
patty
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Let me introduce you to sweet sweet Evangeline...
We ended up do most of the session in her back yard cause it is so pretty!
Happy Clicking!!
xoxo,
patty
]]>N* contacted me about photographing her birth. She plans to have her second child at home. She had a CSection for D* and cannot wait to have a different birth experience.
She and C* wanted to do thier maternity at the beach. We picked EG Simmons park.
Dispite me getting stuck in traffic behind a train we still got some beautiful sunset pictures of a beautiful family.
Happy Clicking!
xoxo,
patty
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She contacted me telling me she wanted to get her twin boys pictures done for their 2nd birthday. She said their 1st birthday pictures did not turn out good at all (not due to the photog!) They were just not in the mood that day. So, she was quite nervous for this session. I asked her to send me a list of their likes and interest. She sent me the sweetest note about them both. She obviously loves her boys very very much.
Josh and Ryan (Ryan has Down Syndrome)
and their cousin Liam
We had a great time and got some adorable photos of the boys.
Happy Clicking!
xoxo,
patty
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We needed to get things moving so they went for a walk
The walk did the trick and got baby moving down. 
It was time to get in the tub...
Dexter Liam was born at 8:01pm
9lbs 6.5oz, 21in
Happy Clicking,
xoxo
patty
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The first family on the schedule was my first birth session!!
Next was my wonderful G* family. I am in the process of donating a kidney to the father. At first I did not know them (D* the mom works with my partner) as this process continues our families are becoming closer. I had the pleasure of doing a Fathers Day Mini Session for D* in June. This family is adorable and so so sweet. I always enjoy spending time with them.
Next up that morning was my fellow MoM (Mother of Multiples) A*. She and her family were very fun and the kids made sure I was on my toes that morning. :)
Late in the afternoon after lunch and a pedicure I headed back to the park to finish up!
I met J* at a LLL meeting a few yrs ago and finally got to capture her sweet family!
I had such a great time with A* and her family they were so fun. The boys were ALL BOY and baby girl could not be any sweeter. She LOVES to stick out her tongue. She cracked me up!
Happy Clicking!
xoxo,
patty
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]]>We had a great time walking around their beautiful neighborhood taking pictures.
Happy Clicking!
xoxo,
patty
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Happy Clicking!
xoxo,
patty
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Happy Clicking!
xoxo,
patty
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How cute is this room???
Enjoy your new beautiful baby boy!
Happy Clicking!
xoxo
patty
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i like to call it "little doula" she fell in love with the picture. it reminded her of her little girl. she was excited at how special it was going to be having her 2nd baby at home with her daughter present. i have been asked many times about how children handle birth? how do they handle being around when their mom is in so much pain. well i can tell you they handle it amazingly well. as long as there is someone there to take care of their needs they are just fine.
m* told me that she labored fast when she had her first so i was prepared to run out the door the minute i got the call that it was the real deal.
she was so right about the fast labor! i just barely made it. i got to her house at 7:20pm and g* was born at 7:50pm. the midwife did not even get there on time!! luckily t* was there and she is a family friend, bradley teacher and had been training to be a midwife so she knew what to do.
and here is m*s little doula:
happy clicking!
xoxo,
patty
]]>This is one of my favorite parks. Love the trees and the boardwalk!
Love this little face!! So funny!
Happy Clicking!
xoxo,
patty
]]>Lolita and I had a great time at the beach despite the bird poop I laid down in. As I was laying on the skinny little pier I thought, 'what the heck is that smell. It smells like blood, fish and poop.' I assumed it was something near-by. Well, when I moved it followed me! Yes, I laid down in pelican poop! Good thing I had a whole ocean to wash off in!
Happy Clicking!!
xoxo,
patty
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Happy Clicking!
xoxo
patty
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Please contact me to get in on this AWESOME deal soon as space will fill quickly! (include your phone in your email cause I dont want my response to go to your spam!)
Happy Clicking!
xoxo,
patty
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Well their school has asked that all the families bring in a family picture for the classroom. Being a photographer means that not only are you never in a picture, you never have anyone take your pictures too (apparently, as we have NO family pictures!) I got tired of procrastinating and figured when we were all ready to go to brunch today I would set up the tripod and take my own photo! Then I figured I would just print it at CVS cause I needed to go there this evening anyway.
