​1. Pick out everyone's outfits sooner rather than later.
    a. Wear something you're comfortable in, and make sure that your little(s) are comfortable in their outfit as well.
         b. Think coordinating/ complimentary not matching.
         c. Avoid busy patterns.
        d. If you're concerned about your little ones getting messy or rumpled in the car on the way to your on-location session, just wait and dress them after you arrive. I always build a little cushion of time each session.

​2. Make sure everyone is fed and rested (that includes you too).

3. Consider bringing the following with you:
         a. non-messy, quick snacks (goldfish crackers, Puffs, apple slices), water, a bobby pin or barrette if you're worried about the wind, lipstick or gloss for touchups, and a hair brush
         b. for beach sessions - a towel. It's FUN to finish your session splashing in the water!
         c. PJs for your littles - If it's a mid-summer session, we won't be finishing up until close to 8pm. If there's a possibility your little one(s) might fall asleep in the car, bring their PJs with you so you can go ahead and change them before strapping them in for the ride home.

Well-rested and fed children are cooperative children! 
happy children photographed in Orange Beach, AL,  Perdido Key, FL, and Gulf Shores, AL

​4. Prepare your children (and anyone else who may be a bit on the fence about the session).  Talk up the session, let the kids pick a must-have shot, and feel free to pick a good bribe (ice cream and suckers are the most popular).
         a. If you're concerned your child might be nervous, consider bringing a favorite book, small toy, bubbles, or something else that they enjoy or brings them comfort.

5. Ladies - Even if you don't usually wear much (or any) makeup, wearing a little for your session will do you nothing but favors! Even just a little foundation/powder, mascara, and a swipe of lipstick will look amazing!

6. Once the session has started, relax, play, smile, kiss, and hug. I'll get "the shot!" I don't expect anyone's kids to be angels. I'm a new person, my camera can be intimidating, and your children are probably wearing new clothes. I promise that I'll work with them and get some great photos, and your kids will be relaxed if YOU are.
         a. Also, don't forget that you don't have to look at the camera for all of the pictures! I will still get a few more traditional, family portrait-type pictures, but I bet your favorites will end up being the ones where you're interacting as a family!

7. Let me take individual pictures of each child. Every person, every child has their own personality. Let's give them their minute in spotlight to shine!

8. And let me take a picture of just you and your partner! We need more than just a selfie with our significant other! I'm actually a master at holding an infant on my hip while grabbing a quick photo of the two who started it all!

​And finally for the in-home family photography sessions...
9. Take a couple of minutes and de-clutter the space where I'll be photographing your family. I'm not saying your house needs to be magazine ready, just consider stuffing those magazines in a drawer, throwing the alarm clock under your bed, and putting a few toys away.

It's that time of year again...time to start planning for your Pensacola and Perdido Key Christmas Photography pictures!
This year's Christmas Mini Sessions will take place on 4 dates with your choice of 2 locations and morning and afternoon session times. Beach sessions will be the afternoons of November 16th, 23rd, and 24th and Woodsy sessions are available the afternoon of November 17th and the morning of November 23rd. Specific location addresses and times will be given after booking.

2019 Christmas Mini Sessions - $100
Each session is 10-15 minutes
Unlimited family members
Your choice of 3 high-resolution images via digital download with print release

NOTE: Date and time slots are notated Beach or Woods and have the time frame listed. Make sure you choose the location and time of day you want.

Custom designed holiday cards, prints, and additional digital image downloads will be available for purchase when you receive your viewing gallery. Viewing galleries will be up within 7 days of your session to ensure plenty of time for selection and any additional products you may decide to purchase.

These amazing mamas were strangers when they arrived for our photography session that evening in Perdido Key, FL. 
Each of the pregnant mamas are due within a month of each other, and by the end of our sunset session, they were all friends. In fact, they're still in touch with on another on their journey!

Have you or someone you know suffered a loss?
Whether you realize it or not, the answer is yes.
Here's a link to a great website with information on how you can support a friend or family member who's going through or has gone through a loss.
​https://starlegacyfoundation.org/how-family-and-friends-can-help/

A rainbow is a promise of sunshine after rain, of calm after storms, of joy after sadness, of peace after pain, and of love after loss.

