Julie is the nomination winner from a free photoshoot contest I ran. I asked people to nominate someone they thought deserved to have this experience. She was nominated by her friend Jennifer, who wrote me a beautiful email telling me what a kind, caring person Julie is, and how much she deserved to win this experience and all the images. After meeting Julie, I can see what Jennifer was talking about, she is a compassionate human being. She is the mom of two incredible kids, she is also a therapist who works with children, teens, and adults.
When I met Julie, she seemed nervous but excited. We sat down and went through some examples of my work to see what stood out to her. She said she really needed professional images, but had been putting it off. Having images that portray us well is so important these days. Just for fun, I had her try on some dresses from my studio wardrobe. I don’t have a huge collection or anything, but right away I thought she looked too good in a purple dress, that we had to include in her set. Julie had liked a few of my black and white images and we talked about style items she might have at home, but I figured I had a dress that would look fantastic in black in white just in case. I was right, She tried on a lace top, a black dress that I knew would look fantastic in black and white. We planned some ideas for a professional look and at least one look with her kids.
When Julie arrived for her photoshoot, I think she was a little overwhelmed. I try to make this experience as easy as possible, but I also want my clients to get the most they can from their sessions. Julie is a working mom with two kids, and her time and energy are stretched thin. She coordinated with her mom to bring the kids later so that she can enjoy the first part of the session by herself. Which I will always recommend. As soon as the children arrive, we know the general focus of the shoot is going to be more challenging, but it’s so worth it! I am really glad that she came by herself first because although the hair and make-up help us feel more confident about having pictures taken, being able to come in and relax for a bit first, makes the whole experience better.
The session was really a breeze. Julie put up with my ridiculous attempts to make her smile. She has a really amazing smile. I coached her in posing and adjusted her hair for each pose. I already had a good idea of what poses I wanted to try from our discussion and what Julie liked from my work. When her mom brought her two children, we finished up the set we were on and started getting ready for a set with them. I put some curls in Kayla, her little girl’s hair and we picked out a flower crown for her and Julie to wear. We went really simple because they are children and they don’t really need much. They are cute as they are. Julie had options picked out, but we went with light colors and a pop of blue. Alex wore a light blue shirt that really brought the blue in Kayla’s eyes out. We did a bright background and just let the kids and mom cycle through some group combinations. I let the kids be a little silly and coached a little, just to get their faces together. I snapped away on my camera and of course, I got plenty of sweet and adorable interaction from both of her kiddos.
Below is a slideshow of the final images from Julie’s session.
I send a questionnaire out to my clients after they have had their photoshoot and seen all of their images. This is where I find ways to improve the experience. I’m always learning and growing. This is also how I learn about how my clients felt about their experiences.
Below are some of the things Julie said in her questionnaire.
“My favorite part was the eyelashes!
And, dressing up and being guided to personify different looks and poses for meyself. I just feel blessed to have had this opportunity and to have these forever photos. And, I’m so grateful that my kids got to see their mom look beautiful and have these memories. I think I have gained a renewed sense or feeling that I can still be beautiful and desirable. Hope for the future that someone else will see me in that way and love me inside and out.” -Julie
“I would rate Cinnamon Rose Photography an 11 out of 10!
Cinnamon made me feel relaxed and beautiful! I have gained weight and just felt “old” and “mom-ish” for the past couple of years now. I now feel that I am not so bad and want to take better care of myself, put on beautiful clothes, make-up, and live more.” -Julie
“Without a doubt, I would recommend this experience to a friend.
I think they would love the pampering, getting their hair and make-up done by a professional, stepping out of their “box”, trying on beautiful clothes, and being photographed in ways that highlight the look/style they were hoping for.” -Julie
Make sure you enter into my Free Photoshoot contest for your chance a Free Photoshoot Experience of your own! Click on the button below for details.
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