STUDIOMagazine
magazine
02 Vol. 2 - 2012
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contents 04 Letter From Editor The Wonder of Parenting 06 Timing When To Schedule Your Session 12 Fabulous Fall Loewengart Family 26 Style Guide What To Wear + Store Guide 32 Top 10 Tips For Newborn Sessions 48 Modern Jeweler With Traditional Values Interview With Local Artist Jason Albrecht 54 Top 10 Tips For Kids Sessions 66 Custom Photography The Artistic Process ŠNatascha 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. 2
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Editor’s Note
The Wonder of
A
Parenting
s 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 Vibrant & Natural Photographer for Babies & Families www.NataschaLeeStudios.com
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TIMiNG When to schedule your session
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MATERNITY Book your maternity session when you are 5 pregnant, and schedule it for your 7th month (28 - 32 weeks). At this point, you’ll have a lovely baby bump to feature in the images.
NEWBORN (2 – 10 days old) 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, babies are still soft and cuddly and will sleep peacefully. Of course, babies come in their own sweet time and I keep flexibility in my schedule to 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.
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Natascha, we are beyond thrilled with the family photos you took of us. As an artist myself, I knew that I wanted something special and unique for our family photos and you delivered. You were so much fun to work with, and you really captured our family's personality. When I saw the photos, I was just blown away. These are images that I will cherish for my lifetime, and I can't even tell you how much it means to me, to be able to have these gorgeous, artistic images for my daughter (and hopefully my grandchildren) to cherish as well. - Birgit W., Littleton
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CHILDREN From April to November are ideal times, as we can shoot outside and take advantage of Colorado’s stunning nature. 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.
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Now booking Summer and Fall Sessions. Contact (303) 525-8687 or Sessions@NataschaLeeStudios.com to reserve your session.
FAMILIES Anytime of the year is a great time for family portraits! If you are looking for holiday portraits, I suggest October sessions. 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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I can’t express how thrilled I am! Natasha did the most amazing job of capturing my son’s essence in the most realistic, stunning and artistic manner. From start to finish Natascha treats you like a unique individual and delivers a product that is just as unique and wonderful. - Lyla H., Boulder, Colorado
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Fabulous
Fall Loewengart Family
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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 Loewengart, Colorado
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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. We are thrilled with the results! - Matt and Caroline Loewengart, Colorado
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Style Guide What to Wear Suggested Stores
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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 matchymatchy. We want your individual personality
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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
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 neutral pants.
whatever they want to, and then choose a universal accessory color (think scarves, shoes, socks, hats).
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Baby Photos Babies look best in bright, stretchy, wellfitting clothes. Avoid things that are too big, bunch around the neck, or fabrics that are constricting and don’t stretch. You’ll want
Shopping Resources Here are some of my favorite brands for children’s clothes. Their bright colors photograph well and look great on kids.
to avoid things that prevent your child from moving naturally, and avoid “grown up”
Mini Boden
clothes like jeans.
Janie and Jack
Children’s Photos
Mulberribush
Strasburg Children
For children’s photos, bright colors are great. Feel free to bring few different outfits
Potato Saks Oilily Catimini
and accessories for them, and we’ll pick the
Le Fromage et L’orange
clothes that best match the environment.
Hanna Andersson
This will also give you some variety in your
Le Top
portraits.
Accessories: www.Etsy.com Spring/SUMMER 2012
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Top
for
Tips
Newborn Sessions
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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 degrees about 1 hour before the session.
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Clothes 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.
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3
Manicure Your nails and fingers will show up in some of the
images, so here’s your excuse to get a mini-manicure! Keep jewelry to a minimum.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Items To Have Handy Grab a laundry basket and have these things ready
for the session: wipes, water, a 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.
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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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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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wit us. Iw un de wo fam ph are life mu hav for gra
-K
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Natascha, we are beyond thrilled th the family photos you took of . As an artist myself, I knew that wanted something special and nique for our family photos and you livered. You were so much fun to ork with, and you really captured our mily's personality. When I saw the hotos, I was just blown away. These e images that I will cherish for my etime, and I can't even tell you how uch it means to me, to be able to ve these gorgeous, artistic images r my daughter (and hopefully my andchildren) to cherish as well.
Katherine P, Colorado
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Accidents Happen! Accidents are inevitable and happen on every newborn
shoot. Just have the wet wipes nearby, and a change of clothes for you and the baby!
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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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A modern jeweler with traditional values Interview with Local Artist Jason Albrecht
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This extremely talented jewelry artist runs a family business together with his lovely wife Laina, his brother-in lawKenny and close friend Hawk. Located at the West end of Pearl Street Mall in Boulder, J. Albrecht Designs has been in business since 2003. Working collaboratively with his clients, Jason and his team create stunning, modern, and highly personal custom jewelry. A foodie at heart, Jason enjoys the Boulder’s food-focused culture and he is among the few that still sit down and read the daily newspaper. Other passions included industrial design, American literature , Colorado’s professional sports team and modern architecture. Jason not only gets to claim coveted native Coloradan status, he is fifth-generation native Coloradan. With the approachable, humble demeanor that his clients know and love, he says, “I try to remind myself every day to listen more and to have open mind.”
