Orlando Family Photographer | W Family at Rollins College in Winter Park

I have the pleasure of photographing the W family every year. For their 2018 photos, they requested a shoot at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida.

The campus is so beautiful, so I jumped on board at the chance to take some photos in an atmosphere that was different than my usual go-to field and beach locations.

The rain started falling as soon as we got there, but that didn’t stop me from getting some great shots of this beautiful family. Heck, if you ask me the drizzle almost looks like falling snow.

I’m about two years behind in blogging, but once I get their 2019 session up I will link here. We went back to Rollins and found some new, amazing little nooks to photograph in. I love how this one location can give you so much variety and two sessions could look like completely different spots!

Welcome Baby Jack | Orlando Newborn Photographer

Today, baby Jack is on the blog. You may recognize this little guy from previous shares on my social media channels from almost one year ago. Yep, you read that right. Let’s just say 2018 was not the year of blogging. But, I’m determined to catch up on sharing all of the goodness from my 2018 newborns and families, and to be better about timely blogging in 2019. So, let’s do a little throwback Thursday and reminisce about this cutie pie’s in-home lifestyle newborn session.

Often times, I get asked “how old is too old for newborn photos?”. While posed photos of newborns usually must be taken within the baby’s first 14 days of life, my in-home lifestyle approach to photography allows me to capture your new baby’s story well beyond this typical two-week window.

I love to incorporate all of the details of the baby’s sweet nursery mama has spent so much time on, and of course include big brother or big sister and fur babies too!

Jack’s mama, who is also a professional photographer, knew that with my style of photography it was no problem that she waited until Jack was around 3 months old for his photoshoot. The extra time allowed her to look feel more like herself after birthing a new child, and allowed big sister to adjust to her new special role.

It was such a fun-filled family session with lots of giggles and love.

So, if you think you’ve missed that golden opportunity to have professional photographs of your new baby, consider an unposed photoshoot of your new little one in your own home. Contact me to learn more about my newborn collection.

Tips and “tricks” (like what I did there?) for documenting Halloween

Around this time last year, I was receiving countless messages from friends begging for some quick and simple pointers for photographing Halloween. I pulled together this blog post using images from several years back. Writing this last year just before trick-or-treat time really made me bummed out that I didn’t pull my camera out for Halloween 2016, but it was just the motivation I needed to make sure that I documented our 2017 quest for candy.  

I received such good feedback on that post I shared last year, that I decided to write another for this year. So, I give you “Tips for photographing your Halloween like a pro (take two).” If you are shooting in Manual mode (which I highly recommend), pay special attention to the image captions — because that’s where I’m going to share my reasoning for selecting the settings I chose.

OK — so first. The most important tip (that is a repeater from last year) but I cannot stress this enough. The light, y’all. Pay attention to the light. Plan to take your pictures when the natural light is soft and pretty. There is this magical hour photographers refer to as “golden hour” and it begins the hour before sunset. If you’re local to Oviedo, the sun is going to set at 6:40 p.m. this year (thank you, Google) so I plan to head out around 5:45 and spend the first hour or so focusing on getting some adorable pictures.

I’ll start with some traditional portraits (because we all know once the kids start running loose to collect all the candy stopping for a portrait is a long-shot).

Camera Settings: ISO 400, f/2.8, SS 1/1,000. I generally start shooting at ISO 400 outdoors during golden hour. I could have certainly gone lower, but I like to have some wiggle room with my shutter speed since I’m photographing kids, and my camera handles noise very well so I know 400 is a good starting point for me.

My aperture selection of 2.8 here was intentional because I wanted to blur out my background a bit and really have the focus on madison. I knew since i was up close, I didn’t want to shoot too wide open (my lens here goes to 1.4) because if she or I moved a bit, I might have missed focus on her beautiful eyes.

My selection of 2.8 was just a safe aperture where I knew I was likely going to nail focus and still achieve some blur in the background. I selected my ISO and aperture first, and The shutter speed here is just where I needed to put it to expose this image properly.

also i’m not yelling at you. Photo captions only show up in all caps. Ugh. Squarespace…

Once I get those out of the way with, we begin our trick-or-treating. From this point on, I’ll transition to the “fly-on-the-wall” approach and just let the kids enjoy running door-to-door. I don’t ask the kids to smile for the camera anymore but I might guide them with some basic prompts that will help my ability to tell stories through my lens.

