8th Graders Stepping Up!

Calling all proud parents!

Graduation season is just around the corner, and with May approaching fast, now is the perfect time to capture your soon-to-be graduate's special moment with professional portraits.

Most people immediately think of a high school senior embarking on a new chapter, but what about your 8th grader taking the big leap to high school??

Remember:

• 8th grade graduation is a BIG deal! Celebrate this crucial growth phase before the whirlwind of high school begins. Academically, some changes include increased workload (high school classes tend to be more demanding, with more homework, projects, and tests. Time management and organization become crucial) and more subjects (students usually encounter a wider range of subjects, including electives and advanced courses which allow for exploration of interests and potential future paths). But what about TODAY? Before all this change happens, do you want to remember how they are right now?

• Their physical features are changing rapidly because puberty often kicks in during these years, leading to changes in height, weight, and voice fluctuations.

• They have increased self-awareness: Kids become more aware of their bodies and appearance, which can lead to self-consciousness or body image concerns.

• Identity exploration becomes stronger: This stage is often marked by questioning who they are, their values, and their place in the world.

I love these kids with one foot in childhood and one foot stretching toward adulthood- because I have kids there, myself. I absolutely adore getting them in front of my camera, even if it’s a challenge, and pulling out unexpected photogenic views they have never seen before. Many clients tell me, after seeing their photos, that they are the best photos they’ve ever seen of their child.

(Of course, parents look at everything through the lens of love so I know the real “tough cookie” is your child itself- can I make them pleased with their portraits?)

I’m happy to report that yes, even the teens leave quite pleased with themselves! TO BE PRECISE- no young teen has gushed on and on about their pictures, but I have gotten little bitty smiles and subtle satisfied head nods when they see their portraits for the first time. You can take that as you will.

• Professional portraits offer:

  • Exceptional quality: Studio lighting, expert posing, and masterful editing create pictures you'll be proud to display- and your new 9th grader will be proud, too.

  • Variety and creativity: Capture different looks, backgrounds, and even props for personalized storytelling. Let your child have their say here.

  • A stress-free experience: I’m happy to handle everything, from wardrobe guidance to posing, so you can keep your focus on parenting this strange, wonderful creature you love!

Invest in their memories, invest in professional portraits! What story will you tell with their graduation photos? Contact me today to book their session before the Saturday calendar fills up! Call 417-658-8865 to book, or just to chat and see what we have to offer. Hope to see you soon.

Timeless Birthday Portraits

Celebrate their First Birthday milestone with a Portrait Session at Calotype.

If you're looking for something elegant and timeless, our studio is the perfect choice for you!

Say Goodbye to Awkward Expressions: Some Tips for Natural Smiles in Photos

Do you have a kid (whom you love dearly) that makes the WORST expressions in photos?

It might be funny when you're just snapping away on your phone, but when you set aside time for a professional photo shoot, it can be a worry for many moms.

I can tell right away when a subject has an awkward expression.  Since I have good manners, I will NOT say- "That looks awkward." 😛 What I WILL do is keep shooting- and I will say something like, "Let's try a few different expressions for variety," to see what I can pull out of my subject.

I have a tremendous supply of tricks up my sleeve that I won’t list here,  but if you want to know what YOU can do ahead of time to help avoid awkward or unhappy expressions, here are some ideas.

For a young child:

🍼 DO feed them before hand, and make sure they're rested. Don't schedule right before a nap! If they are very young and refuse to take a nap that day, I suggest rescheduling.  It's that important.  Hungry, sleepy kids will not give their best expressions.

🏟 Don't have multiple people in the studio with them- if you have a support team (yay!) that's great, but if they're all in my studio talking loudly to Little Junior at the same time, his eyes will be darting every way but where I need him to look.  Result- unfocused, slightly disoriented expression.

📵 DON'T show them your phone.  Sometimes parents grab their phone out of desperation to play the opening song for a favorite show.  Yes, your child WILL look at you, with a half-second of sparkly eyes, then they'll go straight to a look of frustration when they realize it's not actually time to watch Cocomelon.  Once that desire has been created but now unmet, they are upset and any further smiles you're lucky enough to get will be forced.

☎️ DO chat with me beforehand and I'll find out what your kiddo likes, doesn't like, etc, and I'll be prepared to talk about trucks, sticks, ponies or whatever brings a smile to their face. If you talk to me over the phone and I'm allowed to be creative, I'll have a session flow prepared ahead of time to walk your child through.

For mid/older kids (9+)

🍕 DO feed them beforehand! EVERYONE is happier when their belly is full!

🙅 DON'T scold them and tell them their expression is awkward, especially in front of me.  They may be embarrassed and it doesn’t make them magically produce a better expression. Be patient and let me take a few bad pictures to get to the good ones.

