Western NY Family Photographer | How do I choose what photos are keepers?

I take being a family portrait photographer very seriously. Before EVERY session I get knots in my stomach, my heart begins to palpitate, my face gets really warm, and I start to sweat a little (in case you ever wondered why I smell, well here you have it). These memories are not to be taken lightly, we never know what the future holds for us and everything could change overnight. It's my job to capture the now. So with that being said, how do I choose which photos are keepers?

This photo is a really great example of that.  I first choose as a mom. I think to myself "is this a photo I would love and cherish of my family, baby, child(ren)?" and I second choose as a photographer, "technically speaking, is this a photo lit well, in focus, and does everyone look genuine?"

When I look at this image I re-live this exact moment! This family's sweet little baby was not really into having photos done prior to this moment and so I sent her off to dad to play for a little while. I grabbed some shots of just mom and her son. I then asked dad to bring the baby over to try again (she appeared ready), but I didn't just ask him to bring her over, I asked him to fly her in like an airplane and that he did.

I debated keeping this image simply because it was suppose to be a photo of mom and her 2 kids, but when I look at this, I see a story, I see happiness, I see family, and most importantly I see LOVE!

Click here to book your family session today!

Western NY Lifestyle Photographer|Why I LOVE it!

My heart is so full just looking at these images. This family is just perfect! I was greeted immediately by mom and her 2 small children; smiles from cheek to cheek.  This is not always the case when I do on-location shooting. Little ones can typically be a little reserved and shy, but not on this day!  That is one of the benefits to doing a lifestyle session. The kids start out way more relaxed.  Another benefit now that we are starting to roll into the colder months here in Western NY, is that we get to stay nice and cozy inside.  Dad was even prepping a nice toasty fire.  

I don't really need to speak more about why I love being a Western NY lifestyle photographer because I feel these image will do that for me. Scroll down and have a look.

If you would like to BOOK YOUR LIFESTYLE session, click here!

Western NY Lifestyle photographer

Today I am headed out to a lifestyle session.  The thing I LOVE about being a Western NY lifestyle photographer is getting to capture a family in the place they spend a lot of their time together.  Where they have had many laughs, many tears, many family meals, and many adventures.  I get to bundle all of that up and showcase them in photographs. Photographs they'll look back on and remember that couch that had the stain on the underside of the cushion from the time they shared sundaes as a family.  The kitchen they prepared holiday meals together in.  The bed they shed tears together in and most important; the rooms they brought their brand new babies home to.

When I look at photographs from when I was a child, I don't just look at the people in them, I look at everything else too! Why you wonder?  The objects in the photo typically flood me with memories and I love that! I feel as though I am re-living that moment all over again.

CLICK HERE to schedule your lifestyle session today!

Western NY photographer raises money, but for who?

On Novemeber 1st I made the announcement that I would be teaming up again with Amy from Amy's Fluffy Friends here in Batavia, NY. Last year we agreed to donate the proceeds to All Babies Cherished.

This year I wanted to donate to another cause, but was still on the fence.  I took to a local mom's group for suggestions.  All the ladies provided me with fantastic charities; I just had to choose one.  That's tough! How do I decide who needs the money more? A few days past and I had made my decision, until I got a phone call that morning.  This phone call was not one that I was expecting, but I knew in that moment I wanted to help.  I will not go into much detail as it is too soon, but for those of you who know Amy, know that she could use this right now!

So with that being said, the proceeds for this event will be going to Amy, owner of Amy's Fluffy Friends.  If you don't want to have your photos done, that's fine, I will be taking donations in addition to the event. 

We hope to see you there during Christmas in the City, on December 2nd, from 5-9 at 238 Ellicott St. Batavia, NY.

Western NY Children's Photographer; portraits should be fun!