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What is your long-term goal as a designer? I am intrigued by the idea of creating heirloom quality pieces, something that is easy to say but difficult to achieve. When we create a piece we think about structure and longevity as well as style and presence. We recently worked with a client who brought in a family ring that had been engraved with the date of 1868. It’s awe-inspiring to hold such a ring and to think about what the ring had seen and been part of. That reverence, that deep meaning and connection informs our work every day.
What are some of your favorite materials to work and create with? We create custom jewelry primarily in gold; we also work in platinum and palladium as well. I love the idea that there is a possibility that the gold we are working with today is the same material that was in circulation during Egyptian times. Gold binds human history, it is an amazing material.
What's your work process - like from the inception of the idea to the final creation? I am constantly
i believe that well-run family shops are still the best places to find genuine service and professionalism I am preoccupied doing or thinking about
thinking of our design work and projects—
something else. After an initial idea we use
during shop hours our design projects are at
sketching, computer rendering, and eventually
the forefront of my mind, but some of my best
wax modeling to bring our ideas to life. Finally,
ideas and solutions have come to me while
our projects reach Kenny (brother-in-law and
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goldsmith.) I consider him one of the best hand finishing goldsmiths in the West. In fact, the strength of our custom design process is the beauty and perfection of the finished piece.
How do you balance your creative drive with entrepreneurial requirements? I handle this best by compartmentalizing my time. I set aside specific periods of each day to handle business, project scheduling, and creative/design details.
Your business is a family business, tell us more about that? In the early 90’s I joined a family jewelry business owned by my aunt and uncle. Overseeing five jewelry stores in the metro area, I benefited by learning all aspects of the business, and learning from the best. While those stores concentrated on traditional jewelry store inventory, I became interested in the idea of custom jewelry design. I eventually moved on to open my own shop concentrating on design along with my wife Laina and brother in law, Kenny. Our manager, Hawk, has worked with us for over 12 years and has become like family as well. Although the idea might seem antiquated today, I believe that well-run family shops are still the best places to find genuine service and professionalism.
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we think about structure and longevity as well as style and presence
Visit: J ALBRECHT DESIGNS MASTER GOLDSMITHS 951 Pearl Street, Boulder 303-543-9191 website: jalbrechtdesigns.com blog: http://jalbrechtdesigns.tumblr.com/ facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/J-AlbrechtDesigns/197258873634040
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Top
for
Tips
Kids Sessions
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SCHEDULING Consider nap times when scheduling your
session, as well as your own child’s best time of the day.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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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Thank you Natascha for the wonderful photo shoot! Not only did I enjoy it but my son had a fantastic time having his picture taken and assisting you with the photo shoot of his new baby brother. The pictures are beautiful and we will certainly treasure them for many years to come. You captured the spirit of both of our boys and we will gladly recommend you to family and friends! - Mercy M., Broomfield, Colorado
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Custom Photog
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m graphy
The Artistic Process
You are about to embark on a truly enjoyable journey for you and your family, and for future generations. Commissioning a custom-designed portrait is one of the best ways to celebrate the love of family ! Spring/SUMMER 2012
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My vision is to create an amazing experience for your family and to design a portrait that will not only be a cherished part of your home decor but will also be a treasured memory for you, your children, and your children’s children.
There are 5 key steps in the process: STEP 1: The Pre-Consultation Each beautiful portrait begins with a portrait planning consultation. We’ll discuss your vision and goals for your portraits, and I’ll answer any questions you may have about your custom photography experience. This consultation allows us to get to know
- Natascha
each other and it allows me to answer any questions you may have about your custom photography experience.
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Natascha the boys and I LOVED our photo shoot! You kept them engaged, playful and most importantly, themselves. I got chills when I saw the fall colors in the artistic proofs. Thank you for creating this memorable experience and the images we will cherish forever. - Megan J, Westminster, Colorado
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STEP 2: Client Preparations This is where you do the heavy lifting. You’ll select your clothes and outfits, as well as get everyone camera-ready. Detailed suggestions are available in the Client-Exclusive section of my website; you’ll receive a link and password via your confirmation letter. Please do invest the time in reading these tips as thorough preparation work can make the difference between nice portraits and AMAZING portraits.
STEP 3: Your Portrait Session Ah, the big moment – the custom photography experience. We’ll spend about an hour together and we’ll have FUN! At the end, we’ll have a few administrative details to cover (setting up your ordering session, collecting your product deposit.) But mostly, we’ll just meet and create magic! Artistic magic!
STEP 4: Viewing & Ordering A few weeks after your session, we’ll meet for your viewing and ordering session. You’ll want to be able to focus all your attention on your gorgeous images, so I highly recommend securing a babysitter. I’ll present your 30 – 40 final images and I’ll help you decide which images and art sizes will work best for your home.
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STEP 5: Your Final Portrait I’ll contact you when your order is ready, about 4 weeks after order placement. Then, the only thing left to do is to enjoy your beautiful new portraits! Family Photos are among the most precious things you can do for your family and for yourself. Capture these fleeting memories to
Book your session today!
keep forever and to share with your children and future generations, so they have a chance to share in the magic.
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Email: N@NataschaLEEStudios.com Phone: 303.525.8687 Web & Blog: www.NataschaLEEStudios.com Facebook Page: facebook.com/NataschaLeeStudios