The Road Hardly Traveled: How I Became A Family Photographer

No Mom With A Camera For Me

It’s rare these days that a family photographer, especially a Mommy and Me photographer, does not have her own kids. But I came to appreciate motherhood, children and all the sacrifices and turmoil that goes with it as a teacher. A special education teacher. And more, a special education teacher in the inner cities of Los Angeles.

I’ll be honest. I did NOT dream of being a teacher as a kid. In fact, my aspirations were far, far afield. I wanted to be…..wait for it….a baraoque cellist. Yep. you read that correctly. As a tween, I thought the years 1600 to 1750 or so were the greatest that had ever happened. With supportive and tolerant parents, I was escorted to record stores in Pasadena CA where they purchased for me every relevant Deutsche Grammophon recording I could carry. I discovered the harpsichord, The Brandenburg Concertos and counterpoint. I was in heaven.

From Music Conservatory to Inner City Classroom

I spent the next 10 years studying with the former first cellist under Toscanini when Toscanini led the NBC studio orchestra. Cesare Pascarella was my cello instructor from my tweens all the way through my stint at Cal Arts. He lived in the acclaimed Hollywood Hills in a house from times past. It was filled with all kinds of amazing Italian renaissance art. Since I spent so much time here, there is no doubt I was exposed to elements that would (decades later) influence my Mommy and Me Portraiture.

What happened to my dream you ask? The competition happened and I got my arse kicked. That’s what. I studied hard and I became an adequate cellist. You know, good enough to do garden wedding music, women’s clubs luncheons, stuff like that. The brutal reality was that “accomplished” was not enough in the competitive world of Baroque Cello Performance. You had to be exceptional. I wasn’t. (Fade to black).

I’ll be honest again and tell you that most teachers in LAUSD who I met did not dream of being a teacher either. Teaching served as this huge safety net; something that people who had lost out on a dream came to really appreciate. Teaching is the paragon of “Plan B” careers.

Universal Motherhood

When I announced to my family that I would be teaching special education in some of the toughest schools in the country, it was not popular. My liberal and tolerant semi -Hippie parents were not keen on their daughter trudging to and working in the bowels of inner city Los Angeles schools. It seems Tolerance has a precipice and I had reached my parents’ limits. “Those moms down there don’t care”, my family bellowed. “You’re wasting your time”.

I ended up spending a lot of years teaching. 18 to be exact. And in that time, I saw many social problems, inequities and political red tape. In the early 2000s, LAUSD had over 144 languages represented amongst their students. Diversity was the name of the game. I came upon and saw traditions and belief systems that jarred my own ethical threshold and caused me to re evaluate. I saw every form of parenting imaginable; every reaction to frustration and concern, every strategy a mom could think of to help her child learn and develop.

What I learned is that on the whole, Motherhood is tough for every mom out there. She sacrifices, tries and fails sometimes, adapts and keeps going. I learned that Love, capital L has an expanded meaning within Motherhood. Mom is the main guide for kids, she is the one they call for, the one who soothes and counsels. As a teacher watching this, I was reminded of the elaborate Baroque melodies I admired in my youth. I saw Motherhood as an apt metaphor for these musical conversations about Love. “Maybe”, I thought, “Maybe, there is something here to investigate artistically”. (Camera Enters Stage Right)

Are you interested in having Mommy and Me Portraits made of you and your kids?

Studio or Location Photoshoots? Which is better?

You are planning to have some professional portraits taken. These may be for acting/business headshots, a family photo, an engagement or graduation portrait. You know you want portraits. Now, you need to set out what kind of portraits. Knowing this in advance will make your conversations with prospective Glendale photographers a lot more fruitful. The more you can tell them about what you are looking for, the more accurate their estimate will be.

GLENDALE STUDIO PORTRAITS

Studio portraits offer some advantages. Let’s list some:

• Total world domination in terms of lighting

  Lighting is the name of the game in photography. It is what can make you look younger, older, thinner, heavier, more serious and more approachable. It creates a candid or dramatic mood. While light can be modified on location, it is not as controllable as in the studio. If lighting is the most critical thing for you to get a theatrical or artistic look, then studio may be where you want to start.

