A birthday photoshoot for me, and why you should book a personality session

Confetti PoppersWhat better way to celebrate your 29ish birthday than an over-the-top photo shoot with your best friend?

Forever 29ishMe holding a Forever 29 banner we ordered for our birthday photo shoot. My best friend Chelsea and I are practically the same person. We act alike, like the same things, we are both photographers and were even born on the same day.

Every year we spend our birthdays together, this year was no exception. We struggled to come up with an idea of what to do this year. Eventually we came up with the perfect plan — a "Forever 29" themed birthday photo shoot. Chelsea turned 29, and I turned 29(ish).

We hired the talented Chelsie Renae Photography who agreed to capture our shenanigans. 

We spent hours deciding what to wear, how to do our hair and makeup and picking the perfect props. There were cakes, champagne, streamers, banners, balloons, confetti, and LOTS of laughs.

We are over the top on a daily basis, to say we were extra on this day would be a very accurate understatement. 

Mother Nature blessed us with the perfect, overcast day for our shoot. Chelsie was a blast, humoring our shenanigans with the perfect amount of direction and letting us have fun. 

Why do I write all of this? Because I wish more people would do what we did that day.

It's common to hire a photographer for weddings, when you have a baby, when that baby is a senior in high school for the occasional family session. You want to remember these important moments of other people. But how often do you hire one for yourself?

Me taking a big bite of cakeThanks to Wegman's for the cake, it was delicious! Mouth full of cakeNothing says birthday like a frosting-filled smile. Champagne bottle explosion Pro tip, you don't need to shake the champagne to get it to explode, but it sure did make it fun! I am guilty of this too. The only time I have hired a professional photographer was for my wedding. I always say I am going to do it, and don't get around to it and I regret it.

I wish more people saw the importance of having photos of yourself — not just of your loved ones. If not for you, then do it for future generations. Something beyond a selfie.

I stress this to people all of the time, this year I decided to practice what I preach. I don't feel terribly comfortable in front of the camera. I carry more than a few extra pounds, I'm starting to get a few grey hairs, and my smile lines are becoming more pronounced. 

None of that matters in the long run. 

I want future generations to be able to look back and think "wow, great-grandma really looked like she was a lot of fun!" The photos I had taken on my birthday illustrated this.

Like I said, my photo shoot was pretty extra and over-the-top. But let's be honest, so am I. That's who I am and I try to embrace it. Your shoot doesn't need to be like that. But it needs to capture the essence of you. 

Love to read? I would love to come up with a bookworm-theme session. 

Fashionista? Get your favorite outfits together and show them off!

Love to bake? Let me come to you and document your passion. 

I am so incredibly passionate about capturing the essence of who people really are and documenting it for future generations — not to mention for yourself. 

If you are interested in a personality shoot, give me a call and we can work out a plan!

Thank you again to Chelsie Renae Photography for her talents in capturing these photos for us.  <3

Pretending to be 29It's my birthday and I can be 29 if I want to.

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First birthday photos — Hornell, NY

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This handsome little man I finally got to meet on Saturday turns ONE today. And what a cutie he is.

Last week his mom, papa and I went on a pre-birthday photography adventure to celebrate his upcoming birthday. Jude first birthday-25

First stop was Barillo Memorial Park in North Hornell. Though the ground was more than damp from all the recent rain, the budding trees made for the perfect early-spring backdrop. Jude sat perfectly in the adorable children’s rocking chair brought by his mother and smiled for the camera.  

Next stop was more fun for Jude — James Street Park, where he swung on the swing to his hearts content, sat on the slide (he isn’t a fan of sliding down them) and pretended to fly a plane.

After a little walk in his wagon, we finished up his session with the cake smash to end all cake smashes.

I was told that Jude loves sweets. And he did not disappoint.

He ripped into the cake like I have never seen before. Frosting everywhere. All over his clothes, his face, shoes, hair, everywhere. Even his family ended up wearing more than he expected. It was magical.

Happy first birthday Jude! And congratulations to his parents for making it through the first year.

Interested in booking a milestone photography session with Lynn Brennan Photography?
Call or text 607-382-5026 for details!
 

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Afraid your children will won't be perfect during a photo shoot? You aren’t alone

Not to stress, there is perfection in the imperfections

Sometime you need to let kids be kidsThis is the kind of photo I adore. The ones that you will remember. They may not be perfect, but they are real.

When scheduling a photo shoot, you probably imagine your beautiful family, smiling perfectly into the camera, following directions to the tee. Every snap of the camera shutter more perfect than the last.

That’s not the way it happens. Ever.  Let them be littleThis may not be a photo most would hang on a wall, but it is my favorite of this session.

And that’s OK.

Actually, it's awesome.

I love capturing the real personalities of the people I am photographing.  Even more than that, I love the imperfect shots between the ones you will likely hang on the wall. The outtakes.

Why do I write this? To let you know not to expect perfection from your children during shoots. And to reassure you, reading this, that when I say it is OK, and to let them have some fun, I truly mean it.

I will make sure you have the ones to frame and put on your walls, but I also want to make sure that you have some that show who your family is behind the scenes. Your children won’t always be able to climb on your shoulders. They won’t always want to pretend they are dinosaurs. They (probably) won’t always throw themselves on the ground when they are supposed to be smiling for photos.

That’s OK. Really!

Let me capture those moments for you as well. As frustrating as it can be when your kids aren’t perfectly well behaved, someday you will miss it.

Plus, then you will have photos to bribe them 20 years down the road.

Spring weather is just about here and my schedule is filling up quickly. If you would like to schedule a session with Lynn Brennan Photography, contact me today!

RawrrrrrrrSometimes you have to join in on your dinosaur-loving kids' fun!