Pensacola Photographer | Pensacola Family Photographer | Northwest Florida Photographer | Pensacola Newborn Photographer| Gulf Shores Newborn Photographer |Pensacola Maternity Photographer | Pensacola Newborn Photography | Gulf Shores Maternity Photographer| Pensacola Birth Photographer | Pensacola Birth Photography| Orange Beach Family Photographer | Pensacola Maternity Photographer | Gulf Shores Maternity Photographer | Pensacola Birth Photographer | Pensacola Birth Photography

This year's Global Big Latch on with Belly to Cradle, LLC was such a fun event! Sacred Heart Hospital Pensacola kindly gave us use of the Greenhut Auditorium for the event and it was amazing to have all of that space to meet local breastfeeding moms and area businesses.

Just before the Big Latch On itself, this year's speaker - Kelly Rowland, local mom, business coach, and host of The Balanced Podcast shared about her NICU experience with her twins, life as a mom, and the upcoming release of her new book!
Then, the highlight of the event: at 10:30 am (CST), moms from all of the globe latched on and nursed their babies together!

After the Latch On, we wrapped up the morning by drawing raffle prizes donated by some amazing local businesses.

Throughout the event, yours truly was set up in the atrium offering free breastfeeding portraits to any and all attendees. Below is just a sampling...

A finally, a list of all of the amazing local vendors who helped make this event what it was!
MOMS Club of Pensacola-SW-FL
MOMS Club of Pensacola-NE, FL
MOMS Club of Pace/Milton
Escambia County Healthy Start Coalition
Emerald Coast Alliance for Breastfeeding Support
Community Health Northwest Florida
Natalie Zepp Photography
The Strength Group
Lauren Maschner, Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant
Advanced Dental Concepts
Margeaux Gibson, Heart-Centered Holistic Therapy for Women
Pensacola Kids Dentistry
Treehouse Therapies, LLC
Over The Moon Prenatal Massage
Simply Royal Princess Parties

Additional raffle items contributed by: 
Emily Ehlinger/Renu - A Skin Studio
Angela Jarvis/ Mydetoxhealth
Solly Baby
Plant Therapy
Emily Ley
Countertop
Mom Bodies Physical Therapy
Nested Bean, Inc
Doula MK

Have you checked out The Park at OWA in Foley, AL yet? You really should!

Just a little over 10 miles north of the sugar sand beaches of Gulf Shores, AL and Orange Beach, AL you'll find OWA located on the Beach Express in Foley. Downtown OWA is located just outside of The Park at OWA's gates, so there's no admission charge to enjoy the 7 (and growing) restaurants, various shops, arcade, etc. Looking for more thrills than just a yummy meal? Through the gates of The Park at OWA you'll find 21 family-friendly rides, a selection of traditional Midway games, plus an interactive splash pad.

At the beginning of summer, our family decided to spring for season passes for the kiddos. This grants us a year's worth of Park access, discounts on single-day passes (if we want to bring a friend or family member), early-access to new rides and events, priority access to special events, as well as discounts in the Park. MY favorite part is that non-riders are FREE! This means, my husband and I can take the kids and let them ride as long as their hearts desire, and it doesn't cost a cent for he and I to be in the park with them; we just can't ride the rides (which this fraidy-cat is totally fine with.

We headed over to The Park at OWA yesterday after an early dinner, because as season-pass holders, the kids were able to ride the newest ride, Mystic Mansion, the day before it officially opens to the public (today).

All three of our kids, ages 14, 12, and 5, enjoyed the ride and blasting some ghosts! Our 5-year-old said it was a little scary, but he soldiered on and shot every ghost he saw.

My husband and I tend to "divide and conquer" when we take our kids to places like this. With a 7 and 9 year gap between kiddos, they're not exactly interested in the same amusement park experience so we split up and one of us takes our youngest and the other goes with the older 2. Luckily, OWA really does have something for everyone! Our 5-year-old who is NOT a fan of heights or speed is very happy enjoying the Kid Rides, and his big sisters still get to have some heart-pounding thrills.
And sometimes, as 2 of the pictures above show, his sisters take one for the team and ride along with him.