👦 DO bring one of their close friends.  In this case, if you have a good friend or cousin that knows the subject well, and they're standing beside me- all they have to do is raise their eyebrows or say one word of an inside joke, and my subject starts cracking up.  It works every time at this age!

For teens, young adults, and you:

🍔 DO eat beforehand- see above! Be happy!

🗣️ DO chat beforehand with me about the subject's personality.  We'll consider together if bringing a friend is a helpful thing.  It may bring out the best expression, or my subject could withdraw.  I need to know if the subject enjoys the spotlight, or privacy.  I will create the environment that helps pulls out their real side.  This could be as simple as shooting with a tripod, where I step aside and talk to the subject while the camera clicks.   All of this is planned in advance, which is why I talk over the phone with clients to get all the spoken and unspoken information I can to create a plan for success.

🤗 DO be happy, yourself. If you're doing family pictures and you're stressed, your kids will pick up on it. By discussing everything beforehand, there's no need to be stressed!  I have a plan, and I'm here to help you enjoy your life. Moms that try to control everything put a damper on the event- remember, you’re paying a professional so it’s my role to control the event.  I have it all planned- step into it, and see what happens!

Rushing is Wretched: Why I Don't Do Mini Sessions

Have you ever thought,  “The rules that apply to other people don’t really apply to me?”

I did!

In the past, my quick-but-not-accurate mind thought I was incredibly gifted and, by the strength of my abundant, extra-special brain cells, I could accomplish more than others in the same amount of time.

All humans are born with different advantages and disadvantages, but there is one thing that is distributed equally to all: 24 hours of time. Per day.  No one gets 26, no one gets 17. The billionaire, the beggar; the modern millennial, the ancient Mesopotamians.  We all get to choose how to spend this precious commodity, and I chose to spend my early adult life hustling to outwork the enemy. I calculated that “more was better and faster was best”. (If you are over forty, you know what’s coming and you’re smiling with familiarity. If you’re under forty- please keep reading and take these words to heart).

Many photographers offer “Mini Sessions” because it’s quick cash flow for their business. They’ll do this often around Christmas, because the idea of mini sessions seems fun and holiday-ish; and sometimes people have to have a reason to stop and come in for pictures.

I had seen many other photographers on Facebook offering mini sessions. Plus I had a few people ask me if I did them.  I do like to give people what they ask for, so one year I decided to offer mini sessions.  

I like clear definitions, so let me explain what a mini session is.  Mini means “small in relation to others of the same kind,” and the “same kind” we’re referencing here is a Portrait Session.  Portrait Photography, not be confused with event photography or street photography,  is aimed toward capturing the personality of a person by using effective lighting, backdrops and poses*. So a “mini” portrait session, by definition, is spending less time to capture personalities, less time on composition, and economizing creativity by using the same lights and backdrop for everyone, regardless if it’s the best choice for a quality portrait. The idea is that the photographer spends little time and little money in hopes the customer get something cute; if not, then no harm is done because it wasn’t too expensive and no one spent much time.

I had my reservations about this, but I really wanted to listen to the two people that asked me about it… so I offered them.

The initial buzz worked- at a low price, people didn’t have to think about it too much and I booked several, quickly.

Then- mini day came.  My first one was five minutes late, because life happens and it happens profusely to families with small children.  One kid looked scared, one kid had questions, Mom had a forced smile on her face, and Dad had the expression of a man determined to do his whole duty. Curious kiddo Callie (not her real name) was fascinated by the studio and wandered around, touching and asking about everything.  Me, too, Callie! I feel the same way when I walk in to a great store! But Mom hissed under her breath, “We only have ten minutes- get over there and SMILE.”

I understood why she said that.  I might have said the same thing if I were in her shoes.  But I felt like the magic was sucked from the room.

I took the pictures.  It only took ten minutes.  Maybe even less, because I am quick at what I do.  But it wasn’t fun and it wasn’t remarkable.

The day went on, and we had a few kiddos who gave me some good smiles. Some families were very early and waited patiently up front for their turn. We had a funny batch of siblings who were hooting with laughter and giving me hilarious, original poses- but we had to wrap it up because the next kids were waiting in line.  I ended the day exhausted and dreading to go through all the pictures I had taken. Because I didn’t have time to check my work as I went, I had overshot in hopes that I would at least get something usable. Now I had multiple mediocre pictures to separate.

The next step was the Ordering Appointment- when people came back to review the pictures.  I wasn’t excited to show them the results.  Instead of the usual anticipation sparking down to my toes, my heart was apprehensive and I didn’t want to show these second-rate pictures. 

If I had been able to talk to them before hand, if I had given myself more margin- I could have done SO much better.  Sure, the actual session time was shorter, but Mom still spent the same amount of time getting everyone ready and getting them there.  She spent the same amount of money on clothes.  She did the same amount of work, and my images weren’t as good as they could have been. I did not like that feeling.

