studio VOLUME 01
Editor’s note
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The Wonder of Parenting As the mother of two small children, I get to experience the magic, wonder and the speed of childhood. One day you are shedding tears of joy over your baby’s first smile. You think, “Nothing could be better than this.”....until the day you hear your child laugh. Then baby giggles are the best thing in the world and you’ll do the same silly face over and over again, if it makes them laugh. Then comes the day they take their first steps as they gaze up at your eyes. Oh, and that first “I love you”! It puts a smile on your face and heart that lasts forever! For each age, you will think, “Oh, THIS is the best age, it couldn’t possibly get any better than this...” And then it does. But it can also feel bittersweet, to leave behind the wonder of one phase and move into the joy of the next. This is one of the reasons I became a photographer; to help mommies and daddies hold a piece of that magic forever. I believe that every family should have beautiful and artistic portraits that celebrate their family’s unique personality, joy and love for each other. I feel so honored to be part of my client’s journey in parenthood. I am so lucky to be invited into their lives, to take custom images that become art pieces in their home and heirloom memories to pass on to their children...and their children’s children. Please join me in celebrating the joy of family and childhood.
Love and light,
Natascha Colorado’s modern, fresh, and fun family photographer
email: N@NataschaLEEStudios.com phone: (303) 525-868 web & blog: www.NataschaLEEStudios.com http://www.facebook.com/NataschaLeeStudios
Table of Contents When To Schedule Your Session
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Featured Session: Loewengart Family
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What To Wear And Shopping Guide
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Top 10 Tips For Newborn Sessions
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Top 10 Tips For Kids Sessions
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Featured Local Artist: Caroline Loewengart
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COPYRIGHT Natascha Lee Studios 2012. All rights reserved. Copyright of all articles and photographs remain with the individual contributors and may not be reproduced without permission. All other material may only be reproduced with the permission of Natascha Lee Studios, publisher.
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“Having Natasha capture my baby’s image was a wonderful experience. She is gentle, soft spoken, and so patient. She went out of her way to make sure my daughter was comfortable and let the session unfold naturally without forcing unnatural poses like you would get at a department store. She obviously cares deeply for young children and worked effortlessly with my 4 week old. Thank you Natasha for an abundance of treasured captured moments.” Katherine P, Colorado
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When to schedule your session MATERNITY Book your maternity session when you are 5-6 months pregnant, and we’ll schedule them for your 7th month (28 - 32 weeks). At this point, you’ll have a lovely bump to feature in our images.
NEWBORN (First few weeks of life) Newborn sessions are held between 5 and 10 days after birth. This way, the baby is still soft and cuddly and will sleep peacefully. In order to secure your session, please book your session at least 2 months before your due date, and schedule it for 5 and 10 days after your due date. In the first week of life, your baby is still soft and cuddly and will sleep peacefully. Of course, babies come in their own sweet time. Your tentative session date allows me to make sure I keep flexbility in my schedule so that we can reschedule as needed. BABIES You’ll be amazed how much your baby changes in the first 12 months! In addition to newborn photos, I recommend photo sessions when they are standing with support around 9 months and then again once they are walking, around 13 months.
CHILDREN Since I photograph outside to take advantage of Colorado’s stunning nature, anytime from April to November is ideal. I typically book up 4 – 6 weeks in advance, and it takes about 4-6 weeks to deliver your final photography art. So if you have a specific need for your photo art (holidays, a special event, etc.), it’s a good idea to book 3 months in advance of your target date.
SENIORS Book at least 2 months before your image is due to the yearbook. The best time is actually the summer between your junior and senior year or early fall of your senior year.
FAMILIES Anytime of the year is a great time for family portraits! If you are looking for holiday portraits, I suggest booking no later than November 15. Some of my other favorite times are Spring when everything starts to green up, Summer when the flowers are out, and Fall when the colors start changing.
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“Natascha sincerely shared in the joy of our new arrival, and it really translated in her photos . . . sensitive, warm, and filled with the delight only a new baby can bring. Her easy-going style made it easy to enjoy the portrait session.” Cristina R, Westminster, Colorado
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f e atu re d s e s s i o n
Loewengart fami ly
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Loeweng
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gart fam i ly
We chose Natascha because we wanted photos that showed our family’s personality and love for each other. We wanted photos that would be true pieces of art. I’m thrilled with the results! Caroline Loewengart, Colorado
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Loewengart fa m i ly
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Natascha is a joy to work with! She really captured the essence of our family. We not only came away with many amazing photographs, but we had a lot of fun in the process. Caroline and Matt Loewengart, Colorado
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Wear clothes you love!
