So I haven’t written a post in some time and wanted to talk about something a little different today – Body Image and Beautiful Sessions. This is a short post but something I feel is important to mention.

Shooting women and families in general for the last few years has given me the experience to see not only how I perceive myself, but also how we perceive ourselves in front of the camera. To be honest, a lot of us (thanks to Ads, branding, marketing..etc) of thin muscular very photoshopped women puts us at a disadvantage as it creates an image of a flawless world.

As a mother I rarely have photos of me alone or with my son because I stop myself from being in them. There are things I’d love to change that I feel would be better if changed….arms not so flabby and stomach a little more tight..however at the end of the day I have to remember the photos are there for remembering in 20 years what happened today vs how I feel about myself. My son doesn’t care about how my arms look, just that they hold him. He doesn’t care that my stomach is flabby, just that he can lay there when he’s sick or tired.

When we are in front of the camera it’s easy to think of things we don’t like. Unfortunately those things become apparent if we let them. What are the features you love about yourself? Think beyond just physical traits..think about what matters most and what it means to the family.
Imagine standing in front of the camera with your family. What are the main reasons you want to have the portraits taken…is it for the family album, gifts for others..canvas’s to hang on the walls?  Then, are the portraits there to show the love of a family, or the relationship of father and son? There are many ways we can do a session to show what really matters through posing and having fun.

When I walk past my portraits on the wall I feel secure knowing I had a good time when I took the portrait, my son had fun playing with his stick, and my husband had some bonding time with him. My flabby arms don’t define my session- I made them by eating my way through pregnancy with a supportive husband to give birth to our first son…it created a family which we are proud of…

What do your flabby arms or could be tighter stomach say about your family? What path did you take to have happiness?

It’s the life path and what your family stands for that makes a session beautiful and unique. Photoshop is a tool to help smooth things out like lighting and color and sure..maybe a inch off the waist – but what made the session beautiful is you.

Simple.Authentic.You.

Even though I’ve lived in Sioux City for almost 6 years, this was my first time going to Ponca State Park. I’ve heard a lot of great things about the area. This is where I met the Tucker family for their session. Since this was the first time being there I went early with my phone giving directions a long the way. Well..of course the phone data service stopped before I got there but it was easy enough to find with the signs leading to the park

(okok…I actually almost panicked but we’ll pretend I’m good at navigating)

When I pulled in I expected something smaller. It was a nice surprise to see winding roads, cabins, and lakes. It was a few weeks before Halloween. The roads had decorations alongside of ghosts. The leaves turned yellow, red and shades of brown. It was partly cloudy and warm so it was a great day and location to shoot.

During the session I learned of an engagement which happened a week prior. Congrats!

I walked in to this session with no expectations and the mindset to get the shot by having fun. It was important to capture the large family shot, but also each immediate family as well. With this session I felt more prepared than ones in the past. While I hadn’t done anything more to prepare myself, by letting things be as they are I was able to let go and just capture what was there by creating the moment vs. waiting for it. With each session I learn and experience new things. After meeting this family I learned it’s ok to have fun, but work at the same time

The family was comfortable and making jokes within minutes. After 20 minutes some were even jumping in to the background.

Enjoy!

I’ve had the pleasure of knowing the Robert’s family for several years now, dating back to first shooting their wedding, and have had the opportunity of watching the family grow and evolve over time.

Mr. and Mrs. R have gone from newly weds to old pro’s in their marriage.

Their son has grown from a child to a young man (sniffle)

It was a great feeling when Mrs. R. called to have family portraits taken. We’ve scheduled them in the past. In fact, before we found I was pregnant we scheduled her session last year for photos on my due date!

This year when the hustle and bustle of going back to school settled we took the chance to visit the Adam’s Nature preserve to run around in the fields and take advantage of the great buildings.

A big thanks goes to the Robert’s family allowing me to have the creative freedom and letting us run around in a field!

Custom Magnetic closing 3×3 Accordion Albums are here!

I’ve kept these a secret until now. Well, I posted them on my Facebook but am officially blogging them….

One of my favorite things are 3×3 accordion albums with magnetic covers so when closed, they stay closed. The albums can be put on the fridge, other metal places or even just out on a desk to show the images of your beloved. With a custom design they are versatile as to how you want to showcase your images printed on linen paper.

Sometimes photographers don’t photograph the whole family and it’s just mom and daughter…here’s a little something to go by.

With the official boudoir blog and facebook comes Ms. Sami, the new addition to Ashley Heim Photography. She is a makeup/hair stylist who will begin offering her services during boudoir sessions. Not only does she do a great job she’s easy going and great to talk to. Sami uses the colors around her to create the look for each session.

Sami graduated from Stewart School in Sioux Falls almost two years ago and immediately found  a salon home. So to put her skills to the test, Ms. Amber, aka Kirbs, helped us out by being our model for the day.

Since our setting was green, and yellow Sami used neutral colors for Amber. Thank you both!

Look at those blue eyes just POP!