Family Pictures in Gig Harbor

The best way to spend a Saturday morning..... with this family!

Despite wardrobe malfunctions and hair disasters, they showed up with big smiles (and some of the greatest clothing and hair-dos in town!)

This is just a beautiful family, and I loved capturing them all together. And, I must say, the shots of Daddy and his little girls stole my heart!

Heidi

Black Tie Beach- Part one

Our second annual Black Tie Beach event got us some amazing images! I love every one of them.

Krista, Kaitlyn and Jacqueline look so glamorous and warm (well, at least not cold!). I just checked- the water temp around here is about 53 degrees! It was so funny hearing the girls chatter 'I'm in a warm bath, I'm in a warm bath...'

Photographer Gig Harbor- The Red Wall....

Isn't this the greatest brother shot? And isn't this the most AMAZING red wall?

So many of you have said you'd love to have pictures of your own kids and family with this urban red wall as a background. Just give us a call- and we'll schedule your own session at the 'secret' location of this fabulous red wall! lol!

Gig Harbor Trash the Dress- behind the scenes

Here is Heidi making sure Jacqueline's dress is flowing just right- yep, that water is cold!

Our secret trick to getting the girls hair wet with out them having to fully submerge their head in the water! Go Krista!

Kaitlyn showing us exactly how COLD that water is when I ask her to lay down in it! Brrrrr! (yes, I am thigh high in the water too. Gotta get in to get the best shots!)

Ahhh, Warm and snugly and all done!


This was the first Trash the Dress event for our BerryLane Models. I knew it was going to be extra cold- it was so cloudy in the morning!

Luckily for us, the sun came out a little bit in the late afternoon and we did get a warm breeze.

Kristine, Heidi and I came down to the beach early to set up some special treats for our models. They got giant, warm, fuzzy towels, candy, soda and chips. But I think the most favorite of all was the hot chocolate Kristine brewed up for them when they got out of the water!

What a brave group of lovely ladies! That Puget Sound water is cold!

Just so you know- anyone can add in Trash the Dress when you book a Senior All session. All you have to do is let me know!

Family of five! Gig Harbor Photographer

Five of my favorite people! My forever friends - the Finn's - were so much fun to photograph. They are beautiful both in person and behind the camera. Kids (C, S, and L) were all smiles, and it made me so happy to take pictures of their joyful faces - aren't they precious smiles? Mom and dad are darling, and I wanted to capture their love for each other. Mom became one of my best friends way back in second grade - it was really special for me to photograph her family today . . . as her youngest son heads into second grade himself. Love you guys tons! ~ Heidi

I just have to add that Mom has won the award for best teacher ever in my daughters book. Thanks for a fabulous 5th grade year! ~Erin

Trash the Dress season has begun!

Now that it's starting to get warm out (well, Washington warm) I'm getting lot's of questions about Trash the Dress. So, here's what I have to say about it!

Let's have some fun! Be unique! Be edgy! Just because it's called 'Trash the Dress' does not mean your dress really gets trashed. You can decide just how far we go.

Dress Suggestions

Long and flowing dresses look best

Stay away from white

(wet & see through is not the look we’re going for!)

Wear a swimsuit underneath your dress

(feels better when wet!)

Where to find a dress

Borrow from a friend

2nd hand stores

Ebay

Your sister’s closet

Note:

I’ve been told every single dress we’ve

Trashed has come back from the dry-cleaner looking good as new!!!

What to wear??? Photographers Gig Harbor

What should we wear?????

This is a very important question! And one of the key parts to a successful, fabulous family portrait. Here a two great examples of choosing a color theme. I love the idea of putting one family member (or two) in a patterned outfit and then pulling color tones from that outfit for everyone else.

Notice how each outfit is different, but together go perfectly!

Stop the car!!!!

Ahhhh, the life of a photographer's family....

I saw this beautiful driveway as we were driving to Grandpa & Nanda's house last weekend. My sweet husband rolled his eyes a bit at my request; but, he did pull over, and I think I saw him grinning as I shot a few pics of our boys. It's a gorgeous spot, and just needed to be in a photo! Don't you agree?

Heidi

Miss Firecracker Contest- Paradise Theatre

This was the first dramatic comedy I have had the pleasure to photograph for Paradise Theatre. I am told the original movie starred Holly Hunter as Carnelle. Cyndi certainly gives her a run for her money. Truly, all the actors are great! Just amazing for a community theater.

