Baby Evie | Helena, Montana Newborn Baby Photographer

It's been a while since I've had a newborn in front of my lens, and I think I kind of forgot how amazing it is.  Little Evie is every bit as sweet and lovely as she appears in these images.  She slept for the majority of our session as her parents, auntie and grandma looked in on us.  Smiles spread infectiously from one person to another throughout the house the entire time we were together.

It's always amazing to me to watch the love of new parents -- and this time was no exception.  The whole world stops when you have a baby -- your first baby -- and nothing else matters.  Watching these loving parents with their precious little girl really made me step back and remember what is important in life.  There is nothing more incredible than this time in life.




Thank you for the opportunity to step into your lives and create these memories with you.  Can't wait to look through all your proofs with you.

I Heart Faces Challenge: Holiday Bokeh | Helena, Montana Children's Photographer

Bokeh is a Japanese term used to refer to the effect of shallow depth of field that creates a pleasing blur of color behind the subject. Christmas offers ample opportunities to take advantage of this aspect of photography. For this week's I Heart Faces challenge, I offer this shot of my baby hanging out in front of the tree a couple days after we put it up.

Merry Christmas!

Check out more fun entries at I Heart Faces!

Get digital. Cyber Monday deal on digital files | Helena, Montana Photograhper

Cyber Monday calls for a deal on digital files, don't you think?!

Here's your one and only chance to get all your files from a previous session with Zo-Mak Photography.



Low Resolution (suitable for print up to 5x7) for $249, or
High Resolution for $449.

(That's a savings of over $200 and $450 respectively!)

Get your files on disc in a custom designed keepsake case along with a 4x6 spiral bound proof book of all those images.

Of course there's always fine print, but nothing too surprising:

*This offer is non-refundable

*Offer is good only on galleries that have already been completed.

*Payment must be made on Monday, 11.28.11 by paypal, credit card or cash

*email me at zo.mak.photography@gmail.com to place your order beginning now through 11:59 p.m. Montana time on 11.28.11

Get one, Give one | Helena, MT Photographer

It's simple -- 'tis the season of giving. And getting. So give a gift of everlasting memories from Zo-Mak Photography, and get one for yourself.

Two sessions -- one for yourself and one for someone else -- for $150.

That's it. Sit back, relax, and enjoy knowing that you gave someone a priceless gift that will last for generations. (...and start thinking about what you're going to wear to yours!)

The fine print:

*Both sessions must take place in 2012

*Offer is good for any baby, child, family, senior or maternity photography session (the value of the gift may be applied toward a wedding package, but is not valid for an entire wedding)

*Non-refundable

*Minimum print order applies for both sessions

*Payment must be made on Monday, 11.28.11 by paypal, credit card or cash

*email me at zo.mak.photography@gmail.com to place your order beginning now through 11:59 p.m. Montana time on 11.28.11

*You will receive two gift certificates by mail, each good for one full photo session with Zo-Mak Photography

I Heart Faces - Autumn Splendor | Helena, Montana Family & Child Photographer

When I saw the theme for this week's I Heart Faces challenge, I knew immediately that this was the image I would submit. So much love and such a happy memory preserved.

Head on over to IHF to check out some other awesome entries.

Rhet! | Helena, Montana Children's Photographer

I recently finished up another set of holiday mini sessions and am working feverishly on proofs so everyone can choose their images and cards in time for Christmas. This time we were out at Reeder's Alley, and all four of the families who braved the crisp day will be pleasantly rewarded when they get their proofs - promise! (I usually say that clients will receive about 10 images from mini sessions. I think the smallest gallery I've put up so far has 24 images! Sweet!

I've been posting some sneak peeks up on my facebook page as usual, but since I know this little guy's mom doesn't use facebook (how DOES she survive?! -- wink, wink), I just have to post this one image here now.

