Cuteness on a Cloud {Newborn Photography}

So, I've told you a little about photography, but haven't posted many of my pictures as I learn the craft. My friend Angela @ Selfless Ambition has been graciously allowing me to practice on her and her family. You can see Angela's pregnancy announcement, gender reveal, and maternity pics that I've taken! I can't wait to capture her and Quentin's little bundle of joy when she arrives.

Well, there was no point in waiting to capture a newborn, so I was so excited when Virginia, chef extraordinaire and owner of Mostly Cupcakes, contacted me to capture pictures of her 5 day old granddaughter. Now, with no kids of my own, I was extremely nervous, but that wore off as I warmed up to Baby B! And, I had my hubby there to help and coach me. Here are a few of the shots that he has processed so far...

Okay, she is such cuteness! Right?! And I love the blanket, like she's laying on a little cloud...hence the name of this post, 'Cuteness on a Cloud!' Grandmother and Mom had great props and bows on hand to make this a great photo session! And Baby Girl was so good. She made it through almost two hours of shooting without too much fussing and only needing one feeding.

So, this is only my first newborn shoot. I enjoyed it so much and I have notes for improvement on future sessions. Most photographers have a niche, or an area of photography that they specialize in...this may be mine. I can't wait to do another one!

If you're in need of photography in the DFW area, my hubby and I would consider it an honor! Check out Team Howard Photography for details!

Learning from the Best!

Saturday, we got the unique opportunity to learn from Dallas wedding photographer, Celina Gomez. Celina opened up her home to 14 local photographers to share her knowledge and experience.

We discussed the business side of photography with topics like sales taxes, income taxes, insurance, branding, websites, money management, and contracts. We discussed the logistics of photography with topics like shooting RAW,backing up files, editing software, printing, and second shooter laws. Second shooter laws were shared by Celins's second shooter, Melinda Leal. We also got some hands-on practice with shooting, discussing metering, focusing and recomposing, ISO, shutter speed, f-stop, rule of thirds, depth of field, boca, and flash.

After having the discussion, we practiced on each other in the yard, and then Celina brought in models as well. We headed to downtown Carrollton to practice our new skills!

While I can say that these are my photos, I can't take complete credit for them. Celina's second shooter, Melinda, was a beast when it came to posing the models. She talked our models through posing while we just shot photos. I definitely need to up my game in that area. She did a great job of directing the models for great shots. She constantly filled that awkward silence with great posing directions and reassurance.

We had a great time! The hubby and I got to spend the entire day together doing what he loves and what I am quickly learning to really enjoy. I would say that the most beneficial thing I learned was how to focus and recompose my images. I'd say my immediate action items are improving our money management, working on posing, and finding a focus for our photography. I'd say that what I need more help on is post-production, finding a consistent editing style, and working with flash.

I am so thankful to Celina and Melinda for being willing to share their expertise with us. I truly enjoyed the experience and hope that we have built a relationship that will continue to grow as we follow their work!

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