Natalie Zepp Photography by Natalie Weber

PORTRAIT ART natalie zepp

photography

Photo credit: Melissa Wilson Photography

the artist

ello! I’m Natalie! Having been passionate about photography for years, I have devoted a significant portion of my heart to the development and practice of my craft. I consider myself to be a fine-art photojournalist. What does that mean? Good question. I’ll explain. Photojournalism is a narrative style of photography, in which a photographer endeavors to observe and record events as they unfold, without any interference or adulteration. While fine-art photography involves using artistic angles, creative lighting, unique composition, and advanced post processing techniques to create imagery with a much stronger artistic flair. I approach portraiture with both of these styles in mind in order to produce both expressive art and beautiful lifestyle candids. I am so very inspired by your individuality. Your expressions, your mannerisms, the unique planes of your face, your relationships...all of these things tell a story. It is a story that is yours and yours alone, and it makes your photo session special and different from everyone elses. My mission is to tell that story in an artful and emotional way. With posing, glorious natural light, and sometimes even props, I will set you up for a fantastic shot. And then I will watch. As I am shooting, I am always watching for those little in-between moments - a look, a gesture, a laugh - that speak volumes about you. Those are the moments I am after and my technique makes the final outcome unique. You will find in these pages, examples of the style that I have become proud to call my own. Thank you for taking the time to read my story and enjoy my work. I can’t wait to here from you so that we can begin recording the story of your life.

Natalie

love

aybe you’re already married, or maybe you’re not even engaged. That’s ok! Because I think love deserves celebration in every stage. So why not take a page from Tiffany and Patrick’s book and have a styled love session? This adorable couple had an idea for a themed shoot starring themselves as high school delinquents, and styled the session around this landmark location.

the belly

ulie and Jeremy decided to wait and reveal the gender of their baby on the day of the baby shower. Not even their families knew if they were on team pink or team blue! A few days before the big reveal party, we met at the Bluffs on Scenic Highway for a maternity session. Julie especially wanted an image to use for the reveal event, and we decided to do a ballon release (that ended up being a bust). The image on the opposite page was a completely spontaneous moment. Julie was resting and being goofy while Jeremy ran back to the car for something. The elements of this image (the blue ballons, the thumbs up, the JOY on Julie’s face...) told the story far better than any preconceived idea that we had for the session. This is the part I love most about being a photographer. I get to freeze tiny little instants that are undeniably and uniquely you. We don’t know when they will happen or what they will look like, but these moments tell your story like nothing else can. It’s life...it’s art...it’s YOURS!

the birthday

ometimes the most beautiful moments in life are not especially pretty. It is the emotional qualities of these experiences make them incredibly beautiful. Such is the case with what is, perhaps, the most amazing moment that life has to offer, the birth of a child. And even if it is a bit messy, it is definitely a moment to be photographed. As the mother, confined to a bed, you miss so much of the story. Often you are not able to see the moments that the new father gets to experience (the weighing, the footprinting, the first diaper, and more) because it all takes place in a different room! And most parents walk away from this journey with nothing to mark this powerful transition, except of course the baby and maybe a few snapshots taken by an anxious and excited partner or new grandparent. I record all of those little details and moments that you cannot see, or just donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think to, because something pretty intense is sapping all of your mental and physical energy. Additionally, having a dedicated camerawoman frees up dad and other family members, allowing them to relax and fully participate in the experience.

Natalie has

beautifully

captured one of the most blessed and important moments of our lives. We are so glad she could be a part of Jasonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s birthday and we will cherish these memories always. -Julie Roughton

Very few women feel pretty in the midst of such hard work, but all of them long to have a great picture of the moment they meet the child they have been waiting to hold for many long months. Leave it to me to find the most flattering angle for you and give you an image that not only expresses all of that joy, but one that you will be proud to share.

the newborn

here are few things in life more precious than those first few weeks of newborn life. The squishy cheeks, tiny curly fingers, and soft and wrinkly skin. If ever there were an important time for a professional portrait session this is it! I like to give my clients a combination of the posed â&#x20AC;&#x153;sleeping babyâ&#x20AC;? images and as well as images that represent life with a newborn. To achieve these images, I will come to meet you at your home. We will work together to capture the everyday moments that you experience with your newest family member. Feeding, snuggling, bathing... all of these everyday experiences that make up the majority of your life with your baby get taken for granted. I believe it is an essential part of the newborn portrait process to intentionally and artfully preserve these moments. But still, no session would be complete without at least a few of the eternally adorable posed newborn images. I will bring a few props to your session, but I really love to personalize these images by using items from your home as photography props. *The ideal time to schedule your newborn session is when your baby is between 5-10 days new. After 10 days babies begin to lose their constant sleepiness and it becomes very difficult to acheive posed images. Safety is of the upmost importance when handeling and posing a newborn. Not every baby will tolerate the popular folded positions, and I will never force a baby into a certain position. Your baby will also never be left unattended on any prop or surface.

the kiddos

h kiddos. I’m not sure there is anything more entertaining than a child’s photo session. Kids could care less that their parents have forked over mega bucks for a few wonderful shots of their angelic little faces. Kids would much rather pick up “hiking sticks” and blow dandelion fluff. And that is why they are my most favorite subjects. Children have few inhibitions and their sessions are just rife with opportunities to practice photojournalism. Giving kids something to DO makes their session really interesting and productive. Isla here needed ZERO direction. We walked into the library and it was as if she had been born a librarian. She busied herself stacking and sorting and reading. I just hung on for the ride. She was so engrossed in her task that I couldn’t even get her to look at me. But that’s ok! We captured so many wonderful little moments of Isla just being Isla. Her grandmother loves these images so much because they remind her of how Isla’s mommy and aunt used to spend hours playing “Library”.

family

amily portrait sessions are the perfect way to mark the passage of time and make some fun memories with the people you love most in the world. Most of my first time family clients are typically pretty nervous about having their portraits done and always end up being surprised by just how much fun a portrait session can be. The Davis family was no different. We met early one morning in downtown Pensacola for our session. Dad here is usually a pretty jovial and hilarious guy, but even he was reserved as I set up their first pose and turned my camera on them. So I pulled out my trusty ice-breaker. I asked everyone to give me their biggest, loudest, most ridiculous fake laugh. And then I demonstrated. It is such an off the wall request, and everyone feels so silly doing it, that almost immediately genuine laughter ensues. And now that everyone (myself included) looks like a fool, being yourself in front of the camera is a cake-walk.

the class

enior year is such a turning point in life. It is the last year of life as you know it and you will never again see the world the way you do right now. You will never again be the person you are right now. Let’s celebrate that with a magazine-style session that reflects YOU. Do you play an instrument or sport? Have a special talent? Spend lots of time at a certain place? Is there any aspect of your existence that best defines you or that everyone recognizes you for? Let’s build your portrait session around that. Whether you’re a salt lifer like Alyson here, a country sweetheart, or a theater fanatic with an idea for a dramatically styled session, together we’ll figure out what story we want to tell and dream it into reality. This is also an exellent time to consider having a professional do your hair and make-up. I can refer you to some amazingly talented people that will work with me to implement the vision for your shoot.

exposed

lizabeth and I set out for the beach before the break of dawn, with a sweetly sexy boudoir session on our minds. Early morning is an ideal time for an on location boudoir session. The soft and flattering tones of the sunrise are especially beautiful and there are very few people, if any, up so early--making privacy easy to find. These fresh and simple images are very Little Mermaid-esque.