Oh my word–Miss Sterling is the most precious baby! This little lady visited my residential Ft Worth newborn photographer studio yesterday morning, and I am so glad her mommy brought her to me. Sterling was a complete dream baby during her session. It probably helps that she is the fourth child in her family, so during her short time on Earth she has probably already picked up a few tricks on how to sleep through it all. This little angel was out for the count, and I don’t even remember her crying at all during her visit. She was a hungry baby bear though, so as long as her belly was full this newborn babe was all about the pictures. [Read more…]
Ft Worth Newborn Photographer |Brooke
Brooke {7 Days Old}
Being a Ft Worth newborn photographer is such a dream job! I get to spend my days snuggling and loving on sleepy babes (and then I get to send them home for the long, awake nights). Miss Brooke visited me as part of a model call, as I was looking for a little girly to show off some new items in my studio. I will confess that at first this little lady was giving me a run for the money. She is definitely a baby that loves being swaddled, rocked and boy does she love to suck on those hands! The pacifier was no competition against those little fists in the mouth. It’s actually probably very nice for her mommy because Miss B will learn to soothe herself quite well, but for photos it proved somewhat challenging. This babe decided she wanted to stay awake and party for the majority of her session. Unlike most babies her age, Brooke was wide eyed, content and made some fabulous eye contact. Newborns don’t have great eyesight or focusing ability, so I was shocked to capture more than one frame with Brooke staring down the camera lens. It is a rare gem to get a baby making eye contact with the camera, and I am eager to show these to her family. I was also able to do the potato sack pose with Brooke, which is something not every baby can do. This was the first series in our photo shoot when Miss Brooke was still happy with me, hehe. Anyway, when I do the potato sack pose I always like folks to know that this is done as a composite. This means that I actually took two photos and merged them together in post processing. At no time was my hand ever off baby while she was in this position. In real life babies can not support their head in this way, so I take two shots–one where I held the crown of her head and another where I was holding her cheeks. I used my free hand for taking the photo. This means I can keep baby safe at all times–and that is really way more important than getting anything in camera. Enjoy the sneak peek of newborn baby Brooke.
Heather of H. Parker Photography is a Ft. Worth Newborn Photographer also specializing in baby photography in Fort Worth, Texas and surrounding areas includ
Ft Worth Newborn Photographer |Project 365 Week 4
I’m closing out week 4 of my Project 365 and I think things are finally getting a little easier. I am remembering to bring my camera on outings, and I am stressing less about getting a picture a day and just keeping my camera on-hand for when the right moment occurs. This project is such a departure from the way I normally shoot as a Ft. Worth newborn photographer and Ft. Worth baby photographer, so it is really stretching me creatively.
Are you looking for a Ft. Worth Newborn Photographer? Please check out my website or contact me for additional information.
Heather of H. Parker Photography is a Ft. Worth Newborn Photographer also specializing in baby in Forth Worth, Texas and surrounding areas including but not limited to Dallas, and Roanoke.
Ft. Worth Newborn Photographer l Project 365 Week 3
I am having a major Snuffleupagus moment over here at the Parker casa. Tissues everywhere. Feeling blah. I feel like this same cold has been making its way around our house since Thanksgiving. I was the first person to come down with it, then Holden who ended up with an ear infection on Christmas Eve, then Charlie, then Holden again (who is on his third ear infection since Turkey Day!!) and now back to me again. I know this is scintillating stuff, but the Dayquil cocktail isn’t doing me any favors. So, pat on the back to myself for completing week 3 of my 365 Project. I’m still not where I want to be with these photos, but I am also probably feeling a little lackluster about this project because I am in a crummy mood in general at the moment. I am proud for sticking to it despite the lack of inspiration. I am following a bunch of other photographers in their 365’s as well, and that is really making me want to step up my game. I would love to get more photos with me in them, but that requires a bit of forethought as I will need to use my remote timer and possibly a tripod. I also need to learn to step out of my comfort zone and take photos out and about in the world. This week I took photos at the Home Depot, but we are regular visitors to the Wal-Mart, library, gym and church and I always feel like if I bring my big girl camera out in those situations folks are going to give me weird eyes. I don’t know why I really care, I mean…most of these people I will never see again in my life. And, who really cares what they think? It’s about documenting my life and my surroundings, and if I only photograph a small subset of that which occurs in my house and neighborhood then I am not really doing justice to this project. Ok kiddos, so here is my 365 for Week 3!
Are you looking for a Ft. Worth Newborn Photographer? Please check out my website or contact me for additional information.
Heather of H. Parker Photography is a Ft. Worth Newborn Photographer also specializing in baby in Forth Worth, Texas and surrounding areas including but not limited to Dallas, and Roanoke.