• Can take place day or night, rain or shine

  Here in southern california, we don’t have to worry about the weather too much. But if you need an acting headshot, or modeling digitals ASAP and it happens to be pouring outside, the photo studio is your best buddy for sure. Also, time of day does not matter. So if you don’t get off work untill 8 pm, you could have a session at 10 pm no problem. Of course, you can be outside for night photography too. That is always an option.

• Usually allows you to see images as they are taken

  In studio, most photographers shoot what we call “tethered” in the industry. This means you can see the image just taken at full size and with proper color 2 or 3 seconds after the shot. This allows clients to look and see exactly how they are doing and to make adjustments; a change in expression, fix a tie etc. This way, there is no surprise at the end of the session. “OMG my hair was like that the WHOLE time?” What looks fine to your photographer, may not be OK with you. Tethering solves that problem.

  Of course, on location, clients can look at the back of the camera’s LCD display after a shot. But you cannot see all of the images in an array, or in a way that is easy to compare quickly. Some photographers DO have a way to tether on location, so you should definitely ask that during your discovery call.

• Easier wardrobe changes

  You may not believe this, but some locations out there do NOT allow wardrobe changes. This is probably so that photographers get in and out quickly without a lot of to-do or getting in the way of the general public. It can be hard to enforce though, so even if “technically” there are no wardrobe changes, it may be possible to sneak one in, especially if you are OK quickly changing while another person holds up a towel. You can invest in a portable changing tent, but they are cumbersome, conspicuous and not that easy to drag around in certain private locations.

  Studio sessions, however, are a breeze for private wardrobe changes that are not rushed.

• No permit fees

  Here in Los Angeles and Glendale, there are not too many options for large gorgeous open spaces for portraits that are free. As in real estate, they key to location photography is, wait for it….Location Location Location. Los Angeles beaches do NOT require a permit, but such photo sessions may not be the look you want, and for many people, it is at least an hour away with traffic to get there. Then, once settled, you have a brief 30 minutes or so to get that lovely sunset. That may be worth it to you. And if it is, tell your photographer right away.

  If you are looking for greenery and flowers as your location, you will most likely have to pay anywhere from $100 to $1100 for a 2 hour photography permit. Probably the most popular such location is the LA Arboretum

There are many things to consider when planning your egagement, family or graduation photos. To start planning your session, contact me, Katie Katsenis, certified portrait photographer. Let’s talk and see if I am a good fit for your project.

Creating Better Cell Phone Images

     Composition and the skills related to creating compelling composition in photographs are something photographers spend a lifetime honing and improving. It is composition that plays a large part in setting one’s own style or signature ‘look’ in photographs and makes an image go from a snapshot to a thought provoking experience. You can spend years journaling, reading and studying composition. But, overall, a photograph with good composition has four basic elements all working together:

·         A clearly defined subject and background

·         Balance

·         A point of view

·         Simplicity

     To begin, let’s look an amateur photo I took some years ago in Paris. At the time, I thought I was taking a great image. But when we evaluate it according to the standards of composition, it turns out to be nothing more than a mediocre snapshot. Why is this? First, there is no clear subject and background. One could argue that the trees are the subject, or that the building is the subject. Is it the red or green parts of the building? For the viewer, the question arises, “What am I supposed to be looking at?” And if this happens, your image has failed. Second, the image is not balanced. It is just one big blob of “stuff” going on. There is virtually no negative space, and no breathing room for the eyes. It’s busy and unfocused. Third, while this image has a point of view (that if a tourist looking upward from the street), it is not an unusual or compelling point of view. It is that which any of us see most of the time on any given day. Had I climbed to the rooftop across the street, or climbed one of the trees and taken a photograph, the point of view would at least be different. Finally, as we have said, this image is not simple. It’s crazy busy.