Camera settings: ISO 1,250, f/2.2, SS 1/250.

You can tell, compared to the shot above, that my ISO changed significantly. That’s because it was getting darker. Since I was losing light, I had to crank up my ISO. I’ve you’ve gone through my mentoring classes you know I had two other choices — open up my aperture or lower my shutter speed — but I chose to raise my ISO because I didn’t want to risk ending up with an out-of-focus image or an image with motion blur.

So, I set my shutter speed here to 1/250 first. I knew i wanted it over 1/200 since madison was moving. Once I got my shutter speed as low as I would allow it, I adjusted my aperture a little to let more light in — but that wasn’t enough. So, I cranked my ISO as high as I needed to until I ended up with a properly exposed image.

Some questions I might ask are:

• Show me the candy you just got at that house! (Here, I would take a picture of just the candy in their hands.)

• Can you hold your sister’s hand so she doesn’t get scared? (I would take a picture of the girls holding hands walking down the sidewalk or toward a front door.)

• I think that house might almost be out of candy! Run toward the door! (Here, I would aim to capture the motion of running.)

• Do you see any Snickers in that bowl of candy? (This makes their little hands pause a bit and might possibly give me the opportunity to take a picture of hands in a bucket of candy.)

In the image below, I let Maddie walk toward the door, but I stayed behind to capture the scene. I just love how I got a lucky moment of no other children in the frame. I tend to over-shoot and take a lot of pictures of the same scene. I like having many options before selecting “the one.” And, the reason why I selected this one is because I love how she’s in the final third of the frame, and how she is between the two columns of bricks. I also loved how she was holding her dress up, like the princess she is.

Camera settings: ISO 1,250,F/2.2, sS 1/250

Here, my settings are exactly the same as the above shot — and that’s because this was taken minutes after the other. The light didn’t change much, and I was already prepared for movement with my 1/250 shutter speed — so I left my camera as is and kept on clicking.

This was un-prompted, but the kids were so excited to go door-to-door that they were literally running from house-to-house. This was a memory I didn’t want to forget, so of course I took a picture.

Camera settings: ISO 2,000, F/2.0, SS/ 1/400

What changed here? Now, she is running. And she’s running fast. So, I need a higher shutter speed to freeze the movement. Because I cranked up my shutter speed (blocked light), I also had to crank up my ISO to let some light back in.

With documentary photography, my personal opinion is that there is a lot of waiting for the “right” moment. I took several pictures last year of the kids at various doors, but this shot was the one I had been going for. Where the entire group was huddled together at the same door, waiting for someone to open it and greet them with candy. If you’re patient, the frame-worthy moments will happen. You just need to wait for them, and be ready!

Camera settings: ISO 3,200, F/2.2, SS 1/400

And, it’s getting darker. so my iso is going up. looking back on this, I could have lowered my shutter speed here — because they’re pretty much standing still at the door and then that would have allowed me to lower my ISO — but I know my camera handles high ISO well so I didn’t bother.

I believe this was shot using one of the prompts above. I probably asked Madison to see if they had any Snickers for mommy.

Camera settings: ISO 3,200, F/2.0, SS 1/125

Yikes, it is getting darker. so here, I chose to lower my shutter speed instead of raising my ISO more. As you can see, I’m very low at 1/125, and this is usually a signal to me that there isn’t enough light left and I’m minutes from putting my camera away for the night.

This is one of my favorite shots from 2017. The light wasn’t ideal (because, it was almost gone) but I just LOVED that this home had a smoke machine going and I knew it would make for some awesome spooky pictures. Sometimes, you just need to take the shot even if you don’t know how it will come out. You may surprise yourself.

Camera settings: ISO 6,400, F/2.0, SS 1/125

But, when I saw this set up, I couldn’t put the camera down yet. I don’t dare lower my shutter speed below 1/125, so up the ISO goes.

Don’t forget to take pictures of the details, too! On Halloween, you’re bound to find cool decorations with spooky effects. I was loving this neighbor’s set up, and the way the smoke photographed.

