kids photography
Fun trip to Uesugi Farms Pumpkin Park || Morgan Hill
This fun trip to Uesugi Farms Pumpkin Park was very spontaneous. Last week I was in a rush to get one or two images of my kiddos with some pumpkins. Since we live right around the corner from Uesugi Farms Pumpkin Park, and since I watched the huge hill of pumpkins being built over the last 2 weeks, I decided to stop by there to see if they are open. I picked the kids up from school and off we went.
To my big surprise they were not only open, but almost empty… Like seriously empty. Comparing to what’s happening there this week… I just drove by there today at 10am and the park is filled with people. The train… OMG!!! F.U.L.L
Anyway, I got some great tips on when it’s the best time to visit the park from one of the employees, and I’m definitely going to use them from now on.
My kids were in heaven… Having the entire place to themselves. Riding the train with nobody on it but us was the best part.
I love to be able to do that with my kids. Just drop everything and go to scout, play, enjoy the day. I love this freedom my job gives me. Despite the fact that running a photography business can be frustrating. Especially around Holidays when people start calling with mini-sessions requests. It seems like everybody learned that Holidays = Mini-Sessions. However most people don’t even understand the concept of mini-sessions. Especially the photographers.
Anyway, I’ll be talking about mini-sessions tomorrow on my Facebook Group (not the business page). Feel free to join to listen to what I have to say about that. When you’re done listening you will be able to leave to group at any time. No pressure for staying.
Anyway, here is fun video I made of the magical time the kids had at the Pumpkin Park.
And something for those who like to see pictures as well:
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Hiking with kids in 13 easy steps. Morgan Hill & San Jose Family Photographer
I love hiking with kids. My kids, especially. I say “my kids, especially”, because with my kids I am not afraid of pushing their limits. If you’re one of those parents who like to challenge your kids, well, let’s get together for a hike 😂😋
Most people have something they are very passionate about.
- Something they keep doing even when the kids come along, and this particular activity gets pretty challenging.
- Something they continue doing when the kids grow up and leave the house.
- Something they want to continue doing as long as they are able to.
- Something they wish to teach their kids to enjoy as much as they do.
I have photography, crocheting, music AND hiking.
I EDIT PICTURES when I’m feeling blue. It works like a prozac. Like a happy pill.
I CROCHET to get to a magic world of meditation. Sometimes it feels if I crocheted fast enough I would turn Vic McQueen.
I listen to MUSIC when there’s a particular kind of buzz in my head. I connect with my kids through music. We sing. We dance like nobody is watching.
Once my husband said, it is hard to talk while you HIKE. And my respond was: EXACTLY! That’s why I love hikes.
I took my kids hiking before they could pronounce the word “hike”. We started from such places as Almaden Quicksilver County Park and Stevens Creek County Park (more great locations in the free pdf provided at the end of the post).
The hikes were not hard. Slow walks half a mile one way and half a mile back. Most of the time with many breaks for snacks and TONS, and TONS of pictures. Because in reality I was just location scouting for my sessions.
On some occasions somebody else was hired as a lama:
Old picture pulled out from my very old blog called “Mom Photographer”
So, first of all, the hike, stunning and beautiful, is not hard. If you’re afraid of sweating, well, that’s a different story. Haha. We take it easy. However I know my kids’ strengths. I know how much I can push them before it’s just too much.
Hiking with kids is tricky but it shouldn’t stop anybody from trying. Kids are curious. Kids are strong. Kids will follow you if you lead them the right way.
Make if fun and adventurous.
Take plenty of breaks.
Slice the entire hike into smaller chunks / destinations.
IT CAN’T BE BORING for them. It CAN’T BE TOO HARD. Especially in the beginning.
For example, during our first hike in Pinnacles we learned that after the Bear Gulch Cave (our destination) there is a Bear Gulch Reservoir. We didn’t go there on our first trip. Knowing how great my girls did on the first hike, I decided to push them a little more and take them to the Reservoir during our second hike.
And I wasn’t mistaken assuming they will LOVE IT! They did!
They couldn’t wait for our next hike, which we did, of course. During this hike we did close to 6 miles and there were moments where they were loosing the joy of it. Every turn we made they would ask if we’re “almost there“. And we were almost there, of course, for the entire last 2 miles. Haha!
