Welcome back to the blog, dear readers! Today I’m sharing a preview of the newborn lifestyle session I recently had with Teagyn, who was welcomed into this big world on 8/4/18 to Steffani and Anthony. As you can imagine, Mom and Dad are equal parts exhausted and delirious with their sweet baby girl.

When mom seen Teagyn for the first time she remembered thinking that she was so excited to finally have her precious little girl in her arms and that she couldn’t wait for their other kids to meet her. Their favorite part of having Teagyn home has been feeling like their family is finally complete. Mom said, “Teagyn is such an easy baby and so loveable. She loves to be snuggled and rocked.” How could they not totally be in love?

When I asked mom and dad how their other kiddos reacted to baby Teagan this is what they said,  “Teagyn is number 4 in our family. We have Madysen, who is 5, Bryli is 19 months, and Xavier is 11 months. Mady and Bryli have both become little mommies, always wanting to hold Teagyn and help me out with getting her diapers, wipes, blankets, etc. I was nervous to see how Bryli would respond to a baby, but she couldn’t be more in love. She loves to rock her in her swing, cover her with a blanket and hold her hand while she’s eating. Xavier hasn’t really discovered that Teagyn is here yet. He doesn’t ever go near her or acknowledge that she’s around, but as he grows, I know they’re going to be super close. I can’t wait to see how all their relationships start to form.”

Their family has expanded faster than most in the last 3 years, mom and dad have gone through foster care, an adoption, 2 pregnancies and are continuing their foster journey. It has really kept their hands busy and their hearts full. There’s never a dull moment in their house, but they wouldn’t have it any other way and I feel so lucky to have been given the chance to be a (small!) part of their parenthood journey.

Congrats on your growing family, Steffani and Anthony!

 

 

 

 

Fall mini session dates and locations

It’s that time of year again for mini sessions. I know a lot of you have been asking about mini sessions so I thought I would get a couple of dates on the calendar for you to start planning your session weather it be family, maternity or photos of your children. More dates may be added depending on how much interest there is. There will be a location at a creek (shown above) as well as a desert location (shown below) both located in the west valley.

$175 for 15 minutes time and 5 digital images.

Up to 5 people.

Only 6 spots available each day.

September 30th at desert location – Waddell, Arizona
4:30
4:45
5:00
5:15 –  Booked
5:30 – Booked
5:45 – Booked

October 14th at creek location – Wickenburg, Arizona
3:00 – Booked
3:15
3:30 – Booked
3:45
4:00 – Booked
4:15 – Booked

September 15th in Sedona

Have you wanted a destination session but haven’t wanted to pay destination prices. Your in luck! I will be in Sedona the 15th and 16th of September so I wanted to offer mini sessions while I am there so you can get them at regular session pricing!!!

$275 for 30 minutes time and 10 digital images.
Up to 6 people (pets welcome).

6:30am – Booked
6:45am – Booked
7:00am –
7:15am –
7: 30am –
7:45am – Booked

A 50% retainer fee is due within 24 hours to hold your date and time. If unpaid and someone else is interested in your chosen date and time your session will be passed on. I, of course, will send you a reminder email before I pass it on. To book your session please email me at info@ashleyflugphotography.com.

Hey pretty mama’s! I have this vision for a group nursing session and I am so excited to announce that Ashley Flug Photography will be offering this session on August 11th, 2018 at 5:30pm in Wickenburg, Arizona. Due to bad weather the session was rescheduled to August 26th, 2018 at 5:15pm and will still be held in Wickenburg.

I am looking to get 5 or more nursing mommy’s to be a part of a group nursing session. I would like for the mom’s to be in either ivory or blush colored dresses and the baby’s either naked with their tush showing or clothing to match mom. You will need to supply your own outfits so please keep in mind when choosing your dress that you will be able to nurse in it (I know, thats a given lol). The location the session will be held at has a creek and there may or may not be water in it so you might get your feet wet as well at your dress if it is long but it will be super gorgeous, I promise! If you need direction or pointers when choosing the perfect outfits I am here to help.

If you wish to have individual photos after the group session of you and your baby(s) you are more than welcome to stay after the group photo so you can have precious nursing images for your keepsake. The group session will last about 20 to 30 minutes and individual images will last about 10 minutes per mom. You will receive 3 digital images from the session in return for your time. These images will be used on social media and website so a model release will need to be signed stating you are ok with the images being used online. I, of course, would not post any images with your nipple showing if your little one were to unlatch during a photo.

If you are interested in being a part of this session please fill out the form below. I will then get you on the schedule and set up your client portal with all forms needed from you in order to attend. I will send exact location details the day before the session but it will be held in Whickenburg, Arizona so you can plan on how long it will take you to arrive before the session day.

Thank you so much for wanting to be a part of this and I look forward to meeting you and your babe!

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Kids are completely unpredictable. They can be so adorable and easy going and laughing uncontrollably one minute, and the next minute, turn that charm off it all completely off completely. They will typically smile for you all day long until you put them in front of a camera, then they freeze up like a deer in headlights. We want to avoid the gritted teeth and bug-eyed forced smiles during our session.

Here are some things you can do:

1. Make a list of things that your child thinks are are funny and send it to us prior to the session. This way, we can be prepared and add these things into our bag of tricks.
2. Also give us a list of icebreakers for your child. Tell us the kinds of shows they watch, music they listen to, friends’ names, favorite story, etc. This will give us something to talk to them about, and will help them to forget that they’re are in front of the camera.
3. Practice phrases at home to see which ones will evoke the best smiles from your child. Reverse psychology works really well, for example, “(Child Name) don’t look at the camera, don’t smile (Child Name)!”. It works for some and for others it does not. Please, oh please, avoid “Say cheese!” unless that really works for you child.
4. Try out a couple of jokes with them. During the session, we can ask them to tell us a joke and this will typically loosen them up as they tell it to us.
5. If there is a song that your child loves, load it up to your phone and bring it along with you, or be prepared to sing it for them during the session.
6. Bring along a bribe (such as a toy, a trip to the zoo, etc.) and show it to them, or remind them of it, during the session. Feel free to check out our blog post the power of bribery.

