Hey y’all!

I wanted to put out a quick blog about some upcoming changes to my collections and pricing starting July 1st, 2022.

I have avoided raising my prices for as long as possible, but I can no longer prolong the inevitable. Due to demand and product selection my prices are going to be increased and collections will be changed a bit.  I continue to strive to better serve my clients and give them the best photographs, galleries, post-processing, and products. 

With that said, any sessions booked between now and July 1st, 2022 will be honored at my current pricing, even if you choose a session date after July 1st. I wanted to give you advance notice so that you have time to do so if you wish to avoid the price changes. 

Collection price increases will be going up anywhere from $100-$300 depending on the collection. I will also be adding some additional newborn collections so that you have options that are still affordable.

Feel free to email me at info@ashleyflugphotography.com with any questions.

Hey friends!
Cotton field mini sessions are now available. Details and booking info are below. If you have any questions feel free to reach out at www.ashleyflugphotography.com/contact or email me at info@ashleyflugphotography.com. Chat soon!

Dressing for a Spring Family Session

 

The birds are chirping, the buds are blooming, and the cold is finally going away. That means it’s time for your spring family session. Here are a few wardrobe tips to ensure the whole gang looks smashing:

 

• Play up the fact that it’s spring. Have a necklace with a butterfly pendant? Perfect! A dress with cactus or floral print? Yes, please.
• Channel the colors of spring. Seriously – look out the window for inspiration for your family’s color palette. Greens, pinks, yellows, beige, khaki, and blues all work exceptionally well.
• Layer up! Spring can be both warm and cold at once, so come prepared. We love spring scarves, light cardigans, vests, etc.

 

Did you know that outfits choices can create a whole different look for your photos? There are so many different ways that you can dress your family for an upcoming depending on the look you are going for. You can do a casual look, which is great, but did you know that by adding a blazer and some nice shoes for the men or going with a skirt and a statement jewelry piece for the women can take your photos to the whole next level?

I have included some additional clothing tips below that will help you find the right outfits for your upcoming session, and trust me when I say that outfits play a big part of how your final images look!

Clothing tips:

With my photography style, light or pastel colors photograph best verses darker colors. Whites, light pinks, light blues, light yellow etc. Please avoid neon colored clothing as it will cast weird colors onto your skin.

For the ladies: Dresses and skirts look most stunning because they really flatter every female body, especially on camera — which is probably why the red carpet is always full of so many dresses and not very many pantsuits! We recommend avoiding pants and shorts for your session, and saying yes to a dress or two instead.
Long, full-length, flowy dresses and skirts look amazing on camera because they bring extra movement to the photos. Especially when juxtaposed with nature, like the desert, forest, plains or beach. Consider softer fabrics like chiffon or tulle which allow for beautiful movement in the images.
When considering the length of your dresses or skirts, it’s also a good idea to factor in whether or not there will be little ones in your photos. If you have smaller children, we’ll likely have you sitting or crouching on the ground to interact up-close with them. Cute, shorter cocktail-length dresses photograph beautifully, but if you have little ones in your photos, a floor-length dress or skirt, or perhaps a cute midi-skirt, will make moving around with your kids much easier, and look perfect on camera, too.

For the men: Long, fitted pants and closed-toed shoes are the most sophisticated and masculine looks for men. They draw attention away from his legs and feet and place it where you want it: on his handsome face. So, for your session, it’s best to leave the shorts, sandals, tennis shoes and jeans at home, too, as well as any pants that are loose or baggy. Fitted dress pants or fitted colored pants work best on camera. Solid shades of gray or navy are a strong complement to most women’s outfits, whereas pinstripes or plaid patterns tend to distract the eye. We also recommend staying away from graphics and logos. Solid color button ups will be your best bet for the men.

Please let me know if you need any help planning your session outfits. Feel free to text me photos of your outfits and I can help point you in the right direction.

7 Tips for Preparing for Your Spring Session

 

I’ve gone ahead and given you some tips to ensure your day is stress free and flawless for your spring session. Listen up!

 

1. Wear layers.

Spring can be finicky in the sense that you can go from frigid to over heated in a matter of minutes. I suggest wearing layers — tank top, tee shirt, cardigan, scarf, etc. That way each family member can peel off, or add, a layer as they see fit and remain comfortable throughout the session.

 

2. Location is a big deal.

You better believe I’m going to take advantage of the fresh, warm air and all those bud popping up from the ground and in the trees. If you have any favorite locations, let me know. I have a nice list on hand, myself.

 

3. Play into the colors of the season when choosing your family’s outfits.

Fresh pops of green, blue, pink and yellow are always a hit in the springtime. I recommend choosing a color theme for the whole gang, then slightly deviating from that with accessories to keep things interesting. Keep an eye out for my “what to wear for spring photos” blog post.

 

4. Speaking of accessories: wear them!

Choose jewelry, scarves, or prints that play into the spring theme. Butterflies, flowers, insects, etc, can make for some super adorable family pictures.

 

5. Time it right.

Book a session too early and you may miss out on those spring buds. Book too late and you’ve already wandered into summer territory. Keep an eye on the weather and give me a call when the time is right. I will also be posting spring mini sessions on dates that make for the best images.

 

6. Incorporate props.

Spring offers some beautiful backdrops where props blend in perfectly. For example, old wooden chairs look stunning in a sea of blooming rose bushes, a fresh bouquet of flowers to hold or have the boys had out to the girls is so adorable, and a quilted blanket is lovely on the fresh, green grass.

 

7. Really think about your footwear.

Spring can often mean a soggy ground, so flip-flops or heels are not the best choice. Instead, wear something that’s comfortable and spring appropriate, like loafers, flats or boots.

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.

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.

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.