NAPCP September 2018 Issue of Inspired Magazine

B Y NA P C P SEPTEMBER 2018

Featuring Jaye McLaughlin of The Life in Your Years Photography

The

LATEST INSIDE

Instafaves and #NAPCPCHILDHOOD: Featured Images

Free downloads, helpful resources and how to manage time better in the busy season!

Swingin’ into autumn...

Birds are singing and gold-tipped leaves are flowing in the wind. Fall is nearly here. As we relish

in the remaining few days of summer, we’re elated to be jumping into busy season with each and every one of you.

As you begin to think about your calendar for 2019, don’t forget to add January 23rd to your

plans. Another memorable NAPCP event is in the works, taking place immediately following Imaging USA 2019. For those who will be attending Imaging, you’ll be excited to know that you need only extend your Atlanta stay by a day or two to take full advantage of both events! Stay tuned into the NAPCP website, Facebook and Instagram accounts for more information, coming soon!

This month’s feature photographer is NAPCP Ambassador and veteran photographer, Jaye

McLaughlin of The Life in Your Years Photography! Jaye specializes in lifestyle photography, and makes her home in Pelham, New York, with her husband and their four children. When she isn’t behind her camera, you can find Jaye engrossed in a good book or planning her family’s next trip! Jaye is such a special fixture in the NAPCP community and we’re delighted to officially introduce her to all of you!

Our deepest gratitude to attendees of our second annual Inspired by NAPCP Gallery Event

& Print Competition, and to our entrants and judges. We consider it an honor that so many of you traveled (some internationally!) to show your support of the incredible artists featured, and we are simply ecstatic that this event grew this year! Once again, thank you to our partner, MUSEA LAB, and our sponsors, Fotostrap, and Ladypreneur. NAPCP members, contact the NAPCP team for your memberexclusive discounts to Fotostrap and Ladypreneur.

NAPCP Gatherings are ongoing this week and next. Some Gatherings have been rescheduled

in areas impacted by Hurricane Florence. Visit the Gatherings page to find a Gathering in your area.

Don’t see one scheduled? Email the NAPCP team for information about putting together and hosting a holiday NAPCP Gathering in your locale. During your next coffee break, tag your Instagram images with #napcp or #napcpchildhood for your chance to be featured in the @napcp Instagram feed and on our main NAPCP Facebook page. Some of our favorite submissions so far are featured in this issue!

Deanne Mroz, of Deanne Mroz Photography, is here to help all of us manage our valuable time

this fall. If you struggle to feel productive when you have the most on your plate, we encourage you to read her article and experiment with the time management method Deanne now swears by. Thanks for keeping us on track, Deanne!

Brightly, The NAPCP Team

TA BL E O F CO NTE N TS Pg. 4 ........Free Downloadable Desktop Wallpaper Pg. 5 ........................................What’s Happening Pg. 6 ......Featured Photographer Jaye McLaughlin

Pg. 30 ...................NAPCP Inspired Gallery Event Pg. 32 ....................................#NAPCPChildhood

Pg. 33 ....................................Marketing Mondays Pg. 34 .....................Lessons in Time Management Pg. 38 .................................... #NAPCPInstaFaves Pg. 39 ..................................Membership Benefits

F R E E

D OW N LOA D

DESKTOP WALLPAPER

GET IN THE EDITING GROOVE

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WHAT’ S HA P P E NI N G right now Download the Santa Session Marketing Set and get your sessions booked!

October 2018 Sign up to host a Marketing Mondays segment in the NAPCP Member Community. Share your favorite tips and tricks for surviving busy season, what’s in your camera bag, your favorite things, or come up with your own topic!

November 2018 Share your favorite fall and holiday photo sessions on the NAPCP blog.

January 2019 Mark your calendars and make your plans to join us for a special event January 23rd after Imaging comes to Atlanta.

