A little editing magic.

Shhh… don’t tell my dress designer friends this, but I don’t have a gown in every color! Wait, what? Yep, while I love having options and do have a wide variety of gowns in a rainbow of colors, it is not financial practical to have every gown in multiple colors. So what is a photographer to do?

Change the Color!!!

Do you remember the scene in the Wizard of Oz at the Emerald City with the Horse of a Different Color? When the horse changes from red to green to purple? Well, I do the same thing! Through a bit of editing magic, changing the color of a gown is totally an option!

Which is the original color of the gown? The yellow gold on the left or the mauve pink on the right?

The original wine color of the gown is on the far left, but royal blue, dark green, and burgundy are also an option!

I love this gown but peach isn’t always a client favorite… but blue was her favorite!

This gown by @MissMadisonCouture is a favorite. I love the skirt!!! But when the client tells you while shooting that she is into all things pink and is expecting a baby girl… pink it is!

So… why is this a big deal? I love being able to give clients what they want! The first image with the gold and pink options? The gown is pink, and many love the style. But the mama had done family photos before her pregnancy with the family in navy and gold, she wanted to include a maternity photo on her family gallery wall. So we were able to make it blend into her existing décor. Gowns are also an investment, average around $200 each. While I love investing in options for clients, as much as I would love to have both the green and pink versions of the last gown, when I can make the adjustment digitally, I don’t have to have both in my closet.

During a client consultation, while we do discuss colors, I also ask clients to look at the silhouette and style of gowns. While I can’t guarantee a specific hue, and some colors change to others easier, we can plan for a color change before the session. It also adds variety in a gallery without having to put on yet another gown during the session itself.

The gist?

• Knowing the editing skills of your photographer is important! Not every photographer can do this.

• You can select gowns based on style and not color.

• Don’t be afraid of trying something new or asking for something different!

Yours behind the lens,

Sarah

Rainbows after the storm...

Capturing memories of your pregnancy is always a special moment, but when I get to capture a rainbow session, it is doubly special. A rainbow baby is a baby that comes after a miscarriage or infant loss. All of life is precious and should be celebrated, but there is something about a rainbow session that is just a touch bittersweet. I feel like I get to celebrate three lives in my mama images - mama, the baby waiting to make its arrival, and the sweet angel baby as well. My own daughter is a rainbow baby, I had a miscarriage just 2 days after we had positive pregnancy test. It was a devastating event and an emotional pain I wish I could take away for every mother who has experienced a loss. My niece and nephew are also rainbow babies. So between my personal experiences with loss, as well as empathy for others in the same situation, I always strive to make rainbow sessions extra special.

There are several ways that I have incorporated rainbows into sessions. One of those is with fabric. I have a few options that I use, and sometimes even my clients bring a little rainbow with them. The left image uses several pieces of tulle while the right image incorporates a rainbow baby wrap that mama will use in her newborn session.

Another fun way for me to add rainbows is during post processing. I love editing, almost as much as taking the actual photo. This is where I love the digital in digital photography. It allows me to be creative, express emotion, and add little details. In these photos I added a subtle rainbow effect around mama and in the other image I added a rainbow effect to the bottom of her white gown. If we want to add effects such as the effect on the gown, it is best to think about that during the consultation and wardrobe selection. Some colors and styles of gowns work better for these effects than others.

Any of these are options to consider as you think about your rainbow session. We can also add effects, fabric, and favorite colors to other maternity sessions. Ask me about effects at our consultation! I am excited to create and design your session and make your images a special tribute to your motherhood journey.

Yours behind the lens,

Sarah

Gowns in this post are from Picture Perfect Bowtique (Red Kelly - click here for their Partner Spotlight), Miss Madison Couture (Black Blake and Hunter Trinity - click here for their Partner Spotlight, and Sew Trendy Accessories (White Carmelle - click here for a 20% off coupon for their site). All gowns pictured are available in my client closet, which can be seen here.

Partner Spotlight: Miss Madison Photo Props

Hello friends!  As I mentioned in a previous post, I am excited to highlight some of the fabulous people I have met along this photography journey.  This week I am thrilled to introduce you to Sunny Wells of Miss Madison Photo Props.