What to Wear & Shopping Guide One of the most frequent questions I hear is, “What should I wear?” First and foremost, I recommend clothes that you love. Whether it’s something you are wearing yourself, or something your children are wearing, I want you to love it! That said, here are some guidelines broken out by portrait type:
Family portraits: The easiest approach is to dress in whatever you feel great in, and don’t worry about matching the colors. This will make for vibrant, fun photos, with your personality showing through. If you prefer a more cohesive look, then think complementary color tones, but not matchy-matchy. We want your individual personality to shine through. One great approach is to dress for the season: Black and jewel colors for the Winter, Pastel and Neutral colors for Spring Portraits, Bright colors for Summer sessions and Fall colors for Fall portraits. Another option is to let everyone wear whatever they want to, and then choose a universal accessory color (think scarves, shoes, socks, hats).
Newborn Portraits: We’ll mostly photograph your little one in diapers and/or nude. For parents, I recommend solid black long sleeve tops and jeans or other comfortable, neutral pants.
Baby Photos: Babies look best in bright, stretchy, well-fitting clothes. Avoid things that are too big, bunch around the neck, or fabrics that are constricting and don’t stretch. You’ll want to avoid things that prevent your child from moving naturally, and avoid “grown up” clothes like jeans.
Shopping resources: Here are some of my favorite brands for children’s clothes. Their bright colors photograph well and look great on kids.
Children’s Photos: For children’s photos, bright colors are great. Feel free to bring few different outfits and accessories for them, and we’ll pick the clothes that best match the environment. This will also give you some variety in your portraits.
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Mini Boden Janie and Jack Strasburg Children Mulberribush Potato Saks Oilily
Catimini Le Fromage et L’orange Hanna Andersson Le Top Accessories: www.Etsy.com
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Top 10 Tips for Newborn Sessions 1. HEAT Babies love a warm room; it helps them fall asleep so we get those lovely sleepy baby shots. Turn up the heat in your house to 80 about 1 hour before the session. 2. CLOTHES - parents Daddy/Mommy should wear blue jeans and a black or dark blue longsleeve top with no lettering or images. I hope to get several family photographs, but at the very least you will serve as a backddrop holding baby. Babies are usually nude or in a diaper. If you prefer clothes, simple clothing works best for creating successful, timeless portraits
of the images, so here’s your excuse to get a mini-manicure! Keep jewelry to a minimum. 4. BABY SKIN Dress baby in loose clothes so that we don’t have elastic marks on the skin. 30 minutes before the session starts, clean your baby’s body paying special attention to the face and nose. 15 minutes before the session starts, loosen the diaper tabs but leave the diaper on.
3. MANICURE! Your nails and fingers will show up in some
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5. SIBLINGS, SCHEDULING, AND NAPS If siblings are going to be included, consider their nap times when scheduling. If you want some baby-only photos, make sure to have an extra adult to watch the siblings while we do baby photos 6. PROPS It’s a great idea to have blankets and props (hats, headbands, etc.) ready to use. This is a great time to include any heirloom quilts or special blankets. I
also have plenty of props for our session. 7. SAFETY I will never propose a pose that I think is unsafe. But speak up if you are uncomfortable with anything proposed, and remember that many of those crazy “newborn holding their face” poses are done with computer manipulation.
8. ITEMS TO HAVE HANDY Grab a laundry basket and have these things ready for the session: wipes, water, baby change of clothes for both you and the baby, diapers, pacifier, bottle if baby is bottle feeding, burp clothes, baby blankets for swaddling, and a favorite blanket or toy. 9. ACCIDENTS HAPPEN! Accidents are inevitable and happen on every newborn shoot. Just have the wet wipes nearby, and let the me know if there are any un-cleanable places we
should avoid like your standing on your antique rug or sitting on a delicate couch. Regarding any props I bring, they will be washable and I fully expect to wash them after a newborn session. 10. FEEDING BABY It’s best if you can feed baby about just before the shoot, or just after you arrive if we are “on location.” So, if possible, hold off on feeding until then. We will have a much happier, mellow baby which will mean better photos.