I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this production. Tonight is opening night- you've got to check them out!

Heidi Stephens- child/ family photographer Gig Harbor

Getting to know Heidi, BerryLane's Children and Family Photographer:

I love to create, to laugh, and to play! No session is complete until I feel that I have captured the fun emotions of childhood. It is important for my portraits to capture personality. I like to turn a child loose, and provide minimum direction.

I hope you’ll discover that the best portrait is not necessarily the one where everyone is looking at the camera and smiling; rather, it will be one that briefly reveals the soul of each member of the family . . . and captures it forever.

Senior Portraits Gig Harbor- 2010 Models

The 2010 senior season has begun and these wonderful gals are starting us out in a fine way!

We're already booking August dates so tell all your friends to call now!

Marco the Super Cat

Our kitty Marco is an indoor kitty. There are just too many wild animals outside for him to roam free. So, his one taste of the great outdoors is on our deck; a place where he spends many hours lounging about.

The other day we see him coming racing in from the deck. He had something in his mouth! All of a sudden a bird stars flying around my kitchen and Marco is frantically chasing it! Luckily Mr. Bird quickly found his way back out the deck door. All he left behind was a bunch of feathers and one sad cat.

That was Marco's first (and hopefully last!) great catch. Here's Marco resting after his supreme hunting adventure.

Erin

The Happy Family

Everything about this family session was happy! Happy mom, happy dad, happy baby and happy brother! What a lucky photographer I am.

And, I'm so excited to say we got my new most favorite family picture. How cute is that with young mister 'B' making his big jump? Just perfect, and, just wait- the rest are super adorable too!

Little Mr. "T"

This little "T" is perfectly darling!
I pulled down the long, gravel driveway toward his home, and just knew it was going to be a great session. Mommy is also adorable, and it was fun to pop her into a few shots. Daddy had left for work with some prop ideas, and using the saddle was perfect! Their home sits on acreage and farmland. With horses in the background and a red tractor in the yard, what more could a kid want?

It was a pleasure to spend time with "T" and his mommy, and I'm really pleased with the variety of great pictures we got. Thanks for a fun afternoon!

Family Session Fashions- Gig Harbor Photographer

What to wear, what to wear?
Choosing your family's wardrobe is such an important part to a successful photo shoot. You want to wear something you feel great in and a color that is flattering to you. There is no need for everyone to match (your husband will thank me!) but you should coordinate!

This is a perfect example of a fabulous photo shoot wardrobe. A couple of the children have patterned outfits. Find a top or bottom you totally love and then pull colors from that outfit for other family members solid colors. Each outfit is cute, trendy and stands alone well. And together- a stunning family look! Have fun shopping!

Mickey- Senior Pictures Tacoma

I had a great time photographing Mickey for his senior pictures. We went to downtown Tacoma and wandered all around! There are so many great areas to shoot in. And Mickey was the perfect sport- doing whatever pose I asked of him.

We got some really cool, unique and edgy stuff! Mom- I know you're going to love it!

Cousins! Gig Harbor Child Photographer

As promised! These sweet little gals were born just one day apart. I loved seeing how they interacted with each other. You can tell they are going to be great friends.

How cool to have a cousin so close to your age, and with the same hair color too! They really could be twins. I see lots of mischief in their parents future!

Smiling baby "H"

Baby “H” is a real beauty. She was smiling from the moment I entered the house, and never stopped. It was such a fun session, and we were thrilled to be joined by her cousin, “A” from a previous shoot. Both girls have beautiful red hair and are nine-months old (we'll give you a peek at a few of those tomorrow- stay tuned!). Their sweet mommies helped me out with props and smiles. This was a very fun experience!

Amanda Gig Harbor High School

I did Amanda's senior pictures this last fall so I was surprised when she contacted me for another session. Turns out her dad really wanted some pictures of Amanda and one of her 'favorite things'- Bun Bun.

Bun Bun has been with Amanda since she was a tiny baby. With Amanda's mom working for a travel agency, Bun Bun has traveled the world. One time she was lost on a cruise ship (the maids swooped her up when changing the sheets) and was sent back via fed ex. You can tell how loved she is by the flatness of her little bunny body! What a great memory for the entire family to have these beautiful, fun images. I can't wait for you to see the rest!