Ft. Worth Newborn Photographer l 2016 Referral Program
Introducing my newest H. Parker Photography client referral program! I really don’t put much of any money into advertising because I feel like word of mouth is the best marketing out there, and it’s not something you can buy. As a Ft. Worth newborn photographer, I am in a ring with lots and lots and lots of other photographers. I love standing out from the crowd by having timeless, pure images of your baby that are uncluttered with excessive props and trinkets. That’s who I am, and I hope that is reflected in my work. [Read more…]
Ft. Worth Newborn Photographer l Project 365 Kick Off
I posted a few weeks ago about big changes with H. Parker Photography, and how I am now specializing in newborns and babies through their first year of life. Even though I am excited with the new direction for my business, I definitely don’t want to give up on practicing my photography skills in more real world situations (natural lighting, moving subjects, grouchy subjects—hehe). To continue practicing my skills and provide a creative outlet, I’ve decided to begin a 365 Project this year. A Project 365 is where you take a photo every day of the year (technically this year has 366 days due to it being a Leap Year, but I digress). Some people choose to follow a theme, but the main purpose is to get out your camera and shoot real life stuff. This isn’t for clients or for money. It’s just a personal pet project unconstrained by my professional life. I hope that this project helps me grow creatively. I also hope that it forces me to capture more of the everyday, simple details that make up the bulk of life. I want to look back at the photos from this project and recall moments in time—for the photos to freeze a second and bring me back to the sights, smells, sounds and emotions of what was happening. This project should tell a story. I’m trying to be realistic about this. I know that I won’t have time to post photos every day, so my goal is to take a picture every day and then post them altogether once a week on my blog. I’ve been looking at other photographer’s 365 Projects online for inspiration and I’ve even pinned a few theme lists. I’m trying to keep my camera and my most versatile lens (Sigma 50mm f/ 1.4) at the ready. Now I feel like a kid on the first day of school with my blank slate notebooks, sharpened No. 2 pencils and perfect pink erasers at the ready. I actually began this journey on January 1, 2016, so I am less than one week into it, but I want to go ahead and make my first post now because I know that the weekdays when my son it at school are my best times for getting anything accomplished. Things I’ve learned already:
- This is hard.
- I feel woefully inadequate at lifestyle photography with my own family. I am hoping that enough practice and inspiration from other photogs will help me beef up in this area.
- My house does not get a lot of good lighting in the winter.
- I failed at sticking to a weekly theme. I think what I may do is use the themes as a backup. If I’m facing a day where I can’t think of anything to photograph and need that extra nudge then I have a theme in my back pocket.
I’d love to be in community with others who are on a similar 365 journey, so whether you are professional photographer or want to use your cell phone to snap a daily picture, I’d be honored to follow your blog (just email me). You can always find me here, or on Instagram (@hparkerphotography) and I’ll be using #365hparkerphotography if anyone feels like sharing their journey with me. Now without further delay, here is the first installment of my H. Parker Photography 365 for 2016:
Heather of H. Parker Photography is a Ft. Worth Newborn Photographer also specializing baby and child photography in Forth Worth, Texas and surrounding areas including but not limited to Dallas, and Roanoke.
Ft. Worth Newborn Photographer l 2015 Newborns
As the year comes to a close, I always enjoy reminiscing, and I have loved putting together this collage of my 2015 H. Parker Photography newborns. I am so privileged to photograph newborns in Ft. Worth and surrounding areas, and I thank all of my wonderful clients for bringing their little babies to me for their first portrait session. It’s hard to believe that some of these babies will be visiting me next month for their 1st birthday/cake smash sessions! I am now booking for 2016 newborns, so if you are expecting (or know someone who is) and looking for a newborn photographer in DFW, then please email me (heather@hparkerphotography.com). Most experienced newborn photographers, myself included, book babies several months in advance. I am blessed to have a full schedule, but it breaks my heart when a parent calls up the week their baby is due (or a week or two after baby has arrived) frantically searching for a newborn photographer and I am not able to fit them in. The only experience I can think of that is as fleeting and important as the newborn stage is your wedding day, so I can’t stress enough the importance of documenting this milestone. You will never regret having beautiful newborn portraits taken, as they can be passed down from generation to generation. I look forward to all that 2016 will bring and wish a Happy New Year to my wonderful H. Parker Photography family!
Heather of H. Parker Photography is a Ft. Worth Newborn Photographer also specializing baby and child photography in Forth Worth, Texas and surrounding areas including but not limited to Dallas, and Roanoke.