Now I know I tell all my clients that professional prints are higher quality and that the colors will be true to what I (the artist) wanted them to be. I mean you hired me cause you like how I make my photos look so you should want them to look like that, right?
Despite my own advice I printed at a chain, CVS to be exact. They got them done for me while I was doing my shopping (HOW CONVENIENT!!!) I paid for them and headed home. 2 4x6 prints $1.00 SAWEET!!!!
Got home and open the package. My jaw DROPPED!! The picture did not even look like the picture I had edited. My family looked like zombies we were so grey. 
The top image is the image I edited and put on a jump drive to print. The lower image is a picture of the print I got back from CVS. I did nothing to it other then make sure the white balance was not off. (you can learn about white balance HERE)
Does this mean that I will no longer sell digital images? No, what I will do from now on is when you buy a digital image I will include a 5x7 of that image so that you know what it SHOULD look like.
One online place I recommend for consumer prints is mpix.com I will be checking out a local place for my print that I need fast and let you know what I think.
happy clipping!
xoxo,
patty
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auntie made the cakes and cupcakes. aren't they amazing?? if you are in need of a beautiful cake email me and i will give you her info!!
all the cousins!! they were so fun and sweet to the birthday girls.
such happy sweet grandparents
aunts and uncles get to have fun too!
kaylee was a bigger fan of the cake then her sister :)
and here is everyone!
happy clicking!
xoxo,
patty
Sessions will be October 6th, location will be the beach, and we will start at 7am!(the best pictures will be the first hour! and then the last hour before the sun sets.)
The next date will be the 13th, location will be a park. We will start at 8 am.
Here is whatcha get:
The accordion minis are GREAT presents for grandmas! If you want more they are $20 a piece. I also do holiday cards.
Contact me to schedule your mini soon, there is limited space!
Session fee due at time of booking to reserve your spot! Check/cash/paypal all excepted forms of payment.
happy clicking!
patty
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Jenny and her family were such a pleasure! We had a bit of difficulty picking a location for our family portrait session. Dad is a landscaper so he picked it. I think it was perfect, with the exception of the alligator we saw cruising around the lake right at the end! Not a fan of animals that can eat me!
Even dad had a great time! Can't wait to see them again for their Christmas session!
Happy Clicking!
patty
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Rebekah is a scrap booking queen and her scrap booking room is AMAZING!!!! You can see part of it in the left picture below.
This next photo was mama's idea:
We headed a nearby church for some outdoor shots:
Happy Clicking!
{if you could click on the google +1 before leaving that would be great!}
patty
]]>One of the coolest features of our vacation home was the tub in the master bath. LOVED it. The girls loved playing in it cause it made great bubbles. :) I took many many pictures of them on that tub.
White balance is one of those things that no matter the price of the camera it rarely gets right on its own and it is one of the things that can make or brake a photo. If the white balance is off the skin tones are usually off too. Usually the skin looks too red or too yellow.
I use Photoshop to edit. If I am in a hurry I will let the camera stay on auto for WB and correct it when I edit cause it is a quick edit. When I am doing a shoot you will see me with a little grey card. I snap a picture of the card in my custom WB setting to tell the camera what kind of light I am shooting in and what "white" looks like in that light. All light has a different color cast. You can learn lots more here. White Balance
So, Im on vacation and Im snapping pics of the girls playing in the tub with my camera set at auto white balance. Then I load it into ACR (adobe camera raw) In that you can use an eye dropper on something white or grey to tell it what is white.
SOOC
You can see that it just does not look right.
eye dropper on tub
better, but not great... the tub and towel are blown and there is a yellow/green tint to everything
I still did not like what it looked like so I decided to try the "auto" in ACR and look what I got! I was shocked that it did such a good job.
Auto WB in ACR!
skin looks good, nothing blown. cool! We'll go with this.{ I had never even thought of clicking "auto" in my editing software, as auto anything in there usually is not what I like. }
Edited Version
Happy Snapping!
(Hey, if you could take a second and click the google +1 for me that would be great! Thanks!)
patty
]]>It reminded me of a senior photography session... except we are all very much out of high school, but the poses, the locations, the fun!
The beautiful Kristine
The Amazing Marie
The Lovely Shelya
And a few of yours truly!
