Blog
Tips, tricks, and hacks on weddings, photo shoots, and other events, as well as highlights on some of my favorite and most recent shoots as a photographer/videographer in the Lexington, Kentucky area.
Speaking of which, these parents were so much fun to get to know. From the way that they picked out this super unique baby name to swapping life stories, our time together flew by.
As for baby Alaric, he was a little angel but only slept peacefully through the a few minutes of our session. I'm not gonna lie. When he showed up bright eyed and active, I thought the session might have turned out a little tricky, but the parents were super helpful and were able to rock him to sleep.
Time for a little aww moment: When Alaric was born, what was your first thought? “How cute his little nose was and how happy I was he was finally here.,” says Sheena. Isn't that precious? Alaric is such a lucky kiddo.
How was your experience having your newborn photographed? Were you nervous or worried before? How did it turn out?
“We were a little nervous since he is our first, but after being there and all of us working together it turned out to be a really good shoot with really great photos.”
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I was contacted by a lovely family from out of state about taking some graduation pictures for them. As the event got closer, they also decided to grab some family pictures while we were out and about. The arboretum has a relatively new policy that you have to pay a $26.50 fee to take pictures there, so we filled out the necessary paperwork and mailed a check to cover that cost. It is well worth the money, as we got some great pictures!
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Have you heard of Lex Get Married? It’s a relatively new Kentucky startup that helps brides find their perfect Kentucky based vendors in the budget they are looking for.
How does it work?
A bride (or groom!) signs up for free and enters some basic information, such as wedding date and location. After that, they select the services they are looking for, i.e. photography, catering, DJ, etc., and enter their budget for each service. The vendors who offer services in that category will receive a notification that someone is looking for their service. If they are available on the date and offer services in their budget, they will reach out the them and form a connection!
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In my 5+ years as a photographer, I’ve been extremely lucky to get to work with all kinds of amazing human beings. As you’d expect, every couple is different from the next. Some are all about the PDA, some are all about keeping it sweet and romantic, and some people… well, some people are just downright hysterical!
Meet Adam and Shannon, two of the goofiest people I’ve worked with in a while. The session took place at Masterson Station Park, which was a great backdrop for our time together. The fun they had during the shoot helped us to get some great pictures! The entire time these two were cracking jokes and picking on each other, and I was there to catch it all on camera.
I love asking how people meet. “Adam became friends with my father through being a sales representative for a local parts store and my father had an interest for working on older cars in his free time. Once Adam and my father became friends, we met through my dad at his shop. We had known each other for years before we decided to give dating a shot.”
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So you want to learn about golden hour, huh? It’s a pretty popular time of day for photographers to shoot. We’ll tell you what it is and why we prefer this time of day to others.
We prefer to shoot in the hours leading up to sunset. This is called the ‘Golden Hour.’ During this time, the lighting is absolutely perfect.
The perks:
You get yummy light flares and beautiful soft light.
There are no soft shadows or squinty eyes from the blinding sun at high noon.
In the Spring, the weather isn’t too hot, so you’re able to relax a little better knowing there isn’t sweat running down your face or making stains on your shirt.
During Golden Hour, everything is warm and pretty and gives off a magical feeling.
We can also get some sweet silhouette shots as the sun is going down on the horizon.
When deciding on a location for a photoshoot, you have to consider so many different aspects. What types of colors are there around me? Will the changing of the season impact the way the location looks? Will there be shelter if it starts raining? When Riley was deciding on a location for her engagement shoot, she realized that she fell in love with her fiancé, Clark, in college and that the pictures would be more special if they could incorporate some of Transy’s campus locations into the shots.
When I met them on campus that day, they told me their love story and walked me through some of the locations they shared memories in. This is a great idea for anyone who wants your story to flow through your pictures! Check out some shots from the shoot below.
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When it comes to booking your session, there are a lot of questions about how the process works. Since your new little peanut isn’t here yet, it’s hard to figure out a schedule. Here is what we suggest:
Contact us during the beginning of your third trimester to set a date for the session. We require a deposit of 50% of the session fee to hold the date for you and we only accept newborn sessions during the first 14 days after birth. This means that we will schedule the session for sometime within two weeks of your due date.
We will also hold a spot for two backup dates – one a week after the original session date, and one a week prior to your due date. This ensures that if your little nugget doesn’t come according to schedule you’ll still be covered.
Keep in contact with us as your pregnancy comes to a close so we can be prepared. After the baby is born, give us a call or shoot us a message so we can make sure that one of the dates we have set will work out.
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I had been mentioning to my partner, Brad, that he needed some new headshots. We created three new companies during the COVID-19 pandemic (Lex Get Married, Cozy Home, and Growth Stage Operations), and we were in the process of starting a non-profit for the community, called Good Ground. He was still using the same pictures he had taken from many years before and his look had changed since they were taken. He wasn’t opposed to the idea of getting new pictures taken, but we just never seemed to have the time to jump out and grab some new shots.
Finally, we found an extra hour between an engagement photo shoot and an engagement party and made the plan to take pictures no. matter. what.
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We suggest contacting us as soon as you know your due date. We can then decide on a time that is best for your photos. We like to schedule your maternity session around the time you are seven to eight months along. This way, you are far enough along to show off your baby bump, but not to the point where you are going to be miserable in your photos.
As you go along your pregnancy, things may change with your due date, or you may start showing sooner and want to do them earlier. Just contact us and we can discuss this and help you find a new date.
