Happy Father’s Day to all of you amazing dads out there! You make our lives better and we are lucky to have you!
Here we have an 8x12 album with a tundra linen cover, a 6x9 album with a blush leather cover and an accordion book album.
It’s Important to Hold Your Photos
I am a BIG believer in being able to hold your photos. Call me old fashioned, but I think there’s something so special about being able to hold moments and memories in the palm of your hand. Plus, film just looks so beautiful on paper. That’s the main reason why ever single maternity, newborn and family session comes with a complementary set of 4x6 prints.
Another great way to create a tangible keepsake from your session is with custom photo albums! The cover of these albums are made of the highest quality fabrics, and the pages are thick and seamlessly printed on paper that’s meant to last several generations.
Products to Choose from
If you’re interested in ordering an album keepsake from your session, we have a few different options for you!
6x9 hardcover custom photo album with linen or leather cover $750
8x10 softcover custom photo album with photo cover $850
8x12 hardcover custom photo album with linen or leather cover $950
Set of 3 accordion albums with black fabric covers $95
The custom photo albums also include a complete set of digital files! Please note, accordion albums do not.
How to Order
For ordering a hardcover album, we recommend favoriting up to 10 images from your gallery to be in your album (usually three horizontal and four to six vertical images work well). For a softcover album (the ones with the photo covers), we recommend favoriting up to 20 images from your gallery, or across multiple galleries if you did a session bundle. From there we will create custom album spreads for you to preview and approve. Please note, we allow up to two design tweaks per album.
For ordering an accordion album, we ask that you favorite 10-12 photos from your gallery.
Cover colors, materials and further customization
Once you’ve decided on the photos you want in your album, now it’s time to choose the cover! We offer several colors in two different materials, linen and leather. Our favorites at the studio are linen in tundra and leather in blush, as you can see below!
If you’re interested in further customization (such as adding text or debossing), we are happy to accommodate for a small fee.
Here are all the colors and materials we offer:
Simple, Beautiful and Fast
Once your album is ordered, it usually takes 1-2 weeks to arrive to your door for you and your family to enjoy for years to come.
I’m been a family photographer for almost twenty years.
Before that I was a preschool and kindergarten teacher.
I’m also a mother to twin boys.
At this point in my life I feel it’s safe to say that I “get” kids. And one thing that I know for sure is this… sometimes children, especially toddlers, don’t do what you want them to do!
Ha!
Shocking, I know!
I also know that this particular character trait can be REALLY frustrating, especially at a photoshoot! So let me tell you how I handle toddlers who do NOT want to cooperate.
I Never Force Them To Do Something They Don’t Want To Do
I have learned over the years that the best way to bring on a meltdown is to try to get a toddle to do something they don’t want to do. So if your toddlers is giving me a hard no, I will respect that.
What I’ve found is when we don’t force the issue, they usually come around.
For example, in the photos below, the mom really wanted a picture of her toddler with the new baby.
Her toddler however, was NOT interested.
So instead of forcing the issue. We just waited. Eventually he decided that he was a little curious about what we were doing. I asked him questions about himself and about the baby. Things like “can you show me where your ear is? Can you show me where the baby’s ear is?”… and eventually we get the shots!
I Try to Make The Photoshoot Fun
I always have lots of toys and things for your toddler to do at the studio. Most of the time, it takes older kids a few minutes to warm up to me, and having fun activities for them to engage with is a great way to get them loosened up and ready for pictures!
I Have LOTS of Stickers and Lollipops
Because a little bribery never hurts, I have a tons of stickers and lollipops on hand!
I Have a Sense of Humor
Like I said, I’ve worked with kids for a really long time. So if your child doesn’t cooperate or has a little melt down, please do not worry about me or what I think. I get it. I’m a mom too!
Remember, photos are meant to capture your child as they are now. There is now right and no wrong. And I’ve been doing this for a really long time… I’m confident that we will get photos you will love!
There is nothing like those first few days at home with your new baby.
So full of love. So full of awe! And SO tired! Ha! I remember it well!
