Are you expecting in the next few months and have been considering me to photograph your little one? I am hosting a day of mini sessions on 09/16 for my new clients due any time from now until 12/1/12. This is the perfect time to come into the studio and get to know me before your little one is born. You will receive a 30 minute mini session and 5 digital images when you book your newborn session with me. Spaces are limited and first come, first serve. e-mail me at info@valerieackermanphotogaraphy.com

First off, I have to thank everybody who made it out to the grand opening event. I was not expecting nearly as many people to show up that did, and I am so grateful for all of you. This studio has been a dream of mine for years, and now it is finally a reality! Finding an open retail space in the Claremont Village is not easy, let alone one that would be perfect for a natural light photography studio! I jumped on this space as soon as it became available.

My husband is amazing, he spent almost 2 weeks straight doing everything to get the studio ready to open. He put in new floors, baseboard, painted, cleaned, etc. My dad ran electrical work that was desperately needed as well. I have the most amazing support system of friends and family who came and helped out before the grand opening. Here are some pictures of the journey from beginning to end. (well, almost end..I still have a few things I want to do in there, like get my sign!)

“Before”

This was 3 nights before the grand opening. My husband and sister were keeping me company while I painted my ikea expedit bookshelf.

“after”

Thanks to my mom for providing refreshments!

view from the front door.

<3 Chevron print!

Canvas wall

Look at baby Hunter! He has sure grown up from his newborn photo behind him

My hubby and I!

Yours truly.

Coffee table, album and book sample.

This is part of the adorable village right outside of the studio. I love downtown Claremont! It has so much character and is perfect for a photography studio.

I am SO excited to announce that Valerie Ackerman Photography now has a photography studio in downtown Claremont! I have dreamed of having a space to call my own for a couple years, and now this dream has become a reality. I am still waiting for somebody to pinch me and wake me up because it really feels so surreal. I will be photographing newborns, babies, and children, as well as maternity sessions at the studio from now on. The area around the studio is adorable and perfect for outdoor photos as well. I will still photograph families on location. We are going to have a Grand Opening event on Sunday, May 6th from 2-7 p.m. I will be raffling off a free mini session with digital files, and everyone who books a session that day will receive a gift certificate valued at at least $100! I would LOVE for everybody to stop by and take a look at my new place and help me celebrate! I look forward to seeing old clients and meeting new people

The address is 234 West Bonita, Claremont, CA 91711. (major cross street is Indian Hill).

xo,

V

I am hosting spring mini sessions this year at the end of March in Corona! This is the perfect time to get your little one photographed for an amazing price! I have picked out a gorgeous field to shoot at. E-mail me to snag your spot!

xo,

V

I get e-mails often from other photographers asking how I achieve certain poses on my website. I am not above sharing what I know with others in order to educate them on newborn safety. Not all newborns will do every pose requested from the parents and I explain this to them before our session. The pose below is requested often, so I thought I would show all of you how to achieve it safely. It is actually a composite, which is multiple images merged together in Photoshop. By doing a composite, I can make sure the baby is safe the entire time and do the work in Photoshop to give the illusion that the baby is suspended in the air. There were two assistants helping me in this shot, and a hand was on the baby the entire time.

If this helped even one person, my work has been done! Happy Tuesday

Valid today, 2/29/2012 only!

Newborn safety in the photography industry has been a hot topic in the recent months. There are so many new photographers out there now, and everybody is trying to set themselves apart by trying the next!new!pose! We need to take a step back and make sure that we are keeping our little models safe during their photoshoots. Newborns are not props and never should be treated that way for the sake of getting “the shot”.

Parents, please do not hesitate to speak up and decline a pose if it makes you feel uncomfortable or if you feel like the photographer you hired is not handling your baby safely. I have heard a few stories lately of things going wrong during sessions, when they could have been prevented if the photographer had taken extra precautions to make sure the baby was handled safely at all times.

Most of the tricky images you see online can be done with a composite, which is taking two images and making them one in Photoshop.

I have an example posted below. Newborns cannot hold their heads in their hands like this comfortably. Their heads are simply too heavy to be supported by their tiny little wrists safely. I took two images below, one with mom  holding the top of baby’s head, and one with her supporting his wrists. I merged the two images in Photoshop and was able to make a clean composite (bottom image), giving the illusion that the baby is propped up on his own. He was completely comfortable and safe the entire time.

And here is the final image, with the help of a little Photoshop

This example below is also a composite. I cannot find the original images right now, but will come back and add them later. I took two images with the help of two assistants. An assistant always had their hands supporting the baby (one on the left and one on the right). I was able to merge two images, and erase back the extra hands in Photoshop, resulting in the image below.

If I was able to help at least one person with this blog post, I am happy. Let’s all remember to keep our itty bitty model’s safety in mind!

Happy Wednesday! Please feel free to share this article on your blog or facebook and help spread the word!