I hope everyone is enjoying their summer! I know mine has been very memorable with lots of wonderful weddings and sessions!
I know that my blog has been abandoned for a while. I just wanted to let you all know that I will be back to blogging soon! I have some seriously exciting news to announce very soon and as soon as I do, it will be on here! To check out all of my recent work, please visit my website (http://www.kgphotographics.com/) or visit and become a fan on Facebook (www.facebook.com/kellygallivanphotography).
Be back soon!
Friday, July 22, 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
February and March
The last few months have been busy to say the least. Don't get me wrong, despite the crazy New England weather, they have been great! I have had newborn sessions, maternity sessions, and March was FILLED with my Janie and Jack sessions. I love doing the JJ sessions because I get the opportunity to meet some wonderful families. That alone makes the 24 sessions in 3 days worth it (not to mention the hours upon hours of editing and finalizing that happens in between the sessions and the viewing). So, in a nut shell, besides a few sessions in March, my time was filled up with Janie and Jack. There are so many wonderful shots. However, this year, I did not ask people to sign model releases, so I can not show you the 30 adorable faces that I met:(
But, what I can show is some of my newborn sessions I have had in the past few months.
First, I will share baby Sean. The coolest thing about Sean Jr's. session is within 24 hours of me uploading the sneak peek onto Facebook, one of my fans who works at CT Parent Magazine saw a photo and asked if they could use it for an article that they were publishing (about sleep). So, within 3 weeks of Sean being born, he was a published model! I'm sorry, but I think that is just plain cool!
After Sean, I had sweet Caroline's session. I talked about her Mom's maternity session in a previous post and I had mentioned that I wanted to make something special for them. Well....apparently I still have to work on my sewing skills, which I really am doing in my free time :) Although I was not successful, Caroline's session certainly was. She definitely made us work for it though. Geez, at 4 days old, this sweet little girl did not sleep! But, we waited and we got the shots! During one of them, I looked at her Mom and she had tears in her eyes. Not that I like to make people cry, but I loved that! I love tears of joy and capturing these once in a lifetime memories.
Then came Miss Grace. She was such a sweetie. Her parents drove over an hour to come see me and WOW was it worth it! After telling their parents about a pose that I have always wanted to do, they were totally up for it! I love doing new things and I think we were very successful! My goal for every session is to give my families photos that they will treasure forever.
But, what I can show is some of my newborn sessions I have had in the past few months.
First, I will share baby Sean. The coolest thing about Sean Jr's. session is within 24 hours of me uploading the sneak peek onto Facebook, one of my fans who works at CT Parent Magazine saw a photo and asked if they could use it for an article that they were publishing (about sleep). So, within 3 weeks of Sean being born, he was a published model! I'm sorry, but I think that is just plain cool!
This photo was the one that was CT Parent Magaize. Perfect photo for a sleep article!
After Sean, I had sweet Caroline's session. I talked about her Mom's maternity session in a previous post and I had mentioned that I wanted to make something special for them. Well....apparently I still have to work on my sewing skills, which I really am doing in my free time :) Although I was not successful, Caroline's session certainly was. She definitely made us work for it though. Geez, at 4 days old, this sweet little girl did not sleep! But, we waited and we got the shots! During one of them, I looked at her Mom and she had tears in her eyes. Not that I like to make people cry, but I loved that! I love tears of joy and capturing these once in a lifetime memories.
Then came Miss Grace. She was such a sweetie. Her parents drove over an hour to come see me and WOW was it worth it! After telling their parents about a pose that I have always wanted to do, they were totally up for it! I love doing new things and I think we were very successful! My goal for every session is to give my families photos that they will treasure forever.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Getting the best of your photo session
This is a post that I have been wanting to do for a while. This is not about any one session that I have had, but about several tips to make your session more successful. This blog is geared towards family and child portrait sessions, but can help with most other types of sessions.
PLANNING YOUR SESSION
1.LOCATION - When planning your session, I try to get an idea of what you are looking for. For instance, what kind of image do you want to portray? What kind of setting would you like - formal, studio, adventurous, urban, country, etc. ? I could go on, but you get the idea.
2.WHAT TO WEAR - This is a personal choice of yours. I will help you as much as I can. I do suggest not dressing "matchy matchy", but with complimenting colors and styles. Also, I do not suggest clothing with lots of busy patterns or outfits that you may look back on in 10 years and think..."hmmm, what was I thinking"?
