Top tips for getting the most out of your professional photography session.

If you are prepping for your first photoshoot you probably have a couple questions about what to expect. A common concern for people having their photos taken for the first time is what to wear.

7 Top Tips for Deciding What to Wear for a Photoshoot

1. What is the purpose of the photoshoot?

This should be your first thought when deciding what to wear. Choose an appropriate outfit for the occasion and something that suits your personality.

2. Keep the location & season in mind.

Where is the photoshoot taking place? Choose an outfit that will keep you feeling comfortable and confident. For example, if you’re on a beach, those new high heels might not be the most logical choice and you might end up looking a bit out of place.

3. Mix and match.

Don’t be afraid to wear patterns or prints for your photoshoot but keep them to a minimum and try to pair them with solid colors. If you’re having a family photoshoot for example, have two family members in printed items and two in solid colors. Play with different colors to match the mood and setting of the shoot.

4. Make your photos timeless.

You might love that trendy top or pair of pants now but will your photos stand the test of time if you wear that item of clothing?

5. What to do about makeup.

This would depend on the type of photos you are taking. Fashion shoots will call for more dramatic makeup but for your everyday maternity, family or portrait shoots, keep your makeup natural and to a minimum.

6. Fit is more important than you think.

If you already have an outfit in mind for your shoot, try it on before the time to make sure that it fits correctly and compliments your body type.

7. Try not to go brand crazy.

Wearing too much clothing with prominent brand names just makes you look like a walking ad. Clothing with large graphics on it also doesn’t work well as it will end up being the focus of your photos.

Remember to have fun on your photoshoot, be yourself and don’t hesitate to ask for guidance.

Wow! I can’t believe how fast this year has flown by but what a beautiful year it has been. From the laughter to the wonderful memories, it has truly been a joy as I continue to pursue my passion for photography. Time certainly does fly when you’re having fun! I feel blessed to still be doing what I love to do and all because of my most amazing clients. It’s only because of you I get to make a living doing what I love most and for that I am forever grateful.

This past year has been my busiest yet and below are a few things I enjoyed the most.

~ I loved capturing each and everyone of my clients, I loved hearing all the fun family stories shared with me, I loved all of the baby snuggles, high fives, fist bumps and hugs I got from the kiddos, and most of all I loved being able to capture memories for all of my clients to have for a lifetime.

~ I did a couple of photography courses this year and truly learned so much to advance in my style of editing and photographing. This is an accomplishment I have been wanting to achieve for so long and I can proudly say, I have improved in leaps and bounds.

~ I took a road trip from Arizona to Minnesota over the summer with 3 kiddos which tested my patience for sure, LOL. It was a long 2 days of driving there and back but it was worth it being able to see all of our family. The kids had a blast hanging out with their aunties and cousins. It was an eventful two weeks that is for sure.

As you can see, this year has taught me so much–as a photographer, business owner, mother, and wife.

From the bottom of my heart, thanks so much to everyone that gave me the opportunity to work with you; you all shine your light in unique and beautiful ways. My photos can only be as good as the amazing people that trust me to document their lives. Happy New Year and I cannot wait to see what 2019 will bring you and your families.

Moms always do a fantastic job of documenting the lives of their children all the way from birth to college.

You only have to look at a mother’s social media pages to see how much they cherish the big and small moments in their children’s lives. Every milestone is important to them.

Moms are no strangers to scrapbooking, blogging and documenting their child’s special moments, but the problem is that they often leave themselves out of their collection of photos.

Many times moms will ask to be left out of photos when they bring their children through for a shoot. If they do decide that they want to be in the photos, they’ll usually book the shoot months in advance so that they can lose any extra weight.

Every mom should be in more photos with her children and every mom deserves to feel good about the way she looks in those photos. Here are a few tips to help moms look fabulous in all future photos.

Keep that smile natural. There’s nothing more beautiful than a natural smile or laugh so do what it takes to smile as sincerely as possible. Bring someone along to tell you a few jokes to put you at ease if need be but don’t force that smile.

Angle your body. It’s time to put all those yoga classes to good use. In order to make your hips look narrower and your shoulders wider, aim to position your body at a ninety-degree angle from the photographer. Now, simply turn your hips towards the camera and square your shoulders.

Use your children as props. Many women really can’t stand looking at themselves in photos and if this is the case for you, get your children to stand or sit in front of you to avoid being the main focus in the photos.