As an adult I look back on things that I did as a child. It is rare that I remember an adamant object that I was given.  I do however, remember events, activities, and experiences that I did as a child.  As a Western NY family and children's photographer my goal is to create a pleasant and fun experience.  I want you to be able to look at your photographs many years from now and remember the fun you had; the fun your children had.  I want you to look at your photos and hear the laughter that came of that day.  

These kids are a true nod to the goal I have as a Western NY family and children's photographer.  They were so much fun! You can definitely see their little personalities shine through in their photos.  Scroll down and have a look for yourself.

Happy Halloween!

Yesterday I had the pleasure of photographing this handsome little fella.  I am so in love with his little costume; Max from King of all Wild Things.  Imagination is sometimes lost as your child grows and so having these memories to look back on are pretty special.  Being a western NY Children's photographer, the weather can be a little tricky at times (especially for kids) and it was a little wet for us, but he was a total champ!  Scroll down and have a look at a few of his photos. 

The Beautiful Children of Western, N.Y.

I did a model call a few weeks back and I was sent over 50 photos of beautiful children.  It was really hard to make a selection, but in order for me to maintain my sanity in my own family life I had to choose a select few.  There are still more babies and kids to be photographed and when I complete their session, I will add them to this slideshow, but for now, have a look!  

If you are interested in booking a session for your little one(s). Please do so here

A BIG change for this little nugget!

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This weekend I photographed so many beautiful babies and children.  I always leave each session knowing that those photos will be forever cherished. They all have a story to share, whether it's big or small. Maybe they just turned a new age, lost a tooth, or just started school, but those stories are not like this one!

This little guy challenged me from the second I met him. He cried, he fussed, he only wanted mom and dad. That's typically not an issue, but the problem was, this was not a family session.  This was a session just for him! A session to highlight what once was and will be forever changed.  You see, in one weeks time this little nugget will be going in for open heart surgery.  His condition is totally fixable, BUT STILL! He's so little and yet has to do something many adults don't ever face in their lifetime.

I had so many ideas for this little guy in terms of props, outfit ideas, "poses", but at the end of it all, THIS is my favorite image of him. No, he's not smiling, he's not in some super adorable outfit, or an amazing vintage prop (unless you count dad), but THIS photo I feel, signifies the change he will take on. THIS is all about him!  Everything stripped down to just focus on him. His hand just slightly near the location that will never look the same. The look on his face reads bravery and calmness.  THIS is the photo I didn't plan for, but was meant to be.

Mom and dad don't know it yet, but I am releasing the cats from the bag.  I have already planned to have this little nugget back in hopes to re-create this shot with his new chest.  That is my gift to you, mom and dad. You are brave; you are special, and NO PARENT should EVER have to go through this! I only met you once, but I know you are strong, you are patient, you are kind, and so I know you will make it through.   

Bohn life in Batavia NY

Since moving back home, I have not pushed my photography too much given the time we arrived led straight into the winter, moving into a house, and really just the chaos of life.  In the Spring, I hope to be much busier and really push my mark as THE children's photographer here in Batavia NY (or at least that is my goal).  For now, I have spent much of my time capturing the life of my boys. Of course, all of them are Black and White, but I don't think I would have it any other way.  

Lego Birthday Party in Batavia NY

My son asked for a Lego birthday party this year, and like every other party he has had I went all out on decorations.  I know that kids parties can get quite pricey and if I am just going to throw the stuff away I find it to be a waste of money so I try my best to save money by being crafty.  However, there IS a trade-off with deciding to be crafty. While I was able to save the pocket book a little, my time was consumed.  This is one very important thing you must remember when you decide to have a "Pinterest" party (meaning complete DIY).  Here are a few images from the party. This first image (I removed the content for privacy) was the front of my son's invite.  This is where I spend my money because I always put a nice picture of him on the backside and it is then frameable for family and friends to display in their homes.  

