Seriously, how adorable are these going to be!?!

Lifestyle photography is so beautiful because it’s real.

It captures those raw, everyday moments that stick in the back of your mind and make you smile.

At-home lifestyle photography sessions have become a very popular choice amongst families and if you’ve recently booked your very own session, here are a few tips that you can use to make the most of your time with your photographer.

1. Let the light in.

   Since you will be shooting indoors, let as much natural light into your home as possible in order to achieve exceptional photos.

2. Keep it tidy.

   While your home doesn’t need to be free of every speck of dust, it’s important to tidy up the rooms that you will be using the most. Don’t go overboard though; the point of a lifestyle session is to actually capture you and your family in your home as you experience it.

3. Incorporate activities.

   Lifestyle sessions are all about natural, candid shots and if you’re feeling a bit nervous about just winging it, line up a few activities for you and your kids so that you’ll have something to do during your session. You can just let things flow from there.

4. Plan your outfits.

   Just because you will be at home, doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t plan what you’re going to wear. Decide on the types of photos that you would like to capture and choose your outfits accordingly. Even if you’re opting for your PJs, make sure that they’re not too busy and that you’re not wearing the socks with the holes.

5. Let your kids take the lead.

   If you do have young kids in the house, sometimes it’s best to just let them take the lead and you can jump in and have fun with them where it seems most natural.

6. Move outside the living room.

   When people think lifestyle sessions, they very often set everything up in the living room but if you really want to get a wide variety of shots, don’t discount the bedroom and the kitchen as these can make for some great backdrops too.

You will always get the very best lifestyle photos when you relax and have fun. Your photographer will be there to guide you so just focus on taking it all in and making some memories with your beautiful family.

The first day of school is such a milestone for any parent and a day that should be captured, not only for yourself and the grandparents but for your kids too.

Below are some really cute ideas that you can use to make your child’s first day of school photos memorable and unique.

1. Get a shot of the outfit. 

   You’ve spent the time choosing the perfect outfit for this day so why not hang it up somewhere and get a shot of it before they get dressed? Lay the outfit out on your child’s bed and take a shot from above or place it on a cute hanger and hang it against the door.

2. Use a blackboard.

   Incorporate a cute blackboard with a frame into the photos. Fill the blackboard with facts such as the date, their age or even what they want to be when they grow up. Easels also work really well for this and will give you more space to be creative. Get your child to draw themselves on their first day of school and include this in your photo.

3. Show their progress.

   While taking a picture on the first day of school is a must, make a point of taking a photo on the last day of the school year too. You’ll be amazed at how much your child has changed when you compare the two photos. Another cute idea is to get your kid to pose with their first day of school photo from the previous year to show their progress.

By having fun and making this moment a big deal for your children, you will instill confidence in them and prepare them for the day and year ahead.

You might be under the impression that you can just wake up the morning of your photo shoot and go but there are a few things that you should properly prepare for. While you want to look your best there are minor details that can be easy to forget about. As you prepare for your upcoming photo shoot be sure to review this quick checklist.

 

Photo Shoot Check List:

 

Confirmation.

The day before the shoot you want to reconfirm with your photographer the time and location of the shoot. This will also allow you a chance to go over any details as far as props, wardrobe or weather concerns (if your shoot is outdoors) that you may have.

 

Shot list.

No matter what type of session you are having you want to make sure the photographer knows what – must have shots – you expect. Going over what shots you want from the shoot will help things go smoothly and ensure you get everything you want out of the session. Consider who will be at the shoot or in the images. Let the photographer know who you want to be paired up with images and how many images of each person you would like.

 

Wardrobe.

There are many ways you can dress for your shoot and depending on where you are having the shoot, you may be able to bring along outfits to change into. If you are trying to coordinate your outfit with your family or others who will be in the images try to avoid matching too much. Instead, choose a color scheme to stick with and have each person choose their own outfits that include the colors.

 

Don’t forget to bring some accessories. If doing a full outfit change isn’t possible because of the location of the shoot or the timeline, then consider some easy to take on and off accessions. Hats, scarves, jackets, ties, vests, and belts are all easy items that you can take on or off during the shoot that can help add more variety to the shoot.

 

Personal care.

You want to look your best for the shoot so you want to take the time to pamper yourself a little. Cut, color, and style your hair. Give yourself a facial and don’t forget to take care of your nails as well. When doing your make up the day of the session, keep it at a minimum or go for a more natural look. You can always add more color and makeup as the shoot goes along so you can bring some along with you.

 

Props.

Props can help make a shoot more personal and can make it easier to get everyone else into the shoot. Bring along a few items that you can hold, the kids can play with, or things that you can interact with that are not too bulky or hard to carry with you.

 

Bonus Tip:

If you are planning a family shoot with younger kids you want to bring along a snack. Even if they have eaten prior to the shoot have something easy for them to snack on later on in the shoot can be a huge saver.

I love mini-sessions because it means I get to interact with more clients in one day than I usually do, and because it saves you all money!

Hi ladies and gentlemen!

We’ve got some serious reason to celebrate! The Dietz’s are officially having a little prince, due in only 17 short weeks.

I had the privilege of photographing Dorota’s maternity session at the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix and she was just as exquisite as can be.

Dad agrees she’s a beauty, too – naturally!

“Dad is always very supportive of taking photos throughout the pregnancy and documenting such a special time, which is important to mama! He offers to let me relax when I am home and cooks all the time when he is home from work.,” says Dorota. She is such a lucky woman!

