Beauty lives in the simple,
the natural, the authentic. 
It lives in gorgeous yummy light,
soft neutral textures, 
& genuine emotion.

With every session, for every client, 
my goal is to give that beauty back.
To curate it, capture it
& create fine art portraits
that are full of joy & the beauty
that is your family.
Your life.
Your loves.

My philosophy of an organic portrait is one that removes the distractions of loud colours, props & excess to allow natural connection & emotion to shine through in each photograph. 

...

- You & your babies all snuggled up & loving on each other 

- Your child comforted by your embrace

- The laughter of your child while she’s tickled by her mama

...

These are the moments of real connection & authenticity that I look for when photographing your Motherhood Session. They happen in an instant and are not scripted, but instead you are directed to allow for them to naturally occur. 

Portrait Planning Guide

making the most of our time together

Before Your Session

Now that you’ve booked your session, we’ll go right to work planning the fine details. I am here to answer any questions that you may have & guide you through the process so that our session together exceeds your expectations. Please feel free to ask me anything - even if it seems silly or insignificant. Talk to me about your wardrobe; send me pictures. I want you to feel 100% prepared before I pick up my camera. 

what to wear

Choose your outfits well in advance!

This is not a day-of-the-session type of decision – trust me! I always recommend starting with mom’s outfit & then building the rest of the families’ wardrobe around hers. Lay all of the outfits out together: it will be apparent if there is a piece that doesn’t belong. You & your children should definitely should not match exactly, but you want to keep your clothing in the same tonal range.

 My clients often text or email me images while they are going through their closets or out shopping. I am happy to give advice & help you come to a cohesive look! 

redwagon’s Curated Closet offers gorgeous floaty dresses for mamas (xs through 3x), & so many sweet options for your littles.  You are more than welcome to borrow pieces from it for your session, but Jamie may not be available for consultation. If you wish to use studio clothing for your session, please arrive 15 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time. 

Take a look through some of the available pieces & sizes for mamas & littles!

The Curated Closet

What to Wear TIPS

 - Avoid large prints & patterns, as well as clothing with logos & writing

- Layering (even in the same neutral colour scheme) in various textures & tone can add interest
(Think: stacked bracelets, necklaces, earrings, scarves etc) 

 - If you are planning to borrow something from the Curated Studio Wardrobe, please wear nude coloured undergarments & a strapless bra

- Please remove old, chipped nail polish (same goes for little girls!) If getting your nails done, please choose nude or light coloured polish or a french manicure 

- Make sure children are free of stickers, stamps & temporary tattoos

colours to choose

- white
- cream 
- oatmeal
- tan
- soft gray
- pale pink
- light blue

STORES

- Anthropologie
- Free People
- Zara
- Forever 21
- Banana Republic
- The GAP
- Old Navy
- H&M

Remember:
Neutral colours & soft, flowing fabrics will result in soft & organic images.  

I know your portraits are so important to you & it’s easy to let anxiety take over. Here are some other tips for a successful session.

- Be well fed & well rested

Don’t come to your portrait session with an empty stomach, or schedule in the middle of nap time!

- Schedule time to get ready

Make sure you schedule enough time to get everyone ready. Rushing around to get everyone fed, dressed & ready is no fun and it sets the tone for a disorganized, unhappy session. Make sure that there’s lots of time for baths, grooming & dressing. Having some extra time will make a big difference.

- Consider professional hair & make-up

Having your hair & makeup done for your session makes such a huge difference in the final images. HMUAs are trained in hairstyling, the science of colour & makeup application. A trained eye sees unique beauty & potential in each face & adjusts for the different factors that will affect your appearance. Applying makeup that will be photographed is MUCH different than applying makeup for day-to-day wear. Photographs reduce your appearance to two dimensions & it takes training to shade, contour & highlight a face subtly & correctly.

Plus, pampered mama = a happy mama!

Taking time for pampering just before the session ensures that you're relaxed & feeling gorgeous for our time together.

during your session

I specialize in authentic, organic portraits… images that showcase the special connection that you have with your children, as well as the personalities in your family. I will almost always take a few images with everyone looking at the camera, but my goal with every session is capture the true emotion & love in your family. I love to step back and give you space to connect with each other & be in the moment. I will absolutely tell you where I need you to be and give you direction throughout the session, but I really want to capture the REAL interactions.

- Relax & trust me

This is the best way to achieve those intimate, connected images. Please do not tell your children to smile at the camera, & don’t become frustrated if you feel that things aren’t going the way that you planned. Interact with your children as you normally would. Whisper secrets in their ear while you cuddle them close. Shower them with kisses. Lift them up & tickle them. Let your kids be themselves & relax into the moment. 

If you come prepared to laugh, cuddle, & have a great time with your loves, I’ll do the rest.

After Your Session

Once we have photographed your session, I go right to work completing your images. Because the editing is such a crucial final step in the way that your photographs will look, each portrait is hand selected & individually edited. Your Reveal & Ordering Appointment is scheduled for the same time as your original session on May 4 at the studio, unless alternate arrangements have been made. At this time we will go through the images from your session together & you will choose your included Fine Art Print as well as any additional products or digital files. 

redwagon photography is an Edmonton Photographer specializing in natural light family, newborn, maternity, child and baby photography in Edmonton, Alberta and surrounding areas including but not limited to Stony Plain, St. Albert, Leduc, Spruce Grove, Sherwood Park and Barrhead.
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