We made Lego head cake pops which were a huge hit.  I found the recipe here and then I just shaped them into a Lego head shape rather than a ball.  My son cut baby marshmallows in half for the top.  These cost about $25, BUT I accidentally overcooked my 1st bags of candy melts and I also bought edible pens for the face ($5) that does not work on candy melts. I then bought the black glitter gel for the face (which did not dry and smeared when I packed them) so if I had not made those mistakes this project would be closer to $15.

This cake I made as well, the Legos I created with pre-made fondant that I found at Walmart (cost $9) and here is a great tutorial on how to make the Lego pieces, unfortunately I didn't find this tutorial until I was researching Lego cake ideas after I made all the Legos so your welcome. 

These little guys were on the table for the kids to play with.  Just something a little fun to keep them occupied while they ate.

The backdrop was created with construction paper (cost $5 for a big pack) and I taped the circles on.  I chose to tape them because I wanted it to have some dimension and if I were to glue the dots on they would stick flat (this project took me DAYS!!!).  I kept all of the excess construction paper and created confetti to glue to the letters (which I also made with construction paper).   For the balloons, I opted out on helium.  I bought four packs (1 of each color), this cost me just over $4.  I then grabbed some yarn I had lying around and strung them together and taped them to the ceiling to give the illusion of helium balloons.  

I decided that the decor needed some pom poms over the table and so instead of buying them we made them out of tissue paper.  This project cost me about $5 and some bonding time with my lovely niece which of course is priceless.  

Lego plate faces, yet again another Pinterest find.  I was a little concerned that I might not be able to find square yellow plates, but they are of course in the last place you look, for me it was the dollar store.  So the price here really depends on how many you are going to need.  For me, it was $3 and change for 3 packs of 16.  I then used a dry-erase marker to draw the faces on.  The great thing about the dry-erase is that they are non-toxic so if it were to come off when the food was put on it was not harmful BUT, fortunately, the marker did not smudge. 

We did have a variety of games and activities for the kids to do.  My Sister-in-law made this awesome pin the head on the Lego man game.  So price for me was FREE and I am sure it was for her too because she is an art teacher and it was just made from construction paper and, of course, a lot of LOVE and time.  The other games we played were, guess how many Lego pieces in the jar, Lego scavenger hunt, and we had crayons and Lego color sheets out as well as some salt dough for the kids to play with.  

And Last we have these really cool candles that I found at Michaels for $1.75 on the clarence rack. The flame burns whatever color the candle is.  VERY COOL!!!  So that's that, I hope you find this helpful and informative.  Until next time.  

Batavia NY Photographer's Children Swipe Cellphone. See what they photographed

How you know your kid(s) swiped your phone; check the photos!!!

My boys are notorious for swiping my phone for games, videos, and most of all, THE CAMERA!!!!! I always enjoy scrolling through to see what was so exciting to them that it HAD to be photographed.  For the most part I get A LOT of burst shots, up the nose, patches of skin, fingers, and so on, but sometimes their photos really do have meaning, they sometimes even have a story (which is what photography should be about) and show what is important and beautiful to them.  Here are a few images from  my boys that I found on my phone.  I love seeing the world from the eyes of babes.  We spend most of our lives as adults and very little being children so lets remember as adults to savor the time when our children are little.  With that being said, I would LOVE LOVE LOVE (one more LOVE since it's Valentines Day) to see the photos your kids have taken on your phone.  

Batavia Ny Photographer offers a Priceless Gift

What if YOU had the chance to gift a friend or family member with photos and all you had to do was share their story?  I would love to offer YOU the opportunity to give someone the gift of memories this holiday season.  We all know someone who been through the ringer with life and just needs a special gift to keep them smiling.  That is where YOU and I come in, all I ask is you share their story with me.  I will choose one family to win this gift of memories that they can cherish forever.  

HOW TO ENTER:  Just email me their story to MarieBohnPhotography@gmail.com and on Christmas Eve I will choose the family who fits the criteria I am looking for.  I look forward to reading your stories as well as meeting the fabulous family that wins this gift.  

How do YOU choose????

