Tips Archives | Laura Mares Photography | Award winning Pittsburgh Family + Newborn Photographer

Shocker: Senior Photos Have Evolved Since Your Mom was in High School

Post author:Laura
Post published:February 5, 2021
Post category:Senior Pictures
Post comments:0 Comments

Shocker: Senior photos have evolved since your mom was in high school While I’m happy I didn’t attempt to be a trendsetter for my Senior Portrait and opt for neon patterns and all the hairspray humanly possible, it’s safe to say a lot has changed in the world of Senior Photography since I was a high school senior. (Yes, I know I’m aging myself) If marble backgrounds and cliche studio shots are not what you have in mind, I think you’ll be excited about how I handle all my senior portrait sessions. I focus on capturing you and your personality in this very special moment of your life. I’ve been there - stress about college applications, the prom, and maybe even which photographer to choose to take your senior pics. That’s why I work so hard to ensure that every client of mine ends up with one-of-a-kind portraits that they absolutely…

Senior Pictures | FAQ

Post author:Laura
Post published:January 29, 2021
Post category:Senior Pictures
Post comments:0 Comments

2021 Senior Pictures - Frequently Asked Questions Inquiries for senior pictures in Pittsburgh have already started coming in this year. With the inquiries also comes several questions! I hope to answer the most commonly asked questions below. Please know, after you officially book your high school senior photo session you'll receive a guide to help you prepare for you senior pictures. If you have any additional questions, feel free to add them in the comments. What happens if it rains the day of my session? A few days before your session we can discuss the weather if the weather forecast doesn't look promising. We will formulate a plan on when to decide to reschedule as well as choosing a rain date if necessary. When should I book my senior photo session? It's best to book 2-3 months in advance. If you would like your pictures taken between August to October, I…

Essential Newborn Photos to Take at the Hospital

Post author:Laura
Post published:January 13, 2021
Post category:Newborn

Looking back, I wish I had created a list of photographs for my husband to capture during our hospital stay with each of our newborns. With so much to think about while preparing for each of our baby's arrivals, I never managed to capture it fully. Through photographing other families and their precious newborns, I've created a list of all the must-have newborn shots. I hope that these ideas benefit you in documenting your newborn's arrival. I'm sharing photographs I captured during a Fresh 48 session early last year for one of my closest friends. I loved photographing this time with Lenna, her newborn daughter and her whole family. Fresh 48s are a great way to capture the real and raw moments during your newborn's first few days. Newborn lifestyle sessions are another great option for capturing newborns. Lifestyle sessions focus on capturing your newborn during his/her the first few weeks…

What Jewelry To Wear For Your Family Photo

Post author:Laura
Post published:July 26, 2020
Post category:Guest Blogger Session Tips

Jessica Fernhof, a freelance writer who regularly contributes to lifestyle blogs about jewelry, fashion and current trends, offered to share tips and photos to help Pittsburgh moms decide what jewelry to wear to their next family photo session. I hope you find these tips as helpful as I do! - Laura What Jewelry To Wear For Your Family Photo Family photos are so special and should be very fun to take, so do yourself a favour and prep the outfits and accessories for the whole family well in advance of your shooting date. The best way to look amazing in family photos is to choose and stick to just two or three coordinating colours. Then choose a few bright contrasting accents for your accessories and you are done! As an absolute rule, mom gets to choose her outfit first and the rest of the gang follows. So many family photos are…

10 ways to “Self Care” after having a Newborn

Post author:Laura
Post published:June 26, 2020
Post category:Newborn

10 Ways to “Self Care” after having a Newborn As a mom of three I’ve had my fair share of stressful experiences as a mother of a newborn! So, I’ve decided to make a list of my favorite tips that I wish someone would have shared with me during the first months, and even years, after having a newborn. I have to say that as a newborn photographer it’s more than just the pictures... I love having meaningful conversations with my clients and getting to know them as people. That’s why I wanted to open up to new moms and share some advice I’ve gathered over the years. 1. Go Outside! When you are starting to become overwhelmed by everything in the home, try a change of scenery, go outside and breathe. I loved taking walks with my newborns in their stroller. A calm nature walk or intense run was always…

Differences between Lifestyle and Portrait Photography Sessions

Post author:Laura
Post published:June 14, 2020
Post category:Family Lifestyle Photography Session Tips

