Having hungry kids at a photo session is almost always a recipe for tantrums.

While, ideally, you want to schedule any shoot with your children around meal times, this doesn’t work out for everyone. Even if you have planned your shoot to fall between meal and snack times it is always best to have something on hand just in case. Here are some healthy snack ideas that won’t leave your kids a sticky mess.

1. Apple slices and grapes.

Fruit is always a great snack and when you want your kids to remain mess free, apples slices are the best option. Apples tend to not be as messy or sticky and are easy for kids to eat without getting juice all over them as they would with other fruits. Grapes are also an easy snack to pack on the go and kids love. If you have younger kids be sure to half them before you head out the door.

2. Veggies sticks and hummus.

For a fuss free healthy snack slice up a variety of veggies like celery, sweet peppers, carrots and cucumber and pack some hummus for them to dip in. Combining hummus and veggies will help your kids feel full so you won’t have to worry about them asking for more minutes later.

3. Trail mix.

Trail mix is a super easy healthy snack idea you can have fun with. Combine nuts, dried fruit and whole grain cereal.  Use your imagination and you can make a variety of different trail mixes to keep things interesting.

4. Whole wheat wraps.

Use some small tortillas to create turkey, lettuce and cheese wraps. You can cut these into bite size portions to make it easier for your kids to eat. If want to cut back on the bread products leave out the tortilla and wrap the cheese and turkey in the lettuce.

5. Home made muffins.

Most prepackaged muffins are filled with artificial flavors, sugar and other ingredients you don’t want to give your kids. For a healthier alternative, try making your own muffins. Banana walnut, zucchini, oatmeal raisin muffins and even apple cinnamon muffins can be made to cut back on the sugar and increase the nutritional value. Plus, muffins are easy to transport, don’t need to be refrigerated and cause little to no mess aside from a few stray crumbs.

Your photographer desires for each and every photo session to go smoothly and for clients to have the most enjoyable experience possible. Many people believe that a photographer’s job is pretty simple. You just point and shoot right? The reality is that there’s a lot more that goes into capturing the images you love.  There are also some things many photographers secretly wish they could come right out and say to their clients. Here are a few examples.

1. We’re nervous too.

We know how important your photo shoot is to you and that you’ve been agonizing over the perfect outfits and spent hours on your hair and makeup. We know you are expecting us to capture you perfectly so that you will cherish the images from our brief time together for years and that is a lot of pressure. While we may be confident in our abilities we get nervous before each shoot as well wanting it to go perfectly for you.

2. We don’t want to fix every little flaw.

One thing that many people don’t realize is that they’re beautiful in their own way and photographers strive to capture this unique beauty in their shots. It’s for this reason that we only make minor adjustments when editing your photos.

Yes, Photoshop can work wonders and technically, we could fix every little detail that you’re unhappy with in your photos but this isn’t practical.

Do your best to make yourself picture perfect and we will take care of the rest.

3. We take our pricing seriously.

We price our services according to the quality, experience and time we spend with each client. When we hear people joke about how high our prices are compared to other photographers what we hear is that you don’t think we are good enough to charge that price. It makes us doubt our abilities and simply just hurts our feelings.

4. Have fun.

Chances are we’ve seen it all. Kids throwing tantrums, a surprise thunderstorm and wardrobe malfunctions, things can go wrong but don’t stress about them. We will work our magic to make your shoot the best experience for you but this means you need to relax and just have fun. When you are enjoying yourself we can better capture your unique personality and fun-loving nature, which is what we really want to do. When you stress out about your kids misbehaving we end up feeling anxious and that will only affect the way we take your images. No matter what goes wrong simply laugh it off, we always have backup plans and ideas up our sleeves.

5. Trust us.

You hired us for a reason. We’re hoping it was because you looked through our portfolio and liked what you saw. It is hard for us to do our best work and make you look your best if you don’t take our suggestions or trust that we know what looks good. We are seeing things from a perspective you cannot see so let us do our job. It is our job to make you look good and take images that you will love for years to come. This is something we take great pride in so trust that we would never ask you to pose in a way that is not flattering. Trust us and we will do everything we can to not to disappoint you.

We love what we do for a living and as photographers and artists, we want to share our passion and joy with the world but sometimes clients can forget that we’re also working professionals. We want to produce the very best results for our each and every one of our clients, which is why it’s important that prospective customers know what to expect when working with a professional photographer.

Woohoo! It’s twins!

Melissa and Loren are expecting a twin boy and girl to join their family. The little bundles of cuteness are set to arrive in just 4 short months.

