Spring is so fleeting, so when we hit it right at that moment when the flowers are blooming, it makes me so thankful that the couple could have them included in their session.

Showing of their wedding rings across her beautiful belly. And love this shot of her below, peacefully standing amongst the flowers.

Can’t wait to meet their little one in just a few weeks!

Mother’s Day is this Sunday and, I don’t know about you, but it snuck up on me this year!  Apparently, I’m not the only one because I’ve been getting lots of husbands emailing in for last minute gift certificates for Mother’s Day. So, if you’re getting this email and you’re a husband, I’m just here to give you a little nudge because you pretty much can’t go wrong with a photography session as a Mother’s Day gift. Or, if you’re a mom, you might just want to drop a few hints like, “Ahem [loudly clearing throat]… Isn’t this beautiful spring weather just perfect for taking pictures with Jill? Oh, how funny, look at this newsletter I just got…” *wink*

Simply email us at info@jillcarmel.com or purchase your gift certificate HERE and we will email you one to print out and pop into a pretty little card, just in time to hear, “Oh my goodness…this is exactly what I wanted!!”

Ladies, have a wonderful Mother’s Day. I hope you get everything you deserve!

-Jill

For their pregnancy session, we meandered down to the river on an overcast and somewhat cold day, but they brushed off the chill like champs and we came away with a set of images that I love.

Oh, and a little brag for Katie  - she really does look this amazing in person! Every time I look at these pictures, I silently pray I will look even half as incredible as she looks when I’m pregnant (fat chance). Lol

I love all of the hands and wedding rings and so much love in this little snapshot of their life.

See what I’m talking about??? Amazing.

Since I’ve known their first son, Jackson, since he was only a few days, we gotta show him off to the world as well. Love this face.

I always have so much fun with these three and soon there will be FIVE! I can’t wait to meet the new babies. We’ll be sure to show them off on the blog when they arrive!

There are times when I get really caught up in a session. As I’m going through pictures after a shoot to pick out my favorites, I laugh, I get teary-eyed, I think about my own childhood and the few pictures I have of my own parents when I was a baby…it’s a emotional roller-coaster ride but in all the right ways. It fills me with a grounding sense of love for the people in front of my camera and for humankind in general — it gets me thinking about how much we all continue to care for and love one another in spite of so many apparent reasons not to. We are a pretty special kind of creature, if you ask me.

Have I ever mentioned how perfect six-months old is for a photo-shoot??? It one of my favorite times for working with kids because they are happy, they can make eye-contact and…they don’t run away from me yet, lol!

Little Miss Vivienne was all smiles for her session. It was like she knew exactly what we were doing and she was all about it.

I think I’ll finish off this post with a little bit of book reading. We used these same books for her newborn session, so it was fun to incorporate them in with her six-month session.

That’s all for now! I think this family has inspired me to go back and take a look at some of my own family photos…Maybe I’ll just have to blog about those, too.

There are two options to choose from:

Phone/Skype Consultation – $150/hr (2 hr minimum)
We can cover anything from defining your style, photographic technique, interacting with the customer, equipment, websites, SEO, building your business, marketing, branding, creative exploration – you name it and we’ll talk about it. I will be an open book for you.

In-Person Mentoring Session – $850
Includes five hours of one-on-one time together, answering all of your questions, plus a 30 minute photo shoot of YOU so that you can take some pictures home with you to use on your blog or website.

Aside from my own 13 years of experience behind the camera, I have personally attended in-depth workshops and/or mentoring programs with all of the photographers listed below. I can pass on the knowledge that I gained from those experiences to you.

Carrie Sandoval & Brittany Woodall (Baby as Art)
Barb Uil (Jinky Art)
Sarah & Chris Rhoads
Audrey Woulard
Lena Hyde
Tamara Lackey
Laura Novak
Chery Muhr
Lori Dorman
Amy Smith
Skye Hardwick

If you are interested in signing up for a Mentoring Session, simply email us at info@jillcarmel.com along with what you would like to talk about and we will contact you with available dates.

*Please note that these sessions are only available to individuals residing/working outside of a 200 mile radius of Sacramento, CA.

I drove down to Elk Grove for this shoot so that we could incorporate the family’s beautiful home. I got there a little early so I poked around the neighborhood looking for nice spots to take them to. Just down the street from their house was a driveway lined with pink blossoming trees. It was like heaven…

Such a gorgeous couple.

Big Sis is five years old and super excited about her new baby brother.

Then we found a mustard field which is so quintessentially spring. I love how the color of her dress pops up against the yellow flowers.

I love getting to know families like this before the baby arrives and then things are that much more intimate for the baby’s session.  Can’t wait to see these three again soon!

Many of you know this is my favorite time of year for the flowers on the ground and the fluffy white clouds…but it’s also a super fun time because the of the spring fashions! I love seeing my customers show up to their sessions in the latest trends. Here are some tips to get you inspired!

Main Camera Body
Nikon D800

Backup Camera Body
Nikon D700

Lenses
Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8
Nikkor 85mm f/1.8
Nikkor 50mm f/1.4
Nikkor Micro 60mm f/2.8

Here are some pictures of the gear so that your mind doesn’t melt when reading all of the techie mumbo-jumbo…

If you’ve been wondering what to buy for yourself, take a look at a post I wrote last Christmas with some great cameras for day-to-day use. Jill

Such a beautiful couple! And I love her dress with the pink band drawing the eye towards her cute little belly.

Light that wraps around like a warm hug.

This image was delicious in both color and black and white, but I had to include this one here as it is. The simplicity of it is my favorite part.