As you can see from the pictures below, Dorota is the perfect soon-to-be mom. Any photographer would be lucky to photograph her. And that baby bump couldn’t get any cuter!

Check out the pictures for yourself!

 

 

Did you know that I have a client closet full of gorgeous gowns for my maternity clients to use? I have a variety of sizes, styles and colors that go perfect with my style to insure that your images will be as timeless and beautiful as you are!

Book your session today! info@ashleyflugphotography.com

When it comes to family portraits most parents’ number one concern is how to get their little ones to pose and cooperate during the shoot. There are always challenges to face when trying to get everyone in the family to look their best and look at the camera altogether but it is not something you need to stress about. These simple tips will help you prepare your young ones for their big day in front of the camera whether it’s for family portraits or birthday pictures.

 

5 Tips to Prep Your Kids for Your Family Shoot

 

1. Scheduling

You’ll want to schedule your shoot around you kids schedule. Work around naps or feeding times so they aren’t fussy or cranky during the shoot.

 

2. Make it a big deal.

You want your children to be excited about the shoot so let them know about it well in advance. Make it into a special occasion so they can get more excited and interested in taking part in it. Even offer a special treat for after the shoot.

 

3. Bribes

While you may not like the idea of bribing it can be a good idea to have a small piece of candy to give your kids for right after the shoot is done. A small treat can go a long way in helping avoid the additional stress of an uncooperative toddler.

 

4. Let The Photographer Give Directions

It’s natural for parents to want to give their children directions during a shoot or make adjustments to their clothing but this often leads to parents not looking at the camera. Let your photographer take the reins and you just focus on looking good and being camera ready yourself. Kids also tend to listen better to another adult so it can make everything a lot easier for everyone.

 

5. Enjoy the Experience

Of course, you want each shot to be amazing but your focus should be on enjoying the moment with your family and children. Sometimes the most picture perfect moments are the ones that don’t seem so perfect in the moment. Don’t set expectations of how you want the perfect family portrait. Instead focus on having the perfect family moments. The more fun you are having the more fun your kids will have too.

One of the most common questions people have when preparing for a photo shoot is what to wear. You want everyone in the photos to look their best but you also want all the details in the photos to tie together so it looks cohesive but not overly matching. These simple tips will give you a better idea on how you can style your own outfits, accessories, and props so that everything meshes together but still pays tribute to who you are as a family.

Fall is usually all about bundling up in lots of layers, enjoying the shift from hot to cool, and soaking up the sun and autumn foliage. But, we live in Arizona and it is still warm. Instead of roasting your butt off during your session (unless you want to) with sweaters and scarves, think maxi dresses for her and short sleeve button ups for him.

Here are a few tips for dressing for fall family sessions:

^^^^ P.S. This is my favorite fall look. It goes perfectly with my style since there is still pops of light colors and not all dark and bold colors. ^^^^

Most families tend to match their outfits by pattern or color but for the best results, you’ll want to skip putting everyone in matching clothes and colors and instead coordinate their outfits to play off of one another. Let one of the family members secretly be the star of the photo shoot. Dress them in a patterned outfit that consists of at least three colors. Keep the rest of the family outfits simple with pops of color that coordinate with the star of the show outfit. And don’t forget to take the shoes into consideration as well.

Since we do not have many fall leafs here in the desert, choose colors that will bring those fall leave colors to us. Stick with a color palette that will blend seamlessly into autumn’s spectrum: creamy nude, light grey, burgundy, mustard, brown, etc.

Add accessories! Think jewelry, hats or even flowers to hold or put in the hair. Consider accessorizing your kids in layers, textures and offer something for everyone to interact with. You don’t want the accessories to overwhelm the image but they can be a great way to offer a lot of variety throughout your shoot. Think of things that can be easily taken off or put back on.

Wear shoes that fit the season. Loafers and flats work perfectly. But also think riding boots or comfy, fur-lined boots.

If you have any questions or need any help with dressing for fall photos feel free to reach out and I will help you! info@ashleyflugphotography.com

Hey friends!

Thanks for stopping by to read about my film photography journey.

Some of you may know that I have started to shoot film as well as digital at my sessions a few months ago. I worked a lot with film while in college but I got out of because digital was the “thing”. I recently decided that I really wanted to get back into film to push my creativity, to slow down and pay more attention to the shot vs. just being click happy!
I have had a few failed rolls of film since I started which made me a little frustrated and annoyed thinking I wouldn’t be able to do this, it is to expensive to keep shooting film I cannot use, no way I will be able to photograph both film and digital, my thoughts went on and on.

Check out these fails! They do not match my style at all, they are dark and muddy. With film, I can not do much editing to bring them to match my style like you can with digital. You have to get in right in camera and not being able to see what it looks like after you take a photo was proven challenging for me because I am so use digital.

I kept going with film, hoping I would get it figured out. When I got an email saying that my scans were ready from the last roll of film I shot, I didn’t even want to open it. I just thought it would be another dud roll that I wouldn’t be able to do anything with. Boy was I wrong! My eyes lit up when I looked at the scans because I couldn’t believe I finally had a roll of film that I could use!

Check them out. I still have a lot to learn but I am so happy with this roll of film and how far I have come since I started. I am sure there will still be those bad rolls now and then because I am no where near perfect and I still have a lot to learn but I am excited to keep advancing in shooting film.

Thanks for stopping by and reading about my journey this far. I cannot wait to show you all more of my film work on Instagram and Facebook.