     With a poorly composed photograph as a backdrop, let’s look at a much better one.  And as we go through it, I will bring in a couple of other elements that you can be thinking about as you start to intentionally compose your own images. Looking at this image there is no question that the crow is the subject. So, immediate, this second image is a million times better than the first. Just this simple “detail” is powerful.

     An additional element that adds interest to the subject is that the crow is at one side of the image. In this image, the eye travels from the crow, over to the tree and back again.  the eye travels around the image in a natural way. In the Paris image, the eye does not “travel” at all. Instead it rests in one spot, unsure what to do or what to look at.

     The crow mage is balanced in at least 2 ways (1) by the use of lines and (2) by another object the tree, to the left. And of you look carefully, you will notice that some vignetting has either been applied around the edges in post-production, or as a result of the lens (some lenses have a bit of a fall off that can be a good thing).

     The point of view of this image is subtlety different. It is not from the bird’s perspective. But it is not from your average adult’s perspective either. It looks like the photographer either knelt down or placed the camera on a tripod about 3-4 feet high. The result is a point of view that is one not commonly seen. This makes the viewer spend more ‘time’ on the image and make the photograph more interesting. The other strong element in this image is that it has a clear foreground, middle ground (the tree trunk)  and background (the other trees and buildings).

     The simplicity of this image is obvious. A bird on a fence.  With not much else going on, it allows the mind of the view to begin to create a story for the image. Why is the crow there? What is it doing? And so on.  The gap between the bird and the tree trunk  is essentially good use of negative space. Negative space is one of those “issues” in photography. Some say to not have too much, others have mostly negative space in their images. But an image, like the Paris one above, with no negative space is unlikely to work.

     Making images that contain strong compositional elements is mostly a matter of awareness. Take your time and try to address these 4 basics, and you will see a major improvement in your images.

Three Things Moms Need To Know About Studio Newborn Photography

Your little one is on the way. It is an exciting time and there is no doubt that you are going to want professional photos. Newborn photography is a very different experience than things like headshots, weddings or graduation photos. Knowing what to expect will help you plan and enjoy the results of your baby’s first photo session.

Newborn Sessions Take Time

Everything that has to do with a newborn happens in a suspended time portal. Few things happen quickly. There are three main things that take a lot of time during the session.

First, is feeding. Most photographers have mom feed the baby right when she gets to the studio. The reason for eating immediately before photos is that it encourages the baby to sleep deeply. This will give the photographer about an hour ot do to pose and take photos before the baby has to be fed again.

Second, is posing. Nearly all poses require that the baby is asleep. Newborns have certain behaviors the photographer has to take in to account while posing. Because of this, the photographer often has to stop and soothe along the way and slowly place the baby into those adorable poses. Poses are completed in stages so that the baby feels safe and secure the whole time. It can take up to 15 minutes or more to get the baby styled. And that is just for one shot!

The third thing that adds time to newborn sessions is waking up too early. It is not uncommon for a baby to be 90% wrapped and posed only to wake up and need soothing . Then, the whole posing process begins again. Patience is something you have to have at your session. Each of these things, feeding, posing, and soothing back to sleep can take time.

Expect Fewer Images

Not only does it take a lot of time to wrap and/or pose newborns for the actual photo, it also takes time processing the images afer the session. Believe it or not, newborn skin requires a lot of retouching. You may not think so, but it’s true. Your photographer will spend upwards of 10 to 15 minutes per image to retouch so your baby looks fantastic.

Because of this and other concerns, most newborn sessions have about 10 to 25 images in their gallery. While you may be used to wedding photographers who show you hundreds of images, or a holiday mini session where you get 50 images in 20 minutes, this is generally not the case with newborn portraits. The number of images depends on many things such as how well mom and the baby are prepared for the session, the demeanor of the baby the day photos are made and the types of images you want. For example, if you want family, sibling, and baby-alone images, that is a lot to accomplish in a 2 or 3 hour session. Add in a baby who decides to cluster feed that day and images can be even harder to get.