If you’d like me to photograph some of your #summerbreakadventures let me know!!! I’m here to help you create amazing memories. Even Better lets explore Pinnacles National Park together!
Even better, sign up for the membership to Ewa Samples Photography, so you won’t have to miss on any photo opportunities through the entire year!
Discovering Pinnacles National Park. San Jose Family Photographer
I have to tell you that this Summer, as a family, we did a lot of “1st time”s together. Like our road trip to Colorado. 1st time swimming in the deep end of the pool with no vests on. Cooking the whole meal without adult’s help. Visiting Pinnacles National Park. The list can go on, and on, but for right now, I’ll focus on the trip to Pinnacles.
Seriously, I had no idea this place is so close, and SO BEAUTIFUL. With each trip we’ve been discovering more and more of its beauty. And we will be back during different seasons, that’s for sure. This time of the year the park gets HOT. Our hikes are early in the morning or close to sunset.
So far we’ve been there 3 times. (and getting close to 4). All visits within one week.
The first time we went up there was 9pm to watch starts and planets through telescopes set up for their Star Party.
We came back the next day for a hike. The hike took us to the Bear Gulch Cave, and the kids loved it. Pictures below shows a little of the whole story. On that day, the girls returned their Junior Ranger workbooks and received their Junior Ranger Badges. During the entire hike they mostly talked about getting the badges, and they were excited for doing many of the activities included in the workbook. They finished some of the activities on the trail, as well as later, after we sat to have a picnic.
And after all I got to drink an iced coffee served in a beer glass. Because why not.
Second time we visited Pinnacles National Park was 2 days ago. I’ll be writing about that adventure in another post. It was just me and the girls and late afternoon sun heading to a sunset. Such an amazing hike. We made it past the Bear Gulch Cave and went higher to the Reservoir and to then back. I have to admit it was a hell of a hike but we all made it just fine. Ready for a hike number 3!
Also, I have the feeling that this is not (and never has been) the “bummer summer” our soon-to-be 2nd grader imagined.
Read more about my mission to make her Summer not so bummer:
How is your summer break going?
If you’d like me to photograph some of your #summerbreakadventures let me know!!! I’m here to help you create amazing memories. Even Better lets explore Pinnacles National Park together!
Even better, sign up for the membership to Ewa Samples Photography, so you won’t have to miss on any photo opportunities through the entire year!
Magical Smash Cake Saratoga San Jose
SMASH CAKE PHOTOGRAPHER, SARATOGA || SAN JOSE
Prior to this magical smash cake (well, it was magical for me) session we met twice. And I think, because of that experience I’m going to write a piece about the importance of being able to meet your photographer in non stressful environment before your session. But that can wait a few days 🙂
Also I feel like I should call all my session magical, because I feel like after each session I’m richer in something indescribable.
Anyway, during our first meeting little K. gave me a high five. And what I learned after that, she’s never high fived anybody else than her dad before. How cool is that?
The second time we met, it was for a location scouting, at the location covered with geese poo. Yeah. You guessed it right. We didn’t go with that location 😉
When we settled for what seemed to be the best location for what little K.’s mom envisioned, there was still a little of worries about the b-day girls itself. She’s very shy, and her favorite spot is her mom’s lap or her dad’s arms.
As I mentioned in my previous post, I’m always trying to ensure families that no matter what, we will get beautiful photographs, and the last thing I expect from the kids is to be perfectly perfect. That would be so totally boring. And so totally fake.
During this session, the shyness did not vanished from the b-day girl. While I was calmly moving around Little K. firmly holding on to her mom, the only sound around was the click of my camera. I loved how natural she was looking. She was intrigue with me, she was peeking curiously at my camera, but also she was very glad she can have her parents around, and that she can dive into their arms whenever she felt like.
The most funny part is, she made her mom and dad enjoy the cake with her. BTW, this cake was made by her parents, passionate bakers!
At the end, all covered in the chocolate frosting and water, we made the best use out of the beautiful setting sun.
Please enjoy some of my favorite shots from this session:
if you’d like to chat about your session, feel free to email me: ewasamples(at)gmail.com also, to stay on top of all kinds of specials as well as photography tips subscribe to my newsletter :
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Portraits inspired by Francesco Scavullo {San Jose Portrait Photographer}
In the recent workshop I’m taking with Donald Giannatti, up to this point, I have been inspired by (and we have studied) work of David Bailey, Gregory Heisler, Mary Ellen Mark, Francesco Scavullo, Albert Watson, Mark Seliger and Frank Ockenfels. Those names are some of the most influential portrait photographers of the last 50 years.