Love, love, love!

radley Family | Helena, Montana Family Photographer

I always learn something new every time I go out with a client. Always. This time, it was to not be deterred by the weather, and be sure to have a backup plan. The wind was blowing steadily at 20 mph this afternoon. I got to our location (outdoors, field next to a lake...) a few minutes early and knew there was no way the kids would be able to handle the cold, and that the wind would really detract from the faces in the images. A quick new plan led us to a new location for the first half of the session, nice and sheltered from the wind, then we headed back to the original location after the wind had subsided just in time for some beautiful light before sunset.

Aaaaahhhhhh..... A year or so ago, I probably would have just cancelled. I'm so glad we didn't. As usual, this last session is my new favorite. A beautiful family who really had a good time in front of the camera and weren't afraid to be themselves. That always helps the final images really turn into something to treasure.

And the best part about this family? They booked two sessions -- one now and one this winter. I can't wait to see them again in a beautiful winter wonderland!

Strauss Family | Helena, Montana Family Photogrpaher

Fall in Montana

Families in love with each other

Good sports

Positive attitudes

Dads who are into it

Little girls in fluffy skirts

Smiles and laughs

These are all things that I love. These things that I love all came together beautifully last Friday evening during my session with this wonderful family. So glad to have been able to do this for you all! Enjoy.

What to Wear - Fall/Winter Family Portraits | Helena, Montana Family Photographer

I've got a lot of mini sessions coming up with families who keep asking me what they should wear! We face a bit more of a challenge here in Montana dressing for outdoor fall and winter photos than someone in, say, Texas or Georgia, that's for sure. But then again, given that we ARE Montanans, I am convinced that we can accept the challenge and make it awesome.

What this means to you as you sit there staring into your kids' closets wondering if you're going to have to drop a small fortune on clothing before you even get to your session (quick answer: no, you're not): You're going to have to work a little, but the effort will be totally worth it years from now when you look at these photos on the wall, a tear comes to your eye and you think to yourself "Wow, fall and winter in Montana are so gorgeous, and I'm so glad we got out there and took that picture. I can't believe the kids were ever really that little. Look how they're holding hands. Look how my hubby is holding *my* hand. Look how we're all laughing and smiling and loving life. That was a memory worth making."

Just a couple rules:

-You will not show up in your ski and/or hunting gear bundled so that only your nose and eyes are showing (unless, of course, I'm going on location with you and the whole point is to capture you and your family doing what you love to do....)

-You will not all show up matching. Please, for goodness sakes, do not match. There's a fine line between matching and coordinating. We're aiming for coordinating. (If you haven't heard me say it before, do NOT and I mean DO NOT show up to our session wearing all jeans or khakis and matching white collared [or any color for that matter] shirt. I'll tell you to go home and try again. For real.)

-You will not spend an arm and a leg on brand new clothes just to look good for your family pictures.

-You will accessorize (that means heels for you, mamas!) are awesome. Jewelry, scarves, hats, shoes... Go for it! This is your chance to dig out all that stuff you bought before you had kids then stuffed into a drawer somewhere.

So how's it work? Start small. Choose one person's outfit first, then everyone else's based on that choice using a palate of two or three colors (you can always use black and white as *free* choices).

Make sense?

Some samples from my fashion-savvy family clients:

Love these choices for winter pictures. Very festive, but they don't *scream* MERRY CHRISTMAS at you. Red, blue and gray.

More from the red/blue/gray families (dad took off the sweater for most of the shots, but I love the extra splash it adds here)

OK, so this doesn't help with what to wear in the winter, but it's a great example of taking the jeans/white shirts up a notch. Or twelve. You could totally do this with sweaters and tights added in, hats and chunky scarves.... Seeing it yet??

Remember when we started I said to choose one person's outfit first, then everyone else's based on that? (It's OK, you can go back and re-read it.....) Three guesses who this family chose first. And this also proves that you don't need to be afraid of patterns. Just put the pattern on one person and pull colors from it for everyone else.