NAPCP Inspired Magazine September 2018 | 5

FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER J AY E M C L A U G H L I N

Images by Jaye McLaughlin of The Life in Your Years Photography

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M

eet Jaye McLaughlin, of The Life in Your Years Photography.

Jaye’s camera is her “freeze ray gun” and she uses it for good. What Jaye aims for is the “REAL stuff ”. Her clients’ stories right now. It’s all beautiful to Jaye, and she wants her clients to slow down and enjoy it -- and to remember. Jaye founded her family lifestyle photography business in 2010, and she thinks it’s awesome -- the best job ever. Obviously Jaye loves what she does and she has lots of fun with her clients. Jaye says she thinks that shines through in her images and we wholeheartedly agree!

Among many other features, and recognition, Jaye McLaughlin’s work has been included in Click Magazine’s Voice Collection and awarded multiple placements and merits in NAPCP’s International Image Competition. Jaye serves the NAPCP and professional photography community in and around New York City, as a NAPCP Ambassador. She makes her home in Pelham, New York, with her husband and four children.

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AT A GLANC BEHIND 1. Started photographing? I’ve always loved taking photos but I didn’t get serious about it until my kids were born. It’s been a mostly slow evolution that began when my oldest arrived in 1999.

2. Officially opened business? I started portfolio-building for free in the fall of 2010 and officially opened for business in January 2011.

3. Favorite camera? Canon 5D Mark IV. I do love my little Fuji XT2 for travel and personal work, but so far it hasn’t taken the place in my heart of that wonderful Canon.

Jaye McLaughlin

4. Lens of choice? It’s hard to pick just one, but if I have to pick, I guess the 24-70mm II would be it. (Although I do love my Canon 35mm 1.4 and my 85mm 1.4 and my 70-200 mm 2.8!)

5. Favorite lab? WHCC 6. Favorite client product? This one’s easy. I love the beautiful books from Renaissance Albums.

CE WITH SCENES

JAYE MCLAUGHLIN

7. Favorite subject to photograph? Professionally, I love photographing families with little kids and babies. In my daily life, I take photos as a way of enjoying, appreciating and remembering what I find beautiful. That’s frequently my kids, but it also can be a delicious-looking meal or a beautifully decorated room or a gorgeous sky or some interesting light or shadows, or anything that I happen to be looking at that’s making me experience an emotion that I want to remember.

8. Favorite musician? This depends on my mood.

9. Favorite movie? Ugh, movies make me fall asleep. I don’t really feel I can choose a favorite when I’ve only seen the first half of most of them. ;) 10. Recent favorite read? The Light We Lost, by Jill Santopolo I loooooove to read and I’m terrible at picking favorites.

Anything with a good story, that takes me away, makes me happy. Recent summer favorites include The Heart’s Invisible Furies and Turtles All the Way Down. I’m thinking of going back and reading some classics that once held my favorite spot, like A Separate Peace, East of Eden and Gone With the Wind.

11. 3 things you can’t live without? My phone, my family, and a fun trip to look forward to.

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Congratulations on being selected as NAPCP’s feature photographer this month, Jaye!

Please tell us a little bit about yourself, and how you got started as a professional photographer. Thank you so much for featuring me! I love reading about other photographer’s stories and getting a glimpse into what inspires their businesses, and I’m honored to share my story here.

I live in Pelham, NY — just outside of New York City — with my husband and four kids. My two oldest (a nineteen year old girl and an eighteen year old boy) just left home to start their freshman and sophomore years at college, and I’ve still got a fifteen year old boy and a ten year old boy here at home. We spend summers in a tiny bungalow in a little beach community in Queens where I spent my own summers as a kid. We love to travel - both abroad and on quick weekend road trips. Life with four kids is constantly changing as they all get older, but it’s really not much less chaotic than when they were all babies, toddlers and little kids, and it certainly isn’t slowing down.