Camera settings: ISO 6,400, F/ 2.0, SS 1/125

And this was the final shot of the evening. Don’t forget the details!

Once it gets dark, I pretty much put the camera away and just enjoy the moments. I think it’s super important to find balance between documenting those special occasions but also actually being present as well.

I hope this was helpful. For more tips, check out last year’s post here.  

Orlando Family Photographer | C Family in Oviedo

Fall family sessions are in full swing — and I just delivered this family’s gallery of photographs. I know I’ve been slacking on the blogging, but a session like this was just the motivation I needed to get back to it.

Telling you I loved everything about this shoot would be an understatement. Words can’t even express how much I enjoyed hanging out with this adorable family of four last weekend in central Florida. As you can see, the two little boys are the cutest — and mom and dad are some of the most beautiful (inside and out) people I know. And, y’all, they drove all the way from Tampa to meet me in Oviedo. From the mouth of of the girl who thinks driving anyway farther than 15 minutes is “so far away,” that meant a lot!

I sent mom the pin of the location I selected for our time together. When she pulled into the empty grass parking lot, she had commented about how this space was pretty basic — and not in a negative way at all, she was just making an observation and said it with a laugh. She trusted me, and she knew I knew what I was doing, but her comment really stuck with me, because so often clients (and photographers) search for these elaborate spots to shoot and, in my opinion, it’s just not necessary. All I need is some grass and trees, space for kids to run and play, and some golden light of course.

So, warning to future clients — I may ask you to meet me in an empty parking lot, or at a gas station, or at any other random place I find. But, I assure you, I have a vision and I have an eye for light. I location scout every time I’m on the road, or going for a walk — always thinking in my head if that run-down lot of nothing would be a good space for golden hour photos, or sunrise photos, etc.

And, if I do say so myself, this spot I’ve been eyeing for a while was pure perfection. And so was this family. I’m so thankful they chose me to take their family photos this year, and hope I get the opportunity to document these boys growing as the years pass.

Five Tips for Photographing Halloween Like A Pro!

It’s been two years since I’ve been motivated to photograph Halloween with my girls. I mean, technically, I could have photographed last year – but it was dark and raining in Costa Rica. ¡La lluvia no es buena para las fotografías!

The year prior to last, I did pull my camera out for a few shots, but only for portraits of the costumes (remember Kenzie the cupcake? OMG. Sooo tiny and bald!).

Anyone who knows me or follows my work knows I love to tell stories with my pictures, and last time I really captured the entire story of trick-or-treating Maddie was two and Kenzie was in my belly. C

A few friends and Click and Capture alumni have reached out over the past two weeks asking if I have any tips for photographing Halloween. Instead of responding to each individually, I promised to put together a blog post for some very basic tips for photographing your kids trick-or-treating. Well, in usual Ashley Rogers fashion, I’ve waited until the last possible second. But I work best under pressure. So here goes nothing….

1)    Safety First. Maybe it’s being back to work in the corporate world, but I feel it is necessary to say that the first thing you should always consider when taking pictures outdoors with lots of excited and distracted kids (and drivers) roaming the street is to be mindful of your surroundings. Please, don’t be too distracted by your quest for the perfect image. No image is worth anyone getting hurt.I have no image to share with tip one, because I am always safe. Haha <3

2)    Time your “head out time” according to the sunset! You can google “Sunset on October 31, 2017 in Oviedo, Florida” for example and amazing Google will tell you the exact time it will set. For the best light, you want to plan to head out trick-or-treating the hour before sunset. Where I live, the sun will be setting at 6:40 p.m. So I plan to head out around 5:45 -6. Any sooner, you might end up with really harsh light (if it isn’t cloudy) and it can be difficult to take photos in harsh light. Once the sun dips low enough (starts to happen the hour prior to sunset) you get nice, even, golden light – and that’s much more flattering.

3)    Be mindful of composition. Looking back at some of my photos from two years ago, a lot of what I’m seeing in them that makes them seem less “technically strong” is my composition. There are simple things you can do to make an image stronger. Like in this image, if I would have stepped back a bit, I wouldn’t have chopped her feet off. Her tap shoes are part of her costume, hence part of the story. Look before you click. If you’ve chopped off a leg or an arm, take a step back and try the shot again – limbs included!

