If there’s one time when people take hundreds of photos, it’s during the holidays. It’s a time that’s spent with family and friends and there are so many memories to capture, but what can you do with your holiday snaps once it’s all over?

Ideas for what to do with your photos after the holidays

• Turn them into magnets.What better way to remember a fun moment during the holidays than by seeing it on your refrigerator every morning. Magnets also make for fun, inexpensive gifts for your loved ones.
• Add them to a digital frame.Why choose to print one or two of your favorite holiday photos when you can loop through all of them using a digital photo frame. Another option is to create a slideshow of your holiday photos that you can use as a screensaver on your computer or even your television.
• Create a calendar. Pick 12 of your favorite holiday photos so that you can look back on a new memory each month. Calendars also make great gifts for family members.
• Get creative with your prints.Instead of printing your photos out in the usual sizes, why not print them out as Polaroid-sized photos or Instagram strips, which you can hang from clips along a custom wire photo display.
• Add them to custom coasters.Another great way to display a few of your fun holiday snaps is to print them on coasters. This is a great alternative to printing the photos for frames and you can still have them all over your home too.
• Print a photo book.Instead of printing each of your photos individually, why not turn your holiday photos into a fun photo book. It’s so easy to take multiple photos using our digital cameras and smart phones but we often forget to print our photos at all. There are a number of great websites and services available that make it super easy to create a photo book that will be delivered directly to your door.

With so many fun and creative ways to display and enjoy your holiday photos, there’s no longer any excuse for them to sit in a folder on your computer.

 

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.

 

I got a call from a family friend of the Morales’s telling me that she wanted to purchase a photo session as a gift for this family who is going through a lot right now. She mentioned that they have not had professional family photos in years and that the dad had been diagnosed with cancer.
I can not imagine what this family is going through but I knew that they needed that money more than I did so I gifted the session to this family all thanks to their family friend reaching out. Below is their story and a link to help support the Morales’s family.

Earlier this year, David was diagnosed with myxoid liposarcoma which is a rare form of cancer. He had surgery to remove a mass from his leg in April and was on his way to recovery being told that he was cancer free- being a cancer survivor, it’s important that you’re seen for checkups regularly and on Friday, December 7th David went to meet with his doctors to discuss his most recent scans. The news he was given on that day was not what anyone was expecting to hear. He was told that the cancer had returned and had metastasized to his bones. The cancer now resides in numerous areas of his body. He went from being cancer free to being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer within 6 months time.

David will undergo an aggressive chemo treatment over the next 5 -6 months that will include 5 days in the hospital and then 16 days at home, repeating this 6 times. During this time he will be out of work and his loving wife Bianca will be his primary care giver. Bianca holds the insurance for the family and will need to keep her job. She has been approved for FMLA so that she can help care for David on his journey to recovery, but David will be on disability and unable to bring home the full financial support that he is used to.

David is a very strong, dedicated and a giving man, and has done so much for so many people. He is the proud father of 6 beautiful children and enjoys attending church with his family and just having quality family time. David also has a passion for football and over the past 10 years he has given so much of himself to coaching youth football for his boys and community. He’s not only passionate about the sport but about seeing the players succeed in life. For those of you who are volunteers know that this has to be a selfless act, that’s definitely David.

The battle to fight cancer is a lot to worry about and David’s friends and family would like to get the Morale’s family with the added financial strain a critical illness can bring. Please follow the link below to help this family through this tough time.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read about their story.

 

Go Fund Me: https://www.gofundme.com/david-moralesconquering-cancer

You want to look your best on the day of your photo shoot and how you apply your makeup can play a big part in this. When it comes to doing your make up you want to enhance your natural features. Usually the less is more approach is the best way to go about this. To help you create a flawless natural look for your upcoming photo shoot consider these simple steps.

 

1. The base.

• Moisturize-

You always want to make sure you moisturize prior to applying your makeup. This will help keep the makeup looking fresh while keeping your skin hydrated. It also makes it easier to blend and limits creasing.

 

• Foundation-

After moisturizing, you want to apply your foundation over your entire face. Use a brush or blender to ensure you get an even coat over the entire area.

 

• Concealer-

Most women have a few trouble areas that they want to conceal, mainly around the eyes, mouth, and nostrils. Use concealer sparingly and make sure it is well blended in.