We all know that Mom and her babies are the stars of the show when it comes to a maternity session, but there’s no denying the sweetness of having the entire family in the frame, too. I love capturing the raw, candid moments between parents and siblings, and pressing pause on a moment in time that would otherwise go by so quickly and without preservation!

My shoot with Melissa and the rest of her family – including Dad, and their daughter, Penny – offered lots of those moments. The session took place a couple of weeks ago at a family farm in Buckeye, and it was a non-stop shutter clicking extravaganza!

Don’t you just love that image of this family in the cotton field? Too precious.

Melissa said, “Loren has made me feel confident by complimenting me even when I’m not feeling so hot.” What a great husband! Every wife deserves to feel beautiful during pregnancy.

Penny is excited to be a big sister and wants to help take care of her baby brother and sister. She loves to read and she said she can’t wait to read them stories.

Congratulation to the Bryant family and I cannot wait to meet your little bundles of joy for their newborn session!

My birthday is coming up on Oct. 12th so why not have a birthday bash giveaway + discount right!?! There will be 3 winners. Winners will be drawn on Oct. 14th at 8pm. Prizes and details on how to enter below. Good luck everyone!

How to enter –
1. Share the Facebook post or Instagram post and use #ashleysbirthdaybashgiveaway so I can keep track of the entries.
2. Tag 3 friends in the comments.
3. Follow @ashleyflugphotography on Instagram (www.instagram.com/ashleyflugphotography)
4. Comment on either the FB or IG and tell me what was the best birthday present you have ever received.

That is it! Drawing will be held on Oct. 14th

Also, now through Oct. 14th you can receive 15% off any portrait package. To book your session contact me through the contact tab in the menu above. Don’t forget to mention this blog post to receive the discount.

All too often, men will do something just to make their wives happy and photo sessions can fall into this category.

Most men don’t really enjoy having their photos taken, which is why you need to focus on what they do enjoy if you want to convince your spouse that investing a family photo shoot is a good idea.
Jot down a few things that your spouse really loves to do in his spare time or things he enjoys doing with you and your children. Playing a game of baseball, visiting an amusement park or tossing a Frisbee around in the back yard are just a few examples of things your husband would rather be doing than posing in an outfit that you chose for him and staring at a camera for an hour or two.

So how do you bring up the topic of a family photo shoot without getting a giant sigh in return?
The key is to think more about playing and having fun and less about posing.
By setting up a more activity-based family photo shoot, you’ll have a better chance of convincing your spouse that it’s a great idea. Plus, at the end of your photo session, you’ll have everyone smiling and saying how fun the morning or afternoon was.
If posed shots are important to you, spend time taking a few with your kids and then give them a turn to play around and have fun with dad. These sincere moments make for some of the best photos and they’re incredibly fun for photographers to capture too.

Ensure that whatever activity you choose it makes everyone feel at ease, even if this means having a playful picnic in the garden. Remember that there’s no formula for the perfect portrait and trying to achieve this perfection usually just stresses everyone out. It’s best to plan something that everyone in your family will feel comfortable with.
Focus on the fun and your photographer will take care of the rest.

There are a lot of things to consider when booking your outdoor photo session. Whether it is for a family session or maternity session you want to ensure your images come out looking stunning.

Many people book their shoot thinking that the afternoon would be the best time to shoot since there is plenty of sunlight, but this is actually one of the worst times for an outdoor session.

The afternoon light from the sun is often harsh and strong which causes unflattering shadows. While diffusers and shade can help reduce these shadows it still isn’t ideal. So when should you schedule your outdoor photo session?

The Golden Hour.

Any professional photographer will agree that the best time to shoot outdoors is during what is know as the golden hour. This is typically the hour just after the sun has risen or the hour just before the sun sets. It is during this time that the lighting is ideal because the sun is typically at its lowest point in the sky. As a result, the light is soft and diffused which creates less contrast and shadows.

Additionally, during these hours there are fewer people out and about. This gives you the extra bonus of not having to worry about anyone walking in the background or distracting you during the shoot. The glow of the sun at this time will also help add dimension to the background and allow for more detail to come through the images.

How to determine the golden hour?

Since the sun rises and sets at different times every day you want to make sure you plan accordingly. From about March to July the sun will begin to rise earlier and set later and from August to December the sun will rise later and set earlier. Keep in mind that your location will impact the length of time you will have this ideal light to shoot with. As you move closer to the equator the “golden hour” will typically not be as long because the sun moves up in altitude more quickly so the light becomes harsher much faster.