Custom photography is the way to go these days when it comes to having your family photographed.  When I was little it was just the Big Box Stores available and a few local photographers.  Now every where you turn there is a custom portrait photographer, it can definitely be a little overwhelming to choose one that is right for your family.  I know how I find my photographer, but as a photographer myself it is fairly easy for me to know what I am looking for.  So if you could help me understand from a non-photographers perspective what is MOST important to you when choosing that person you will be sharing your life with and to capture your most treasured moments.  Thank you and I look forward to seeing the results.

Christmas Cards for Addie

I came across this story and shared it with my son.  For a 6 year old, death is still a bit confusing, but he did understand that this would possibly be her very last Christmas.  This broke his little heart.  We set out to our local craft store to pick up a lot of pink and purple (because that is what my son said would make her happy) as well as glitter and little penguin stickers.  The cost of all these items were roughly $9, but the joy it will bring the family is priceless.   This family is in a really hard place right now after getting the news that their little girl has one year left to celebrate and they just lost their dad in November.  They are requesting for a lifetime of Christmas cards to brighten their spirits, especially homemade cards.  If you have a little extra time during this holiday season I urge you to send this sweet little angel and her family a card.  Here is a preview of ours.  

I asked my son what the ornament should say, he said "I hope you get a miracle".  It's amazing to see my children care so much about someone they don't even know.  We also chose gold glitter inspired by The Gold Hope Project, if you get a chance please check them out and if you know anyone who might fall under the guidelines of the project please refer them.  I could never imagine finding out that my kids would leave the Earth before I do, but I know that watching them smile and seeing them happy until their last breath would mean the world to me.  (crying while typing this so now I am done).  Please share your Christmas Cards to Addie, I would love to see what you came up with.  

The NY Life {Batavia NY photographer}

It has been more than a month since our journey back to NY.  Getting back to family couldn't happen fast enough, we have waited nearly 10 years for this to happen.  We put our home on the market and were so very eager to get it sold so that we may start this new chapter in our life and while it felt like a lifetime, I look back now and it went by so fast.  We left behind our life with friends that are so dear to us and while we were gaining our family we were losing people that hold an equal part in our hearts.   Today I sit here relishing the time my kids get to bake cookies and prepare family dinners with their grandparents, run around playing with their cousins and getting to know their aunts and uncles; however there is a hole that life in TN used to fill.  We have since found a new home that we are eagerly awaiting to move into, enrolled our son into school, finding activities to partake in our local community, and just starting fresh.  We are still in "vacation" mode, you know, that feeling you have when you go home to visit your family a few times a year and you are immersed with family all around.  Every day feels like it should be a day off, but it's not.  The one thing that I have learned living away from family, especially starting a family, is that friends never go away, they are there just waiting for the next time you see each other.  

When we left TN the weather was in between 70's and 80's.  We are now in the month of November here in NY and we have already seen our 2nd snowfall (something you may never see in TN and if so, a handful of times).  We freeze day in and day out, but the temp is set to 72 or higher in the house, we definitely have some adjusting to do.  Our son has adjusted so well in school it's as if he was there from day 1. Our little one is savoring the time he gets to spend at home with mommy until hopefully he starts preschool in the Winter.  We have found that living in a small town, that extra activities for the kids is the best way to keep everyone social.  I love to see the kids just so happy and content with their new life, but this new life has not quite started yet.   

Light that makes you smile {Murfreesboro Children's Photographer}

What does it mean when your photographers says "wow look at that yummy light"?  Like we just want to eat it up or something.  The image above is just a small sample of what that means.  This image was taken in the guest bedroom at my house.  It has the BEST afternoon light, when I walk in this room later in the day when the sun is coming down it feels so warm and inviting, the light is so soft and beautiful.  So the next time you get that feeling of warmth and joy as the light streams into your home or when you step outside early morning or late afternoon that is the "yummy" light.  

