Here are some graphics that might be helpful to you when you order prints. I know all the choices and sizes can be a bit overwhelming, so I wanted to make an easy menu with standard print sizes in a few basic layouts. All the pricing below is the same pricing that is included in your online gallery. Prints ordered in your online gallery are shipped from a professional print lab directly to your home.

I love Valentine’s Day and February is my birthday so to celebrate both I’m offering 40% off 30 minute mini sessions. I have some super cute red and pink newborn headbands, and a couple of new felt hearts that I just ordered and am really excited about. If you need some inspiration, I have a really fun blog post: 10 Valentine’s Day Photo Ideas that I recommend checking out.

I also recommend booking and shooting your Valentine’s Day session as early as possible into the new year so there is plenty of time for retouching, printing and shipping. Feel free to call, text, and/or email and we can go over your ideas and available dates.

I know St. Patrick’s Day is only a week away but I wanted to post a roundup of some cute accessories I found on Amazon. I love funny St. Patrick’s Day clothes and photos. This holiday is a great excuse to dress up cute, act silly, and snap some adorable photos for the grandparents.

I have this outfit in white, and I love how soft it is, so I was super excited to find it in green.

These clovers are so adorable plus I love how it is a stretchy elastic material. Plus all the ribbons make it seem extra festive.

This onesie is so hilarious. Maybe mildly inappropriate but that’s my kind of humor.

The next one isn’t an outfit or accessory but what kid doesn’t love playing with balloons. Balloons always bring out their smiles for the photo session.

1. Create a blanket heart around newborn twins. Keep it simple with neutral colors and I like to have them facing each other, so that even sleeping, they have a connection to each other in the photos.
2. Create a kissing booth scene or keep it simple and show off those kisses with some red lipstick.
3. Accessorize with red or pink headbands, bows, and bow ties. At Darling Digital Photography we have some adorable newborn headbands with red roses.
4. Play with balloons! Get some some pink, red, and/or white balloons, and create some adorable images of baby (or child) playing with them.
5. Make cutouts of the letters L, O, V, and E. Or use wooden blocks with those letters on them and show them off in your photo session.
6. Create a Valentine’s Day banner with pink or red flags or hearts and hang it in the background of your photos.
7. Style your Valentine’s Day outfit. Wear red or pink sweaters with jeans or find some adorable leggings with hearts. You can also wear a neutral color and use a pink or red backdrop.
8. Break out the sweets and candy. I love lifestyle shoots in the kitchen with everyone cooking, eating, or just making a mess with their favorite Valentine’s Day dessert.
9. I’ve also seen some adorable wings for newborns, just add a felt bow and arrow and you have a cupid costume.
10. Shoot and frame a romantic silhouette. It will make such a special gift for your loved one.

After using my 35mm f2 lens from Canon for about a year now, I’m seriously wondering how I managed without it. I loved my 50mm f1.8 lens, but I found that photographing in small apartments was way easier with a 35mm. Sometimes, the spaces I need to shoot in are too tight for a 50mm even if I back up to the wall. Since I travel to my clients homes, instead of using a large studio, I need to work with the space available. So, the 35mm is perfect for the city dweller who wants lifestyle portraits in their home and I rarely take it off my camera now. 

The fstop goes down to f2 and I do use it wide open sometimes to get maximum light and blur and been happy with the results. But, I usually prefer a higher fstop from 3.5 to 5 that will show off the shooting environment, whether it’s a lovely landscape or a beautiful home. Distortion can happen with the 35mm at the edges since it is a wide angle lens. To avoid this, I recommend shooting a little wider and then crop in or keep your subjects a bit more centered.

I know 35mm is not normally considered a portrait lens. Many photographers prefer the 50mm and 85mm and I’ll admit to being tempted to buy the 85mm 1.8. The price is very budget friendly and I do love me some prime lenses! I also love how active photography can be when moving around to get the composition when using a prime lens. It forces you to get creative with your compositions and 35mm forces you to get up close to your subject. Since I’m very hands-on when it comes to posing my newborns and families, this focal length works with the way I interact with my subjects. My families and newborns are not expected to perform like fashion models, and it’s my job to guide everyone into the most flattering positions.

Gear definitely helps you take better photos, especially if you have very specific needs and I’m very satisfied with my purchase of this lens. However, it’s important to remember that gear doesn’t make you a professional photographer and it doesn’t automatically mean you will create professionally looking images if you have professional equipment. 

Photographing different subjects requires different sets of knowledge and experience, which in my subjective opinion, is more valuable than gear. A food photographer should be knowledgeable about cooking, a landscape photographer should be experienced with hiking outdoors, a fashion photographer should know about clothes and makeup, and newborn photographers should be knowledgable about babies. Knowing how to calm them down, how to safely position them, and even how to style them comes with experience.

I saw this amazing quote on a photography Facebook group that is relevant to anybody who considers themselves an artist in their field, “A photographer went to a socialite party in New York. As he entered the front door, the host said ‘I love your pictures – they’re wonderful; you must have fantastic camera.’ He said nothing until dinner was finished, then: ‘That was a wonderful dinner; you must have a terrific stove.” – Sam Haskins