 

• Powder-

Applying a translucent powder to the center of the forehead, nose, and chin will reduce any shine you may experience. The camera will pick up any gleam your face gives off so you don’t want to skip this step but you do want to try to avoid any powders with glitter or shimmer as this will only be magnified.

 

2. The eyes.

• Eyebrows-

Many people neglect to use an eyebrow pencil to make their brows a little fuller because this can often be easily overdone. Using an eyebrow pencil, however, can make your eyes look wider and your face look younger. Starting at the bottom of your brow use a pencil to fill the brow in from the bottom up. You want to start off a little darker and lighten the color as you move towards the top to create a more natural look.

 

• Lids-

To help emphasize your eyes with eye shadow you want to use three colors. Start with a natural color that is close to your skin tone and apply it over the lid. Apply a darker color to the crease of the lid and finish with a highlighter color applied to the inner corners of the eye and along the brow bone. You want to ensure everything is well blended to maintain a natural look.

 

Don’t shy away from eyeliner either. Eyeliner will help frame the eyes and this can make them appear brighter. To apply the eyeliner you want to use a skinny makeup brush.

 

• Lashes-

Apply mascara first then the root of the lashes and then work your way out. Do this to both the top and bottom lashes and apply a second coat if necessary.

 

3. Contouring.

• Highlight-

Highlighter should be applied first before blush or bronze. This is the same highlighter you used with your eyes but along with applying it to the brow line and inner corner of the eyes you also want to apply it to the top of the cheekbones and center of the nose.

 

 

 

 

• Bronze-

Lightly apply the bronzer to the jaw line, sides of the nose, under the cheekbones and to the temple area.

 

• Blush-

Keep your blush a natural color and apply it to the checks. Make sure you blend it well with the highlighter and bronzer.

 

4. Lips.

To finish off you natural look you want to stick with a lipstick. There are so many nude colors to choose from so be sure to find one that keeps your _makeupwell balanced.

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.

Hi again, ladies and gents!

Let me stop for a second to tell you that I am seriously the luckiest photographer in the world. My clients are always so wonderful to work with. That’s true of my session with the Barr family, too!

I met up with them at Scorpion Gulch and the weather was perfect but it was the Barr family that made this shoot such a success.

The Barr family consists of Mom – Amy, Dad – Eric, Rosalie who is 8 years old and she has been on the honor roll since she was in kindergarten and loves spaghetti, Melody who is 6 years old and has the cutest little dimple on one cheek and loves babies, and Baby Luna who is just 2 months old and loves to smile at her daddy.

“We like to watch a new movie, eat some snacks in our pjs on the weekends.,” says Amy.

As you can see from the comments above and the photos, this family is not only photogenic, but also a close-knit group who clearly loves spending time together. Amy, Eric, Rosalie, Melody and Luna are lucky to have each other.

Hope you enjoyed the pictures!

So we meet again, dear blog readers!

The topic of discussion for today is none other than the cutest little boy, David. If the name or face look familiar to you, it’s because I’ve photographed this family before. Because my last session with this family went so well, I knew it wouldn’t be any different this time around. And I was right! Check it out for yourself:

I was over the moon when I got a email from Lisa saying she wanted to book a cake smash session. When I asked her the theme and vision, she had told me she wants it to be like the movie coco. I about went crazy and threw in the idea of doing a taco smash session instead! Mom was totally on board and I have never been more excited about a photo session in my life. We of course still had to include a little cake 😉

As expected, Mom and Dad did a wonderful job preparing David for our session. They brought all sorts of props and the cutest outfits to incorporate their culture. I mean how is this not the cutest session you have ever seen!

Why family portrait sessions are one of the best investments you can make.

There’s nothing more important than family; they’re the people you share your home and life’s experiences with, the people you share meals and happy moments with. You create memories with your family, which is why it’s so important to capture moments together as you are now.

It’s rare for you to get your entire family together in one shot but having those photos is truly special. Here’s why you should take the time to hire a professional photographer to shoot a beautiful family portrait session for your home.

1. Portraits are beautiful décor pieces. If you’re looking for something special to hang on your wall at home, a family portrait is the perfect option. Portraits usually work best on a focus wall, which is why it pays to hire a professional photographer. If you’re going to have a photo of your family in a prominent part of your home, it should be beautifully shot.

2. They last a lifetime. The reason why family portraits are seen as investments is because they’ll last for years. Photos like this can be passed down to future generations so that they have something special to remember their family by.