Honor What Your Baby Is Able To Do

Every newborn session is different simply because each baby is unique. This obvious statement is sometimes cast aside by overly enthusiastic moms who have high expectations for portraits. While it is fun to go on Pinterest and look at newborn photos you may want for your new baby, keep in mind that not every baby can do every pose. Some babies simply do not like to be in certain positions. Other babies do not like certain textures. Your newborn definitely follows developmental patterns and newborn photography pays close attention to how the baby is reacting during the session.

Yes, I know that camping theme with the baby adorably leaning over a bucket is to die for. But it is good to have reasonable expectations and to rejoice in the images your baby completes. Newborns already have a personality. They have preferences. Let the images they make accentuate who they are at this time. When you look back in 15 years, you will recognize attributes that showed themselves in a teeny way during your son’s or daughter’s first photo shoot.

Studio newborn sessions have the advantave of showcasing features of your baby that more casual photo shoots can miss. But they do require pre-planning, good preparation, and patience. Following these recommendations will help you get the best images from your session.

Talk to an expert about planning your perfect newborn session.

How I Became A Child Portrait Photographer

How Did You Become A Fine Art Photographer?

There is one question virtually all my clients ask me. And for the last 5 years, I have avoided the real answer because I felt it would ruin the whole portrait experience.

But after 9 months of COVID-19, the time seems better to talk about it. So I am going to. This story is sad; that is my warning to you in advance. But it is the reason I am here making the fine art photos I do. And it is the reason I focus so much on Mother-Child legacy images.

I taught special education for Los Angeles Unified for many years. MOST of that time, my students were what they used to call “learning disabled”. This meant that health wise, they were basically fine. But when it came to learning, life was a lot harder for them than their peers. There were years when I was a travelling teacher; when I did not have my own classroom, but instead moved from class to class to offer support. Some years, I had my own classroom and my students were with me virtually all day. Most would have special services like speech therapy or counseling for 20 minutes here and there. But for the most part, we were all together.

Reggie: Teacher’s Pet

I think any classroom teacher will admit to you that teachers have favorites. It is hard to avoid.; 6 hours a day together for 180 days, you get to know one another well. And while we are trained to NOT show favoritism, in our hearts, we have students we connect deeply with.

Reggie was that student for me. He was a fourth grader, aged 10. He had a a smile that would have taken him far in life. He was one of those kids, I don’t know, he just “had it”; personality, ability, charm, smarts, humor, good looks, insight. And although learning to read was not his strong suit, he had so many other assets, I think he would have been a very successful man.

One exchange I remember vividly happened in the classroom. He came up to my desk, out of the blue and asked, “Teacher, how old are you”?

In those days, I tended to just answer my students’ questions. Not because it was right or wrong but because it was easier than resisting. I was annoyed, and it showed as I looked back at him,

“40”, I replied.

Then Reggie flashed that huge contagious smile and quipped, “You mean like a 40 Year Old Virgin”?” (For those of you who don’t know, that was relatively recent film at the time).

All at once a roar of laughter exploded and hush came over the class of other students ooohing and awing wondering if Reggie was “in trouble”. All I could do is laugh. Because, it was funny, hilarious even. I don’t know if he actually knew my age in advance. He could easily have because he paid attention and listened to things around him. Reggie had set the whole thing up perfectly, like a professional set up guy on stage.

When a teacher admits to a kid that what he did was funny even at her own expense, a bond is formed. There is an understanding, a respect between teacher and student that is rare. Even with 10 year olds. Reggie could be very difficult to manage in class. I won’t deny that. But in spite of that, there was an understanding between us. He was my favorite; teacher’s pet.

Grief And Artistic Motivation

As is obvious to you now, I liked Reggie. No question he was that ONE special kid that year.

A couple of weeks after the “virgin” incident, Reggie collapsed on the playground and died. Just like that. Gone. I was one of those special ed teachers who spent most breaks on the playground with my students just to put out fires, and prevent situations from happening. But on that disastrous day, I was in the teacher’s lounge.