It’s seems like everything you do, even just simple every day tasks, is new. No longer can you just go hop in your car and run to the store, for example. Now you have to get the baby ready, fed, diaper changed, in the carseat, buckled… then you can go out to the car and to the store. It can all be overwhelming to say the least.
I recommend that families come in for their newborn photos within the first 10 days. And I know how hard it can be to just make it out the door in the early days! So let me help make it a little easier by sharing what you need to know to prepare for your newborn photo session.
How to Prepare Your Baby
Try to change and feed the baby right before you leave. A dry and well fed baby will likely fall asleep in the car on the way to the studio, and I’m REALLY good at being able to get sleeping babies out of the carseat and onto the bed at my studio without waking them up!
Most babies who come to the studio asleep will stay asleep for their entire session!
How To Dress Your Baby
Don’t worry about bringing fancy outfits. I find that newborns are best photographed in a simple swaddle or in just their diaper. So save yourself the trouble, and leave the outfits at home.
Feel Free To Bring Heirlooms And Special Items
Yes, I know I just said that I prefer to photograph babies in just their diapers, but if you have the blanket you came home from the hospital in or if Grandma spent eight month hand making something special for the baby…. bring them! Those things are important and I will do my best to incorporate them into your photos.
Expect To Be In The Photos
I always take a few photos of the parents with their new baby at each session, so come prepared! I find that neutral colors work best, and try to stay away from clothing with patters or logos.
Have Fun (And A Sense Of Humor)
My goal is to have your newborn session be relaxing and fun, but sometime newborns have their own plans.
If your baby cries. If they pee or poop on the studio bed, or even on me…. it’s okay!! I’ve been working with newborns for almost 20 years, and I’m the mother of twins. I’ve seen it all and nothing phases me… I promise.
Your photo session is a time to celebrate your baby and your new family! So enjoy it!
Oh, And One More Thing
If despite your best made plans, things happen and you’re running late, no worries… just give me a call or shoot me a text to let me know!
And if you have any other questions about now to prepare, fell free to send me an email at sandra@sandracoan.com.
I often get emails from clients concerned about the fact that I shoot in the studio. Their worry is that if they come in to the same location year after year, their photos will all look the same. Wouldn’t it be better to visit a new location each year for variety?
Now, I know that I’m a little biased. I LOVE studio photography! But I also think there are real benefits to having studio portraits done every year.
For one, it’s a great way to see and compare the changes in your children.
In a studio, there are no distractions. The focus is just on your kids and your family and the simple backdrop I use in the studio allows them to be the focus, not the location.
I also love the consistency! My goal is to always produce one or two images at each session that will be printed and hung on a wall. A wall display of studio images throughout the years is beautiful to me. Clean and timeless!
And as for the concern that your photos will all look the same, remember that your kids are constantly growing. Each time you come into the studio they will be in a differently place in their lives. So while you will have consistency in the style of your images, your photos will never look the same because your family won’t look the same. Each year there is something new to capture.
So don’t worry. If you, like me, love the timeless look of studio photography, just go with it! And image what a great collection of family photos you will have to share with your kids when they grow up! I personally can’t think of anything better!
2016 family session:
2017 family session:
2018 family session:
2018 was a big year for me!
I traveled around the country teaching other professionals about business, film and light. I worked along side of a handful of other amazing photographers to Beta test Kodak’s new Ektachrome 100. And, most importantly, I photographed hundreds of families, babies and individuals!
I’ve said it over and over again… I truly have the best clients! And 2018 was no exception.
To all the families who entrusted me with their photos, I want to say thank you! It is always such an honor to work with you! And I look forward to seeing you again in 2019!
xoxo,
Sandra
That's right… Santa is back in Seattle! Here’s your chance to dress your kids up in those cute holiday outfits and make sure they get their letters and wish lists to the big guy himself!
Santa is joining us in the studio on Saturday, November 24th to spread a little holiday cheer! This magical five-minute session with Santa is $105 for the sitting fee, online gallery, and digital files from your session or $75 for just the sitting fee and online gallery. All you have to do is select the date/time to reserve your spot and pay when you get here!
