A Photographer's Child

We sometimes joke that we would like to invite strangers to dinner, just to get our children to behave through the whole meal.

It amazes people to find out that my kids don't always cooperate for photographs. It's true, they don't. It's because they know us.

We don't scare them.

As clients will attest, I have plenty of patience with children, waiting for them to be ready for photographs.

But photographers' children are different. They *know* the tricks. Don't let this image fool you. As we tried to get our soon-to-be 5 year old and soon-to-be 3 year old to stand still, while looking at the camera, they worked just as hard to wiggle and squirm away from us. When we asked for a smile, we got a grimace, when we asked for a pose, we got action.

We are scheduling a reshoot.

And this time, I'm bringing bribes.

Or a stranger.

Family Love | Katie & Brett | Downtown Madison

I absolutely love to have clients that come back year after year. Working with a family, seeing their children grow, is so fun for me because they feel like more than clients. They feel like friends. Katie and Brett are a perfect example. I have been photographing Sam since he was a baby. Plus, I love that we can get together and chat like old friends.

These photographs will show you that Sam is going to be a little heart-breaker! And check out Sam's shoes! Katie did an awesome job coordinating her family. The black, gray, and red were perfect together, with the red adding just the right amount of accent.  And again, check out those red shoes!

 

How cute is this face? I'm telling you, a total heart-breaker!

 I love the sky here!

Happy Anniversary to Brett & Katie!

Kera & Dan | Engaged!

Kera and Dan's big day is quickly approaching! For their engagement session in August, we headed to downtown Madison.

For most of their session, the weather was great. There was one small bump, though. I have to admit, I have never had to find shelter and wait out a freak rain storm in the middle of a session before. However, that is what happened to us that day. Kera and Dan were wonderful about the "delay" and the rain stopped just in time for some sunset images by the lake, complete with a rainbow in the background! I think that means good luck with their marriage.

Here are some images from their engagement session.

Cathy & Mike | Family Portraits | Madison, WI

I love being able to capture family portraits. And, when a family of 6 is as easy to work with as Cathy & Mike's was, it makes it a treat.

I worked with Cathy to fill the empty space in the entry area by her front door. For over two years, the nook had been empty, waiting for the right portrait to fill it. I custom designed a 33x38 canvas wrap that showcased her family to fit perfectly in that spot.

Now, the real reason to have your family portraits done is to show them off. So, to avoid any delay, we even hung her canvas for her when we delivered the order!

Pretty in Pink

Yes, you can pull off having the family wear pink for your portrait session. Okay, Dad doesn't have to (he can wear something in an earth tone to coordinate with the khaki shorts), but pink is definitely a color that even teenage boys are wearing this season.

Just don't tell the boys they look "pretty."

Sarah & RJ | Wedding

Sarah and RJ had a beautiful day for their wedding. All the little extra touches made it memorable, like the family pin Sarah wore on her dress and the union chairs on their cake. Bucky Badger from UW Madison made an appearance and really livened up the dance floor with his dance moves!

Amanda & Jon | Wedding

Amanda and Jon's wedding took place in the Wisconsin Dells. The location is great for families that are traveling to the wedding destination. It's like a vacation built right into the weekend!

Kendra & John | Wedding

A few images from Kendra and John's wedding:

Too Much Of A Good Thing

You have your Pinterest account and you are following tons of people and accounts. How is that working?

Are you loving the ideas? Are they too much? Are you going to use any of them? Do you have this unstoppable desire to try to use them all?

So many ideas can become overwhelming. You need to know when to look at the pretty pictures and when to stop looking and start doing. No wedding will plan itself just by looking at the bridal eye-candy. These boards from our last post are meant for inspiration, but it's up to you to actually plan the wedding and follow through on all the details.

Remember that a couple of great ideas are all that you need to make your wedding fabulous.

You don't need to stress yourself out with trying to do everything that you see on blogs and Pinterest for your one day. Pick a couple that you feel are really fun or that would add special meaning on the day.

Then, forget the rest.

You want to be able to enjoy your family and friends on your wedding day, not stressing over the fact that you didn't finish your 64 DIY projects. Plus, some of the fun blog posts you see on wedding boards and sites are not even from real weddings, but from stylized photo shoots that were set-up just to show off cute ideas. The blogs know that you can't do everything on one day, so don't measure your real wedding by their pretend ones.

If you are looking for ways to use Pinterest better with your wedding planning, read this from mashable.com: How to Avoid Pinterest Wedding Angst

How do you use Pinterest? Is more better or can you have too much of a good thing? When do you draw the line in looking for new ideas?

All This Interest In Pinterest

Have you heard of Pinterest? If you have a bride planning a wedding, chances are you have. The online pinboard works like a chock-full magazine, flowing with a steady stream of new ideas that you can keep organized on a virtual bulletin board. This is the place to go when you are looking for inspiration for your wedding.