And in this shot, I had her right in the center of the frame. This one would have been stronger if I would had positioned my camera differently. If i would have taken a few steps to my right (to put her on the first third of the frame), gotten lower to the ground and shot her straight on (so the garage door would be the background instead of the random patch of grass) it would have made such a difference here!

4)    Don’t forget the candid shots. Of course, all moms want the “look at me and smile” shot but don’t put the camera down after you’ve checked that off the list. Some of my favorite images from two years ago are the candid ones of Maddie checking out her candy, strolling on the sidewalk, walking up to the door of a neighbor’s house to trick or treat. Seeing these takes me right back to that moment two years ago. My, how fast time flies.

5)    Just say no to pop up flash. I know, your fancy camera has a pop up flash and it triggers automatically when it needs to in auto mode. Makes your life so much easier. I get it, I do. But please, just try. Just TRY to avoid using that thing. Pop up flash is not flattering. If you’ve never shot in manual mode, do not try tomorrow. Just don’t do it – you will get frustrated trying to figure out what all the numbers mean on your own and give up.  If you have shot in manual but you’re a little rusty, I cannot tell you the magic combination of numbers to use because it’s all about the light you have available to you. But, I would guess that you can try to set your ISO between 400-800 at the start of the evening, your aperture wide open if you’re on a kit lens or 2.8 if you have a nice prime (or wider if your confident in your ability to shoot wide open), and then adjust your shutter speed. If your shutter speed is able to stay above 1/250 with the combination of ISO and aperture you’ve chosen – great. If not, crank the ISO – but don’t dip the shutter. I repeat, do NOT let your shutter speed go too low. You will likely end up with blurry images.  And remember, as the light goes away (as it gets later) you will need to crank the ISO. Your settings at the beginning of the night will be different than the settings at the end of the night.

POP UP FLASH. JUST SAY NO!

IF that was gibberish to you but you’re motivated, you can put your camera in Aperture Priority and set the aperture as wide open as your lens allows and that will likely get you better results than auto – especially as the sun starts to get lower (when the pop up flash tends to come out).  Then, you can sign up for my mentoring and I’ll teach you everything you need to know about taking control of your DSLR camera. <3

I hope these tips were helpful and I wish everyone a safe and happy Halloween!

Adorable Family of Four | Central Florida Family Photographer

It’s been more than 10 years (I won’t say exactly how much more) since I graduated from Cardinal Gibbons High School in Fort Lauderdale. I have some great and not-so-great memories from that place, but one of the best takeaways from walking those outdoor halls (because if you went there, you know NEVER walk on the grass) is the many individuals I’ve had the privilege of keeping in touch with.

While Social Media certainly has its drawbacks, it’s undeniable that platforms like Facebook and Instagram facilitate keeping up with others no matter the distance. Lucky for me, this beautiful mama and I have stayed in-the-know of what’s been happening in each other’s lives - post high school and college.

When Lauren reached out to me a few months back about my schedule because she wanted some family photos, I was super excited. We had run into each other a few times at a mutual friend's house since we graduated from college, but I hadn’t yet met her adorable boys and it had been years since I’d seen her husband, who I also went to high school with. 

The moment her oldest son hopped out of the car, I knew I was in for some fun. And I sincerely mean that! To me, nothing is better than a rambunctious little kid! I don’t want kids to be on their “best behavior” because that’s boring. I want to capture wild. I want to capture crazy. I want to capture funny faces. I want to capture REAL LIFE. Yeah yeah, we started the session with the whole “Ok let’s get the look at me and smile out of the way with” but that was done and then we were all ready for some fun.

Well, not all of us. Poor baby Finley was NOT having it. I tried to reason with him, but the 5-month old didn’t listen. Weird… But I had some tricks up my sleeve and assured mom and dad not to worry, that I would get some sweet shots of him too. I blame teething for the lack of smiles, because I assure you I am very funny!

While the kids stole the show (they always do!) I absolutely fell in love with one of the shots I got of just mom and dad at the end of the session. When I showed it to mom, she said “That reminds me what I fell in love with at 14.” And I got teary eyed. Because that, my friends, is why I love what I do.

