{trio} gressman kids

Attempted a shoot outdoors on a snowy morning in SLC with this trio of cuties last weekend. TOO COLD! Instead we spent the morning at their grandparents house around the tree, riding a vintage horsey, drinking hot chocolate & attempting the freezing outdoors one more time. I had a great time chasing the twins from one thing to the next. All three kids have beautiful bright blue eyes. Hope you love them Auntie Em! ;)

Attempted to catch a snowflake on her tongue & caught one in her eyelashes!

{6 month} Khendyl

Remember my sweet niece? Well, she's SIX months old now and absolutely BEAUTIFUL!

{Ute Lovin'} Jenkins Family

Remember my talented friend from The House Undone? Well, meet her darling family! We had a fun hour outside in the freezing snow capturing Christmas card pics. Don't you just want to snatch up that little cutie? I know I do! Can't wait to see which ones made "the card"!! :)

{beautiful girl-filled} Vesp Family

I spent last Sunday afternoon at Lake Las Vegas with this lovely family. You might remember big sis as one of the eight high school grads I photographed back in August. I think Gavin & Vicki should just produce beautiful girls for a living!! ;) Thanks for spending your Sunday with me far FAR away from our side of the world!

I WON!!!!

I just wrapped up a 30 day photography class and our last assignment was a "creative light" shot. Each week there is a winner. Well guess who won this week??? ME!!! What a great validation!! I would like to thank my 2 year old model for holding so still in the patch of light shining through a high window in our entryway. I saw him walk through it & thought "THAT'S creative light!!!!" (Even though the reason I saw him walk through the light was because he was coming out of his room instead of laying down & taking a nap!!) So he was pretty cooperative & mostly rolled around on the floor with his favorite blankie. 50 shots later I had this:

No light diffusers or assistant. Simply a baby boy sitting in a patch of light instead of taking a nap. ;)

{wooden blocks} Decorating with Photography

My friend over at The House Undone made my son these darling wooden blocks with his pictures & name spelled out for his first birthday. They now are stacked on his dresser--- in endless configurations. If you want to find out how to make these for your own kids or your FRIEND'S kids...for Christmas....(hint, hint) she gives detailed instructions on her full post HERE.

To see the girl version in her daughter's room check out the post HERE (You'll also get to check out her daughter's DARLING room that makes you want a baby girl nursery this instant!)

{my} philosophy

It's probably time I gave my philosophy/mission statement <-----not like Jerry Maguire and the fish, but something like that....

How did Thru My Lenz Photography Company come about?

I became incredibly discouraged a few years ago when I was looking for a local photographer to take our family photos. I found one that I LOVED but she charged $$$ just to TAKE our pictures. It was "$$$ for the photographer's time & talent." She actually had a "Christmas Deal" going for $$$ which included her time & ONE. Single. .jpeg of our favorite image. Well, I took the bait. I paid for her time and LOVED many of her pictures but when I found out how much it was going to be for the prints or just a disc I was appalled. It went from being a $$$ experience to a $$$$ experience. So around Christmas I was stuck choosing to spend $$$$ on family photos or $$$$ on presents. I chose to take my one single .jpeg image & print 30-40 to stick in our Christmas cards like I do every year. To this day, I have not purchased a single print or disc of that photo shoot. I keep thinking "maybe it's been long enough that she'd just sell me a disc with all of the images for really cheap."

Me & My Little Man

Fast-forward to Nov. 2011. If you're looking for an affordable route to capturing yourself/your family at this moment, (that isn't in a Target or Wal-Mart photo studio) here I am! I've made a vow to give clients their pictures. ALL of their pictures. The edited and the un-edited. Who am I to say what pictures you'd love to print & what ones you wouldn't? Or that you should only print pictures through me? I can't compete with the Costco's & Target's of the world so do what you want. They are YOUR pictures. You paid for them. I want you to have the capability of printing 500 copies or just 5. As a photographer, I'm certainly not going to do anything with them after our shoot and I know you will treasure them forever.