Christmas is a holiday- and the very meaning of the word “holiday” is to celebrate and enjoy the moment!  Rushing people through ended up diminishing the moment.  

When we feel rushed, it’s stressful to parents, kids AND the photographer.  As I’ve gotten older, I’ve discovered that rushing through an enjoyable activity actually makes the activity less enjoyable.  Simple things are so much better when you allow time to process it.  (I think this is why old people sit on the front porch and talk.  They’ve tried the hustle and found it lacking).

My heart’s desire was to listen to people and give them what they wanted.  But I’ve learned a few things-

1. People ask for some things because they may not know what else to ask.

2. Regarding “Mini Sessions,” they want them to be “mini” on actual time spent being photographed, but they don’t want to feel constrained by time. (Like how we want jeans to be stretchy but not lose their shape, ultra-trendy but timeless, high-quality but low price, easy to purchase but sold out for others, sexy but conservative, conscious but cheaply produced- you see where I’m going).

3. And here’s a valid concern of clients-  why take a long time to do a Session when the kids (and dads) have short attention spans? 

These thoughts circled in my mind, and I dug deeper to see how I could truly help people.  It seemed what they were really saying was-

1. I love my children so much and I want pictures of them because they’re growing up and changing fast.

2. Since we’re so busy, I feel bad about spending time on pictures.  Can you help me fit it in?

3. I don’t want to feel rushed.  I don’t want to wait in line. I don’t want to waste time and money and these pictures not turn out.  I really want attention to detail, I want to capture their personalities, and I’d like all this -preferably- in a comfortable, stimulation-free environment.  Does something like this exist? Probably not, and I don’t want to seem unrealistic, so I’ll minimize my desires and just settle for that “mini session” because it’s conventional and I hate to ask for more.

After much time spent thinking ABOUT this, I have a solution I’d like to offer you.

A Christmas Portrait Session.  Not “mini”, just my customary high quality Portrait Session where I take the time to “measure twice, cut once.”  I simply find out with a phone call what’s important to you, where your kids are at (personality-wise) and what is your main concern. Then I hang up and draw out a plan.  It takes no extra time on your end- it’s just me getting my download of info so I’m not randomly photographing the next person in line.

For Christmas, I design a large, three-dimensional set where I can move around because different groups/individuals need different poses to capture their personalities.

I space my Session times further apart so there are no issues if you have traffic delays or a toddler meltdown. This gives me time to perfect the details for you. The Session isn’t necessarily longer- I just have wider margins to keep trying if things don’t go as smoothly as planned. Plus, if things are going REALLY WELL and we’re experiencing something magical, I’ve got the freedom to keep going. 

It’s not the noisy mall- it’s a beautiful studio that is cozy and welcoming to children.  I’ve got mirrors to double-check hair.  Dressing rooms in case Dad is coming in straight from work.  Soft music. Space for kids to wander and constrained spaces if we need to keep some from wandering, ha. 

You ARE busy.  You don’t have time for mistakes or low quality, especially when it comes to portraits of your children.  Family time is irreplaceable and it gets rarer as they grow**.  I don’t want to spend this focused family time on anything less than quality. People don’t get together for photographs often, so I need to make sure it’s a fun experience AND you get long-lasting quality photographs from it.  

Christmastime IS magical! Don’t let the world drain the fun out of it.  Our 24 hours are a precious gift. Let me help you get the most out of them.  I will be thrilled to show you the portraits we make together! I’m feeling cheerful already!

My Christmas Portrait Sessions are available this year on Friday, November 17th and Saturday, November 18th. 

I have special packages, only available for holidays.  For my time spent creatively photographing your family, my standard rate is a Session fee of 175.00 with prints purchased separately, starting at 125.00.  For this holiday event, there’s only a deposit of 100.00 (Friday) or 150.00 (Saturday) which goes partially toward your purchase, partially for my creative time. The minimum package is 399 and includes four poses- four high quality archival prints, plus the high resolution digital files of those prints. Or you can swap the four prints for a larger wall portrait to display as yearly Christmas decor! 

Of course, none of that do you have to decide until you see how the photos turn out.  Other speciality items will be available, too, like a high-end leather album, a unique Calotype collage, and packages with more poses and digital files.  If you sign up for our email newsletter, I’ll send you the special Christmas price list- just click here!

You can book this special event online, choosing either Friday or Saturday.

Questions? I love to chat.  Call the studio at 417-658-8865.  

1. *Francis, Kathleen (2007). The Focal Encyclopedia of Photography. Focal Press. p. 341. ISBN 978-0240807409

2. **Nobody knows this more than grandparents. Bring them in for a few photos with your kids! Please. 😢

Family of Three at the Falls in Joplin

These images were taken the first week of October at Shoal Creek in Joplin, when the trees were still green but the brown rocks around the creek provided a fall look.