OWA is open from 11 am - 9 pm (weather permitting) which provides a great opportunity for evening family-fun that avoids the mid-day heat! We got to the park around 6:45 yesterday evening and the kids were able to ride every ride with time to spare before the park closed.

Another fun reason to go in the evenings is to see Downtown OWA light up the night with GLOWA. 100% FREE, 6 nights a week (weather permitting) from 8 pm - 9 pm, DJs create a block party bash behind the fountain in Downtown. There are hit songs, fun lights, a colored fountain show, and last night there were even acrobatic dancers!

I'll leave you with a few more pictures from yesterday's visit and an assurance that you should go - you won't regret it! The crowds are non-existent, the lines are short, and the thrills are great.

Did you know that I offer professional business headshots? 
I do!
I can bring everything to your office for a simple, clean background, or we can meet somewhere around town for a headshot portrait that really shows off your personality!

If you're interested in a headshot just for you, I'm available for that as well. You can even come to my house to make it quick and easy!

Interested in updating your headshots? Email me for pricing.
findingbeautyphoto@gmail.com

Let me prove it!
Though digital images are what my Pensacola family photography and newborn portrait clients most request, I also make a point to let my clients know about the professional print and canvas products I offer! I do this for 2 reasons:

• 1 – I REALLY want you to print the photos from our sessions and hang them on the walls in your home and office. I worry that in 50 years, we'll have an entire generation of people with hardly any physical photographs - they're all going to be on a hard drive or the cloud or maybe even lost to changing times.
• 2 – I want you to understand that there’s a difference in the prints that come from a professional photographic print lab versus prints that come from a commercial lab (Walmart, Target, CVS, Shutterfly, Walgreens, etc).

Before you ask, yes, ordering prints from will cost more than if you had them printed at the corner store. But, prints ordered through me are always printed on professional grade, archival paper that are individually sized by me (to ensure proper cropping), then, upon arrival at my home, the photographs are hand checked (again, by me) before they're delivered to you!

I’ll sit here a minute while the shock wears off.
I have to admit I even I was surprised at the extreme difference in some of these pictures. I knew they would be off, but I didn’t expect it to be this bad!
Let’s break it down –

• Professional Lab – I have to admit I was a bit disappointed that the print from Millers had darkened the shadows a tad. But I will say that at least they lost NO detail in the image itself and the glossy paper was gorgeous.
• Walmart – Ok, on first glance, it kinda looks close-ish to the original file. But, with the print in hand you feel that awful dry "photo paper” that they use. The picture is horribly washed out and has lines through it from their printer.
• CVS – SO much cyan and green added! They also bumped the contrast was up leading to this sweet little girl now having shark eyes.
• Target – Very similar problems to the CVS print
• Shutterfly – Overall, the Shutterfly print isn’t that bad. They darkened the image a tad and upped the contrast, but I guess it’s “ok.” though the paper quality was no where near the quality of the professional lab

OOO look at all the pretty blues and greens. (There really should be a sarcasm font.)

Ok, obviously, these labs will do if you want snap shots or need 1 hour pictures printed for a school project or something where the quality isn’t that important to you. I’m not saying they don’t have their place in the market. But, if you’ve paid a professional photographer hundreds of dollars to take portraits of your family, why would you then trust a "budget" printing company over a professional printer. The professional labs that I use print on archival quality paper that is made to stand the test of time.

Over the next few months, I'll be stepping away from my typical photography blog posts at times in order to highlight some of my favorite local, small businesses and their owners. As a small business owner myself, I feel it's very important to support other Pensacola area business owners.

First up is Amber Roman with Belly to Cradle, LLC. 

​Amber is a certified doula, childbirth educator, and placenta arts specialist, providing comprehensive birth care and support for families in Pensacola and the surrounding areas. Belly to Cradle, LLC was established in 2011 with the desire to support families through pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum. Since then, Amber has provided birth support at more than 120 births, and has walked with dozens more families through their pregnancy, breastfeeding, and early parenting journeys. 