Oh, and my name is Lenzi (pronounced Lindsey/Lindsay/linz-ee). Therefore, the oh-so-clever "Thru My Lenz Photography Company" ;) Nice to meet ya!

What to Wear???

Here's a question I get asked EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. I schedule a photo shoot, "What should I/we wear???"

Two things to consider:

• Who's being photographed? If it's just you and your spouse then consider most pictures will be taken together in close proximity. If you wear the same color shirts & jeans then there won't be much distinction between the two of you. If it's a family shoot then similar color families are fine! Or contrasts of black & white are great. Be creative. You can have everyone in different shades of one color then maybe put a bright colored bow in your daughter's hair or have your son in a bright vest. I like unexpected pops of color in clothes, jewelry and/or accessories. Don't be scared to play around with colors you wouldn't normally pair together! PHOTOGRAPHY ISN'T PERMANENT! Well, it is kind of, but you shouldn't be scared! What's trendy now you will probably loathe in 5 years, but hey! That's what's fun about family pictures. Looking back & saying "Why did I wear that/do my
  hair that way!" ;) Have fun with it. If you're like me, you get family pictures every year. Why not branch out & try something you haven't tried before?
  
• Where are you being photographed? Take into consideration your location. If you are going to be in a park with grass & trees. Try to pick a bright color that won't blend into the green surroundings. If you're going to be photographed in a rustic/old downtown location, choose something more subtle as you don't want your outfit to clash with or compete with your backdrop. This sounds like common sense, right? I think clients immediately get tense when they hear "family photos." Just dress you and your family in whatever they are comfortable with. Happy kids/spouses take better pictures!! ;)

My style suggestions:

• I love contrast. i.e. If you're in a field, wear something really dressy & formal. If you're downtown, wear something bright with lots of layers, but more casual.
• I don't love characters or big logos or busy/conflicting patterns. I think these detract from your beautiful face.
• A warning to the ladies: I've had multiple complaints about cardigans not looking flattering in photos. Let me warn you that cardigans are an awesome way to layer and add different colors to the picture. HOWEVER: at different angles an open cardigan may look boxy or make you look bigger than you truly are. If you wear a cardigan, consider belting it or wearing one that you can button a little to look more form fitting.
• Bring a change of clothes or different accessories to switch up halfway through your shoot.
• RELAX! It's just family photos. That phrase shouldn't send you into a panic. You're getting pictures to capture you/your family at this present time. Your family photos are going in your house. You have to look at them. Not me. Do what you're most comfortable with & have fun!
  

Hopefully some of these tips help! Leave me a comment with any helpful suggestions you tried & worked well for you or your family. I'd love to keep this post as a "work in progress" and add to it as I go along.

{inspiring} Decorating with Photography

My friends over at The House Undone posted an inspiring "photo wall" transformation yesterday & I'm in LOVE! It's EXACTLY what I want in my house! It's like she looked into the dark, never-been-used section of my brain labeled "home decor" & plucked it right out! I want the glaze trellis, dark paint, big white frames, AND while I'm at it: I'd love to snatch up her darling little girl too.

Just click on the button below to check it out. While you're there you can grab your own "The House Undone" button to add to your blog. You'll thank me later!! ;)

{happy} Halloween

I couldn't help but share a few pictures of my little men all dressed up last night. This was my littlest guy's first REAL Halloween----he went trick-or-treating. He and his Dad prepared for a while the night before "trick-or-treat!!" then "thank you!" He had a blast! He would NOT let anyone help him with his bucket of candy. By the end of the night he was walking with what looked like a limp to compensate for the weight. Where on earth did he get his stubborn personality from?? ;) I hope everyone had a great Halloween!

Caught Batman taking a breather from his mysterious mask.

Now that Halloween's over, who's doing your family portraits for Christmas cards?? Let me know if you'd like to book a session! thrumylenz@yahoo.com