Contacting Your Batavia, N.Y. Photographer

I had an exchange with a potential client last week, and I just wanted to brag on them for a moment. I grew up in a time where if you wanted to hire a service, you had to speak with them over the phone or in person; the internet was in its baby stages and cell phones were a luxury when they were created. My oldest memory of a cell phone, and I’m certain many of you all can relate, is Saved by the Bell. Who knew that we would all be a Zack Morris one day?

With that, we have created this bubble where we hide behind our phones and computers to communicate: we text, we email, and we dm. We have created a barrier of protection that allows us to retreat should something not go as we had hoped. I am totally guilty of communicating this way with people simply because it’s convenient to do while I am busy doing something else. If I talk with someone over the phone, I can’t get anything done. I’m the type of person who, if I accept a phone call in the store, will get my 10,000 steps in walking up and down the aisles while getting nothing on my list because I’m too involved with the conversation than the original task at hand, so, in short, I get it, but I also hate it.

Why? Getting ghosted is frustrating. I really wanted to do more automation in my business this year so that I can delegate my time more wisely in my business and in my personal life. The one thing I wasn’t willing to automate was my response to clients- although I did consider it. I love having that first conversation with a family that is looking to book a session with me. I love hearing all about your wishes and hopes for your session, and I love hearing about the fun facts you share with me when inquiring. At some point it’s necessary for me to share my pricing. I recognize that everyone has a budget; I get that! I don’t expect to be everyone’s photographer. In fact, I don’t want to be everyone’s photographer- that’s a lot of pressure! But, what I do want is to not be ghosted when my pricing doesn’t fit your budget. I spend a lot of time curating responses unique to your needs. I would appreciate a simple “I’m sorry, but this is bit more than we were planning to spend. Thank you for your time.”

That’s exactly what this woman did! She didn’t leave me hanging. She showed her appreciation for me taking the time to get back to her. It’s not just one simple email, it’s multiple so I can get a good sense of what people are looking for. I know that there’s this illusion that having photos done in this digital world means “free” images simply because I don’t have to pay for the film, paper, and processing to create an image (which is not totally true either, but that’s a post for another day), but it does take a lot of time to create those images, and it’s important to respect that.

Time is one of the most valuable things we have in our lives simply because we don’t have an unlimited supply of it. Time is fleeting. Value yours and value others.

McLaughlin Family | Batavia Family Photographers

Meet the McLaughlin Family

Amy, mom, is the owner and groomer of Amy's Fluffy Friends here in Batavia, N.Y. She's a hard worker, loving mom and wife, active community member and one of the strongest woman I know.  This family has been through a lot in the past year and I am just so happy to see these beautiful, genuine smiles on their faces. They face the grind every single day and every single time they're in front of my camera their love and devotion for each other radiates.  They're so fun to work with and they go along with pretty much any crazy ideas I have. Dad is so on board with having their photos done, that is makes for a smooth session and you can just see how happy he is to be a part of this little family. 

I should also make note at how beautiful mom looks in her floral dress and yellow Cardigan. Her wardrobe is by Pollyanna & Dot; a local dress shop located here in Batavia, N.Y. You can find more info about her shop HERE.   The dress shop is owed by Ashley Bateman and she has been dressing Batavia and surrounding areas for over a year now. Amy loves her shop and she looks fabulous in her dresses!

Take a look at a few images from their gallery below. Enjoy!

Pollock Family | Batavia Family Photographers

Meet the Pollock Family

When I started photography I was so afraid to photograph families.  Now, I LOVE IT! Especially when you get that family that just "knows" what to do. This family was amazing to work with and so fun! Let's not forget to mention how adorable their little guy is.  Take a look at a few images from their gallery. 

Metzler Family | Batavia family/Newborn Photographers

This family is AMAZING!!

They are so laid back, easy to work with, and fun! Mom contacted me a while back about doing maternity/newborn photos. I expressed to her that I only offer lifestyle newborn photos. She was totally on board and I have to say, I'm in love with all of their images.  Big sister was so sweet to her baby sister. She loved giving her sweet kisses and "attempted" to hold her as best she could.  

Also, can we give mom a big shout out at how amazing she looks?!  She's really pulling off this mom of a newborn way better than I did. 

Lifestyle photography is so beautiful and raw. As a newborn lifestyle photographer in Batavia NY, I love how much more comfortable my families are in their own home; especially the children. Another great thing about lifestyle photography is that should the family move to another home, they have these images to share with their little ones as they get older and can show them where they came home from the hospital, what their nursery looked like as a baby, their bedrooms as they became a toddler and so on.  I love looking back on old photos from when I was a kid and seeing the different homes we lived in as we grew up. It's really cool to see and memories come flooding back from that time in my life.  