OK, again, this isn't necessarly helping with what to wear to be warm, but those colors are AWESEOME.

Blues and purples! Love it!

Oh, yay, more blues and purples!!! (Little brag here - these aren't my photos, but they're my family. I actually hired a photographer (special thanks again to Jeffrey Foote Photography) to take my own family photos last year when my grammie turned 90. We surprised her with a birthday party and all her grandkids in one place at one time. I told everyone to wear blues, purples and grays. It worked - even from long distance).

And just check out those peacoats (from Old Navy) and tights and boots on my babies! They totally stayed warm and looked adodrable all at the same time. Anything is possible!

OK, so to recap.

1. Don't match, coordinate.

2. Choose an outfit that you love for one person first, and base everything else on that.

3. Use a palate of 2 or 3 colors to start with, and fill in with black/white.

4. Accessorize.

5. Do not wear your ski or hunting gear. Unless it's ONLY for warming up inbetween. That's TOTALLY fine (as is hot chocolate. For me or your kids. Whatever).

Phew. I think we did it. Please don't hesitate to call if you have questions on anything! And if all else fails, google "what to wear for family portraits in fall". Be prepared. There's a whole lotta info out there.

See you soon!

Birthday girls! | Helena, Montana Child Photographer

As I'm sure you know, I have a special place in my heart for sisters. Especially sisters who are just about two years apart. Meet K&J -- two adorable little cuties celebrating their first and third birthdays within days of each other. They traveled from Butte to come see me for their birthday photos. I must say they gave me a run for my money -- they totally made me work for it! But it was awesome, and they're beautiful and I'm so happy with how the images turned out. I quickly gave up on the "is there a bug on my head????!!!!" to get them to look my way, and instead followed them around (a million miles an hour!) just snapping away and capturing *them* being *them*.

Happy birthday, girls!

Hope to see you again when you're 2 and 4 (or before - who knows!)

Sylar is One | Helena, MT Baby Photographer

Well, this past Sunday was a popular day for photos! I met Sylar and his Mama at Reeders Alley for his birthday session, and we ran into three other groups there doing photos as well! It's such a gem - so many great little spots for wonderful backdrops. Can't wait to do my family mini sessions there later this fall!

When I first started thinking about this session, I knew I wanted to have a few props. I generally don't do many props at all, but this little guy and this location... the antique typewriter all but jumped off the shelf at me when I was perusing the antique shop last week! ...as did the phone, the tractor, the old coffee cans and books... And I have to admit - as cute as those shots were, I still just absolutely adore shots of him being himself.

Happy Birthday, little guy! Hope to see you and your beautiful mom again soon!

Lilly is One! | Helena, MT Baby Photographer

Another of my baby's first years comes to an end! I love having all these birthday kiddos this summer - it's so fun to watch them grow up and capture such special memories for their families.

The story from this session: The cake smash that wasn't. Cutest cake ever -- a 4 1/2" tall pink and purple panda bear sitting on top of a purple cake covered with balloons. Couldn't get her to touch it with a ten-foot pole! Oh, and the balloons... Who wants balloons when there is a perfectly exciting chunk of wood to check out?! Love this kid. Thank you, mom & dad, for allowing me to participate in this year with you guys!

Take a few minutes to watch miss Lilly grow with me: newborn, 3 month, 6 month and 9 month sessions.

xoxo

Senior Spotlight: Elle | Helena, MT Senior Photographer

I recently spent a beautiful evening with a beautiful Shepherd High senior! We met in the middle (Shepherd is outside of Billings!) in Bozeman for a beautiful evening. Totally worth all the miles on both ends.

We had a great time exploring some indoor and outdoor spots for her senior photos. Of course she made my job easy, being that she could probably knock on some Hollywood door and become a model overnight... But that aside, I thoroughly enjoyed our evening (and my two assistants - thanks Sarah and Kimber!) telling stories, laughing at weird guys, swatting mosquitoes and playing in the river.