I ran out to the yard against orders from my principal and stood as close to Reggie as I could without interfering with the paramedics. It broke my heart that he was so ill, maybe dying, among strangers and that no one he knew was nearby. I called to him to let him know I was near as the medics worked on him. Of course, I’ll never know it it made a difference for him. But it did so for me.

Healing From Loss

When a child dies, it is tough to recover. After Reggie, things changed for me. I never got over it and I was never the same. I ended up leaving the profession a couple of years later. It was then that photography became a priority for me. Kids are my focus because they are amazing creatures. And I have to admit that I see a little bit of Reggie in almost all my clients. It’s also very clear to me that tomorrow is not promised. Any of us could go at anytime. So portraits matter. I care a lot that moms have portraits with their kids (Dads too, of course), but especially moms.

I can’t urge you enough, get those images you want now. You are not too fat or too old. Your hair is just fine. Your clothes are fine. Make time. Put the cost on a credit card if you have to. No excuse is important enough, because….you never know. You may not all be together next time.

How to Get Started in Newborn Photography: Part 1 Safety

If you are familiar at all with newborn photos, you know that they can be super cute. I know that is what attracted me so many years ago when I began thinking about becoming a newborn photographer. There are a few things, however, that I wish people had pointed out to me early on. It would have made things a bit easier for me. So here, I am going to tell you those things. I hope that these insights from a working Los Angeles newborn photographer help you in your endeavor. This is Part One of a series. Here, I talk about newborn safety.

Getting Started in Newborn Photography: Safety

Before you even think about grabbing a camera and snapping photos, the first thing you need to do is learn as much as you can about newborn photography safety. When you see adorable newborn pictures, what you are looking at, if it is done safely, is an image that has been heavily produced after the fact. In other words, the image you see and the one that was originally taken by the camera are two very different things. There are a few different ways you can learn about newborn photography safety.

• Kelly Brown Kelly Brown is one of about 4 or 5 world renowned newborn photographers. She offers a free class that covers the very basics in newborn safety. This class is a start, but it is NOT enough. She also offers extensive training on the 9 or 10 common newborn poses. Safety for each pose is included. I cannot emphasize how critical it is that you watch, listen and observe from Kelly Brown. In my opinion, she is the best there is. She is conservative, meaning there are certain poses she won’t do, and she is so careful while handling newborns. This is not true with many of the videos on newborn posing on YouTube, where the baby is jiggled and jolted around like a rag doll. These kinds of photographers are not the ones you want to emulated yourself after. The other great thing about Kelly Brown is, she does NOT use an assistant. So if you are new to the field and do not have money to pay someone, Kelly shows you that it is possible to do newborn posing alone. It is very difficult, but it is possible.

• Julia Kelleher Julia Kelleher is another of the world famous newborn photographers. She is an inspiration on many levels. She offers an extensive class on newborn posing that also talks a lot about safety. In her case, she works with an assistant. So you can see what a different experience it is to have a helper next to you. It can mean you are able to do more poses, or even more than one newborn session a day. She covers the same 9 or 10 basic poses that are the standard today.

• American Association for Newborn Photography Safety As of this writing, there is no governmental or industry standard for what constitutes safe newborn posing. There are general guidelines based on experienced photographers and some pediatricians who have chimed in on the matter. However, there is a grass roots attempt to try and create some kind of minimum standard for newborn posing safety. That is what this organization is trying to do. It is operated by a couple of experienced newborn photographers and a pediatrician. They offer an online class you can take. You then pass an exam, and you get a certification. At the very least, it is an attempt to hold people accountable. And if you get certified, more parents will feel safer about using you.

• Newborn Care Specialist Training I do not know if any other newborn photographers have completed newborn care training. But I did. I took the training online. This particular class is taught by an experienced newborn care specialist. For me, I learned so much about what newborns can do, how they behave, how to soothe them and so much more. The training is about 40 hours, and there is a ton of information. But it will help you feel more confident around newborns. It is one thing to have experience with your OWN kids, but when you are handling other peoples’ newborns, most of that goes out the window. Almost every bit of information in this class will help you be a better newborn photographer.