I’ve always loved taking photos -- and I started calling my camera my “freeze ray gun” way back when my kids were tiny -- but I never felt I had enough extra time in my days to get serious about the technical side of photography until I’d been at the parenting game for several years. When my older kids were small, I was consulting part-time as a

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biotech patent lawyer for a pharmaceutical company and once all the obligations of work and family were done, there seemed to be zero extra time left over. Then, in 2008, when my fourth child was a baby, my company went through a merger and my consulting work was put on hold. I jumped at the chance to use my babysitting hours to take a photography class, and the rest is history. I became utterly obsessed. I took every book I could find out of the library, joined every photography forum out there at the time, and took photos constantly. Within a few months, I started taking photos of other people’s families as a way to practice my newly-learned skills. By the time the dust settled on the company merger and they approached me to come back to work, my fifth baby — The Life in Your Years Photography — had been born and was the new love of my life. I have never looked back at patent law again.

As my kids get older, I’m more and more grateful for the photos I’ve taken since they were little, and I realize that most of my memories are anchored in my mind by photographs I took. This desire to freeze time is what drives my client work as well. My tagline is “Remember this was Beautiful.”

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Photography has always been a way for me to slow down, appreciate the beauty around me and give myself a tangible placeholder for the moments that will become my memories. I think having older kids gives me a unique perspective that I enjoy sharing with the families I photograph. I tell my clients that as much as they think they’ll remember every detail of these crazy years, the memories do fade. I love helping them hang onto these moments by using my “freeze ray gun” to slow them down, to notice them, and to magically turn them into something tangible and eternal.

Business-wise, where would you like to see yourself in 5-10 years? I’ve been really grateful for the opportunities and flexibility my business has given me since the start. I love that I’m able to control when and how much I work. I don’t schedule sessions during the months of July, August or December because I choose to dedicate those months to family time and to the kinds of behindthe-scenes tasks that get back-burnered during the busiest months, like marketing and business planning. Having these little breaks also allows me to zoom out from the chaos of running the dayto-day and assess what’s good about my business, what changes I can make to ensure that every

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session or project is something that’s in line with the kind of work I love, and to think about what other avenues I might want to try to explore or develop. When I first started out, I said ‘yes’ to just about every opportunity that came my way. While I suppose we all need to do some exploring in the beginning to see where our passion lies, this was a sure recipe for burnout for me. I learned during this time that at least 80% of the work in running a photography business like mine happens before and after you pick up the camera. I learned that capturing truly authentic images requires an investment of time that spans the entire process, from the inquiry to the questionnaire to the pre-session emails and phone calls, through the session day, the in-person ordering session, the design process and the product delivery.

And of course, there’s only so much time in a day. Over the years, I’ve learned how limited the time I have available to spend away from my family is. I’ve learned that lifestyle sessions with immediate families at home being themselves or adventuring nearby is what makes me most happy. Once I grasped these two realities, I knew that taking other kinds or work was preventing me from doing the work I love most.

I plan to stick to my guns on this approach, but am also intending to try new things on for size in small doses. Going forward, I’d love to use photography as an excuse to do more traveling. I’ve just started offering travel sessions, and I look forward to seeing where that will take me. I also just booked my first nursery school. My hope is that school photos will help keep me connected to the young families in my local markets and allow me to supplement my business’ income during hours that aren’t as busy with my family work.

Offer one piece of advice to the newer photographers reading. My advice is to take it slow in the beginning and be honest with yourself about both how much time goes into the services you provide and how much time you have available. If you are aware of those two numbers, you can take control of the work you do, price yourself appropriately and build a sustainable business that you will continue to love as it grows. Getting used to the word “no” -- hearing it and saying it -will ensure that the work you do makes you happy and that the people in front of your lens are as excited about your work as you are.