Amber describes herself as a pretty introverted person, but feels becoming a doula has allowed her to really break out of that shell allowing her to meet and bond with people that she never would have under any other circumstance. She says that she, "loves watching and helping new clients develop the bond between themselves and their new baby, as well as their community. Helping them reach out and find the 'village' that will be there for them in the timeframe after baby arrives is so important." 

Check out the Belly to Cradle, LLC Facebook page to read spotlights on Lauren, Lydia, and Christina.

Amber also owns Pensacola Placentas, an affiliate of Belly to Cradle, which offers options such as: placenta encapsulation, an umbilical cord keepsake, placenta tincture, and a placenta print.

Since it is the Christmas season, I am going to start off with these super cute, and affordable, custom Christmas ornaments. On the left is a bamboo ornament that comes in your choice of 13 sizes & shapes (the one show is 4″x2.5″). They’re ~1/4″ thick and show the beautiful, natural grain of the bamboo through the image. On the right is a sweet metal ornament that can be ordered in the design shown or a snowflake.
These ornaments not only look lovely on your own tree, they make a fantastic gift for grandparents!
Next up is an item I’ve been proudly using for 2 months now: a custom cell phone case.

What a great way to show off your babies – without having to even unlock your phone screen.
Cases are black rubber grip with interchangeable photo inserts. These aren’t sold as “protective cases” like Otterbox, Lifeproof, etc – BUT, my toddler has dropped and thrown my phone multiple times on quite a few different surfaces, and so far, no damage has occurred to my Samsung S6.
Cases are available for the Samsung Galaxy S6, iPad Mini, and  iPhones 4, 5, 6, & 6 Plus.
The base order includes 1 case and 1 insert – additional inserts can be added to your order or ordered at a later date.

Custom designed cards are perfect for new baby announcements, Birthday invitations, Graduation announcements, Christmas cards, etc.
So, now you’ve seen the beautiful, high quality, and affordable products we carry for our clients. But, just because you don’t see it here doesn’t mean we can’t get it. So, if there’s ever something special that you have in mind, just ask!

In this three part series, we'll discuss what to do after your portrait session is over!  Part One will talk about what you're doing with your digital files.  How are you safe keeping them?  Part Two will discuss how where you have your pictures printed matters.  And Part Three will give you ideas about how to best display your portraits after you print them.

Did you know that over time, CDs and USBs can become corrupt and unreadable?  What would you do if your hard drive crashed?  Yes, you'd most likely lose important documents, but you'd also risk losing all of your family's pictures.  Did you know that most professional photographers only keep client's images for a couple years?  We just don't have the storage space - plus, when we save files it's on at least 3 different devices. 

We hear it and read it all the time.  "Do I get the digital files?"  
In many cases, the answer is yes.  
My question to you though, is this - What are you doing with those digital files?  

Are you ordering professional quality prints and albums from your photographer?  Or are you trusting the nearest big box store or corner drug store with your printing needs?  

If you actually order prints, what are you doing with them?  Are you displaying them on the walls of your home?  Are you adding the prints to baby books or photo albums?  Or, are they just getting dumped in a photo box?
I would like to bet that if I stopped 10 random people and asked them what they do with their digital files, more than half of them with answer me with, "They're still on the CD/USB the photographer gave me," or, "I shared them on Facebook," or if they downloaded the files, "They're in a folder on my hard drive."

Say you get the digital files from your photographer.  Did you read your contract and/or print release?  If you have a professional photographer, at least one of those documents will have instructions on how to safe guard your images.  My personal Print Release card contains the following statement: "All digital media can become corrupt over time.  I highly recommend that you download the images off the CD/USB onto at least one computer to ensure the safe keeping of your images."  My Portrait Contract has the following clause: "FBO Photography is responsible for providing storage of their images for one year only.  After one year, images may be deleted or removed.  Client releases FBO Photography from liability of photo storage after one year."

This is not to say that I actually delete client's files after a year, but it does mean that I could.  And I know several professional, top of their field, photographers who do.