I honestly can’t remember where I originally came across Miss Madison Photo Props other than it was on Facebook.  I was able to join her preferred photographers group and just stalked at the beginning. I loved her beautiful gowns and was in awe of the talented photographers who were sharing just stunning images of their maternity sessions using her gowns.  I knew I wanted to offer that experience to my clients. I do remember the first gown I ordered however! Sunny sometimes does fun games in her groups where the winner gets an additional percentage off their purchase. As many of you know, I am a competitor so I was determined to win!  My persistence paid off and I was able to snag a discount code which was awesome for a photographer who was just starting out and didn’t have a huge client base yet! I decided to use my code to purchase a gown for a fundraising opportunity I was planning. My husband’s cousin had recently invited us to be a part of the Denver Walk to End Alzheimer’s event.  We had agreed to be photographers the day of the walk but I also wanted to raise awareness for the event, disease, and caregivers in honor of my grandmother who battled dementia at the end of her life. I was offering photo sessions where a portion of the session proceeds would be donated as long as anyone in the photos wore the color purple to honor those fighting the disease.  So I ordered my first Miss Madison gown - her Anna design in lilac so I could offer a beautiful purple option to my clients and honor my grandmother (Violet Weller) at the same time.

Anna gown in Lilac

I was thrilled with the gown and the outcome.  My client asked at the session where it was from as she had a black tie event coming up and the gown was so comfortable and it made her feel so pretty.  Combined with the high quality and wonderful customer service, that was enough for me to continue ordering from Sunny.

Sunny Wells grew up with 9 siblings and learned to sew from her mother, much like her mother had done before her (I love a good generational connection!).  Her father purchased her mother a Bernina sewing machine after opening up his own dental practice and her mother began teaching her sew at just 5 years old.  She found it boring and often left the sewing room to bake or climb trees with her brothers. Her mother eventually suggested that Sunny design her own dress for her 8th grade graduation and after that experience she was hooked on designing and sewing her own creations - even the bridesmaids gowns for her own wedding.  Life happened and she didn’t get back into sewing for 20 years until her own husband presented her with her own Bernina sewing machine. Then one day her oldest daughter called and asked her to make a gown for an upcoming maternity client she would be photographing soon. The idea of Miss Madison was born when her daughter asked her for 5 more gowns a week later.  Now 5 years after that phone call she has sourced her own textile companies to find the perfect laces, threads, and fabric. Her main fabric doesn’t wrinkle, it retains its shape even when it’s stretched to capacity. It has amazing recovery! You can wash AND dry it! Stickers and burrs don’t cling to it... it resists stains, but most of all, it hugs a woman's curves like magic!  She says it hasn’t been all butterflies and rainbows but that she loves what she does and is looking forward to the next 30 years!

I have been able to add several other gowns from Miss Madison to my studio closet since that first Anna gown purchase.  I consistently go back to her shop for several reasons. One is the amazing customer service she and her employees provide.  When you order a Miss Madison gown they provide an estimated timeline for your purchase to arrive. I love getting updates from them when my order is assigned to a seamstress, and then when it is finished and ready to be shipped.  I also get tracking information with every order. I love that I am able to know these details. It makes it much more personal and easier to connect with the women who are helping me to make beautiful images and memories for my clients.

Piper Gown in Moss Green

Another reason I continue to order from Sunny is the quality of her gowns and the attention to detail she provides.  I fell in love with her Piper gown (yes, partly because it is the name of my daughter!) and ordered one in moss green.  Once I had it on a client, I was even more enamored with it. I feel asleep one evening thinking about a couple of ideas I had for my next gown.  I messaged Sunny and was able to express my ideas about using a mesh fabric on my next gown. She responded just as excited as I was and created a gown that far exceeded my expectations.  Not only did she replace the lace in her original design with mesh, she custom dyed the chiffon to be a match to the new color that was created when the two fabrics were layered over one another.  I was blown away by her attention to detail that she demonstrated when creating this gown. (Be sure to follow me on Instagram @seenandhurdphotography to see images of the gown!)