Cerebral Palsy one day late {Murfreesboro TN}

Yesterday was CP Day and unfortunately I missed my opportunity to wear green so I am reposting an image from the last CP Day.

This little girl is very special to me even though I rarely get to see her.  She is so young, but such an inspiration to me already.  Her mommy is probably the strongest woman I know.  This little lady is only 1 years old and in her 1st year of life has already been faced with so many struggles. Not only will it be difficult for her to live her day to day life, but society does not always have the best response to those with handicaps, but what this girl lacks in her ability to stand and difficulty talking she gains in her beautiful heart and strong family.  I watched as all of her biggest fans shared images with them wearing green for her, it was truly magical to watch all of her fans shine through.  

I may have missed my opportunity to share my green image on CP Day, but I will always be her biggest fan no matter what color I am wearing.  

7 Tips for Photographing your kids {Murfreesboro Children's Photographer}

Murfreesboro TN Children's Photographer offering up advice for the moms and dads out there.  I try so to post encouraging words for the parents out there, it is so important for you as a parent to embrace your kids childhood.  It's going to all be gone one day and faster than you want it to be.   I remember as a child my mom had one of those bags that a quilt comes in full of 4x6 photos, they weren't all professional photos, but I LOVED looking through them.  I didn't care who took the photo or what kind of camera they used, just the memory that came along with them.  Your kids won't care either, whether you have a $2000 camera or $200 camera, capture those moments.  Just because the camera costs more does not mean the output will be better than the cheaper one unless that person truly knows how to use it.  

Tips for mom and dad:

-Get down to their level

-Just because they are not looking doesn't mean it's not photoworthy.

-Capture the moment as it happens not as you want it to be.

-Don't face your kid directly into the sun (no more squinty eyes).

-Put them in some open shade (just because it's more light does not mean it is good light).

-Be patient (any photographer will tell you their hardest client is their own kids).

-Your little ones rarely pose so don't even bother.

You are going to look back at these snapshots just as frequent as those professional photos; they are equally important.

If you have any questions regarding taking snapshots of you kids please feel free to contact you Murfreesboro children's photographer.  Have fun capturing life.

The MOST important ? for your photographer

Any good photographer knows how important lighting and composition is in a photograph, but more importantly they know even if the light and location is perfect if the emotion is not there then a great photo is non existent.  If you are having your family photographed don't forget to ask your photographer why they are so passionate about portrait photography, if their response has anything to do with them (I just love photography and photographing people) please do not choose them to photograph your life.  

So what answer are you looking for?  

The photographer you hire should be more concerned about capturing memories of your family, how to archive your images in the best way possible, they should be excited about the little in between shots that no one expects because they know that is genuine emotion.  Your photographer should care about YOU!!!

This image was taken because my son was laying on the couch playing with his balloon and it was just too darn cute not to capture.  It's not perfect by any means, but for me and something I will pass on to him as he grows it's pure perfection.  

Taking a Minute to Highlight the Hard Work of Others.

I have decided that I peruse the interweb looking for inspiration from other photographers and I am a part of so many forums meeting tons of great talent that I should highlight that amazing work that is out there.  I had the pleasure of interviewing Jeremy Echols from Jeremy Echols Photography.  What really stands out in his work is his landscape work.  He makes the world look like a dream land, straight out of a movie, so bright and vibrant in color and my friends know how much I love color.  

Meet Jeremy and his beautiful wife, the face behind the camera.  

I of course had a few questions for Jeremy because of course I just had to know more about his journey into photography and what inspires him to do what he does.   When you have the opportunity to interview someone who inspires you make it worth your while, learn something from them, learn about them, you never know there might just be a reason behind why their work is so appealing to you.  So here goes.

1. Your landscape work is incredible and it is evident that is where your heart lies in your photography, am I correct to assume that?  If so what is it that really excites you about creating those images and if not where is it that your true passion lies?

Thank you for the compliment!!