If you need a little outfit inspiration, check out this Pinterest board for cute fall and holiday looks!
As always, we will be using this event to give back to our community. This year we will be collecting donations of food, socks, underwear and toys for the Greenwood Family Works Food and Resource Center.
We're excited to see you there!!
Sandra & Santa
I frequently get emails and questions from clients about what to wear or how to dress their kids for their studio session with me. If you're a photographer, I'm sure you can relate! And as a parent, I totally get it. Although my boys dress themselves and have for a while now, figuring out outfits for families can be tough.
So, we've put together a roundup of some of our favorite outfits and clothing items we've seen in the studio for 2018 so far.
You can also find more outfit inspiration by heading over to my Pinterest page!
Simple white onesie with an adorable winter hat.
Simple neutrals, matching dresses and cute headbands.
More matching! Three sisters in light blue dresses.
Whites and pastels are always a good idea. And bows!
Seersucker always looks so cute! And I love the pastel colors.
The sweetest light blue, seersucker overalls. Those button details!!
More colorful, patterned outfits look great on film as well! I love that these siblings went with coordinating outfits as opposed to perfectly matching.
Give me all the cute baby headbands and simple dresses!
Both of these dresses are so fun and show so much personality. Plus, outfit changes during studio sessions are totally worth it!
I hope you find these outfits to be good inspiration for your next studio session!
These were just a few of our favorites we've seen so far in 2018. Let the cuteness continue!
About a year ago I wrote a post about what toys and props to bring to your newborn photo session and I featured images from a shoot where the mom had brought some truly unique and beautiful things to be included in the photos. (You can see that post as well as my list of suggestions by following this link)
Well, it has been a year since then, and the same family came back for their baby's first year photos with the same toys from their newborn session!
How fun is that?
So once again I'm featuring this adorable family along with some ideas for what to bring to your baby's first year photo session!
Party Hats
A party hat is always a fun prop to bring along to a one year photo shoot. I can’t promise that your baby will wear it for long, but I can promise that the shots will do get will be adorable!
Letter Blocks
I'm obsessed with letter blocks. I love the colors and fun patterns! These gorgeous blocks by Uncle Goose come in a variety of colors, patters AND languages!! I mean, how cool are these Japanese blocks that spell out this little guys name?! LOVE!
Special Family Items and Calendars!
This guys mom has been documenting his first year using a Fujifilm Instax camera, so we thought it would be fun to get some photo of him holding the camera! She also brought a calendar like the one we used in his newborn session to show off his Birth Day!
Favorite Toys
We also did a few shots with his favorite toys. I did this with my own sons when they were this age, and it's so fun to look back at those photos and remember how important those toys were to them and to our family
Book you session!
Do you have a baby in your life who you need photos of! Send me an email and I'll get you on the books! After all, they're only little once!
I'll never forget the day my children we born. All I wanted to do was look at them. I couldn't get enough.
Their little faces!
Their toes!
Their tiny fingers.
I would sit and just watch them sleep.
I loved the way they stretched and squirmed.
I loved their little yawns and baby sneezes.
They were so perfect!! I couldn't get enough.
I think about that every time I work with a newborn. I look at other people's babies just like I looked at my own; full of wonder and amazement.
Why I Don't Use Props
That is why I choose not to use props or unnatural posing in my work. I believe babies are perfect, just the way they are. They don't need anything else. Just a baby being a baby is enough for me.
I also know that newborns are precious and fragile little humans. They are meant to be cared for and protected which is why I would never place them in any kind of an unnatural pose.
What You Can Expect From Me
If you are bringing your baby in for a newborn session with me, please know this. I understand how precious this little person is to you. Our babies are our world and I know that.
I will keep your baby safe.
I will keep your baby warm and comfortable.
And I will create classic, timeless images that you can look back on years from now and see your child's personality shining through.
Remember, they're only little once. Don't miss it. Book your session today!
