I have officially launched my NEW SESSIONS and I’m so excited about better serving my amazing clients with these new offerings that include some great new products and add-ons.
For TODAY ONLY, subscribers can book my previous sessions, seen below, one last time.
Clients who have sessions booked can upgrade to the new sessions if they choose.
FARGO-MOORHEAD METRO AREA PHOTOGRAPHER
If you’ve never thought about booking a sunrise session in the summer, I’m here to not only make you think about it, but actually see why there are fewer decisions you’ll make the rest of this summer that are better than booking one today. Plus, any of my sessions can be scheduled as a sunrise session. Here are six reasons why you should book a sunrise session before the summer is over.
A huge part of photography is lighting. The direction of the sun in relation to the subject(s) and the position of sun in the sky have the potential to make or break a photo, or take it from so-so to exceptional. All of my sessions, unless it absolutely can’t be helped, take place in the early morning or evening because that is when the sun is low. It prevents the dreaded shadows and squinting that comes with the harsh sunlight throughout the day. It makes for the perfect, soft, filtered light that this photographer’s dreams are made of.
Summer provides an opportunity that no other seasons offer in sunrise sessions. The sun is up early, and with it, the morning temperatures are cooler. This allows you to avoid the oppressive heat you’re likely to deal with for a session at any other time of the day, without it being downright chilly like a morning session is any other season of the year.
If you have early risers like my Lola, this is truly a no-brainer. Parents often stress about how their kids will behave or cooperate for a session. Keeping kiddos up later for an evening session (the other ideal time when it comes to sun) can backfire, because by the end of the day they’re tired and their cooperation is truly a wild card. Anyone who has come within ten miles of any toddler knows what transpires when they’ve hit their max for the day, and there’s really no coming back from it once a kid has become overly tired. Morning sessions offer the same low sun that creates dreamy, soft photos, and most little ones are usually happier in the morning, making it ideal for families with younger children to avoid those dreaded meltdowns.
You already have to get ready for the day anyway, so why not just get up A LITTLE earlier for just ONE DAY, rather than come home and fuss with it all again for an evening session? This way you kill two birds with one stone. If you’re not afforded the luxury of a flexible work schedule that allows for you to maybe come into work a bit late to do a session during the week, you’re in luck, because weekends have sunrises too! While I can attest firsthand to the beauty of sleeping in on a weekend, there is a great deal of satisfaction and superiority that can come from being up on a weekend and already accomplishing so much. It could kick start a day or whole weekend of productivity you didn’t know you had in you, or if you decide you deserve a reward for your efforts, you can just go back to bed or be lazy the rest of the day because, let’s be honest, you’ve already done enough. Any way you slice it, booking a summer sunrise session just makes sense.
While some summer evenings I’ve shown up to a location for a shoot and there are literally CROWDS of other families and their photographers all taking turns for the same piece of prime photography real estate, morning sessions, because they are not for the faint of heart- but YOU are NOT faint of heart, my friend- are often much less crowded and far more quiet. This is ideal for anyone who feels self-conscious taking photos in front of people, which is most people, because who wants gawkers and squatters all up in their faces while they’re supposed to look natural? No one, that’s who.
In all seriousness, as I’ve already mentioned, sunrise sessions obviously offer the ideal lighting scenario for photos, but it should be noted that if you’ve never been up to really witness and be a part of the sunrise when the rest of the world is still sleeping or too busy to notice as they commute to work, it’s a bucket list must. There is truly something so amazingly calming and energizing at the same time about the stillness of a sunrise on a summer morning that makes it 100 percent worth experiencing at least once.
If I’ve done my job and convinced you, and you’re looking to book a sunrise session in this last part of summer, contact me so we can get you on my calendar. If you know someone who would be interested in a sunrise session, share this article with them so we can get in touch!
Family reunions are a staple in our culture, which is why the pandemic was extra hard on most of us. Going months, a year, or more without being able to physically hug and squeeze our loved ones made all of the things that were already so challenging to navigate this past year all the more difficult.
So as the vaccine rolled out, I wasn’t surprised to start to get inquiries for Multi-Mini Sessions for this summer. We are all itching to be reunited and we have been reminded just how precious that family time we had taken for granted truly is. We are also reminded how important photos are to families.
Case in point of how important it all is: the matriarch of this fun family unfortunately fell ill and was recovering in the hospital at the time of their family reunion, so she was not only unable to attend, but also be in the photos. In the end, they were all able to still see her, and she was happy to have photos of her family nonetheless. I spent some extra time with two of the individual families, the Shankles and the Rheaumes, doing Mini Sessions for them before the extended family session, so there were many new updated photos of her family and I was happy to be a part of that, even though I didn’t get to meet her.
We can’t always control what happens or when it happens in our lives. None of us needed that reminder after this past year, but if we haven’t learned from it yet, we still can learn that we can control how we respond to these things.
