How to Rediscover a Location when Your Favorite Spot is Packed

Sarah Borchgrevink Photography shares tips and tricks on rediscovering and falling in love with hidden gems at your favorite location.

Good morning, friends! Greetings to you and howdy! Today's blog post is all about what to do when your session is not going exactly to plan. For instance, as a professional photographer, I have a great list of locations for my clients to peruse. It includes everything from downtown Houston and urban decor to rustic, rural fields and tree-lined paths. Part of designing a fantastic natural light, on location session is selecting the perfect location! After this, clients base their outfits and even hair and makeup around the look of the location. Typically, we arrive at sunset, or sunrise if this is your preference, and then have a dynamic, soulful session.

In this case, however, the client chose a popular location. It is totally swoon-worthy, so I get it. It's perfect. Why would someone not shoot here? 

I pull into the location and I can barely park. I feel a little bit of shooting anxiety starting to build up. There are at least 30 other cars there and all of my "go to" spots are being used. I had a succinct session flow in mind on what I was going to do with my client; the light is fleeting and I start to feel a little bit of pressure. 

I ask myself, "How am I going to create a gorgeous set of maternity photos when I cannot use the areas I like?" I considered moving locations, but then had a thought: look around. Let the light guide me. Find a new path. Check out what's around the corner. Don't let the client see you sweat. Be flexible and open to new experience.

For someone like me who is type A, that's easier said than done. Part of why I enjoy photography is having creative freedom. In this case, I was tempted to fall into old habits. But I took a deep breath, greeted my client, and told myself, "You will rock this session. This will be amazing." 

After all, if you're shooting a natural light, on location maternity session, such as I was, and you're in a public location everyone else has just as much right to be there as you. And that's okay. I take no issue with this. If anything, the issue was me being nervous to step outside my comfort zone.

But I did it. I discovered new parts of this location I love. I followed the sun as it set and let the golden rays showcase the beautiful love, bonds, and commitment between this expecting couple as we documented their pregnancy portraits. 

My tips and tricks to you are to be kind. Be open. See everyone for who they are and to not let yourself feel stress or anxiety when things don't go quite as planned. There is a whole world out there and even if 30 other people are using the same backdrop as you, make it your own. Use your artistic creativity and gifts to shine through. Rock that session and give your clients photos that last a lifetime!

Here are my favorite images from their session. 

Melissa & Brandon's Stunning Maternity Portraits in Houston Texas

This sweet couple is the best! Also: mom's gown is perfection! She selected from a list I provide on Top 10 Gowns for your session. We had an amazing time together and they were very genuine, kind, warm, and giving. I loved hearing about their daily lives, how they meet, what they do for a living, and even making friends with their adorable fur baby pup, Bailey. I will be seeing them this summer for an in-studio posed newborn session as they are belly and baby membership clients.

Here's what Melissa and Brandon said about their experience with Houston Maternity & Newborn Photographer, Sarah Borchgrevink:

I am beyond thrilled with my maternity photos from Sarah Borchgrevink Photography!! Sarah is incredibly talented and kind. She makes everything super easy and stress free. I first saw Sarah's work on Facebook and followed her for years before we were blessed with our first little miracle baby. I immediately knew who I wanted to do our newborn photos. From our first contact, Sarah was professional but personal and very prompt in responding. She remained in close communication every step of the way so I had no questions or need to worry. You can tell that she truly loves what she does. Our maternity photos were gorgeous! She made me feel beautiful and captured the joy my husband and I feel as we cherish this precious time waiting for baby. There are so many amazing shots, I don't know how I'll choose which ones to display on our walls. I absolutely cannot wait for our newborn photos!

Thanks for reading about how to fall in love with a location, even if your favorite parts are being used! If you are currently pregnant, feel free to shoot me an e-mail. I'd love to have you on my calendar for a gorgeous session and document this joyful time in your life.

Sarah Borchgrevink Photography is a Houston Newborn Photographer specializing in gorgeous posed newborn sessions. Her studio is located in Northwest Harris County. In addition to breathtaking baby portraiture, Sarah also offers stylish natural light family photography as well as dynamic outdoor maternity sessions for expecting mothers and couples. Sarah joyfully serves the entire Harris and Montgomery county areas including Houston, Cypress, Tomball, Spring, The Woodlands, Kingwood, Memorial & West Houston, Katy, Sugar Land, Pearland, Richmond, West University and Rice Village.

Kind Words from April Portrait Sessions: Sweetest Clients in Houston

See what real clients are saying about their newborn, family, or maternity portraiture experience with Houston Photographer Sarah Borchgrevink. 

Last month on the calendar: 2018 April Testiomonials and Reviews

Good morning, friends! Thanks for visiting! Today's blog showcases all the beautiful new babies, parents, and even a few baby bumps for that I had the honor of documenting during the month of April. 

“Sarah is very professional. She has a lot of experience and her studio is fully equipped with all the materials, fabrics, head pieces and little extra unique pieces that will make your session super special. Even when her studio is located at home you won’t even notice it. I know is hard as a parent let other people to handle your newborn especially if you are a first timer (like I am) but trust me! Sarah is very delicate and she handles babies with all care and patient. The pictures are beautiful and honestly this is an investment you won’t regret.”

— gretchen o

“What can you say?...Sarah is an awesome photographer. We did outdoor family photos for a large family and she was very patient with the kiddos. She is very kind and knows her stuff! We look forward to many more family photos using Sarah!”

— Larnell Nolan

“We loved our newborn photo session with Sarah. Sarah is very sweet, professional and talented. I had complications after the birth of my daughter and thought I wasn’t going to be able to take part in the photo shoot. Sarah gave me several options and we were able to reschedule our session. I really appreciate what she did for me and I highly recommend her. Her work is beautiful!”