My head had been spinning, well, it still is, with ideas, inspirations, as well as frustrations and second guessing myself. All because this workshop has pushed me outside of my comfort zone on many occasions. Not to mention, I’d never been exposed to so much of studio work in my life as I’ve been for the past 7 weeks. And it’s a humbling experience.
When it comes to Francesco Scavullo, best known for his work on the covers of Cosmopolitan, I simply did not want to do any glamour/fashion shots. I ended up trying something he was very known for, and what’s called these days a clamshell lighting.
I used one soft box and a small reflector, which for the self portraits I was holding on my lap, or struggling to support it with my free hand.
Someday, I’ll look back very fondly on those moments in my garage when I had to be my own model, photographer and an assistant. And at the end, I had produced nothing close to a clam shell lighting kind of portraiture. It wasn’t funny on that day, but even today, I have a smirk on my face writing about it.
Before I got in front of the camera, I had this awesome plan to use my kids (as in most of the assignments for this workshop). Well, you know how that goes when you want your kids to do something (or not to do). They do exact the opposite. In a time when I needed them to be still they decided to make it a dance, and a hugging party.
And because this is such a rare thing between them these days, as they are more preoccupied with fighting over their toys and crayons, I started to “dance” around with them. Yeah, you might call it a dance… However my dance was to somehow keep the reflector underneath their faces and take photos at the same time while they wiggled. Well, now my smirk is even bigger!!!
HA! Speaking about skilled photographer…. 😉
Do you get frustrated when you have an idea in your head, have the tools to re-create / create the idea, but then things are not working for you.
Have you ever let it go then, and start being in the moment instead.
And then somehow you end up with things even better then your initial idea.
Because as David duChemin said today in his article, “we’ll all make much better photographs if we love our photographs more then we love our tools”.
Happy Monday!
Now off I go to think about our last assignment for this workshop: Greg Gorman
What do you have planned for this week?
if you’d like to chat about your session, feel free to email to ewasamples(at)gmail.com also, to stay on top of all kinds of specials as well as photography tips subscribe to my newsletter :
David Bailey Inspired San Jose Kids and Pets Photography
I’ve been Natural Light Family Photographer for over 3 years now. For two years I’ve own a tiny set up for portable studio, and used it mostly for Smash Cake sessions in my clients’ homes. However, I’ve always felt like there are other ways to use the equipment I have, and I’m limiting myself by not learning about it. Whenever I tried something new, I did not know where to start from. I lacked inspiration and had great amount of excuses not do dig deeper.
And here I am, digging David Bailey and Gregory Heisler.
How did that happen?
Well, thanks to a friend I recently learned about a portrait workshop, and I instantly knew it’s something I’d love to do, but again, I was looking for excuses not to take it.
For a long time I’ve tried to convince myself that blasting a great amount of light on my subject to make it look flawless, is to know it all for my business, and I should be happy with knowing at least that much. However deep inside I knew it’s not how I want to do it, and that I want to do something more creative.
One of the excuses was that my equipment is not enough, and I should wait until I get something bigger and better. But the truth is, I didn’t even know what I need, because I’ve never practiced anything beyond my comfort zone which is required to know the limit of my equipment.
And here I am today. Taking the workshop and working on my second assignment. My equipment works just fine. Of course, I could have better and bigger stuff, but seriously, I don’t really need it for now.
In the workshop we have 2 weeks to study one great photographer and then be inspired by that person, and create work based on what we’ve learned about this photographer. It is awesome. Two weeks and I feel like I’ve learned a tone already.
Pictures for this post are inspired by David Bailey work, my first assignment for this workshop.
Each week we are inspired to create something. We’re pushed to get out there and work whatever we have and just learn. I’m loving it.
I’m not sure if my pups is loving it as much as I am, though 😉
Today, I’m working on the assignment for Gregory Heisler and I don’t remember the last time I was so frustrated with photography. I don’t remember when I was thinking so much about a concept for ONE portrait. Where to put what, and where bounce what to get the vision I have in my head. It’s a good frustration, though. It pushes me out of my comfort zone.