Her designs and colors are also varied and meet the needs of so many of my clients.  One way this is evident is in her line of girls gowns. The versatility that this option adds to my sessions is so appreciated.  I have had several young girls wear my Charlie gown and they love how it makes them feel like a princess. The colors she offers are also beautiful - deep, rich, and luxurious.  But her women’s gowns are just amazing. I have her Everly design in Denim Blue. I love this gown and the mix of fabrics it offers. I think the sleeves are my favorite. I also recently acquired one of her newer designs - the Scarlett gown.  I selected her Mauve color for this purchase. I was also able to customize my purchase by adjusting the length of the sleeves. One of my favorite aspects of this gown is the full skirt - it adds so much drama to images and yet the gown is still comfortable to wear.  As I have already mentioned, Sunny makes customizing her gowns so easy. I ordered her Mia gown and it was so quick and easy to add sleeves to my order. The options are endless! Each gown that arrives from Miss Madison is just as well made and gorgeous as the last. And a little bonus is how good the box smells when you open it!  She adds a little extra touch when she finishes your order and I love how good her gowns smell and look fresh out of the box!

From left to right: Charlie in Berry, Everly in Denim Blue, Scarlett in Mauve, Mia in Charcoal

I am so excited to see what new designs she has in the works and am so looking forward to continuing building my client closet with Miss Madison.  If you are in the market for a gown for a special occasion, look her up! I cannot recommend her enough. And I love that I am also supporting a strong #bossbabe to boot!

If these gowns shared here strike your fancy and you would like to add them to your session with Seen & Hurd Photography, add them to your preferences when you book your session with me.

Partner Spotlight: Picture Perfect Bowtique

As I grow and expand my photography network, I have had the pleasure of meeting some pretty fabulous people. I thought I would take some time and introduce you to a few of them over the next couple of weeks.

First up is Picture Perfect Bowtique. I came across her shop in a few Facebook groups I belong to. I began collecting gowns as a part of my client experience a little over year ago. For the most part, the designers and shops I work with are women-owned and operated. Picture Perfect Bowtique is no different! Katie Conway is the owner and designer behind the magic of this little wonder. She is also a photographer and operates out of Ohio. Katie is an entrepreneur who is also a stay at home mom of two boys and two girls. She started this journey by just making things here and there for her children and props for her photography clients. She continues to design and hand make all of her gowns herself, a true #bossbabe! I love supporting small businesses like hers where I know my dollars are helping a hard working woman! She specializes in maternity gowns, although her gowns are so comfortable that several non-maternity clients have chosen to wear her gowns as well.

I placed my first order with Katie when I was looking for a gown that was for a very special rainbow maternity session. Rainbow sessions are for mamas who have experienced a miscarriage or infant loss so I wanted to be sure that my client felt beautiful and special. After much deliberation and who knows how many messages back and forth, I ordered her Kelly gown in red. This is where Katie really shines, she is patient and provides excellent recommendations and really helped me make sure the gown I selected was what I wanted. She also recently added a beautiful rainbow skirt to her shop for rainbow sessions. It is definitely something I have on my client closet wish list.

Kelly in red

I love the final result of this gown. The red was perfect! And according to my client, it was comfortable and easy to put on. Always a bonus!

During my first order I also was also able to create a custom gown in velvet. Katie had some gorgeous raspberry velvet that she sent a picture of as we were talking about the red gown I was ordering. I loved it! And she was so easy to work with when I asked about customizing a gown. She was able to mix and match a top from one to the bottom of another. The Lucia gown was created - I even got to pick the name! I chose “Lucia” because my sister did a report on Saint Lucia once and I remembered that she is often remembered as the bearer of light in the darkness of winter; which I thought was appropriate for a winter-inspired gown. I was so excited for both of my made-to-order gowns to arrive! She communicated with me during the whole process, sent me pictures of my completed gowns before she shipped them and also let me know that her area had just experienced a major ice storm! She made sure her hubby dropped them off at the post office once the roads were safe. Once I had it on my client, I knew I had to have another one. I ordered a second velvet Lucia in a beautiful blue color. Every client has commented how warm and comfortable these are. Which is great to have in Colorado during those beautiful winter sessions!

Lucia in raspberry velvet

Lucia in blue velvet

I am so excited to see what this partnership produces in the future. We are already talking about some custom reversible skirts that I can use for my maternity and senior sessions. If you are in the market for a gown for a special occasion, look her up! I cannot recommend her enough. And I love that I am also supporting a strong #bossbabe to boot!

If these gowns struck your fancy and you would like to add them to your selection for a session with Seen & Hurd Photography, add them to your preferences when you book a session with me.

Comment with any questions!