We love your use of natural light in your work. What tips do you have for someone who wants to photograph lifestyle work but is intimidated by working in client’s homes? I love a beautifullylit portrait or a magical backlit scene as much as the next person, but my photography is primarily moment-driven. When I enter a home, my goal is to make all the family members feel as comfortable and natural as possible so that I can capture them doing their thing. Sometimes, this

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happens in less-than-ideal light. My approach is not purely documentary and I definitely direct my subjects toward better light at times, but I will not refrain from taking a photo simply because the light isn’t pretty. Our cameras can do amazing things at high ISOs and I’m never afraid to push my ISO up high. If the moment is meaningful to my client -- be it the first post-nap yawns or a spontaneous snuggle on the couch or an interaction between siblings - they are not going to care about seeing it through some digital noise. They’ll care even less in 5 years when those faces and bodies and relationships have grown and changed and evolved! If I’ve captured that moment authentically, the photo will zap them right back to that time in their memories, and a photo’s ability to do that is what I care most about.

Thank you so much, Jaye!

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Three Tips F O R H E L P I NG C L I E N T S F E E L C O M F O RTA B L E D U R I NG S E S S I O N S b y Ja y e M c L a u g h l i n

1- Preparation. At every step of our interaction, from the very first inquiry, I am educating my client on what to expect. I talk about my goals and my approach, I direct them to my Info Page and my Client Guide, and I remind them that they are welcome to ask questions or float ideas at any time by phone or email. My Agreement and my Welcome Brochure lay out my policies, and my Questionnaire encourages them to dig deep into what they love and want to remember about this chapter of their lives. By the time I show up for the actual session, we’re co-collaborators and frequently friends.

2-

Conversation. I chat with the parents and kids throughout the whole session,

putting them at ease and getting to know them just like I would in any social setting.

I encourage them to involve each other in talking and interacting and I join in when it feels natural. I keep shooting as we chat and move through the elements of their normal routines so that they know that I’m not asking them to stop and smile for the camera. This means that I typically end up with tons of images and that culling can be the most time-consuming part of the process, but I think it’s a small price to pay for the kinds of truly natural expressions and interactions that I’m able to capture.

3- Fun, games and motion. We get really goofy with lots of silly prompts, nonsense songs and wacky games, some of which I make up on the spot. We keep moving and playing, and I try to keep my more “bossy” moments so quick that my subjects barely even notice. When all the family members get the message that I’m there to have fun, they frequently come up with their own ways to play and interact, and all I’ve got to do is direct them to some nice light and capture what unfolds.

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BEHIND

We visited Jaye’s Instagram feed and gathered some of our favorite captures.

SCENES

WITH JAYE MCLAUGHLIN

Follow her at instagram.com/jayemcl/ to see more beautiful imagery!

BODIES: Canon 5D Mark IV & Canon 5D Mark III

LENSES: 24-70mm 2.8 II 85mm 1.4 35mm 1.4 70-200mm 2.8

EXTRAS: Extra Batteries & Memory Cards Lens Pen & Lens Cloths A magic pouch that holds little toys, smarties & mini marshmallows, a few business cards and my secret weapon — a duck caller!

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CAMERA BAG ESSENTIALS W I T H J AY E M C L A U G H L I N

sponsored by

MUSEA LAB

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Thanks for joining us!

As a photographer, your artistry may be one of the most powerful qualities you have at your disposal.

When the NAPCP team dreamed up the Inspired Gallery Event, we envisioned pure creativity. An uplifting event where photographers would empower one another! We knew we wanted to help photographers thrive and live their dream on a different level ... and it continues to be made possible because of YOU! We are so grateful to call you ours. You inspire us in everything we do. Be on the lookout for announcements about our upcoming January 23rd, 2019 event!

@ashley_mcbroom_photography

@codyfarrall

@dmroz

#NAPCPCHILDHOOD Some of our favorite images from the September @NAPCP tag on Instagram. Stay tuned for our October tag and keep tagging #NAPCPCHILDHOOD for your chance to get featured in our feed!

@jessie.b.photo

@sharolikar

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@whitandwhimsycreative

NAPCP Inspired Magazine September 2018 | 33

LESSONS IN TIME MANAGEMENT How I Learned to Get More Done and Stress Less

by Deanne Mroz

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If you ask my husband if I’m an organized person you’ll probably hear him laugh out loud.