— Klaudia Peterfeso

“Sarah is excellent! Very professional and easy to work with. She recently did our baby boy’s newborn pictures and we couldn’t be happier that we chose her for such a special time in our lives. We look forward to working with her again in the nearest future. Thank you Sarah!!!!!”

— gloria okocha

“Sarah is absolutely amazing to work with. We had the best experience with our first family pictures. She was so patient and kind with our 6 month old. The photos turned out absolutely beautiful!!”

— Skylar Kahla

“Sarah was awesome for our newborn shoot! I found her via Google search and loved the gallery on her website. What sold me was how responsive and friendly she was via email and the fact that she offered full rights to the digital images versus many of the photographers I researched who require you to purchase all of your printed images through them. She answered every question I had, most of them before I even thought to ask and even ordered a special prop just for our session based on our conversation. On the day of the shoot she was super friendly and warm and so easy to work with. She handled our little man with such care that I was at complete ease and just sat back and let her do her thing. We just got our pictures back and I am obsessed! We will treasure these pictures forever and I am so grateful to her for helping us capture such a special moment in time. I wholeheartedly recommend Sarah for your newborn photography. She will take such good care of your family and your new addition and provide you with priceless memories to last a lifetime.”

— April Borrego

“From the maternity session to the newborn session, Sarah was very open and accommodating to what we were trying to achieve and made the whole experience pleasurable and exciting. Her work speaks for itself, and she has the knowledge and skill to capture those important moments in life for future generations to cherish”

— Shawn Croat

“Sarah took newborn photos for us and did an incredible job. She incorporated family photos and was excellent at getting shots of our toddler as well. She definitely put us at ease and was very flexible to accommodate our sons need to eat during the session. She requested specific information prior to the session and used that to tailor our time to exactly what we wanted. Our photos are amazing and we would happily use her again!”

— Rachel Gauthier

“Clear and informative communication from start to finish. We are thrilled with the results from our first shoot with Sarah and already looking forward to future sessions!”

— Taylor Robinson

“Working with Sarah was a complete blessing! We chose her for our maternity and newborn pictures based on the amazing reviews and we were not disappointed! Starting with our maternity pictures, Sarah was very professional and clear about what to expect. She brought a very pretty quilt and gave helpful advice on wardrobe selections for me and my husband. She was punctual, polite, and energetic at the photoshoot and her positive energy helped to renew my energy (which had been drained from the pregnancy). The photos were STUNNING! We absolutely could not be happier with the maternity photos she captured. After our son was born, Sarah did our newborn photos. Oh. My. Goodness. I am so thankful that we chose her as our photographer. Her prep guide was INSTRUMENTAL in having an amazing photoshoot. She was so kind and thoughtful during the process too, which is super helpful to a new mama. She took my pose requests and made them a perfect reality. Her newborn props and wraps are gorgeous too! Basically, if you want your once in a lifetime pictures to be stunningly beautiful, Sarah is the photographer you need in your life. The entire experience was transparent, professional, peaceful, and memorable. We truly could not have had a better experience with anyone else... of that, I’m convinced. She is worth every penny and then some. I really don’t think I could ever use another photographer now that we’ve been spoiled by her! Thank you, Sarah, for providing my family with the most gorgeous images during these once in a lifetime experiences.”

— Brandie Croat

“Sarah photographed our newborn 2 years ago and I loved her work so much I came back this year to get baby #3 photographed. Our gallery turned out amazing! My favorite part of our session was watching her work her magic and wrap my baby into beautiful poses. She is so gentle, patient, kind and nurturing and her talent shines through her images. I can’t wait to frame and decorate my house with pictures we will cherish always. Thanks, Sarah!!!”

— Jessica Valdez

Sarah Borchgrevink Photography is a Houston Newborn Photographer specializing in gorgeous posed newborn sessions. Her studio is located in Northwest Harris County. In addition to breathtaking baby portraiture, Sarah also offers stylish natural light family photography as well as dynamic outdoor maternity sessions for expecting mothers and couples. Sarah joyfully serves the entire Harris and Montgomery county areas including Houston, Cypress, Tomball, Spring, The Woodlands, Kingwood, Memorial & West Houston, Katy, Sugar Land, Pearland, Richmond, West University and Rice Village.

 

Sneak Preview: Asher Rocked His First Birthday + Smash Cake Session

Asher's outdoor, natural light first birthday photos by Sarah Borchgrevink Photography

Sneak Preview of Mr. Personality | Happy Birthday!

Good morning, friends! Today's blog post is all about previewing highlight from baby boy Asher's outdoor, natural light cake smash session! He is a long time client of mine, so of course I have been looking forward to working with him again! Friday happens to be his birthday, too, so of course I am very excited to showcase his adorable session.

The first year of life is exciting for new parents! There are many fun milestones you anticipate such as meeting baby for the first time and welcoming baby into your life, baby learning to sit up and crawl, and then of course baby starting to walk and even say a few words! For instance, Asher can now say "da da" and "uh oh"! It was beyond precious; his soulful eyes would look at me and his sweet little voice would call out, "Uh oh!" Truly melting.

For our time together, we chose a rustic and natural location in Houston. We chose a sunset time since this is when baby is most happy. I also have to give a huge shout out to Asher's mama: she was so prepared and organized! Not only did she bring the grandparents to help, she even beat me to the location, lol! She provided this adorable wooden bucket, seen below on the bridge photos, and picked out the most delicious, darling cake.

Nevertheless, here are a few shots from his session! 

As always, thank you for visiting my blog! I am thrilled you took the time to preview Asher's first birthday session and hope you enjoyed the images! If you are currently pregnant and are considering custom portraiture of your little one, my baby plan membership is a wonderful option for new parents. Feel free to get in touch if you'd like to recieve more information on the baby plan. 

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