Whether you are looking for dresses, cakes or favors, Pinterest has images and ideas to help you create a gorgeous wedding. There is a search function that you can use to look for anything wedding. The best time to use Pinterest is when you are at the beginning of your engagement, at the start of your wedding planning. It's great to see what kind of ideas are out there to begin to organize in your head what you want to do with this big day.

To get started, we'd like to suggest some wedding accounts for you to follow:
Style Me Pretty
Wedding Chicks
The Perfect Palette
Martha Stewart Weddings
The Pretty Blog
Ruffled
Floret Cadet
Intimate Weddings
Brides
Bride Finds
Bride Finds From The Runway
The Knotty Bride
Bride and Joy, Vintage Wedding
Offbeat Bride
InStyle Magazine wedding hairstyles
Divinefrenzy, Invitations
Luxe Finds DIY wedding projects
Junebug Weddings
Southern Wedding Magazine
Lauren Grove, Every Last Detail
Vane Broussard, Brooklyn Bride
Postcards & Pretties, Wedding receptions

Do you have any favorites? Let me know if these Pinterest accounts are helpful or if you know of better ones. Where do you like to go for inspiration?

How To Mix in a Pattern

Figuring out the clothing for a family portrait session is the hardest part. It is harder than arranging the schedules to get everyone together, bringing the right bribes to the session, or deciding what size to order for the living room wall.

As you know, I like to recommend solids over busy prints and patterns for clothing. I love when a client will choose one color and select various shades within that color to best suit everyone in the family. Still, I am often asked if a pattern is okay for family portraits.

The easy answer is no.

When I say no to patterns, it's because it is too easy to do it wrong. I love a cute floral print as much as the next girl, and I know my daughters look great in a trendy print, but that's where the problem starts. It becomes a slippery slope of choosing what looks cute on each person, and then everyone has their own pattern. With nothing that matches, there is too much competing for attention in the photograph and the end result is just chaos.

But, you say, I've seen it done!

Well, yes. It can be done. Much like an interior decorator will select one "set piece," you can do that with your family's portrait wardrobe. The key is to choose only one. This takes much restraint. Also, it calls for the other items in the wardrobe to be in the same palette and simple in style. This approach often works better when 4 or more people will be in the photograph. I highly recommend staying away from patterns when there will be only two people in the photograph, such as an engagement session. That one person in the patterned outfit will become the focus, and generally you want everyone in the photograph to be equal.

How to mix a patterned piece within your family's portrait wardrobe:
-pick only ONE
-keep the pattern subtle, low contrast
-and use the colors in your palette, try to not introduce new colors

Family Portraits - Clothing Idea

Summer is a fun time to plan family sessions. The kids are done with school, schedules tend to be a little easier, the days last a little longer. Schedule a session for your family and start thinking about clothing ideas.

One nice thing about summer portrait sessions- if you plan ahead, these outfits can do double duty for your summer events. Are you attending a wedding or summer work party with the family? These clothes will make you look great for any gathering!

Advice To Graduates In The Art Field

A career in the arts is unlike other careers.

People have always held artists apart from other professionals. As the world changes, how people relate to art in the world is rapidly changing, too. Choosing a career in any art field right now is both exciting and terrifying.

When people choose a career in the arts, they may secretly dream of becoming rich and famous, but more likely, they worry that others will judge them negatively. Artists are often told they should get a "real job." There is this idea that if you are an artist, and certainly if you enjoy what you do, if you create music, write, paint, or photograph, that you are somehow not really working. And, unfortunately, too many artists believe that.

To further that, author Neil Gaiman shares a problem with getting even a small amount of success. He says, "you have the unshakable conviction that you are getting away with something and, at any moment, they will discover you." He calls it the "Imposture Syndrome."

Being an artist is not an easy career. To create any kind of art and do it well, one has to be committed, driven. There is often more rejection than appreciation. There is more doubt than understanding. There is more effort than money.

In honor of graduates everywhere, I'd like to pass along some points from Neil Gaiman's speech that he delivered to the graduating class at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia. (via Open Culture, with video of speech)

1. Embrace the fact that you’re young. Accept that you don’t know what you’re doing. And don’t listen to anyone who says there are rules and limits.
2. If you know your calling, go there. Stay on track. Keep moving towards it, even if the process takes time and requires sacrifice.
3. Learn to accept failure. Know that things will go wrong. Then, when things go right, you’ll probably feel like a fraud. It’s normal.
4. Make mistakes, glorious and fantastic ones. It means that you’re out there doing and trying things.
5. When life gets hard, as it inevitably will, make good art. Just make good art.
6. Make your own art, meaning the art that reflects your individuality and personal vision.
7. Now a practical tip. You get freelance work if your work is good, if you’re easy to get along with, and if you’re on deadline. Actually you don’t need all three. Just two.
8. Enjoy the ride, don’t fret the whole way. Stephen King gave that piece of advice to Neil years ago.
9. Be wise and accomplish things in your career. If you have problems getting started, pretend you’re someone who is wise, who can get things done. It will help you along.
10. Leave the world more interesting than it was before.

 So, to all artists, go out and "make good art!"

And happy graduation!

