2022 Year in Review - Seattle Maternity Photographer
Every year we send out a one-page card calendar to all our clients many of whom date back to 2002. This card contains some of my favorite images from the year, and I have been doing it since 2004. It is always a fun process of reminiscing and reflecting on the work I have completed for the year. The process is challenging and rewarding at the same time. To make the cut, the image has to really be excellent, and I look for four elements.
Light (and shadow)
Photography is all about light, but in my mind, it’s equally about shadows and shades of grey. When photographing people I will try to use the light to capture the Rembrandt triangle to the side of the nose.
Contrast also plays a large role in my style. I like to see a good black and a good white in the images. I also strive to capture skin tones and authentically photograph people of all nationalities. And yes, I still shoot on manual to help me achieve this because most cameras can’t capture skin tones adequately.
Composition
Knowing the rules of composition and years of experience in capturing well-composed images is important, but I also have fun breaking the rules. I also ask clients to wear darker clothes so that I can use their skin tones to move the eye around the frame and create a complex composition as my client and her family move or engage with each other.
Moment
Cartier Bresson, the great French photojournalist, coined the phrase “the decisive moment” which describes the intuitive moment that a photographer presses the shutter to make an image that is one of a kind and captures a unique moment in time. Bresson describes it as an intuitive moment when the photographer is so connected with the situation they are trying to capture they have an intuitive sense about when to release the shutter. From bellies to babies to families to couples, I love all of our clients and celebrate who and where they are in their lives at this moment. I try to energetically be a part of what is happening in front of me on the backdrop to be able to make an image that exceeds the moment itself and actually
Magic
The fourth factor that can’t be defined, is the magic factor or that je ne sais quoi. There is just something that makes me feel that the image is special. Many of my clients pick up on this, and I hear them say something like “there was just something about your images that I can’t articulate. Something special.” This makes me happy. .
On a personal note, it has been a huge year of transition for our family. We made the decision to relocate in order to find a school for our son that we feel is a safe and nurturing learning environment after our son experienced some challenges with his peers and we did not receive the support and change we needed in his former district. We found a special school on one of the beautiful islands near Seattle. By relocating, we have found a safe space and removed him from the stress from last year.
I will continue to work from my studio in Seattle, a city that I love. But now that I am on this beautiful island, I have started welcoming clients to come to the island for outdoor sessions which has been a new creative challenge. In addition, I am also searching for a studio on the island for those wanting to make a journey of it. We will be posting updates on our various social channels as that develops.
~ Jennifer