Can’t wait to see what’s ahead.
if you’d like to chat about your session, feel free to email to ewasamples(at)gmail.com also, to stay on top of all kinds of specials as well as photography tips subscribe to my newsletter :
Your camera doesn’t give you vision {Family Portrait Photographer, San Jose, CA}
Last weekend I was babysitting for a friend. During those two days I had a chance try my luck on a longboard. Something I had always wanted to try but never really had the opportunity to do. It was fun and painful (at some point). 😉
During that time I also had great time reading a review draft of a book written by a photographer S. Dirk Schafer. I got quite the chuckle out of it. It’s filled with great quotes about photography, photographers, art, passion and the author thoughts and short stories about photography, his career, his experience as a photographer. From the fist page to the last this book is filled with witty humor. On that note, I want to keep this post as a humorous one, as well, although I will mention one quote in here I found in the book:
The camera is a piece of s***… Nikon doesn’t give you vision. Canon doesn’t give you vision… That’s your job.
Zack Arias
A camera is an amazing thing, but it needs something else then a fast lens to be a powerful tool. You can learn how to take better pictures with iPhone by stopping the mindless “snapping”. Get inspired by what you see around you, in your life and in social media.
If you short on ideas, try to recreate something at first. The more you do it, the better you’ll get in creating your own, unique images.
Often many of us forget about it. We blindly pursue equipment that’s the most innovative, the most expensive, recently updated, you name it. We think, after we get the fastest lens our pictures immediately will get better. While that might be true in a technical point of view it has nothing to do with the vision you have for the picture. If I didn’t have my vision for my style and the way I want to create a certain portrait my super duper Nikon D800 would not help me with that even if I begged it.
I also think that in the world of “snapping” many people have lost themselves in just “capturing” everything and anything without stopping and taking the time to look at the whole picture and try to make an art out of it, look at the situation with a vision…
I am guilty of all of that myself. I often catch myself longing for new equipment thinking it might help me with something. But with what, I ask myself. How much sharper I want my pictures to be? Do I really want to join the rat race where all photographers point at each others’ pictures saying this is “too soft”, this is “out of focus”, etc. Really? No. I don’t think I want that nor I need that. What I need and want is to have more time to craft my vision and the iPhone camera is pretty helpful with that lately, implementing the truth in the saying: “the best camera is the one you have with you”.
If you’d like to chat about your session with me, please email to ewasamples(at)gmail.com
Also, feel free to subscribe to my newsletter and in return get on an exclusive list of mini-sessions, and model calls.
Hope to hear from you soon,
Ewa, your Family Photographer
What a 5 year old likes {Lifestyle Family Photographer, San Jose, CA}
Today I asked my 5 year old about things she loves, I also asked my 3 year old the same question, but that is for another post 🙂
At first I though the list will never end. She had so much fun talking about all the things she enjoys, likes, love.
I encourage all parents to do that with their kids. This is such a great opportunity for them to connect with you and talk to you about things that are important to them. Some of those thing we might not know about…
This weekend find some time sit down with your kids and ask them this simple question. They will love the attention and you will love hearing the answers.
If you’d like to chat about your session with me, please email to ewasamples(at)gmail.com
Also, feel free to subscribe to my newsletter and in return get on an exclusive list of mini-sessions, and model calls.
Hope to hear from you soon,
Ewa, your Family Photographer
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How to do a cake smash session {Cake Smash Photographer, San Jose, CA}
This post is for professional photographers as well as for parents who consider hiring/doing 1st b-day cake smash for their little one. In a few simple steps I will tell you how to do a cake smash session, and succeed with it.
Cake smash is not about posing, it’s not about the right outfit, or the perfect location. It is about fun and mess, and celebration of your little one turning ONE! It is one-of-a-kind session, and I highly recommend doing it with your kids.
I won’t lie to you.
Cake smash sessions are not the most complex and hard to do. They are super fun, and they can be done in a comfort of your own home. No matter if you’re hiring a professional or doing it yourself, theses few simple tricks will help you to get the best out of this session.
If you’re prepared the right way, they are not even that messy. If you’re hiring a photographer, it is good if he/she can come to your home, so you’re close to the bathtub after the session is done.
1. The best time to do the cake smash session.
DEFINITELY MORNING, right before breakfast.