If you want some updated family pictures, I’d love to be the person to capture them! I’m now booking sessions in Central Florida beginning in August. CONTACT ME to get on my calendar.  

Sweet Baby Sadie | Orlando Newborn Photographer

Traveling back and forth from Costa Rica to Orlando so frequently has given me the opportunity to continue to photograph many of my former clients from Central Florida. When I found out Monique and Stewart were expecting their second child, I immediately tried to figure out how I could coordinate schedules so that I would be around to capture not only her growing belly (check out her Maternity session here!) but also her sweet baby girl once she arrived.

The original plan was for Sadie to arrive in early April, so imagine my excitement when I found out I had to plan a trip home right around her due date! Even though she showed up a few days earlier than I did, I had plenty of time to visit their house one morning for an in-home lifestyle newborn session.   

One of my favorite things about these non-posed newborn sessions is how laid back they are! No one is stressed out about whether or not the baby will sleep the entire time or how often he/she will need breaks for feedings and/or diaper changes. There is minimal prep involved for the new parents which, obviously, is a huge benefit. It’s one less thing to worry about when they’re already in such a chaotic phase in their lives. When I showed up, Sadie was eating and (with mom’s permission of course) I just started snapping. Sadie made the rules – I just went along with whatever she had planned.

Once she was ready to take a break from one of her many meals she had this morning, I walked into baby’s stunning nursery and found some adorable patterned blankets and knew I had to incorporate them! I loved the soft neutral tones with slight pops of color. Three simple swaddles allowed me to get some sweet shots of baby alone, each with a beautiful background that matches her nursery perfectly.

I used several rooms in their home to tell the story of Sadie’s arrival into her new family. Big brother Brantley was so sweet and interested in his baby sister – I just love the way I was able to capture him sweetly kissing her on his bed. We also spent a lot of time in Mom and Dad’s room. As you can tell, things even got a little wild!

Despite the fact that Sadie spent at least 85 percent of the session eating (haha), I was able to deliver a diverse gallery filled with moments that this family will cherish forever. Mom plans to make an album will all of the images, so when Sadie is older she can look back on her first few days at home.  

Sadie’s big brother Brantley was one of the first newborns I photographed several years ago, and this sweet family has continued to trust me to capture all of their family’s milestones over the years. I’m so thankful to have them as repeat clients, and more importantly wonderful friends.

If you're expecting and would like some classic and timeless newborn photography, I'd love to help! I'm now booking Family/Maternity, Fresh 48 and Lifestyle Newborn sessions in Central Florida starting in August. CONTACT ME to learn more about my availability and the collections I offer. 

Five Reasons Why I Choose to Shoot Often | Orlando Lifestyle Photographer

Last year, I completed my first 366 project. While I did want to throw in the towel at times, it was such a rewarding project and I am so thrilled that I finished! Yes, there were days when I dreaded bringing the camera everywhere I went. There were times when my children were less-than-cooperative. There were moments when my friends were annoyed.  I get it, I really do. But, when all is said and done, it was one of the best things I could have done for my family and here are five reasons why.  

1)    Document the Memories.

This is by far the most important thing to me. My family had such a cool opportunity – how can I pass up documenting the heck out of it? Moving from Orlando, Florida, to Santa Ana, Costa Rica, came with lots of change and adventure – and several moments worth remembering forever.

Like this one right here.  My sweet big girl, so excited to get on an airplane to move to a new country. There were certainly a few eye rolls when I pulled my “big” camera out to take pictures in a chaotic airport – heck, even I was a little embarrassed. But as I look back on this image more than one year later, I have an overwhelming feeling of joy. I’m happy that I have this moment to look back on forever – one of the last moments before the big “unknown” adventure. One of the final moments before we got on an airplane as a family of four for the first time. This image right here was the final chapter of our first story, as well as the first page of a new chapter in our lives.

2)    Capture the Growth.  

One of my favorite things to do in my free time (haha, free time?) is to look back at my old pictures of my kids. Before sitting down to write this blog, I came across a shot I took of Mackenzie at the beginning of this year. Look how tiny this chubby little bald baby in diapers was!! Madison has grown a lot too, but the baby – WOW. So I looked at this image and reminisced about this exact moment, and then wanted to see more. So I kept scrolling through my image collections and I was able to see her growth in a series of images. Mind blown.

