Christmas is coming and I know that our days are going to be filled with many wonderful activities and traditions. Time spent with family and friends is time well spent and so worthy of a snap. I have come up with a few photos to take that you will surely treasure and will help tell the story of your holiday season. 
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Who's up for a little challenge to really elevate your photos and help you to be more intentional and aware of what photos you are making?
Well fa la la la la- let's do this! 
Make a list of holiday and Christmas traditions your family has and participates in every year. Now, prioritize them in the order of upmost importance. Next, under each activity you listed- write things that you enjoy about that activity. What is it about that activity you look forward to? Is there something a certain child always does? Do you enjoy the planning? Do you dress a certain way? Think closely about this one and don't overlook the details.  This is what you are going to photograph. Look beyond the generic "stand there and look at the camera and smile" photos. 
Here's an example from our family: 
The past few years, I haven't loved the idea of decorating. It feels like a lot of work, right? I know some people that are so into it and love Christmas so much they begin decorating as soon as Halloween is over ( we all know them, right?) But, my kids get so much joy out of decorating. It's ever so exciting to them! So, if I'm digging a little deeper and looking a little closer, what do I enjoy about it? Well, the end result for one. I like seeing everything festive, yet back the way it goes, boxes cleared away, etc. But again, digging deeper, I love to see my kids excitement. Why are they excited? Boxes everywhere (mass chaos!!!)! Dad climbing in and out of the super mysterious attic! Clumping all the ornaments in one tiny space on the tree!  It's so funny to me because I feel like when we decorate, it certainly does not look like a Hallmark commercial! It's magical all right, but in our own messy, crazy way. Maybe more like National Lampoons? 

Now, get out there and document your Christmas and holiday traditions! Share them with me on my Facebook page or tag me in your Instagram stories @jess.nicole.photography - I want to see what you come up with! 
If you are interested in having me do this for you, I'd obviously be happy to. Let me know by using the contact tab above or message me on any of my social channels. 

Happy Christmas!

There's this running joke in the photography community, photographer's children hate the camera, anything to do with pictures, and will act like wild animals if they even sense the camera turning on. Back when I did portrait photography (seems like a lifetime ago), I would always chuckle and cry because I knew it to be so true.
But then, oh glorious day, I made the decision to do a 180 and follow my real passion- capturing authenticity. That's a whole other blog post I'll write one day, but for now, just know that my kids no longer have "photographer's child syndrome". Which is awesome- I feel like they feel respected and appreciated just the way they are, in their natural habitat. And I am over the moon because I get real, meaningful portraits of my kids. Portraits of them just the way they are and exactly how my heart will always remember them.
So, let's get to it. What are some ways YOU can prepare your kids for a shoot with me? Here's 5 easy ways to help them (and you) prepare for your awesome family storytelling session with me!