Ft. Worth Newborn Photographer l Holden is Four
I’m sorry….(not sorry) in advance for the over-sharing from my son’s 4th birthday session! This little guy is my world, and he is by far my favorite photographic subject. My man’s birthday was actually on Sunday, so this post is a few days late, but we spent the weekend celebrating with family and all day yesterday was spent playing with new toys and recuperating from the whirlwind weekend. These images were taken toward the beginning of November as a combo 4th birthday/family session in Argyle, just north of Ft. Worth. Taking your own child’s photo and your family photos as a photographer is no easy feat–I have to use my tripod to capture the family stuff and then I have to coach my husband on how to frame a few decent shots of my little and I. Not going to lie–it’s exhausting and not something I really look forward to enduring. However, I have always found that the end product makes it worth it. Plus, I like the take the family out for dinner on H. Parker Photography’s dime as a “Christmas party” so to speak, and there are margaritas involved for the adults and chocolate milk for the little, so that helps ease the pain. People often ask me how I capture pictures of my own son given that he is a photographer’s child and has long ago been deadened to lure of smiling for the camera. The truth is that I have a very difficult time, and I always bring along bribery (marshmallows or Smarties) to get instant smiles without any sticky mess. Many parents will hold a bigger bribe over their kids heads (like ice cream), but I’ve found that for a four year old the treat is too far removed from what you are expecting them to do, so I prefer to dole out the treats liberally during the session and worry less about perfect behavior and more about moving quick and capturing what I can in a very small time frame (30 minutes or less). I have also been extremely careful NOT to teach Holden the word “cheese” for photo-taking. It only produces fake smiles and is really one of the worst things you can do as far as capturing candid, organic moments with your kids. Of course, he has learned “cheese” from other sources–family, school, TV, life–and that’s okay. I just try to avoid pushing that during our session. The last tip I have for photographing your own child is to make it fun. During Holden’s 3rd year photo session, I rented a beautiful vintage pedal car from Rent My Dust. He had a ball playing around in that car and the smiles were so organic. This year I didn’t have such a big prop, but I did bring along a little yellow airplane (it’s actually just some Hobby Lobby knick knack that lives on his bookshelf normally). He only played with that airplane for maybe 5 minutes, but it was something new to his world and allowed me to capture 5-10 minutes of genuine happiness. Hope you enjoy the glimpse into my life and my heart. Merry Christmas to all!
Heather of H. Parker Photography is a Ft. Worth Newborn Photographer also specializing baby and child photography in Forth Worth, Texas and surrounding areas including but not limited to Dallas, and Roanoke.
Ft. Worth Newborn Photographer l Baby Catherine
This little girl is my last Ft. Worth studio newborn for 2015. She arrived a bit early, but just in time as the perfect holiday gift for her parents. Miss Catherine was a breech baby, and I could tell right away because she really loved having her legs tucked up. Breech babies are some of the easiest to pose because they are already used to being curled up in very specific ways in the womb. Although her little legs were quite easy to get into position, Miss C really gave me a run for the money because she had very precise ideas about how she did not want to be moved…at all! This little one would give a good holler anytime I moved her even the teeny, tiniest millimeter. She is definitely aware of her surroundings and wants to be swaddled and cuddled close which I am sure is a blessing for her mommy and daddy as they soak up all those little baby snuggles. With a little patience and time Miss Catherine and I were able to get things sorted out and came away with some beautiful images. I loved capturing some of the tiny details while I was waiting for her to go into a deeper sleep, like her super long lashes and those itty bitty toes. Plus, baby C gets to debut my newest prop (the little bear hat) and I think she pulls it off well. 🙂
Heather of H. Parker Photography is a Ft. Worth Newborn Photographer also specializing baby and child photography in Forth Worth, Texas and surrounding areas including but not limited to Dallas, and Roanoke.
Ft. Worth Newborn Photographer l Baby Chase
Baby Chase visited my studio in Roanoke this morning for his newborn photos. This little turkey was born a day before Thanksgiving, and he is my first newborn to photograph since the holiday. I was excited all week looking forward to some baby snuggles. This little guy was adorable and loved being swaddled, held and having his feet tucked close to his body. I just wanted to keep this lil’ squish, but I think his parents wanted to take him home. From his beautiful hair to his sweet smile, everything about Chase’s Ft. Worth newborn photography session was precious. The only hiccup we had was trying to get sibling photos with big brother (who is 2 1/2). It took a little marshmallow bribery and a LOT of outtakes, but I think the shot was finally captured and I look forward to showing it off to mom and dad in a couple weeks.
Heather of H. Parker Photography is a Ft. Worth Newborn Photographer also specializing baby and child photography in Forth Worth, Texas and surrounding areas including but not limited to Dallas, and Roanoke.