If you’d like to add on a gender reveal session, we typically do those photos shortly after your 16 to 20 week ultrasound when the baby’s gender is discovered.
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As a photographer, I am hired for many different types of photo needs. Weddings, family pictures, engagement pictures, and senior pictures are my typical bookings, but with a city full of talented people, I sometimes get hired to capture acting headshots and portfolio pictures. As an actress myself, I have been in front of the camera for these types of pictures many times.
In Lexington, we have a great children’s arts academy, InnOvation. They teach acting, dance, and voice lessons, have summer camps, put on theatrical shows of their own, and even giving kids the chance to compete in competitions, like JTF. Mary Joy, who is the leader of InnOvation, asked me a few years ago if I was interested in taking headshots for a group of her students. I asked a few more questions and found out that each student only needed a couple of headshots, which would be a much quicker shoot.
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Are you ready for this hot summer? Here are seven ways you can make sure your summer portrait session goes off without a hitch.
1. Dress appropriately. Summer means hot and humid weather, which can lead to sticky bodies. Choose breathable, lightweight fabrics that don't weigh you down. As for shoes, sweet flats or loafers are a great option.
2. Think about your hair. If you or a family member's hair reacts to humidity in a negative way, opt for a hairstyle that won't leave you feeling insecure. For example, a pretty braid or an updo is a good choice. Or you can wear a headscarf, or use a little extra product to keep frizz at bay.
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I had worked with Kenny on a short film, Tick, before he had mentioned to me that he needed new pictures. Because we already had a new friendship, it was pretty easy to get some fun shots on the day of his session.
He had mentioned that he wanted a headshot, so we made sure to get some close up shots.
I asked if he wanted/needed any other types of pictures, and he said that he would love to try some creative full body shots. We went to the park next to the place I lived at the time and used the resources we could find to make some interesting shots. The curve of the trees, benches we found, and even railroad tracks were used.
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Traditional – Traditional wedding photos are the standard portraits, poses, and events taken at weddings. These are the images that we get at every wedding, no matter what. For example, bride and groom standing side by side looking at the camera, or the exchanging of rings and kiss during the ceremony.
Candid – Candid images are photos that are not planned, but are taken as they happen. They are very much in the moment and are different for every single wedding. They aren’t posed or forced.
Pinterest – This is when a photo is posed via a style that can be found on the popular website, Pinterest. We often have clients show us Pinterest boards they’ve created of different images they like.
Romantic – These are images that are based on the couple and shows them interacting with one another and being lovey toward each other. They are sweet and more natural poses.
Fun – Fun photos are spontaneous, in the moment photos where the couple or bridal party acts silly and loosens up as opposed to the sometimes stiff feeling of formal photos.
I was so excited to meet up with Katie and Tyler at UK Arboretum for a stunning – and terribly sweet – maternity session. At the time, Katie was mere weeks away from giving birth, so you can only imagine how she was feeling while we were roaming around finding the best spots to shoot! She was a trooper, though, let me tell you. Her skin looked amazing, her hair was perfection, and her dress was on point. “I was 35 weeks pregnant. It was perfect timing, I didn’t mind walking or getting up and down (with a little help) at all. My baby belly was a great size to see in photos.”
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If you want to go the more traditional route and forego the first look, here are the minimum times you will need to schedule out for photos after the ceremony.
1. For family formals, you will need 30 to 45 minutes depending on your family size.
2. You will need a half hour for bride and groom portraits and 30 to 45 minutes for your bridal party pictures, depending on the number of people in your party.
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This lovely couple contacted me about taking pictures at and filming their engagement party. They chose the Hartland Clubhouse for the location. When I arrived, I was pleasantly surprised by the uniqueness of the experience! The speeches given were in a different language and the songs were also from their culture. My favorite part was the colors! The couple and their guests were so kind to us. They fed us and even sent us home with some awesome baklava and treats!
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What is a second shooter anyway? A second shooter is an additional photographer who is there to cover the wedding as well as the primary photographer or videographer. We choose to have a second (and sometimes third) shooter for many reasons. It is impossible to be everywhere at one time. If you want photos of the bride and groom both getting ready, we can’t be in both locations at once. By having a second shooter, we can cover more events at one time. If you like candid shots, you absolutely want a second shooter. They will be able to get all of the little moments that are happening behind the scenes. If you only have one photographer and he or she is with the bride while the groom is getting ready, then you will have to have the groom mock up and fake these moments to look candid, while missing the real thing. You don’t want “forced candids.”
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Bonjour, everyone!
Today’s blog is from an interview with Suzanna Benassi. I was hired as her videographer when she married her husband, Gavin, on June 30th, 2018. These two have known each other for 9 years! They met in a church youth group and he proposed at a picnic on a farm.
Her advice for other brides planning their wedding? “Don’t try to do it all, delegate!” She also warns to “Make the time to take pictures! This is your only wedding day.”
Any tips on what to bring? “Tissues, lotion, mints, GasX, sewing kit, and WATER.”
The wedding was truly beautiful. They opted not to do a first look. “We did not see each other before. I don’t regret it, but it made pictures crunch time!”
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Why book with Cozyshoppe:
If I were a salesman, I'd have an entire pitch ready to throw your way complete with facts, data and impressive information to sway you in my direction. But I'm not Sara the salesman; I'm Sara the friendly photographer!
So here's what I'll tell you: photography is my thing. I've been doing it for years and not only am I good at it, I have a great time working with clients and delivering pictures on a regular basis.
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