Jessica+David in America

I have been waiting and waiting for my first chance to post a wedding. My patience has paid off because not only do I get to post 1, I get to post 2 for the same couple. This first post covers Jessica and David's beautiful fairy tale wedding in Georgia. The second one follows up tomorrow with pictures from the Bogota, South America ceremony.

I love it when you can catch a bride and groom with that look of love in their eyes.

The detailing in the dress was too beautiful not to include.

Sparklers are such a great send off!

Tune in tomorrow to see the happy couple as they celebrate in Columbia.

Someday Soon

Sandy asked me to post a quick update. The dry wall guy is scheduled, the church directory pictures are coming up, and there is a lot less mud in the future photography garden. Keith has been doing a different kind of shooting today, this time with a nail gun. I'll give you a hint, it involves a big stack of old red wood and a barn door, that's all I'm saying.

Sandy is planning on posting here as soon as she gets a free moment. She is dying to share about their trip to South America. In the mean time, I'll be posting a few of those pictures soon.

Growing and Changing

Isn't it amazing how much a baby can change in 3 months? They shed that newborn look and develop tiny personalities. They have started sleeping more, and hopefully, so have the parents. This means it is time for your next session.

To contrast the black and white newborn session, the next session is typically done on a white backdrop. The baby will be front and center for this session. They do not have to be dressed in all white, but lighter colors do work best. If you notice the picture above, the blue jeans, when paired with the white, really brings out the blue in the baby's eyes. Above all we want the baby to be comfortable. It is also smart to bring a back up outfit. When you are dealing with light colors and babies, it is a given that something is going to get spit up on.

Meet Taylor!

Taylor is another very important member of the Key Photography family. She is, for lack of a better word, our intern. We are teaching her important lessons that will carry her through life such as, how to make coffee the way Sandy likes it, and how to time your day based on Fed-Ex delivery schedules. I'm only kidding. Taylor has actually been teaching us a great many things about seniors and the cool hip things that senior like. She has been a great asset to our team and family. Thanks for all of your help Taylor!

When we aren't taking up her time, Taylor is a competition cheerleader and our senior ambassador to Central High School (Go Dawgs!). Make sure you pick a program at one of this year's games, find our ad, and get Taylor to autograph it for you. Bring it with you to your next session, and we'll work up something special to reward you for your school spirit.

Newbies

I thought the best place to start with session tips is at the beginning with newborns.

There is nothing sweeter than a newborn baby. We suggest photographing them the way they entered the world ... bare and beautiful. To really showcase your newborn, we set them against a black backdrop and photograph in black and white.

We encourage the rest of the family to join in this session. They should all be dressed in long sleeves shirts that are black or a color that will appear black, such as a dark navy. Comfort is an important thing to consider, so we often suggest blue jeans be worn to help you feel relaxed. Not only will you be more comfortable, but the baby will take their cues from you and feel more at home as well.
Be sure and let us know if you want to change things up. We are always willing to be flexible to your needs. If you want to work with a family baby blanket, or some sort of heirloom, just let us know.
After the precious pictures are done, don't be afraid to get cute. Bring a football for your future quaterback, or a pompom for the little cheerleader.

Back to School

Today is a big day in Forsyth County if you have school aged children. It is the first day of school, but for those homeschooling like the Keys, it's Monday. The big topic in my house last night was what my daughter was going to wear for the first day of 4th grade. She wanted to look her best while also being comfortable. The same can be said for people getting ready for a portrait session.
I could give you a one size fits all list of what to wear and bring to your session with us, but I have noticed that we have a wide variety of people coming through the studio. This requires a wide variety of tips.
I thought we would start with the youngest and move our way up. I'll be posting tips for newborns, children, seniors, engagement/bridal, families, and back and white. If I don't cover an area that you have questions about feel free to email me and I'll throw that in too. You can reach my inbox by emailing lynn@keyphotography.com

The Music

People have been asking who it is singing on the main site and where we found her, and what good is a blog if not to answer burning questions such as these. Her name is Christa Black and we found her on MySpace. She is from Nashville and has won us all over. In addition to her amazing singing voice, she is also the talent you hear playing the violin.

If you like what you hear, head on over to MySpace and be her friend. Better yet run to i-tunes and buy her songs like we did.

It's only right to give credit where it is do, and although we'd love to take credit for her MySpace picture (seen above), it is actually the work of a Nashville photographer named Tec Petaja.

See Christa in action in this You Tube video in which she sang backup and played violin for Micheal W. Smith at a Billy Graham event in San Diego. The song is "Above All"