It is good to feed you lil one a very small meal before the session. The more hungry the baby is the more likely he/she is to dig into the cake! Also sleepy and cranky babies equal disaster, no matter what activity we are trying to do with them. Our little ones go through stages of up and downs during the day. It is the best thing to pick the right time. If your baby is most likely to be happy after his afternoon nap then do the session at that time.
2. The cake.
CAKE IS IMPORTANT, but don’t let it to take away from the whole experience. Don’t forget that it’s your little one who is in the focus not the cake.
If the cake is too sweet, it’s guaranteed the baby will not want to eat it. Most store-bought cakes are too sweet for such small kids to enjoy it.
Also the frosting should be soft so the baby is encouraged to dig deeper. The softer the better.
3. Decorations
Cake smash session can be done anywhere. Studio, your home, your back yard, public park. I like simple decorations that you can get at any party supplies store or etsy. Color coordinated set up is recommended. You can use you wall as a background, and get a plexiglass sheet from a store for the floor, or vinyl flooring from Home Depot. If you already have a hard wood floor then non of these are necessary.
4. Team work
No matter if you’re hiring a professional or doing it yourself, cake smash is a team work. One is taking pictures while all the participants try to encourage the baby to eat the cake or encourage him to smile.
Often the baby will burst into tears or simply will want to leave the scene without even trying the cake. Do not give up. Try to encourage him/her to have a bite. Cut it for him/her if necessary. Engage into a game of digging in. In the past I had a baby who didn’t want to touch the cake, but was ok with digging in with a fork. Get creative with it.
You must know that situation is new to your baby, and he/she needs some help to understand it.
5. Don’t hesitate to use tricks
Remember, during cake smash session your baby is put into a totally new situation. Not only he/she is presented with a overpowering flavor of sugar, sugar, sugar, he/she also is not sure if all of the sudden he is allow to get so dirty and messy and just go for it. Let encourage the baby to eat the cake by sneaking a favorite food into the cake, for example, small pieces of banana 🙂
6. Bathtub
Cake smash without sweet bathtub photos is not a complete session. Don’t forget to finish your session with some water and bubble bath 🙂 Make it playful and relaxing, your baby worked hard for this.
If you’d like to schedule a session with me, please email to ewasamples(at)gmail.com
Also, feel free to subscribe to my newsletter and in return get on an exclusive list of mini-sessions, and model calls.
Hope to hear from you soon,
Ewa, your Family Photographer
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Dad for two {Maternity Photographer, Palo Alto, CA}
For some reason, I think I have been one lucky photographer. While I constantly learn new things about how to pose my clients, how to engage kids more, how to make dads more involved in the session, more often than not I do not have to use this knowledge with my clients. Why? Because my clients are awesome! As soon as I take my camera out they do what they are best at – they are themselves.
This maternity session was amazing. While I was preparing my gear and thinking what I want to begin with, I wasn’t paying much attention to what was going on behind me. Then I turned to get the session started and what I saw was a family already striking an awesomely funny pose. They were more ready then I was because they took me by surprise. lol
If you’d like to schedule a session with me, please email to ewasamples(at)gmail.com
Also, feel free to subscribe to my newsletter and in return get on an exclusive list of discounts, and model calls.
Hope to hear from you soon,
Ewa
1st Birthday Smash Cake {Smash Cake Photographer, San Jose, CA}
It always amazes me how careful and unsure about the cake kids are at first.
If somebody would have put a whole cake in front of me and said: “go ahead! It’s all yours!”, I would not think twice. Would you?
It also fun when parents or siblings get involved into the whole cake eating, or smashing on each other… This time we had a Big Brother lending a hand…
If you’d like to schedule a session with me, please email to ewasamples(at)gmail.com
Also, feel free to subscribe to my newsletter and in return get on an exclusive list of discounts, and model calls.
Hope to hear from you soon,
Ewa
Happy Halloween {Family Photographer, Los Gatos, CA}
Sometimes the best things come from unplanned and unexpected. That’s exactly how it happened yesterday. We went for a short hike mixed with location scouting. We also discovered that we have Halloween costumes in the trunk of the car. While one sister refused to dress up, the other one took advantage of having two costumes available to her… We had so much fun!
If you’d like to schedule a session with me, please email to ewasamples(at)gmail.com
Also, feel free to subscribe to my newsletter and in return get on an exclusive list of discounts, and model calls.
Hope to hear from you soon,
Ewa