Meet Alaric - Newborn Photo Shoot in new home studio!

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.”

NewbornSara BakaySeptember 6, 2021Newborn, Baby, Photography, Photographer, Lexington, Lex, Photos, Photoshoot, KY, Kentucky, Louisville, Home Studio, Winchester, Paris, Richmond, GeorgrtownComment

Graduation Pictures at UK - The Arboretum and Campus

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!

Engagement Pictures at Masterson Station! Interview with Shannon.

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.”

What is "The Golden Hour" and Why Should I Book My Session During a Sunset?

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.

Sara BakayJuly 30, 2021Cozyshoppe ProductionsGolden Hour, Sunset, Photos, Photographer, Lexington, KY, Kentucky, Photo shoot, Soft LightComment

How To Book Your Newborn Session

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.

Making the Time For Updated Pictures.

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.

When Should I Book My Maternity Session?

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.

Group Discount For Student Headshots!

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.

So Why Should I Book Cozyshoppe?

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.

Sara BakayJune 22, 2021Cozyshoppe ProductionsCozyshoppe, Lexington, KY, Kentucky, Photography, Videography, Photographer, Wedding, EngagementComment

New Puppy Family Photos

Family pictures are usually very high energy, but not quite as high energy as a new puppy! When Nicole asked me if we could do a shoot for her brand new family member, there was no hesitation. I love animals! They had previously used me for their engagement pictures, and eventually, their wedding photos as well. Naturally, when they got Blue (yes, named because of his beautiful blue eyes), they wanted me to capture the joy and love they had for him.

8 Clothing Ideas For Maternity Sessions

Not sure what to wear for your maternity session? Check out these great tips to help you prepare:

Remember, the main purpose of this session is to show off your baby bump, so be sure to wear more clingy clothing to your session. It doesn’t necessarily have to be tight, but you want it to be more form fitting so you can see the bump. Just be sure that it’s still comfortable for you.
We suggest wearing shirts with some kind of sleeve on them – they are more flattering for photos. Things like a dress with 3/4 length sleeves, or a form fitting tank top with a sweater/cardigan over it are always a good idea.

Marriage, Christmas, and COVID!

WeddingSara BakayJune 10, 2021Wedding, Highlight reel, Photo shoot, Photographer, videographer, video, videography, Photo, Photography, Lexington, Richmond, Kentucky, KY, Versailles, Paris, Louisville, LexComment

Surprise During the Maternity Shoot!

Maternity pictures are a fun way to remember the beauty of pregnancy without remembering the aches and pains that come along with it. Typically, a shoot lasts 45 minutes to an hour and the mother is anywhere between 28 and 36 weeks pregnant. During that stage, the mother usually has a very visible baby bump, but isn’t too uncomfortable to participate in the shoot.

When Beverly arrived for our scheduled Maternity shoot, she was running a little behind. I definitely have grace for pregnant women in these situations because they are taking on a major life change. It’s worth noting that this is going to be the FIFTH child for this couple and she deserved extra grace on that particular day… because she was in active labor!

How Many Hours Should I Book My Photographer For? How about Videographer?

What do you want covered?

First, you need to decide what important details you want covered. Do you want a lot of getting ready shots prior to the ceremony? Do you want us to stay for the entire reception? These details will affect the length of time you will need us there. If you want us to stay until your reception exit, and you want a lot of candid, getting ready shots, you will need full day coverage. If you just want a few getting ready shots, that will knock off some time. If you want us to stay for just the main events in the reception and not until the last guest leaves, then this will also shorten the day. By deciding on a start and/or end time, this is the first step to booking your package.

Surprise Engagement

Gage contacted me to ask if I could assist him with capturing a very special moment. He was planning on asking his girlfriend to marry him and we wanted to do it before a Woodford Reserve Distillery tour. The grounds are beautiful, so I was confident that we could grab some great pictures. We made a plan that I would plant myself in front of the building and pretend to be taking some pictures of the grounds as they arrived with their group of family/friends. He would casually stroll by and land in the place we chose together (for the optimal backdrop).

Photography and Videography