We are so excited to begin our journey with you! We’ve put together a few tips on how to gain the most referrals through our program. If you have found that something else works too, let us know and we’ll add it in.

• Have a good online social media presence. Actively post on your social media pages – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. When we do your session, post the photos to your pages, make them your cover photos and blog about your experience. Keep the hype up by talking about your photos on your social media. Talk about your session before and after it happens. We can even stop and post a selfie during if you’d like! Tag our page when you talk about us, so your followers will link to our page.
• Pass out your rep cards. We will give you personalized rep cards with your photos. Pass them out to your friends, teammates, classmates, etc.
• Mention us to juniors/seniors in other high schools. If you are in a lot of extracurricular activities that allow you to be around students from other schools, be sure to pass your rep cards along to them and let them know how much you love our company. We take on clients from within a 50-mile radius of our studio. If you need a list of approved schools, just ask and we’ll send it over. The more people you talk to about the session, the greater the chance of getting referrals.
• Talk about your session and how much fun it was. Whenever you show people your photos, talk about how much fun the session was. Include details from your experience to make them want to do it as well. We’re selling more than just beautiful photos, but the experience as well.
• Get your parents involved. Have your parents pass out rep cards to their friends at work who have teenagers that will soon need our services.

My family and I spend A LOT of time by the pool and at Lake Pleasant during the summer and I must say, I am obsessed with @swimzip swimming suits! With summer here I thought I would share them with you because they are seriously great! Plus they will be perfect for underwater photos this summer.

I have two great swimming suits by Swim Zip and I am amazed by the quality. They are some of the best swimming suits I have ever had for my daughter. I love how many different ways the three piece can be worn and I love how much coverage the surf suit has. Might I add that they are UPF 50+ sun protection and have a great variety of swimming suits to choose from for girls, boys and women! Check out some adorable photos of my daughter below.

Find more adorable swimsuits at www.swimzip.com

I get really excited about going into new parents homes and photographing the candid moments of babies first days. Today’s blog post features Melanie, Ken, and their newborn baby, Addisen, in those kinds of lifestyle, real-world images.

The session took place at their lovely home located in Litchfield Park, Arizona and the day was truly memorable. Don’t you just love the nursery? And you know there was so much love there based off the pictures alone! You can practically feel it through the screen! Congrats on your growing family, Mel and Ken!

What you’re paying for when you hire a professional photographer.
When you start shopping around for a professional photographer the prices can sometimes seem quite daunting. What very few consumers realize though is that there is a lot more to photographing your event than just clicking a button at the right time.
So what are you paying for when hiring a professional photographer?

1. Time is money. Just like any other professional, a photographer needs to put in the hours to get the job done. This includes the consultation, traveling to and from the location, shooting the photos, editing and processing the orders. You’d be surprised at how long it takes to get the end result that is finally delivered to you. Once they shoot the photos, it’s not as simple as downloading the images and delivering them to you. They have to process the files, convert it to the correct file type as well as make sizing and color adjustments to make each image pop. If your photographer is also creating a book or album for you, they need to spend time designing it too.

2. Equipment is expensive. Even though this is a very small part of why photographers charge the prices they do, it’s important to remember that quality equipment plays an important role in being able to produce the photos that they do. Professional equipment not only allows for the production of high quality images, it also gives photographers the ability to work in areas with less than favorable lighting conditions or at venues where using a flash is prohibited.

3. They have spent years acquiring a very specific skill. Photography, like any other profession, requires experience and specific skills. From knowing what lighting and camera settings to use, to knowing how to pose people and help them feel comfortable in front of the camera. Great photographers don’t rush the editing process either, it takes time to produce the desired result and turn your photo into a work of art that you’ll proudly want to display in your home.

4. It’s still a business. A professional photographer is still running a business, which means they will more than likely have overhead costs such as rental fees for their studio and the upkeep of equipment. Photographers also need to budget for professional association fees, equipment and liability insurance and fees for courses that will allow them to stay ahead by continuously honing their craft.

A professional photographer who is dedicated to their art and willing to go the extra mile for their clients is always well worth the price.

Having a child is one of the best experiences life can give you. They grow up so quickly, which is why it’s so important to cherish every little moment and milestone.
For parents, photography is a saving grace since it’s the one thing that helps them capture and preserve some of their favorite moments in the lives of their children. Below is a list of photos that you definitely don’t want to miss out on as a parent.

1. The lifestyle newborn shoot. You will never get this time back again so capture every little bit of it. Capture your baby as they dose or grab a shot of those tiny little feet. You can even snap a photo of them in that cute little onesie that grandma bought him.

2. The family shoot. Capture the time when your little one loves to play, is walking around and loves to cuddle with mom and dad.

3. The birthday parties. Every birthday is a milestone but their first birthday party is definitely one of the most special, don’t miss out on that photo opportunity.

4. The sibling shoot. If you’re adding a new member to the family, getting some shots with all your children together is a must.

5. The holiday shoot. Whether it’s for your yearly holiday card or you simply love celebrating holidays surrounded by your loved ones, holiday shots are up there with the have-to-haves.

If you can’t resist any of the above options but you don’t feel the need to have a full photo session for each of them, you can always opt for mini sessions, which are affordable and give you a handful of amazing images to treasure.