Down in the dumps about Depp

Dark Shadows, the 2012 movie version, is now in theaters. Have you seen it? I haven't had the courage to go and sit through it. Sadly, I think this will have to wait until Netflix has it available. And that is hard to say because I saw the first Twilight movie in the theater. (Didn't love it, but had to see it.)

I've liked Johnny Depp before, but I loved him since Donnie Brasco (1997). And, I watched the 1991 version of Dark Shadows when it was on TV. (The original daytime soap version was before my time, so the series was new to me.) I remember watching it alone, since no one else in my family shared my love of vampires or quirky TV shows. (Twin Peaks? Yep, loved that, too!)

So, I was very excited when I heard Johnny Depp was going to be playing Barnabas Collins. His ability to play dark, moody characters seemed like the perfect fit. The timing was perfect, at the height of the Twilight/Vampire Diaries craze, still riding the Pirates of the Caribbean crest. This dramatic story will have new life breathed into it, I thought. After casting was announced, I waited to see how the movie would turn out. I was delighted when I got the chance to see the movie trailer.

Only, it sucked.

But not in that great "vampire-y" sort of way.

Here is a movie review, with links to the 1973 and 1991 TV versions.

How could they take Dark Shadows and turn it into a comedy? How could both Tim Burton and Johnny Depp sell out and disappoint? This should have been dark, scary and sexy. This should have put Twilight to shame with its sparkly vampires. This should have reaffirmed vampires as the go-to genre. This should have been big-- epic, even. But, alas, it will be just one more movie that will easily be forgotten before summer rolls around and vampires go back to sparkling in the sun.

Casual and Comfy | Family Idea

Blues are timeless. Choosing a blue palette for your family's portrait session keeps the look casual and modern without being a color that will go out of style next week. These colors will be able to be showcased in your home for years to come. Plus, finding the right shade of blue to compliment each person is pretty easy.

Save The Dates | Weddings

People are so much busier today than they ever were in the past. Weekends quickly fill up, free time just seems to disappear. When you are planning your wedding a year or more in advance, the date sticks in your mind. You want to make sure that your family and friends also block their calendars off for your big day.

But, if you wait until the traditional 8 weeks before to send your wedding invitations, alerting your family and friends to when the wedding will be, you risk their schedules already being booked.

Solution: Save The Dates!

These are designed to be saved! Many people will put Save The Dates up on their fridge, whether they are magnets or cards.

We offer several styles and sizes. We can do:

• Postcards, that send without envelopes;
• Two sided cards that go into envelopes ;
• Magnets, with envelopes;
• Magnets that coordinate with a card, with envelope

The size and style you choose may influence how much information you include on the card. It's a good idea to add your web address if you have a wedding website. If you have the room, hotel information is nice to include for guests that don't use the internet.

You can send Save The Dates at any time. Six months before the wedding is a good rule of thumb, but earlier or later can work, too. If your wedding date falls on a holiday weekend or a high-activity weekend (Badger game, etc.), then the sooner guests can start planning their visit and hotel stay, the better.

If you do Save The Dates, when will you send them out?

Baby Zaila | Madison

I first met Zaila when she was a brand new baby. I love when babies are this little and their little feet curl up next to their little rump.

And as much as I love newborns, Zaila's second session was much more fun since she was sitting up. She enjoyed being outside and seeing everything that was around her.

I can't wait to see how big she has gotten when we do her next session!

More Albums To Love

The great thing about an album is how personal it is and how custom it can be for each person. I love the cover options with the new Chunky Artistic album line. Combining leathers with custom photograph covers gives each album a unique look.

The top album shows the alligator leather, which is a beautiful texture! The bottom album is subtle marbled leather.

These two new albums will be available at The Wilderness Resort in Wisconsin Dells and The Legend of Bergamont in Oregon to view while showcasing their venues.

William | Newborn

I absolutely love it when families come back to Appleby Photography as their families grow. Jen and Chris allowed me to photograph Sam when he was a newborn. Then, when Will joined them, I was able to photograph him, as well. It's wonderful to see how they all fit together as a family.

This session is a great example of how most parents of newborns choose to showcase the images from their session. We usually will do some individual images for the wall and gifts for grandparents.

The Bits & Pieces is still one of our most popular ways to showcase babies. When they are little for such a short time, it's great to have a way to remember this stage before it's gone. This is usually done with the matting and framing, however, other options are also available to fit your style.

Birth announcements are a fun way to show photographs of your new baby. The cards that we offer are the ones that don't get thrown away, either. These stay up on the fridge, or even make their way into frames!

We love for you to show off your family where your family and friends will see them. Ask about getting a Facebook Timeline cover collage with your session images!

Stephanie & David | Wedding

These images are overdue, as they have already been featured on the Wedding Planner & Guide website. Stephanie and David were prize package winners from the Wedding Planner & Guide bridal show. We had included an engagement session, which is how we first met them. We were honored when they chose us to also photograph their wedding. It was wonderful to see how much love their family had for them. It really was a special day for so many people!