XOXO,
patty
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I wish I was doing the birth session for Meredith, but she and Brian live out of state :( She asked me to do her maternity session after she saw her sisters birth and maternity session. I was happy to oblige.
We met at Bay Shore to do the maternity series because it had significance to them. It's where they fell in love and became a couple. I love when a there is significance to the place a session takes place. It makes the pictures that much more special.
I had a great time with them and cant wait to meet baby Q!
Thank you for reading/looking! Could you please take one second and click the Google "Plus 1" button at the top on your right. Google uses your +1's as a way to tell good web content from spam, content farms, etc. THANK YOU!!
xoxo,
patty
To get pricing information click here: Pricing
For more maternity photos click her: Maternity
]]>then i tried to breastfeed and from the second i latched emerson on it was painful. then I latched avery on and she held her breath every time she was nursing. we worked that out by doing some suctioning. before i left the hospital my nipples were sore. we got home and i continued, and my nipples continued to hurt. i talked to every lactation person i could get a hold of. we tried everything. i was told i had thrush, then i had an infection, then bacterial infection, staph infection, then we treated for thrush again and so on and so on. all along though i was a little bit addicted to breastfeeding. there was something about it that made me slightly crazy...but in a good way. it made me want to continue despite the fact that my nipples looked like someone grated them with a cheese grater. I went through 8 wks of this till i finally went to a dermatologist and she told me i had eczema and all was right with the world. my nipples healed by using a bit of cortisone cream, and i could really really enjoy breastfeeding my twins.
when the girls were 9 months old I went to clc training. certified lactation counselor. then i started helping other moms breastfeed their children without pain. my girls weaned when they were 3 and a half years old. i loved 96% of our breastfeeding relationship and would not trade it for anything.
when i learned how to use a camera i knew something huge was happening, something life changing. then i had someone ask me to shoot their birth. i leaped at the opportunity.
at that shoot i found my "happy". i found the thing that i was meant to do. when baby came out i had this overwhelming urge to get home to my girls. i wanted to do nothing but cuddle my partner and my daughters. i rode that high for about 48 hours. that high was created by oxytocin. oxitocin is a bonding hormone that is released during orgasm, birth and breastfeeding. so i apparently have a very strong reaction to oxytocin. it makes me happy, loving and calm... three things that i have always had a hard time embracing, especially that whole calm thing. im like a squirrel on speed at times.
I had the pleasure of getting an oxytocin fix last thursday 7/19/12 Milo was born at labor of love in lutz. he was born in the water and was a big boy! so cuddly
just a nibble of my last oxytocin fix:
little, or actually big milo (he was 9lbs, 3oz and 21") came out nuchal hand so it was quite painful for his amazing mama. he also grabbed the midwives finger as when she was trying to get his hand back in...
milo's big brother owen was very excited to meet him.
Thank you for reading/looking! Could you please take one second and click the Google "Plus 1" button at the top on your right. Google uses your +1's as a way to tell good web content from spam, content farms, etc. THANK YOU!!
xoxo,
patty
Learn more about birth photography here.http://sweetplumphotography.com/birth
]]>We did these on sat and Milo was born on Thursday the following week. {birth images and blog to follow!}
Voni is beautiful and her belly is just stunning. She had her son Owen with her and he is a cutie pie!
She asked me if I would be ok with semi-nude...but of course, pregnant women are just so beautiful!! I am so glad she wanted these cause I could not be any more happy with the result!
xoxo,
patty
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She did not want the same thing she has done in the past. She did not want park setting this time. This time she was requesting something different. We discussed a few different options and agreed on Dade City. I had never been there. It is the most adorable little town and all the "folks" we met were so sweet.
We had a blast.
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30 minute session
1 digital image
12 rep cards
$60!!!
Contact Me to schedule your session!
]]>that's ok we still got some sleepy baby pictures as well as some awake ones.
xo
patty
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Then a few months later I got to do one of my most favorite things... I got to hang out with a family that had just grown by one special being.
To say I like this family would be an understatement. I enjoyed them so much and baby Sam was just too sweet and perfect...
xo
patty
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After settling myself down, cause I was very very excited to capture my next birth, I went about my day and checked in with her every few hours. Finally went to her at the birth center around 9pm.