3. TIME OF DAY - If you have a younger child, what time of the day is better for them? For on location sessions, it is better to do it early in the morning or later in the afternoon, right before sunset. If your child is a morning riser and is the happiest in the morning, then this is when we should do it. If your child is like my son who is grouchy in the morning, but is great in the afternoon, then that's the best time. Also, make sure your children are well fed before the session. Bring extra snacks with you, but I can not tell you how many times I've had to go through photos and remove orange fishy crumbs around mouths and sometimes, in their mouth (and it gets on their clothes too).
4. PREPPING YOUR MIND - Come to the session with an open mind and patience. Yes, sessions can be stressful, getting everyone ready and in a good mood can be tough. BUT, if you come to a session knowing that not every photo is going to have every person smiling every time (yes, I am repeating "every" a lot), you will be disappointed. A common phrase I hear is - "We have to do this quick, I don't know how long they are going to last!" Well, "plopping" a child down on the ground and say "smile" is not going to work. You are almost guaranteed tears. Especially with toddlers, they sense that you are frustrated and they will react to you. Not to mention, they are meeting this new person that is pointing this big black camera at them for the first time. What I try to do is let them get comfortable, with their surroundings, with their outfit (bibs are a good thing) and with me. If you have more than one child, I let them interact with each other (and they also make the best photos) and wait for the right moment to direct them to what I want them to do. It is my job to capture those precious moments that will help you remember them forever. If you have looked at my photos, you will see that I am not a "sit and smile" photographer. Although, having a few of those are wonderful, I also love to capture the expressions and emotions of everyone I photograph, whether it is in the studio or on location, I actually love the photos when they are not smiling the best. Of course, I will ask them to smile, but most of the time, I am really trying to get that genuine, one of a kind expression that only your child makes. These are the photos that I know will you will treasure forever.
5. BREAKS ARE GOOD - Sometimes, I will suggest a break. If a child is really upset or acting out, take a deep breath and let them step away from it all. If you are in the studio, there have been many times that I will let them watch tv or color for 5 or 10 minutes. Let them get over the tantrum and then resume. It works 95% of the time. If we are on location, take them for a short walk, let them sit down and relax, what ever will help them calm down. It is so much better to take 10 minutes out of the session then have 50 photos of blood shot eyes and tears streaming down their red faces.
6. SESSION IS DONE, now what? When I go through your photos, I try to give you as much of a variety as possible. If you only like the photos where your children is sitting still and smiling, that is fine. I also suggest getting some that have those other expressions. Also, I am a HUGE fan of wall art, like canvas gallery wraps and print wraps. These are types of prints that are easily mounted on the wall and frames are not required. What I love about them is how easy it is to expand the collection or move them around. Even starting with 1 larger one and growing the collection year after year will give you an amazing archival display that you will cherish through the years.
I hope this helps you plan your session. These are just a few tips that will help you achieve your goal. Of course, you know your child best and I will work with you to provide you with the best portraits I can. Every session is different and I look forward to each and every one of the them.
PLANNING YOUR SESSION
1.LOCATION - When planning your session, I try to get an idea of what you are looking for. For instance, what kind of image do you want to portray? What kind of setting would you like - formal, studio, adventurous, urban, country, etc. ? I could go on, but you get the idea.
2.WHAT TO WEAR - This is a personal choice of yours. I will help you as much as I can. I do suggest not dressing "matchy matchy", but with complimenting colors and styles. Also, I do not suggest clothing with lots of busy patterns or outfits that you may look back on in 10 years and think..."hmmm, what was I thinking"?
3. TIME OF DAY - If you have a younger child, what time of the day is better for them? For on location sessions, it is better to do it early in the morning or later in the afternoon, right before sunset. If your child is a morning riser and is the happiest in the morning, then this is when we should do it. If your child is like my son who is grouchy in the morning, but is great in the afternoon, then that's the best time. Also, make sure your children are well fed before the session. Bring extra snacks with you, but I can not tell you how many times I've had to go through photos and remove orange fishy crumbs around mouths and sometimes, in their mouth (and it gets on their clothes too).