The site of the falls can be beautiful, but I don’t recommend it for anyone who might be challenged with their balance, since the terrain is very uneven. Want some ideas for your own family Portrait Session? Call me and let’s chat!

"But I Always Wear Black!"

Black is classic. It’s timeless. It’s sexy. Confident. Sophisticated.

Easy to match. Safe. Predictable.

BUT HAVE YOU TRIED COLOR?

Let’s look at one of my clients who came in for a headshot. She’s efficient, goal-driven and gets things done. What better uniform to wear, than black?

The safe, dependable black blazer.

The soft upgrade

Her long-time friend recommended she wear this blue blazer because it brought out her eyes.

Hmm. Looks like her friend was right!

See the difference? Black is not always the better choice!

“But, Julie! How do I know what my color is?

Easy. Bring a few different tops with you and I’ll photograph you in both! Then you can decide for yourself!

I can also help with recommendations, if you’re still shopping. Color can make a powerful statement! Call me and I’d love to share a few things I’ve learned about wearing the right color for your headshot.

Professional Headshots With Possibilities

Maybe you need just one great image. But how do we get there? What do YOU call great?

This client needed a dark background and wanted to wear dark clothes. Using those parameters, I made different looks with subtle changes in hair, face angle, etc so she could pick the best one. Flip through these and you’ll see how many are similar, but not exactly alike.

Nervous about how you’ll look in your headshots? That’s why I take several and make changes as we go. We’re guaranteed to get one you’ll love!

Are Simple Senior Portraits Still A Thing?

Have you searched “ideas for high school senior pictures”? It’s an entertaining few hours!

I thought I was being creative, 24 years ago, when I insisted my brother take me to Patoka Lake and set a kitchen dining chair in the water why I posed in a blue floral maxi dress and looked off into the sunset. Everyone else was doing white backgrounds with a big block “99” on the floor. (Clean white was the response to paint-splattered canvas backdrops a decade earlier- usually with a stepladder in the scene).

Then came photoshop, and people seemed to think it was a fine idea to put “fire” on baseball bats and random sports equipment…ah, fun times.

I do love to be creative. But I’m not a shock-and-awe type creative. I love classic, timeless styles. I’m so happy to see a return for classic, nicely-lit senior portraits in the last few years. I think some teens are tired of the same brick walls and same outdoor locations, and they are leaning into more subtle, timeless looks.

If that’s your preference, I invite you to come view the studio and see if something here works for you. I also shoot on location- but I bring lights, so we still have a polished, professional look. Call me- let’s chat. Even if you decide not to book, you may get some ideas!

The classic white wall- it’s back!

Close up senior pictures of girls are timeless.

A simple, real pose- made interesting by different textures, warm skin tones and a smile.

Outside in the studio courtyard. Classic black and white- and what really makes this photo is all the texture. There may be no color, but see the concrete wall, the denim/lace shirt, the plants in the background, the ringlets, the hat…? All contribute.

Another classic close-up. Nothing is overly loud. It’s sweet and simple.

Looking for Ideas On What To Wear?

Getting headshots taken is a breeze!

The only excruciating work is getting ready for them, ha! (Did you expect me to say that?)

My most asked question: “What do I WEAR??”

I used to say- “Black.”

Now I say: “Bring me some options and we’ll decide once you’re here.”

There are a number of reasons why it's important to be fashionable and look your best. Here are a few of the most important:

• Fashion can boost our confidence. When we feel good about how we look, we're more likely to put ourselves out there and take risks. This can lead to new opportunities in our personal and professional lives. The easiest way to NOT feel frumpy? Don’t BE frumpy. Sign up for Daily Look. Join Outfit Formulas. Read Color Me Beautiful.

• Fashion can help us make a good first impression. In today's world, appearances matter. That doesn't mean we have to be perfect, but it does mean that we should take some effort to put our best foot forward. I used to be uncomfortable about taking time to look good until I realized how it affected others. When I look good, it’s a delight to others. We all love looking at pretty things! Improving ourselves is way to make others feel better!

• Fashion can be a fun and creative outlet. Expressing ourselves through fashion can be a lot of fun. It's a way to be creative and experiment with different looks.

• Fashion makes for fabulous photos!

It may not come easy to you. (If it were easy, everyone would do it).

Start with the sources I recommend above- Daily Look, Outfit Formulas, Color Me Beautiful.

OR:

Bring me some outfits. Some shoes and a t-shirt or accessory you love. Sling it over your shoulder and I’ll sort through it at the studio and pick out something perfect for you! A small-town extra included at no additional charge. ;)