This family was so positive. They were still so grateful to be together. It was heart-warming to see them reconnect, hugging, back slapping, and hand shaking, after time apart. It was quickly easy to see who the family jokesters were, who the responsible ones were, and that they really love each other.
As the 2020-2021 school year comes to an end, I am now booking senior portrait sessions for the Class of 2022.
I currently offer two different options for graduates.
Each session provides the opportunity for location and outfit changes to customize the session to showcase the personality and interests of the graduate. This is such a fun milestone that I love to be a part of. If you have a Class of 2022 graduate in your life, share this post! I’d love to chat with them.
Have questions? Let’s chat! Please fill out the form below and I’ll be in touch soon.
This springtime extended family portrait session was with the sweetest family.
It’s always so fun to see families interact and it was incredibly cute how Grandma and Grandpa, or Boompa as I heard him called, were playing and snuggling up with these two, finding dragons (or kites- same thing) in the trees and promising a DQ late breakfast treat post-session, which is a classic move that never disappoints.
While we were photographing the original family of four, it was fun to see the dynamic change and more of the humor come out. The adult children wanted to know if they also would get DQ if they smiled for the camera, among other jokes that had me cracking up the whole time.
These folks were in town for a family reunion (stay tuned for more photos) and we did a separate session for them and the Shankle family unit beforehand. The Multi-Mini Session with Mini Sessions added on, like this family did, are a popular option when the entire family gets together, since everyone is there, everyone is dressed up, and it’s fairly seamless to execute these sessions back to back.
I had a really good time photographing them. Here are some of my favorites from our time together.
This Richmond, Virginia family was in Fargo for a family reunion (including an extended family photo session- stay tuned for more photos!) this weekend and wanted to do a session of their own. I’m so glad they did because they were the sweetest, most adorable people. My only regret is that they don’t live here so I won’t be able to see these sweet babes grow.
Not only are they sweet and adorable, but can we talk about how they nailed their wardrobes? I love the way the soft pinks and blues look against the greens. Even more so, I love the details of little Evie’s and Holden’s timeless wardrobes. These pieces are the perfect example of being subtle and soft enough that they don’t distract, but instead add just enough personality and character to the images.
Here are my favorites from the session. Which one is your favorite?
Women’s boutique Jade + Jasper, located in The Lights in West Fargo, is hosting an All About Mom event on Saturday, May 8 from 10 am to 2 pm.
I’m incredibly excited to be a part of this event along with Bittersweet Arrangers, Moxie Java, and The Lights Nutrition.
Not only will we have gifts for Mother’s Day completely covered, but it’ll be an event that any mama won’t want to miss.
Moxie Java and The Lights Nutrition will have specials on beverages to enjoy while you shop the unique merchandise at Jade + Jasper. Fresh floral arrangements will be available from Bittersweet Arrangers. I’ll be there shooting Mama & Me photos with a few different setup options, including MOM marquee letters from Alpha Lit Fargo. Highlights from the event will be posted on social media and the digital files of the Mama & Me portraits will be available to purchase. I’ll also have gift certificates available for purchase.
This is a perfect opportunity to get dressed up, buy Mom a new outfit, and take her out for a fun day and some much deserved spoiling.
Check out some of the gift items available at the beautiful new Jade + Jasper, along with one of the Mama & Me photo options we’ll have set up, featuring Jade + Jasper owner, Ashley Nowacki and her daughter Jade.
We hope to see you there.
Coming soon!
One of the things that parents often find the most stressful about an upcoming photo session and that I absolutely LOVE is wardrobe planning. For this reason, I’ve begun offering wardrobe consultations as part of every session.
My first recommendation is that clients read through my Welcome Packet, which is sent after a session is confirmed and full of tips for choosing clothing that will photograph well. Then it makes the most sense to look through their closets for items that fit the criteria. Whether through a FaceTime or Zoom call, or email or messaging, clients can share what they already own and I can help make decisions. If additional pieces are needed, I oftentimes will send photos of recommendations from a quick search of items in stock at some of my favorite stores in town.
Whether for an individual or groups, the focus of any image should be the client and some clothing choices can distract while others can really make the client stand out.
This milestone session featuring sweet, adorable Archie is a perfect example of this system. He already had a pair of denim overalls (can’t resist them!), khaki pants, Ugg boots, and a wool collared denim jacket, all neutral staples. We paired each with a different Henley T-shirt from Old Navy and added one of their adorable cardigans for three different looks that are each neutral enough to prevent distraction in the portraits, but also provide some layers, texture, and style that take the images to a higher level than just a plain T-shirt and jeans would, all while showcasing the different sides to this little guy’s sweet personality.
Even though Archie’s birthday was in August, his mama will always remember and be able to tell him how these photos were taken in April after vaccinations during the pandemic the year he turned two. I will always remember how after more than a year since seeing him, he ran up to me in the parking lot, excited to take his photos.
Which look is your favorite?
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Tiffany Olsen Photography 