EARLY DAYS WITH NELLY | AN AT-HOME NEWBORN SESSION, CHANNELING NOSTALGIA, AND BENEFITS OF A NEUTRAL PALETTE

Reflections from Nelly's Newborn Session and Channeling Nostalgia

Somehow, somewhere along the way, I realized that a connection with childhood nostalgia broadens the perspective and enhances the view while photographing families. 

This takes what was once a basic scene to a kaleidoscope view that can be transcended to the lens, into a gallery, and onto print — the heirlooms. 

This nostalgia isn’t marked by anything extravagant. It’s as pure as light pouring through a window and painting a room with ethereal warmth, the way nature moves with the breeze, or the way the outdoors changes with the seasons. It’s noticing the simple things that were once captivating in childhood that we’d often overlook as adults. 
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Allyson and Cory kept it pure and simple for Nelly’s newborn session. They invited me into their home and into the everyday moments they share with Nelly. They opted for a neutral wardrobe which allowed the future nostalgia of these early days to shine through — what they will want to remember as Nelly grows up. 

I’m all about color, pattern, and texture, but oftentimes it’s the simple palette that draws our eyes and our hearts to the most important part of the photograph — the entire reason the photograph was created in the first place.

When I look at these photos, what comes to mind is the quiet beauty of those early days and the purity of new life — most of which is kept close and personal, unseen by the common audience, but it’s what Allyson and Cory will want to remember.

— the many aspects of the nostalgia of childhood and babyhood that both Nelly and her parents will cherish forever. 

To Follow Below: A Letter to Photographers Aiming to Convey Nostalgia and A Letter to Clients Styling their Session

A Letter to the Photographers: How I Convey Nostalgia through Photographs

Nostalgia is subjective, but here’s how I try to portray this feeling in photographs — tips that you can take with a grain of salt!
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• Shoot with a wide aperture. I love prime lenses because they allow the aperture to be wider than zoom lenses, giving the images a buttery feel. I shoot with a 50mm f/1.4, and often shoot all the way open at f/1.4.
• Add warm color grading on the highlights in post processing.
• If you can, shoot on film. It’s a slower art than digital. 

Ultimately, due to the subjectivity of the idea of nostalgia, it'll come down to how you, the creative, see it and perceive it. Nostalgia is different for everybody and you will want to share it in a way that is authentic to your story. You'll find a way to channel it and convey it in your craft by your creative intuition!

A Letter to my Clients: Benefits of a Neutral Wardrobe when Preparing for your Session

For my clients that I feel honored to create art alongside, this is what I would share with you if we could style your session together. I love a bright color palette, but sometimes a photo session calls for neutrals.

Why?

• It’s simple, so what you’ll treasure most from the photograph will stand out (you and your loved ones!).
• It’s timeless, and if you’re hanging the photos on your walls, they’ll go with anything. 
• It’s flattering. Light reflects, and light-colored neutrals will reflect light into the skin tones. It fills in wrinkles with bright light and there are no color casts. For example, if we’re shooting outdoors and it’s bright out, if you’re wearing bright red, it may reflect red onto your skin!

I have nothing against a good red, and I love a good colorful moment. I have huge respect for creatives that integrate it so well. My Aunt, an interior designer, comes to mind as the expert in this! She has opened my mind towards the world of color. Neutrals create a timeless and flattering look effortlessly, but that can most definitely be achieved with a colorful palette too. Maybe next I'll write about the upsides of color (after picking my Aunt Sarah's genius creative brain).