Thank you, Metzler family, for sharing this amazing time in your life with me. I am so honored to have been chosen to be your newborn lifestyle photographer in Batavia, N.Y. Check out a few hand selected images from their gallery below. 

CLICK HERE to book your newborn lifestyle photography session today! 

Cora says, thanks for checking out our family photos!

Turner Family | Batavia Family Photographers

Oh Boy!

Check out this adorable family.  Mom has her hands full with this crew of boys. I can absolutely relate to her life as a mom.  I'm sure she cleans the toilet at least 1,200 times a day and if she doesn't I need to know her secret because I know I do!! One of the greatest things about being a mom of boys is that boys LOVE their mommas!  I definitely know this momma is loved so very much by her littles and I was so fortunate to be able to witness and capture their little snuggles with her.

I also need to give a shout out to dad and big brother because they were fantastic to photograph. Let's face it, dad's and older children usually don't enjoy having family photos done, but these two were so happy to be there and it definitely shows.  Or maybe they didn't and they're great actors! Either way, BRAVO!

Have a look at a very small collection of their gallery below and leave them some love in the comments. 

To book your portrait session with your Batavia NY Family Photographer CLICK HERE I look forward to hearing from you.

Little Fighter; Lucas | Photographer in Batavia NY

Meet Lucas! 

You see that cute little face? That's the face of a fighter, a survivor; a baby! He has overcome so much more than many adults have in their entire lifetime, and he's ONE! 

I met Lucas's mom in a social media mom's group. I won't go too much into the story of how because I don't want to lose track of the real story here, but needless to say, a couple of other moms were being very rude and selfish. Lucas's mom in-boxed me to share kind words. This was just before Christmas, and so our family was doing our annual Christmas donation. It was Christmas trees to families in need. She shared with me that her son had, had three, THREE brain surgeries that year and that she was just thankful he was alive! She was appalled to see these woman acting the way they did. I was so touched by her story that I just knew I had to meet her and her little guy. So I sent mom a little surprise in the mail; a gift certificate to have her family photographed.  

Here's Lucas's story:

"3 days before he was 4 months he was rushed to children's hospital because he couldn't eat without choking and wasn't breathing right. He had lost movement in his arms. After 5 hours of being there he was put in picu on a ventilator to help him breathe. After numerous tests and MRI's they found chiari malformation and syringomyelia myelia. He had emergency surgery at 4 months old to help treat his symptoms. We was there for 2 weeks in picu. Little did we know our journey had just begun.

A few days before his 8 month Birthday he showed all the symptoms and signs again and was rushed back up to children's where they found he had hydrochephalus and at 8 months had emergency surgery yet again and had a shunt placement. After this surgery he showed improvement again but was hospitalized twice for a week each for high fevers and had to have his shunt tapped and antibiotics each time. We finally got home and was okay for awhile, but at his 11 month checkup (MRI) they found his csf fluid was blocked and the fluid in his spine had grown and he would require another decompression surgery.

So, at 12 months, he had another brain surgery. He did well the next few months and in November we got great news that his MRI showed fluid was flowing and the fluid in his spine had gone down. He has good days and bad days. When the weather changes it is really rough on him. His shunt was just checked recently and is working great. He will have the shunt for life and it does require revisions as he grows so everything is checked every 6 months. His next MRI is in May and we are hopeful for good news as this is an incurable disease and treatment is the only option.

He continues to grow and is the happiest kid. We got lucky and he has no motor skill delays but does require pt to keep on it as the syringomyelia affected his left leg for a bit. He will continue to have MRIs every 6 months and if I think he's acting off. It's been a rough road for our family but looking at him you would never know.

He will need revisions in the future and possible surgeries are unknown as he grows. He also will never be able to play contact sports, no roller coasters and no bounce house or trampolines he's going to give me hell when other kids can. I feel so bad about it but his life is far more important than any sport." -Mom

Mom, thank you for sharing Lucas's story with me, and now the world, but most of all, thank you for sharing your little guy with me. I had a blast! He is definitely a happy, spunky little boy. I can't stress it enough that just because someone appears to be happy, healthy, or on top of the world, doesn't mean they actually are. We all lift our heads and put on a happy face when in public, but the real story of each person lies deep inside. 

“Give me scars, give me pain
Then they’ll say to me, say to me, say to me
There goes the fighter, there goes the fighter”

— "The Fighter" (feat. Ryan Tedder​)

Mom asked if it was okay if we could get a photo of Lucas with his Easter basket because he was in the hospital for his 1st Easter. My response- OF COURSE!

Here is an image of mom and big sister. I only added this one because I love the emotion and connection this image offers. You can see the love they share, and the strong woman that mom is. My only wish for this image is that Lucas was present, too. He was done by this point.