3)    It’s for the Family Too.

While I do shoot for myself, I would be lying if I said I didn’t do it for family too. I am VERY close with my family, and that was the absolute hardest part of leaving Oviedo. My in-laws lived in the neighborhood across from us, and we spent at least one weekend a month visiting my side of the family in Fort Lauderdale since it was just a quick drive down I-95. While Costa Rica isn’t far from a “miles” perspective, it’s certainly more challenging (and expensive) to see our loved ones on an impromptu basis. So I shoot for them too. So they don’t feel so far away. So they can also see the kids grow. So they get a glimpse of what our life in the Pura Vida is like.

 4)    Work Hard, Play Hard.    

Before moving to Costa Rica, I worked in Internal Communications for one of the largest technology companies in the world. Writing, editing and building communications plans was my first “thing.” While some days at the office were tough for sure, I felt a large sense of satisfaction knowing that I was really good at what I did—I had a purpose.

Leaving Orlando meant I also had to leave that job – and gosh – that was SO scary. I’m a worker by nature. Don’t get me wrong, I love spending time with my kids, but I can only handle so much play-doh, puzzles and coloring.

So I switched gears and filled that work gap with my photography. I gave it my all, as I always did with my former job. It was a win-win! The frequent shooting encouraged me to do fun things with the girls that I knew would make for great photographs.  And the evenings I spent editing often gave me such satisfaction. After the lovely (torturous) dinner, bath and bed routine, I was able to sit at my desk and reflect on the fun times we had throughout the day. I not only felt so thankful for the opportunity I have to be able to stay home with the girls now, but I also often felt proud of myself as an artist.

5)    See Your Skills Soar!

Practice makes perfect, right? Do you have any idea how much you will improve as a photographer if you make it a point to shoot often – especially daily? I started this journey in 2014, when I got my first DSLR camera. I know it can be frustrating and easy to get discouraged when the pictures you are producing aren’t matching you vision, but nothing is mastered overnight. My journey with photography has taken a lot of practice, a lot of education and a lot of patience.

I was once a new mom with a nice DSLR camera and was disappointed with my pictures too, we’ve all been there! I combined my passion for photography with my passion for communicating and teach a four-week course on the basics of photography. I know first-hand that with a little bit of knowledge about the basics, you can take your photographs to the next level. If you’re interested in joining my February run of the class,  head on over to my learn page to learn more, read reviews and sign up!

Oh, and little one. I'm sorry for the shirt your Auntie Kristen made you, but there is not a chance! 

Waiting for Baby B | Orlando Lifestyle Family Photographer

How beautiful is this expecting mama and her sweet bump and precious family?

I've known Lauren since high school. While our friendship started in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, it continued when we both traveled north to Orlando for college at the University of Central Florida (Go Knights!). We both became pregnant in 2014, and welcomed our first children, hers a baby boy, within a few months of each other. We had many of your typical first-time-mom conversations from the basics of breastfeeding to what to do with that first terrifying middle of the night fever. Thankfully, Lauren works in the medical field and she was always able to ease my paranoid mind. 

I remember sitting at a little sushi restaurant in Oviedo after a play date with the big kids when she shared her exciting news with me! Hunter was going to be a big brother! Of course, I was thrilled with the news, and just as excited when she asked me to take her maternity photos when I was visiting Oviedo. 

When I pulled into this little field in Central Florida, I was all smiles because the evening was SO perfect. We had SO much fun during this Family Play session, with a maternity focus. I was so bummed when the sun finally set, because it meant I had to stop taking pictures. 

While we of course got that traditional family portrait, my favorite images from this session are from all the crazy play that took place. We ran around in circles, made silly faces, and the topic of poop came up more than once. I love these fun, easy-going family sessions. Everyone has fun, and I capture some timeless images that are full of true joy. 

I can not wait to hear if Hunter is going to have a little brother or sister! And, I hope to make it in time for some incredible birth photography! 

Here are just a few of my favorites from their Family Play session!