Keep that chin down. Unfortunately, sticking your chin in the air doesn’t make for flattering photos. By keeping your chin down, you’ll create shadows and contours that will compliment your face. If you’re worried about having a double chin, lean forward slightly to prevent this from happening.

Tone down your outfit. A busy outfit is not the best route to go if you’re looking to go unnoticed in a photo. Keep your clothing simple in order to hide anything that you don’t want to draw attention to. You can also opt for black and white photos if you really want to take the attention away from specific details.

Use natural lighting. Forget the camera flash and opt to have your photos taken in a room where there’s tons of natural light. It makes for amazing photos.

 

Looking for other helpful ideas for your upcoming session? Check out the tips & tricks section on the blog.

 

Hey folks! Mark you calendar because Ashley Flug Photography has some pretty amazing sales coming up for Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday.

Below is a preview for what you can expect.

Black Friday – I have 5 sessions available at 50% off and 5 sessions available at 40% off and 5 sessions available at 30% off.

Small Business Saturday – Give the gift of memories! Book a session with Ashley Flug Photography for someone else and get your session for 50% off! Only 5 available.

Cyber Monday – Through midnight today, I am offering a $100 print credit when you book any session with Ashley Flug Photography.

These are first come first serve. Payment is due in full at the time of purchase.

I am also re-activated all client galleries through Nov. 26th so from 7 a.m. Friday morning to 11:59 p.m. Monday night, I am offering a whopping 25% off all prints and products. Code will be added to the post on Black Friday.

Mark your calendar for 7 a.m Friday, Saturday and Monday to get these amazing deals.

1. Plan it out.

The one thing that every family photo session needs is a plan. What you’re going to wear, where the photo session will take place and how you’d potentially like to pose are all details that we will talk about ahead of time. Your family’s session should be less about getting the perfect shot and more about enjoying the moment and making new memories together.

2. Keep it light and fun.

People playing, letting go and having a giggle make for some of the best photos so make your family shoot a fun event that will leave everyone feeling happy and content. If you want to change things up a bit, bring along a few props such as glasses, balloons or toys to add that element of fun to your photos. An added bonus is that bringing some props along such as toys can keep your younger family members busy while their siblings are being photographed. You know what makes your family light up so find ways to incorporate those interests into your shoot.

3. Leave your expectations at the door.

The perfect family photo session that you have in your head might not be what plays out on the day of the session, so it’s best to let go of any expectations that you might have. Instead, focus on relaxing and having fun and letting me do what I do best.

4. Everyone has a part to play.

In order to make your shoot seem less like a chore and more like a fun family event, get your entire family involved. Ask for everyone’s input when it comes to clothing, locations, props and poses. Give each family member an opportunity to speak and take a vote on the best ideas. When family members, especially children, are able to give their input, they’ll end up being a lot more cooperative on the day of the shoot.

Check out my blog for more session tips & tricks!

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.

What do you give someone who has everything? What’s the perfect gift your loved one will cherish for years to come? There’s a lot of thought that goes into choosing any gift whether it’s for a birthday, graduation, anniversary or the holidays. Most gifts have a limited shelf life and will usually get placed in the back of a cupboard once the novelty has worn off but photography is not one of these gifts.

Why Give the Gift of Photography?

• It’s Unique.

A photography session is unique to each person who steps into a studio and each image is one of a kind too. Photography tells a story. Each image depicts a special moment in time and is a gift that will take you back to that moment time and time again. Whether it’s a photography session, picture album or a special picture in a beautiful frame, photography is one of the gifts that can be thoughtful and unique to each individual.

• It’s a classic gift.

Unlike the latest fashion or tech trends, photographs are something you will treasure for years to come.  Photographs will never go out of style and in fact, will become more valuable with each coming year.

Not only are the images cherished for years but the memories these images bring about will also be cherished. From recalling the good times had with loved ones to the laughs you had with your photographer during your photo session each image will bring about a memory that will always put a smile on their face.

• You don’t have to wrap it!

Not everyone can wrap a gift like a pro and having to find the perfect paper can be a hassle. When you give the gift of a photography session you don’t have to worry about finding the tape or scissors. Most photographers will have gift cards available that are ready to go in a nice envelopes.

Photography is personal and special and with the help of a professional photographer, you can give a gift that will last for years to come.

 

Email me to get your gift card today! info@ashleyflugphotography.com

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.