This mama labored and delivered baby within 6 hours! (The placenta on the other hand...oi! That thing just did not want to let go of it's home inside the uterus. But, in the end baby latched on to breastfeed and the placenta was delivered.)
It was a beautiful quiet birth.
Well baby G has arrived and she is just gorgeous! Every little finger and toe is absolutely perfect. 
xoxo
patty
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As Lendsay Stradtner in the Yahoo article put it when speaking of moms who decide to hire a birth photographer for their subsequent
births:
"they don't want to forget again.'" She explains to Yahoo! Shine that as time passes, we tend to forget the details of childbirth, "the birth environment...the mom holding onto dad in pain...the baby placed on mom's chest for the first time...the journey of a birth day...the making of a family."
These are the details that a birth photographer captures and captures beautifully. It is upsetting to me to think someone would think one of my clients is a diva because she wants to capture the beauty of her baby being born.
Photography is about capturing moments in time so that you don't forget them, to be able to look back at them and share them with friends, family and future generations. For significant moments we hire a photographer to help capture those moments and tell the story artistically. I cant think of a more significant moment then the birth of a child.
For further explanation about what Birth Photography is and isn't please click the link below.
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In an effort to drill into my brain what I need to do when I am in low light I have been going out with the kids when the sun has already set, but there is still some light.
A quick explanation of what I need to remember:
Shutter speed: If my shutter speed is too high I loose detail and the picture will be darker. If it is too low I may blur the picture due to camera moving. (for shooting kids you need a SS of at least 1/125) Sunny Florida day higher shutter speed. Evening or inside shooting slower shutter speed.
ISO: The higher the ISO the more sensitive your camera is to the light that is available. The lower ISO the less light sensitive your camera is. Sunny day low ISO, inside or dark out side bump up that ISO 800 or more.
With my old camera I had to use the lowest ISO possible or I would get a lot of grain. My new camera handles high ISOs really well, but I have a habit of not bumping up the ISO and getting under exposed images. I need to work on that!
I know all this stuff, but I still do stuff like the example below.
ISO:560 SS:1/160 SOOC (straight out of camera)
Had I bumped up my ISO to 800 I think I would have rocked the shot. As it is the picture is underexposed:
Instead I had to increase the exposure in PS5. Here are two edits:
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this mama contacted me about doing her maternity pictures. she signed up for one of my mini sessions in orlando. she and her husband were so much fun and i thoroughly enjoyed capturing their excitement about the new addition to their family. their excitement was contagious!
we laughed a lot during their mini session.
we laughed even more during their newborn session.
i was so excited to meet baby sam. she was pink, soft, and smelled so new! Look at just how perfect she is...
the best time to do newborn sessions is day 4 or day 5. i have heard day 4-7, but I have done a few newborns at day 7 and it was very hard to get them into a deep deep sleep, virtually impossible. I personally like to get a few awake shots like the one above, but i love the sleeping newborn. im working on posing them. it's not as easy as it looks!
i had so much fun with this family i can't wait till sam is 6 months so we can do a family shoot. also, i cant wait for my next little squishy! (i have quite a few cooking in the oven!)
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a few weeks ago Avery was going through a phase where she would sleep inside our king sized pillow cases with the pillows still inside. i just love her, she is crazy and cool...
anyway, seeing as how she was not moving, i thought it would be a good time to play with focus and shoot wide open. (these are both sooc i may have fixed white balance)
here is a picture i did a few months ago with the beautiful lauren. back when she was still preggers. is she not the most gorgeous model?
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After the fun with the G family I had THREE mini sessions. Two of them were top secret for father's day so I can't share any photos till after the daddies get their presents!
I can, however share one of A family's photos. I love this photo and how great did mom do coordinating outfits!?! The mom makes bows and children's accessories I love her stuff :) Check out her etsy site!
patty
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At first I was going to take it to a field and take pictures of my girls looking all studious with it, but then Katy told me the name of her company Sweet & Salty Creations I knew I HAD to HAD to take it to the beach!
I cant tell you how fun it was to photography something I did not have to chase. I also cannot tell you how heavy this little desk got while carrying it to and fro!
Here are some lovely details:
It even has a chalkboard top!!!
She is working on a wooden high chair for me to use for one yr birthday shoots. I can't wait to see it!!!
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