• Observe an experienced photographer. Nothing comes close to observing one or more experienced newborn photographers. By experienced, I mean someone who has at least 150 successful newborn sessions under their belt. Fewer that this, in my opinion, is not experienced enough. When I was training, I went and worked with 4 or 5 different newborn photographers. Some I mentored with online, others I went and spent 2 days or more and observed as many sessions as I could. I recommend clocking at least 10 hours observing experienced photographers, before you try photographing newborns on your own.

  Before you can do anything about photographing newborns, you have to know a lot about them. You have to understand what their joints and muscles are able to do, how posing is done slowly and in stages and how to move safely from one pose to the next.

  Katie is a newborn photographer at Panos Productions Photography. We create showpiece images for modern moms who want to remember everything they love about their kids, forever.

Earn Cash and Perks With Our Ambassador Program

What is a Brand Ambassador?

Have you ever thought about being a brand ambassador? A brand ambassador is someone who is paid to represent a business or company and to promote their services or products. The tasks can be simple to very complex depending on the size of the company. This can mean going to exhibitions, trade shows, concerts or other large events. Or it can mean promoting them on social media or passing out flyers. Or it can be a combination of these kinds of things. These days, there are many full time highly paid positions for “brand ambassadors”, but to land these permanent jobs usually requires a college education and some experience. But there are other kinds of brand ambassadors; ones that do not require a formal education or experience. In exchange for your work promoting a business, you may get perks, like free products or services. And some businesses actually pay a cash bonus for paid referrals. To see some examples of brand ambassador programs you can look at My Street Team and Jobble .

What is the Panos Productions Photography Brand?

Panos Productions Photography is a family owned small business in Los Angeles. We specialize in fine art studio portraits with a boutique, highly customized experience. We offer 4 main services: maternity portrait photography, baby portrait photography, child portrait photography, and mother and child portrait photography. We also offer commissioned, original art pieces.

Our portrait sessions are what are called “boutique-style”, or highly customized and personalized experiences. Clients who are photographed at Panos Productions Photography come because they want the experience of being styled, posed and photographed just as much as they want showpiece images. All clients receive a consultation with the photographer who will be photographing them. Clients receive guidance each step of the way throughout the portrait making process. At no time, are clients left wondering what to do or what happens next.

The studio owns a substantial wardrobe for maternity, baby and Mother/Child clients. Clients get a styling and fitting session before their portraits begin. Further, the studio owns dozens of props that can be used to create vintage, rustic, classic and even modern looks.

Our one line elevator pitch is: “We create showpiece images for modern moms who want to remember everything they love about their kids, forever”.

What is the Panos Productions Photography Brand Ambassador Program?

Our brand ambassador program is a cash payout and perk based program. Ambassadors get paid cash for referrals that meet certain requirements and they also get perks, such as complimentary portrait services, being featured on our blog and more. A few times per year, we accept a select few ambassadors to promote our services to the local communities in and around Los Angeles. Most brand ambassadors continue for about 3 to 6 months. The average ambassador can take home between $100 and $140 per month. Motivated ambassadors can take home as much as $250 or more. This is good money. If you were to get paid minimum wage ($11 per hour in Los Angeles), it would take you just under 2 hours to earn $20. With this program, you can get a client to buy a maternity portrait package, for example and earn $20 in just a few minutes.

Probably the easiest money to earn is from our commissioned painting services. Everyone has a favorite photo. And almost everyone would love to have a personal artist turn it into a family heirloom to hang on their wall. You could earn a lot of extra cash per week just by getting people to look at their favorite images on their phone and deciding to make it a showpiece art display for their home.

If you are someone who knows people who have kids or are expecting moms, or if you know young people who need personal branding photos, there is potential to put some nice cash in your pocket with our Ambassador Program. Why work several hours for what you can make in just a few minutes? The experience of being a brand ambassador will translate to many other jobs such as customer service, sales, marketing, content writing, and more. Having been a successful brand ambassador looks impressive on any resume.