While it may not seem ideal to have to wake early to get in your photo shoot the images you will come away with are well worth this small sacrifice. Most parents also agree that booking their family shoots earlier in the morning was met with less resistance from their children. Keep this in mind when you decide to book your next outdoor shoot.

We took a trip to Sedona to get our family photos done and I couldn’t help but grab some photos of our kiddos while we were there. Sedona is so beautiful and I just love it so much. I cannot wait to get up there again to do client sessions!

Alaire, Bella and Jr. are my life (literally, I never get a break haha) but I love their crazy chaos.

Alaire is 9 years old (almost 10 in November!!!) and in 4th grade. She thinks she is a teenager so every chance she gets she will be doing her makeup and nails and watching DIY’s on her tablet.

Bella is 5 years old and in Kindergarten. She is definitely our sassy one but that comes with the age right?! She loves having friends over for play dates and playing barbies with her big sister (when she will anyways).

Jr. is 3 years old and is at home with me all day long. He likes to play games on his tablet and beating up his big sisters, which I think is pay back from them torturing him as a baby lol.

These kiddos know how to keep me on my toes but I am thankful for them everyday. I love watching them grow and I love the bond they all have together. It is for sure a love hate relationship but they always have each others backs no matter what.

It’s completely normal to feel a little awkward when getting your senior portraits done. Many seniors tend to feel self-conscious about their appearance because they feel uncomfortable taking photos on their own.

Below are my top five tips for taking on your senior portraits with grace and confidence and leaving with photos that you will love for years to come.

1. Use your eyes. Use your eyes to express emotion. When you smile naturally your whole face lights up and your eyes look bright and awake. Before the photo session practice smiling in the mirror and use different expressions to see what looks best.

2. Relax. Great photos happen when the subject is relaxed and confident. Let the excitement of your photo session show through the lens as you take a moment and breathe, relax and just have fun. You may feel silly during this process but I will do everything I can to help you feel more comfortable.
3. Breathe. This may sound obvious but breathing is key to capturing a natural look. Take time to practice taking a deep breath while smiling in front of the mirror. Slowly release the air while holding the smile and notice how your face and eyes settle into a natural and relaxed expression. Allow your eyes to “smile” by focusing on the apples of your cheeks pressing upwards. When in doubt, just breathe.

4. Move. Staying stationary can sometimes produce a very staged and cheesy look. Just because you are sitting or standing still doesn’t mean you can’t change the angle of your body to create a look that is fresh and inspired. Try leaning into the camera slightly to appear more engaged, shift your weight from left to right, or simply move your chin slightly up and down for different shots as this gives us a variety of facial expressions to work with.
5. Beautify. This goes for everyone. Ladies, spend some extra time getting your hair blown out, get your makeup done and choose an outfit that makes you look and feel your best. As for the men, take a shower and shave. When you look your best, you feel your best and when you feel your best, you are naturally more confident. Go the extra mile to walk into your senior session feeling confident, attractive, prepared, and inspired.

If you are planning a gender reveal session in the near future, here are some tips to help you with your preparation.

1. Book your session in advance

Once you find out your ultrasound date, contact me and schedule a reveal session. There’s nothing worse than being excited and wanting to tell the world about your little prince or princess, only to find out that your photographer is booked for the next two months and can’t get you in for adorable reveal photos. I suggest scheduling a date and a backup date in case your baby is being modest on ultrasound day. This way, if you don’t find out on the date that you thought you would, you will still have a spot reserved for when you do find out.

2. Pre-plan your reveal session

During your pre-session consult, we can discuss how you would like to do your reveal. I can help you brainstorm, but I also suggest looking around to find a style that you like. Do you want to use blue and pink balloons, glitter, a cake, or paint? What’s your style?

3. Try to put a unique spin on your reveal

After you’ve found an idea you like, try to change it to make it your own by adding personal touches unique to you and your spouse.

4. Involve your other kids (if you have some)

If you have other children, I always love having the big brother/sister(s) involved in the photos. It makes it so much more exciting and shows the whole family together waiting in anticipation of their new family member.

5. Wait until the session to find out what you’re having

This is something that is not required, but I recommend it. I love to capture the real emotion when the parents first find out the gender of their child. If you find out at your appointment, the initial surprise (sometimes shock) is over. If you’d like to wait until your session, ask your doctor not to tell you and to instead write down the gender and place it in an envelope for you. You would then give the envelope to me and I can take care of the planning. If you’re doing balloons, I can fill the box for you. If you’re having a special cake baked, you can tell me the baker and I will inform them what color to fill it with, etc. I am here to help you.