3. Portraits make for wonderful gifts. If you’ve been racking your brain for gift ideas for a family member, a framed family photo is a great option. Even more so if someone is having a milestone birthday and you’re looking for something extra special to give them.

4. It brings the family together. Shooting a family portrait is a great way to bring the family together so why not make a fun day out of it? Get your family members to come up with fun ideas for the shoot if you want to do something a little less traditional and take this opportunity to spend some additional time together afterwards so that you can attach some special memories to the portrait too.

There’s no time like the present to capture the special bond between you and your family.

Breastfeeding awareness group session

August is breastfeeding awareness month and I wanted to do something special for breastfeeding moms. I did a model call on my instagram page looking for mothers who would like to participate in a group breastfeeding session. I am so happy that these four moms were able to join me in Wickenburg, Arizona to bring my vision to life.

Being a mom who nursed for 19 months and has had a breastfeeding session, I know that they will cherish these images forever and when they look back at them later – with a little tear in their eye – they will be so happy that they were able to capture this special bond they shared with their not so little anymore.

I hope you enjoy seeing these mamas gorgeous images and reading their stories. Make sure to leave them some love in the comments!

This session turned out so perfectly and I loved hearing about their journeys so far. I mean seriously… look how amazing they all look in this group photo.

Mariah’s Story: Around 3 months I had a really rough time nursing. My nipples were raw and hurt all the time, and I didn’t know if I was going to be able to continue. But we pushed through and things have been wonderful ever since. My goal was to try and nurse for six months. I remember in the beginning not enjoying it at all, not just because it was painful but because it felt like a job or a chore I had to do every 2-3 hours. I reached out to a friend when I went through a rough patch and thought about quitting and she helped me push through and told me it would become something I would really cherish. I remember thinking she was crazy, but Logan is now 9 months old and I love the bond we share while she nurses and plan to continue until she’s at least one year. Logan likes to put her foot in my face and pull my hair while she nurses I think it is so cute!

Mariah’s Advice to nursing moms: Reach out to other nursing moms when you have questions and don’t be afraid to ask silly questions. I’ve learned so much on this crazy journey and can’t wait to share and help other mamas!

Lisa’s Story: My first daughter I breast-fed until she was almost 4!! But she was both bottle and breast. My second daughter was breast- fed until she was 6 months. Now, I plan to breastfeed until David wants to stop. I’m ok with him not wanting to be independent just yet!! Lol. It has been demanding though since he has refused a bottle and pacifier since day 1.. but it’s gone smoothly. I love that he puts his foot on my chest and hums while I am nursing him and it is something I will alway remember about our journey.

Lisa’s advice to new nursing moms: Stick with it for as long as you can. The benefits are amazing for both baby and you!! It’s precious time for you two to bond and enjoy together.

Steffani’s Story: Nursing came very easy to me and also to both of my babies. I’ve been very lucky and grateful to have come this far. I always knew I wanted to breastfeed my babies. Once I gave birth, I joined several online and in person support groups that were integral to our success during the learning process. They not only taught me what was normal and to be expected, but I formed great friendships with like minded mamas with similar aged babies. I recently started my tandem nursing journey and it’s been incredible. I love knowing that both my babies are getting the best possible nutrition, but they’re also bonding together and with me. It’s definitely minimized the jealousy factor and I couldn’t be more blessed. I plan to allow both my babies to self wean when they’re ready, but hopefully that won’t happen before they’re two. I feel so incredibly blessed to have this opportunity with my babies.

Steffani’s advice to new nursing moms: My advice to new nursing moms is to be patient and allow yourself and your baby time to adjust. It can be painful and extremely exhausting at times, but it gets easier and I don’t think any mom ever regrets any amount of time they spent breastfeeding. I’d also suggest joining support groups, whether online or in person, they are so beneficial to learning moms and babies.

Angela’s Story: I nursed my first child until about 6 months. After returning to work my supply drastically decreased and it was difficult to keep up to my child’s demand so I stopped once he was eating solids. I will try to go as long as I can with my second child. Overall nursing has been pretty smooth, it definitely helps to have taken a class and having friends who have nursed their children for support because something always comes up!

Angela’s advise to nursing moms: Do whats right for you and baby and don’t worry about other people. Talk to other nursing mommas for advice/support!