I’m not “organized” in the way other people are. I have important papers shoved in cabinets and drawers; I never know where my phone is; I don’t have any idea what’s happening next weekend, or plan to watch certain shows on specific nights of the week. I don’t make plans.

I rarely answer my personal emails in a timely manner … you get the idea.

Now, if you ask my husband if I’m a motivated person, I’m

encourage you to take a deep breath and try something

confident his answer would be, “Yes.” I currently work

new.

five different jobs. I’m a freelance designer for NAPCP and other businesses, I run a photography business of my

After making the decision to stay home with my son

own, I do photo editing for two different photographers

and freelance, instead of finding a new full time job,

and I’m a moderator for Shoot Along (where I help new

I struggled. It was extremely hard to balance personal

photographers learn how to use their cameras).

time, mom time, work time, and chore time. I felt like everyday was a battle and I was losing. I would spend

Many photographers who are a part of the NAPCP

LONG hours after he went to bed working and trying

community have similar stories. We’re all small business

to get things done, and would inevitably fall asleep at

owners who need more time in our day! We stay home

the computer. Eventually, I decided that there had to be

with our children and juggle the ins and outs of everyday

another way.

life alongside our duties in the working world. We wear many different hats and often are the only person

By nature, I’m a night owl. I always have been. Since

responsible for all aspects of our business. Sometimes it

things start early in a house with littles, and I am also

seems as if there simply aren’t enough hours in the day

an introvert who likes time alone, though, I started my

to get everything accomplished and still have time to

transformation by deciding to wake up at 5:30AM instead

ourselves.

of when my kids woke up. The thought was that I could have some time alone to get things accomplished, drink

When busy season comes around, it can be extremely

my coffee, and watch my shows in peace (because, let’s

daunting to think about having to take on even MORE

be honest, my husband doesn’t want to watch 3 hours

work than our already full workloads might allow, but we

of Grey’s Anatomy re-runs after work).At first it was so

know that Christmas is coming, the winter months can be

hard for me to go to bed at 10:30PM, but I’ve come to

slow, and we need to make as much money as possible in

enjoy the early morning hours so much that waking up

two months to make it through the season -- so we push.

is easy. Well, easier than it used to be!

We stay up later than we should, we cancel plans, we work weekends, we fail to meet our personal fitness goals and

The other big change to my work flow was adding a timer

we struggle to be the kind of mother we want to be to our

so I could schedule breaks. Yes, I realize this sounds like

kids … and settle for keeping everyone alive. More often

the complete opposite of what you should do when you

than not, during the month of October, our homes are

are trying to be more productive, but trust me, it works.

dirty, the laundry can be found on a pile on the floor, and dishes are most likely piled high in the sink. This all

I use a timer called Pomodoro, named after the Pomodoro

leaves us wondering, “Is there a better way?”

Technique that was developed in the 80s to break down work into intervals separated by short breaks. As I said

I’m here to tell you that there is! I know, I know, you

before, the method seems completely backwards and

think I ‘m totally lying, but I’m not. I promise you this

it’s weird at first. There are many different ways to

article will help you see the busy season in new light and

use a timer during work, but I believe the best way to

NAPCP Inspired Magazine September 2018 | 35

implement it is to choose a time interval that you feel is

successful for me is because I have started using a

long enough to get something accomplished and short

portion of my time in the morning when I wake up early

enough to ensure you won’t get distracted from the task

to plan out how I will use my Pomodoros that day. I

at hand. Then, during that time frame you do NOTHING

am obviously not super organized, so the extent of my

but work (whatever you decide that work might be). Do

“planning” is typing up two quick lists in the Stickies

not check Facebook, your text messages, your email, or

app on my computer. The first list consists of personal

shop on Amazon. At the end of your Pomodoro, GET UP.