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Top 10 Tips for Kids Sessions
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1. SCHEDULING Consider nap times when scheduling your session, as well as your own child’s best time of the day. 2. FOOD Feed your child about 1-2 hours before the session, and then have a non-messy snack like a granola bar just before the session. 3. CLOTHES For children’s photos, bright colors are great! But avoid anything that will “date” the photo such as TV characters or logos. Bring one or two changes of clothes, and a few props like angel wings, hats, a favorite toy, etc. This will give you some variety in the final images. 4. CLEAN Bring wet wipes or a damp washcloth to clean all hands and faces including nostrils and eyes just before the session. Remove all temporary tattoos and nail polish the night before. 5. FAVORITE TOYS For younger kids, bring a bag with a few favorite toys, just in case we need them. But be careful of anything you give them just before or during the session; they may refuse to release it and then it will appear in all photos. 6. PARENTS Even if we are photographing “just the kids,” you may be used as a backdrop. So be sure to wear something simple that you would like to be photographed in. 7 PROPS/OTHER THINGS TO BRING Bring a blanket or two that we can lay out on the ground and take photos on. Feel free to bring a few favorite stuffed animals, books, or toys and we can incorporate those into the images. 8. INCENTIVE (OK, let’s just call it “bribery”) Incentives should either be non-messy (I use “smarties” candy) or be awarded after the session like a family ice cream outing. 9. PRIORITY Bring a prioritized list of the photo groupings you want (children alone, all family shot, Daddy and Mommy, etc.). We’ll get the most important photos first, before anybody gets too tired. 10. SAFETY FIRST! Photo sessions are often held in exciting new places with fast moving rivers, bridges, and waterfalls. Be sure to stay with your child(ren) and watch them at all times.
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Featured Local Artist:
Caroline Loewengart
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Creating something that brings joy to the one who possesses it is very gratifying Caroline Loewengart, owner/artist of Ruby Loves Jewelry, has been designing and creating jewelry for over 30 years. Inspired by clean, modern design, and the natural beauty of the stones in her work, each piece is produced from 14k gold, sterling silver, 14k gold-fill and high quality precious and semiprecious stones. Her joy is in creating sophisticated jewelry that’s simple, meaningful and wearable every day. Caroline is originally from California and has lived in Colorado for the last 6 years with her husband and 2 children. She started Ruby Loves Jewelry after the birth of her 2nd child, Ruby, in 2007. Most recently, she was featured in the Boulder Daily Camera’s Fashion article “Replacing Crummy Gifts with Good Ones.” (gifts from Ruby Loves are the good ones!) What do you love most about designing and creating your own jewelry? I love working with my hands and designing jewelry has always come naturally. Creating something that brings joy to the one who possesses it is very gratifying. Lately I’ve been focused on personalized and custom work which I love because it is so very special to the recipient. I love being part of that special gift. What are some of your favorite materials to work with and create with? I love to work with sterling silver, 14k gold, and beautiful stones
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How did you get your start in jewelry designing? I got started in jewelry making as a pre-teen, when my mom came home one day with boxes of beads and tools for my sister and I. She had no idea what to do with them herself, but thought we’d enjoy them. A life long passion was born that day. If you could sum up your look and aesthetic in three words, what would they be and why? Well my tagline is “sweet, simple, modern” which I think really embodies my aesthetic. My goal is to create sophisticated jewelry that’s easy to wear every day. I like to say that Ruby Loves jewelry is easy to wear and hard to take off! Do you generally create small production runs or make to order? Since all of my work is handmade, I typically make to order, especially since the price of metals has become astronomical. I want to keep my prices reasonable and accessible for all. How do you balance your creative drive with entrepreneurial requirements? Since I’m a one woman show, I do it all. I’m not sure there’s balance but I’m fortunate that I’m an artist with a business background and I worked in marketing for many years. I think that background helps prevent me from becoming overwhelmed with the business side. I also have an amazing husband who is there for me to bounce ideas off of and talk shop with, so to speak. What type of selling outlets are your products in? Shops, online? Currently, I’m exploring some retail store opportunities but I sell primarily through my own website – www.rubyloves.com
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email: N@NataschaLEEStudios.com phone: (303) 525-8687 web & blog: www.NataschaLEEStudios.com http://www.facebook.com/NataschaLeeStudios