Zo-Mak Photography is currently looking for senior reps in the Helena and Boulder areas -- check out this blog post for details, and call or email now to be considered!

I tend to avoid shooting in indoor locations, but it turns out this shot was one of my favorites from the evening! Hello, gorgeous!

Jackson is 1 | Helena, Montana Baby Photographer

Yet another baby's first year come and gone! There was no shortage of proofs from this session! Jackson has been a great subject for all his sessions - newborn, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months and certainly didn't disappoint for his one year session!

As always, it's a blast to watch these little ones grow from tiny wiggly newborns into toddlers - ready to run at the drop of a hat!

I need to mention that I *love* the fact that my job involves getting babies to make the most GIANT mess that they can, then I get to leave. Love it!!

(Okay, so I have to clean up, too, but encouraging these little ones to go crazy is so.much.fun.)

Brielle is One! | Helena, MT Baby and Child Photographer

Another birthday baby! Brielle just recently turned one and we celebrated her birthday session up at Hyalite Canyon in Bozeman. It was a beautiful sunny day, so of course I ran looking for shade... but it was wonderful! Even though she was a bit on the tired side, we made the best of it and ended up wtih some priceless images of this bitty baby girl.

Watch her grow with me: Here are Brielle's newborn, 6 month, and 9 month sessions. So sweet, so little. xoxo Hope to see you all again soon!

Petals & Pops | Helena, MT Commercial Product Photographer

I love having relationships with people that benefit everyone involved. I recently met a very talented mom at the Farmers Market. She makes these adorable (and brilliant!) hair clips and headbands for girls. I started chatting and (long story short) we decided to make a trade! It's working out especially well for me since I lost all my baby girl headband/flower props when I moved... So she gets some fun images of her hair flowers in use on some super cute models to display at her table at the farmer's market, and I get some headbands to start my collection again! (And some free advertising, which is priceless!)

Did I mention that having a new friend in a new town is also priceless?! Thank you again for the trade, Jenny! I'm loving it! (...and next we need to get some pictures of those YUMMY and beautiful cake pops!)

Elizabeth is One | Helena, MT Baby Photographer

I'm so sad for the end of this baby's first year! I think we need to continue to see her every three months until she goes to college. Seriously. She just gets me every time!

Miss Elizabeth came to visit me up in Helena for her 1-year session, and as usual did not disappoint! She's gotten cuter and squishier each time I see her. Check out her 9 month, 6 month, 3 month and newborn sessions for proof. Just perfection!

Thank you for coming out! It's truly been my pleasure. I'm going to thoroughly enjoy putting together her First Year Album!

Short Family | Bozeman Helena Family Photographer

Here's another family that is close to my heart. I grew up with them, and have many fond memories from church plays, and various childhood activities. Now here we are, both grown up (although it felt like we were still 12 when we got together!) with beautiful girls of our own. Time sure flies.

Major thanks to Don, again, for being fully involved and really seeming to enjoy it. Its often hard to convince dads and grandpas to participate willingly in photo sessions, but this grandpa came around in a major way! Just look at that honest smile :)

Cooper is 1! | Bozeman Helena Montana Baby Photographer

I love traveling back to Ithaca, NY (my hometown) and catching up with friends from my childhood. It's strange -- I left town right after I graduated college, and now almost 13 years later it's like no time has passed when we get together. Capturing memories of them with their children is just the icing on the cake! Thank you for allowing me to be a part of Cooper's first birthday! What a smart, determined little guy!!

Happy Birthday Bryn! | Bozeman Helena Montana Baby Photographer

I had another wonderful session with another birthday girl recently under my birthday special! YAY! This is such a fun age full of movement, smiles, and big eyes. Bryn was no exception, even though she was working on getting a new tooth through...

Happy Birthday, beautiful girl!

Though Bryn was mostly over it at this point, we had to snap a few family shots with the furry child, Ellie. Ellie was thrilled to be invited onto the bed (a first time for everything!)