items/chores I need to complete that day - i.e. call the

Get up from your desk and do something else. Even if

doctor, wash the dishes, pay a bill, do a workout, etc.

it’s just a break to use the washroom or get a snack, DO

The second list consists of work related items that need

something.

to get done in the order they need to be accomplished - i.e. write person x an email, post to Facebook, update

Some people take this method so seriously that they

website, complete newsletter, etc. The reason for the

actually schedule their break time as well. I am not that

list making is simple: it keeps me from wasting time

rigid with things, as long as I get up and go somewhere

trying to remember what I need to do or what needs to

else for a few minutes that is good. If I take 40 minutes

get done, and streamlines my process by allowing me to

one time and 5 the next, I am fine with that. The secret

quickly check to see what’s next when my break comes

is working out how you plan to spend your break AHEAD

or my Pomodoro starts.

of time.

I think we all tend to believe that the longer we sit at One of the reasons I feel this method has been extra

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the computer/the more hours we log or squeeze into the

day, the more things get done. The reality, however, is that when we spend 6 hours straight staring at the computer without a break, we are more likely to be checking emails, social media, texting with friends, or doing anything other than working for at least 40% of the time. Not only that, but I have found that the longer I sit at my screen, the more anxiety I have about the workout I missed or the laundry that’s sitting in the wash that needs to be put in the dryer.

Then, at the end of the day, I ‘m unhappy because I have a list of chores to do, work to finish, and 0 time left in the day for myself.

As long as I get up and go somewhere else for a few minutes that is good.

If I take 40 minutes one time and 5 the next, I am fine with that. The secret is working out how you plan to spend your break AHEAD of time.

By splitting up time and taking breaks to do other chores or personal items throughout the day, I get everything accomplished at once. At the end of my day, I might have a few more hours of work to finish up, but I’m able to get to bed on time, spend time with my husband, give my kids baths, and actually relax for a little while because my list of chores and my workout are already complete. It’s such a glorious feeling to look forward to an evening again instead of constantly dreading the 4+ billable hours I still have to put in after the kids are in bed.

If you still don’t believe that this method works, look up the Pomodoro Method online. I wasn’t aware that it’s so popular until I was already using it and read a few different biographies that discussed it. SO many creatives use it to keep themselves on task and keep their creative juices flowing. Some writers even keep one document open that is for personal writing and another open with their novel or article in it. When they are “on a Pomodoro” and they are not feeling creative or inspired, the only freedom they allow themselves is to write in the personal document instead. This keeps them in front of the computer and practicing their skills even when they are not doing exactly what they had planned.

I could go on and on about how wonderful this method is, but now it’s your turn to see for yourself. I encourage you to try it for a day to see if it makes a difference. Organize your daily to-dos and get to it! You’ll be on your way to a happier busy season in no time -- I promise.

Meet Deanne Mroz: Deanne is a graphic designer and photographer. She started her own small photography business in 2010 and has a passion for photographing children and documenting life. Currently, she is working for NAPCP and loves having the opportunity to bring her love of design and photography together.

Deanne resides in the Chicagoland area with her husband and two kids.

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# N A P C P I N S TA FAV E S The images of these amazing photographers caught our eye in September. Visit them on Instagram and follow along! Tag #NAPCP on Instagram and you may see your work in a future issue of Inspired.

KS O O RBR @ lindsa N I R yrene @E photo graph y

SHIDA

YO @AMBER

YPHOTOGRAPHER

AB @ESTHERTORRESB

@sunshi

neandra

y

@NATALIE G PHOTOGRAPHY

@TA M

ARA

GPI

CS

S

LY @SKAI VINGI

PHY

@THEFO

GRA O T O H P E CUSTRE

winning image by Sandy Summers Russell

Membership Benefits Read about NAPCP and see the many benefits of NAPCP membership, on our site. Download freebies and preview member-exclusive videos; get to know the heart of our association!

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NAPCP Inspired Magazine September 2018 | 39

NAPCP Issue 69