About Me
Jennifer Escaravage
Top 10 things to know about your Newborn Photographer:
1. I don't only photograph newborns! I also love being a maternity photographer, a child photographer and a family photographer. I am blessed to see lots of 1 year olds smash into their first cake! Some are return clients and some I am meeting for the first time. I also love being a family photographer - taking families to a local park in Danbury, Putnam or Westchester where they may have never explored. Not only getting some classic portraits and prompted fun shots (ring around the rosy, anyone?!), but also capturing natural moments and watching interactions unfold...A little girl holding her mom's leg because she isn't so sure of the scary lady behind the camera. A dad brushing the hair out of his daughter's eyes. A young boy snuggling close into mom's neck as they walk through the field...you get the idea!
2. I'm a people pleaser. From our first interaction to receiving your prints, I want you to LOVE your experience with me! When you come to the studio, expect there to be snacks and waters out. Expect a comfortable couch. Expect me to say at the beginning of your photography session, "These are the things I picked out based on our conversations, but please let me know if you see anything else you prefer!" Expect me to ask before the end of your session, "Is there anything we didn't do that you were hoping for." And lastly...expect a hug at the end, because I promise, between our initial consultations and the time we spend together during your session, we will be buds!
3. I am the mom of 3 kids. 3 girls to be exact...we should chat about that sometime! Sometimes there are challenges balancing work and family, but we all get that, right? Luckily I have an awesome support team (my husband and mom) and am able to have a very flexible schedule. My weekend availability varies seasonally as I try to be present at my kids' events and I take most of July off to be home with them. This is reason 264 to book your session early! Just kidding...there are only like 3 or 4 reasons, but this is a good one!
4. Every year on January 1st I start a photo a day project. 1 photo every.single.day. I try to post the photographs to my personal facebook page and occasionally will blog about it. A photo of anything. It can be well planned, inspired by a prompt or a picture of your wall, the point is to get your camera out regularly. It's an amazing project for documenting your family and growing as a photographer. The first year I did this I learned tons about being intentional with my camera and planning out my framing and lighting. Even though I have not been great about completing the years, when I look back it is nice (and embarrassing!) to see the growth of my photography. I encourage EVERYONE to do this...use your phone. I know, you take pictures every day, right? But take a moment once a day before you snap to think about the angle, the light, the composition. Think of it as telling a story, what things will add to your story, what things will distract? Be intentional. Grow as a photographer and have pictures that tell the story of your lives.
5. I don't have newborn photos of my own kids. Yep that's right. I just didn't appreciate the amount of work, training and time that goes into newborn photography. I thought I could do it myself with my snazzy new rebel I got from BJ's. Well, okay...let me rephrase this...I do have newborn photos of my own kids. And they are terrible. I seriously cringe when I look at them. I don't want anyone else to make that mistake. The funniest part of all of it is that there is over 5 years between my first and my last child and I didn't learn my lesson. Cause as we all know time just vanishes after kids are born and trying to learn a new skill takes lots of that...time! GOOD Newborn photos are a treasure to have. A gorgeous picture of mom adoring her first born weeks after meeting for the first time is a treasure to have. Seriously, get professional newborn pictures!
6. I LOVE learning about photography. I'm constantly taking workshops and researching to reinforce what I already know and to learn new techniques. I'm a member of the Professional Photographers of America who is a wealth of information on the business, technical and artistic side of photography. I am a member of online forums where fellow photographers will help each other grow. I sign up for at least 2 -3 workshops per year to reinforce and grow in my professional training.
7. In a newborn session safety is my number one priority. Always. While much of the training I do is about growing as an artist, safety is always stressed and always comes first. Every pose you see of a baby seemingly balancing or in a small prop, there is always a 'spotter' near by, many times with a hand still on the baby, which is then removed in Photoshop.
8. When it comes to photography, I am a perfectionist. Expect me to spend hours on your session behind the scenes, from planning your session - either picking out the perfect location or designing sets for the studio - to hand editing your images, I will make sure that everything gets my full attention.
9. While I do take great care of my clients from beginning to end...I'm not so good at finishing personal projects.
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