4. PREPPING YOUR MIND - Come to the session with an open mind and patience. Yes, sessions can be stressful, getting everyone ready and in a good mood can be tough. BUT, if you come to a session knowing that not every photo is going to have every person smiling every time (yes, I am repeating "every" a lot), you will be disappointed. A common phrase I hear is - "We have to do this quick, I don't know how long they are going to last!" Well, "plopping" a child down on the ground and say "smile" is not going to work. You are almost guaranteed tears. Especially with toddlers, they sense that you are frustrated and they will react to you. Not to mention, they are meeting this new person that is pointing this big black camera at them for the first time. What I try to do is let them get comfortable, with their surroundings, with their outfit (bibs are a good thing) and with me. If you have more than one child, I let them interact with each other (and they also make the best photos) and wait for the right moment to direct them to what I want them to do. It is my job to capture those precious moments that will help you remember them forever. If you have looked at my photos, you will see that I am not a "sit and smile" photographer. Although, having a few of those are wonderful, I also love to capture the expressions and emotions of everyone I photograph, whether it is in the studio or on location, I actually love the photos when they are not smiling the best. Of course, I will ask them to smile, but most of the time, I am really trying to get that genuine, one of a kind expression that only your child makes. These are the photos that I know will you will treasure forever.
5. BREAKS ARE GOOD - Sometimes, I will suggest a break. If a child is really upset or acting out, take a deep breath and let them step away from it all. If you are in the studio, there have been many times that I will let them watch tv or color for 5 or 10 minutes. Let them get over the tantrum and then resume. It works 95% of the time. If we are on location, take them for a short walk, let them sit down and relax, what ever will help them calm down. It is so much better to take 10 minutes out of the session then have 50 photos of blood shot eyes and tears streaming down their red faces.
6. SESSION IS DONE, now what? When I go through your photos, I try to give you as much of a variety as possible. If you only like the photos where your children is sitting still and smiling, that is fine. I also suggest getting some that have those other expressions. Also, I am a HUGE fan of wall art, like canvas gallery wraps and print wraps. These are types of prints that are easily mounted on the wall and frames are not required. What I love about them is how easy it is to expand the collection or move them around. Even starting with 1 larger one and growing the collection year after year will give you an amazing archival display that you will cherish through the years.
I hope this helps you plan your session. These are just a few tips that will help you achieve your goal. Of course, you know your child best and I will work with you to provide you with the best portraits I can. Every session is different and I look forward to each and every one of the them.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Cynthia and Eric and their Baby to Be
Last weekend, I had the opportunity to photograph an amazing couple just weeks before their little one is due to arrive. Although my sister is friends with Cynthia's sister, we just met this weekend. I have so much admiration for Eric and Cynthia, with only meeting them for a few hours, I know that they are a strong and endearing couple. Their little one is going to hear an earful when she is born with the things this couple has gone through, including a house fire in December. I can not wait to hear the news of their baby girl arriving. In fact, I'm getting my sewing machine out and attempting to make something special for their newborn session. Stay tuned to see if I can actually do it!
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Caleb
I had the wonderful opportunity to photograph Caleb at just over a week old. He was such a sweet heart and I could have spent the whole day clicking away. At first, Caleb was not so sure if he wanted to participate so his parents stepped into the photo shoot and let me say...These were my favorite images of the whole session. The love that Ben and Rachelle share for each other and their sweet baby boy, honestly, almost brought me to tears. I even made a comment during the session that every time I asked Ben to look at me after looking at his gorgeous wife and beautiful son, he just gave me the sweetest grin. This family is so beautifully sweet, I am so excited to be capturing them for the next year.
I would love to upload the whole session, but here are a few of my favorites :)
I would love to upload the whole session, but here are a few of my favorites :)
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Gavin
I can definitely say that there is a baby boom for me in 2011! That is fine with me. I love my newborn sessions. I always say that is probably one of the times I love my job most. I get to play with tiny little newborns and help their parents capture this special time that really does not last too long.
I started this year with Gavin. I actually just finished he's brother, Brady's first year in September and I am so happy to be working with this family again. Gavin did so well during his session. We got him to sleep and then we went to town.
I am looking forward to his 3 month session. Hopefully, it will be in different weather!
I started this year with Gavin. I actually just finished he's brother, Brady's first year in September and I am so happy to be working with this family again. Gavin did so well during his session. We got him to sleep and then we went to town.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Baby to be
It's not a secret. I love maternity sessions. I truly believe that every woman is gorgeous when they are pregnant and I always feel so privileged to be able to capture this important period in a New Mom's life. I just say...Embrace the curves.
I recently had a maternity session with Autumn. She is so sweet and may I say, GORGEOUS! She was up for any suggestion that I gave her. I always consider it a compliment when people just meet me for there session and let me work. I can not wait until her baby girl arrives.
I recently had a maternity session with Autumn. She is so sweet and may I say, GORGEOUS! She was up for any suggestion that I gave her. I always consider it a compliment when people just meet me for there session and let me work. I can not wait until her baby girl arrives.
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