Differences between Lifestyle and Portrait Photography Sessions I’ve received this query from a few of my clients over the years, so I decided to share my thoughts on this common question. At-Home Lifestyle What is a Lifestyle Session? The basic outline of a lifestyle family session is an at-home, personalized photo shoot. I often tell families to explain it to their children as a friend coming over to visit and she'll take photos as well. I have the opportunity of experiencing one day of your family’s life and you have the freedom of choosing how to spend it! This can be anything from making a pizza, a tie fashion show, or a tickle fight! Not sure what your family should do for the photo session? Hold a family meeting with the kids and get some creative input! However, if you want the feel of a lifestyle shoot, but don’t want your…

10 Posing Tips for the Best Senior Portraits | Pittsburgh Senior Photographer

Post author:Laura
Post published:May 29, 2020
Post category:Senior Pictures Session Tips

10 Posing Tips for the Best Senior Portraits | Pittsburgh Senior Photographer I love being a Senior Photographer and part of that comes from the joy I find in inspiring senior girls as I capture their raw and authentic beauty inside and out. Be sure to check out my other blog posts on what to wear, and ideas for beautiful locations around Pittsburgh. In an effort to get seniors enthused and ready for their upcoming sessions, I'm excited to share this list of the 10 best tried and true posing tips! I captured these beautiful high school senior girls in their prom dresses during this month'sFlourish Academy Camera Club. Camera Club is open to all photographers in Pittsburgh. 1. Movement This is probably one of the most important tips. I love this posing style because it adds an extra dimension to portraits and makes them appear more life-like. Swaying back and…

Jewelry + Fashion Tips to Look Your Best at Your Next Photo Shoot

Post author:Laura
Post published:May 15, 2020
Post category:Session Tips

Are you overwhelmed about deciding what to wear to your upcoming photoshoot? As a Pittsburgh lifestyle photographer, I enjoy planning my own family's outfits for photoshoots but I realize that this can cause stress for others! I was recently at a Premier Designs Jewelry open house where my friend, Natalie Shiff, gave great tips on what to wear and how to wear it! Natalie is a mama of five, lives in Mt. Lebanon and likes to help women elevate their look. I asked if she'd share tips for the blog. Natalie agreed and said, Laura, "It all begins with a simple 1,2,3!" I hope you find Natalie's tips helpful while you are planning what to wear to your next portrait session and if you are looking to update your jewelry please find Natalie's contact info below. :) Begin with a simple 1-2-3! 1. Start with Staples Classic tops, tanks, solid dress, neutral colors Great colors for tops: white, ivory, blush, gray, tan,…

5 Tips from a Pittsburgh Newborn Lifestyle Photographer

Post author:Laura
Post published:May 1, 2020
Post category:Lifestyle Photography Newborn Session Tips

5 Tips from a Pittsburgh Newborn Lifestyle Photographer It truly is a blessing to be able to document the early, precious first days of a newborn's life as home. Today I'd like to share some of my tried-and-true strategies for a successful newborn lifestyle session. 1. Play Relaxed Music I was raised by two musicians and my brother is a musician too! When I was growing up our family life revolved around music performances. To this day I appreciate music. I believe it’s always helpful to play calming music to set the atmosphere and make my clients feel comfortable. A couple of my favorite Amazon Prime playlists are coffee shop jazz, acoustic chill and relaxing classical cello. Some of my favorite artists to listen to during family photo shoots are Jason Mraz, Lemmon & Maisy, Simon and Garfunkel, Lucio Battisti and classical music and folk pop in general. It’s interesting to…

Why Choose Laura Mares Photography to Capture Your Senior Photos

Post author:Laura
Post published:April 24, 2020
Post category:Senior Pictures

Why Choose Laura Mares Photography to Capture Your Senior Photos 1. A Personalized Experience My daughter was recently speaking with a friend, a senior at Mt. Lebanon High School, who had his senior pictures taken last fall. He described the experience as "quite robotic" as his session was exactly 30 minutes long, with a line of seniors scheduled before and after him, filtering through the senior portrait studio. He mentioned he felt a little disappointed. After 12 years of schooling that lead to a much anticipated senior year, I can understand the discontentment upon receiving cookie-cutter images. That's why I recognize that senior photos, alongside senior rec, prom, etc, are a major milestone in a young adult's life. That is why I aim to create unique images for every senior I photograph. I grow genuine relationships because I remember the excitement of this moment in a high school senior's life. It…