1. "The first rule of Fight Club is: You do not talk about Fight Club." Just kidding, talk to them about it, but talk to them in a way that emphasizes that it's not really about the pictures- this is REALLY important. That way, they don't have the preconceived notion that they are going to need to sit and pose for a picture. There's not going to be props or backdrops or fancy lighting equipment. Honest to goodness, I can remember the dread I used to feel going to get my pictures made. My sessions are different, I promise! We do a lot of playing and a lot of hanging out. I like to think I'm adorably awkward, so just think of me as an old friend coming by to hang out and catch up with the family. I recently had a little guy whose family hired me for a Day in the Life Session- so I was there for 8 hours. About 6 hours into the shoot, he said to me something I'll never forget.  He said, "You know, I thought my mom and dad hired you to come take pictures of us. I wasn't expecting this, like, at all. It's kind of like you're our friend and are just hanging out with us today." Man, that kid. I wanted to grab him up and hug him! I just told him I absolutely was his friend and I was happy to spend the day with him.
2. Make a plan for your time with me- or don't. If you are a family that normally plans your days in advance, then let's do that. Or maybe you are a family with lots of activities and commitments- I'm along for the ride (just make room for me in the car!) If you are a family that lives your life without schedules and plans and lives moment to moment, let's do that. Do not change things on my account! Sometimes it is helpful to plan at least one activity- but one that truly has a place in your daily life. Maybe it's cuddle time on the couch with a book, maybe it's a board game, or maybe it's a walk around the block with the family dog. Maybe it's throwing the ball around in the backyard. It can help keep things flowing and ease any jitters.
3.  To further emphasize point 2, I really want to stress this point- and we will talk about it in your pre-consultation (on the phone, via Facetime, or over coffee)- what is it you want to say? What memory is it you want preserved? What story do you want to tell? This has everything in the world to do with how you prepare them for the shoot. Whether it's documenting a milestone, a certain event or life change, or whether it's just a season of life you want to remember- these things are important for me to know and important for us to talk about. I want to know the things that are meaningful to you. What's important to one family may not be as important to the next family. That's part of what makes us unique.
4. This tip is more for the parents than it is for the kids- but it's an important one. Just let them be. They don't need to be on their best behavior, they don't need to be perfect. They just need to be. I want nothing more than for you to have a level of trust with me (and I work really hard to earn that trust). When I earn that, honesty flows through the lens- and it's so, so good. There's no judgement here from me. I am a mom of 3. There's not much I haven't seen during my time as a mother and it doesn't phase me at all. I'll shoot the good with the bad and I'm happy to do it. It's all just a part of this life we live. And by doing this, we're emphasizing that they are enough. They are perfect the way they are. We value them and appreciate what they bring to us. 
5. Tell them that they don't need to smile. I think a lot of anxiety when you tell people you're going to be shooting them all day is that they feel like they have to be "on" and be smiling all day. That. Is. Exhausting. Let's just agree now that this photo session is not that. It's different. I value the whole spectrum of human emotion. You don't need to be aware of the camera the whole time- better yet, I'd like it if you weren't aware. Treat it like it's not there, it will fade into the background, I promise. 

I hope you found this helpful and I hope it eases any worries you may have had. I'm aiming for zero stress over here. 
If you'd like to chat a bit about a session with me, I'm all ears. We can do a quick video chat or simply send me a message and I'll send you a digital magazine with all of the details. 
I want to preserve this time for you. The whole family deserves to be in the frame and your children will cherish this keepsake for years to come. These pictures will only get sweeter with time. 

Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Black Friday, Happy Holidays! 
I want to take a quick second to thank YOU my clients (past, present, and future) for supporting me and helping me to chase after my dreams. Without you, none of this would be possible. 
When you shop small, local businesses like mine- I can't tell you what it means to me. You're putting money right back into your Hampton Roads community. You're making me do a super happy dance. You making me high five everyone in my family. You're directly supporting my small business. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. 
Now, onto the Black Friday 2020 details and fine print. 
All deals/sessions purchased MUST be used from December 2020- December 2021. To secure your rate, you need to pay 50% upon booking. No refunds, no other discounts apply.
- $100 off Day in the Life Sessions! Holy guacamole, this is a fantastic deal. You've got me for 8 hours and each session includes a beautiful 8x8 lay-flat keepsake photobook from your day. I cannot wait to meet my 2021 Day in the Life Families!!
-$50 off Half Day in the Life Sessions! You've got me for 4 hours for this one- perfect for those who are not quite ready to jump into a Full Day in the Life or for those who have some time constraints. 
-$50 off the Belly to Baby Collection! This is another HOLY GUACAMOLE deal! That $50 off is on top of the bundled savings of the Collection. Each session also comes with a small set of 10 5x7 prints for you to frame, display, or share. 
- FREE 11x14 wall art print will be included with Gift Certificate purchases for any session. (literally this is the perfect gift!!)

There will be FLASH SALES not mentioned in this blog. You'll have to check my Instagram stories, my Facebook page, and also I added a Facebook event page where I'll post just the sales. 
Let me know if you have any questions, I'm happy to help. Thank you so much for supporting my small business and our local Chesapeake community. 
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