Landscape and urban architectural photography is where I got my feet wet in photography, so to speak. As such, it will always have a strong hold on my heart when I think about my photography work (even as I continue expanding my skill set and work). It is really helpful for me that I live in such an incredibly beautiful city. However, even within a city with so much character and beauty it is easy for us to live our lives and pass through it without stopping to examine it's beauty. That's what I like to do - show off the beauty that we simply pass through. There is also something incredibly relaxing for me to toss in a pair of headphones and go out on my own finding my next great shot. 

2. Along with landscape photography you also photograph families, what is it that you love about capturing the lives of your clients?

I do also photograph families, couples, weddings, etc. My favorite thing about capturing the lives of my clients are the moments where they forget that a camera is even present. During those times is when there is the subtle glance with the authentic smile is passed from one person to another. These are the moments in life that we love to experience and by capturing such a moment, it can be cherished forever. These are the times that I hope for in every session because the authenticity goes so much further than any posed shot that I can create.

3. How long have you been a serious photographer and what did you first begin photographing?  

This is an interesting question to answer for me. I bought my first actual camera in May 2012 with the sole purpose being my wife and I could take better pictures of our two daughters. I figured that I should actually learn how to use the camera outside of "Auto Mode" - so I started spending time walking around the city and taking shots playing with various settings and options in the camera. This led me to begin to experiment with long exposure photography to capture the flow of Seattle traffic. In my excitement, I would post various shots online to share with friends and family. Not long after, I started to get orders for various prints of my photography. Maybe I shouldn't call them orders - more like inquiries asking if I would be willing to sell particular images at various sizes. Having no idea what I was actually doing, I began to research where I could get prints made for them. This led me to starting a website to have a wider reach of sharing images. About six months into owning my camera, I was then asked to do some portraits of members of our church to use in the art walk for an upcoming sermon series. Having no idea how to take pictures of people, I said "Why not?" That led to me getting booked for my first family session, then a maternity session, and next a wedding. It was around that time that I realized that I might be onto something! All that to say, I have kind of stumbled into this whole photography world (and am still stumbling for sure)!

4.  A lot of people are often curious (photographers) what other photographers inspire you; I am wonder who or what inspires you?  It's not always another artist that is the inspiration and a lot of times it's not a person at all.

I will state the obvious answer - Ansel Adams. That man was a master of finding beauty in landscapes, for sure. What is often missed is how brilliant he was with his editing in the dark room. I find a lot of inspiration through his burning and dodging work and find myself as of late trying to emulate some of those tricks in my post processing work. There are a ton of other photographers that I look to and am inspired by as well, so I will include them in a quick list: 

Niki Feijen - I am amazed by his adventurous photography and unreal ability to make decaying landscapes look gorgeous.

Jeff Marsh - I am constantly challenged by the simplicity in his portrait work and how it consistently produces incredible results.
Victor Zerga - His lighting work in his wedding photography is simply jaw dropping.

Various "Rooftopping" Photographers (such as: Tom Ryaboi, Joseph Carnevale, and Vadim Makhorov & Vitaly Raskalov) - I am blown away by the work they put into getting the perfect shot. I want to be able to pull off the shots (and stunts) they do!

5. I recently read your post about rooftopping.  Wow, incredible images, but viewing the images brought quite a bit of anxiety to me.  How long did it take you to complete this project? What was your inspiration for it? How many people did it take to accomplish such a large project? What equipment did you use? And finally, how did you feel during the process and seeing the final results?  

This actually wasn't my project. I was doing a similar feature of the work of Tom Ryaboi for that rooftopping blog post. I've done a handful of shots from various rooftops (namely most of my panoramas are from some form of an elevated place)...however "Rooftopping" is different world for sure! 

Jeremy is a Seattle based photographer and he has captured the city beautifully here, below are also a couple samples from his portrait work.

If you wish to view more of his work you can visit his Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Google Plus page. Plenty of places to find his awesome work.

If you love these landscape images you can purchase them here.