Reasons You Should Have Senior Pictures Taken

Posted on May 16, 2018 by LCLindley

It’s finally the time of year when the sun begins to poke its head out again and we have the types of days that lure you out to the city parks. In addition to the sun creeping out, the retail store shelves have suddenly become lined with stuffed animals bearing a cap and gown and space for signatures and “Oh the Places You’ll Go” books out front. Not only does this time of year signal the beginning of spring, it’s also a signal that many people are completing an educational milestone. Its graduation season. Though people graduate throughout the year, May and June tend to be the biggest months for celebrating these accomplishments, with one of the biggest being high school graduations.

High school graduations have come with their own traditions since just about forever. Some are ancient and over the top, but a few are worth continuing: one of which is senior pictures. Having senior pictures taken is a good idea for several reasons and most of them are extremely unselfish or vain. So, before you think about skipping out on them, read ahead for a few reasons that you shouldn’t.

Reason # 1: The Family

Your family and close friends like having solid proof that all the love and support they have provided to the graduate over the years has actually matriculated into a finished product and a more well-developed person. Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and even 2^nd cousins have watched you grow up and it’s nice to have comparison photos throughout the years.

Reason # 2: For Practical Reasons

If you are a proper person or just someone who likes people to receive gifts for their accomplishments, you will likely send out invitations to the graduation ceremony. A nice addition to any graduation invitation is a picture of who is exactly graduating. Many of your guests may not have seen you in some years, so including a picture will help them put a name to a now-grown-up face. If you slip and miss sending out the photos with the invitations, they can also be saved and sent with the thank you notes.

Reason # 3: To Share and Exchange with Friends

I know you may have heard this before, but it is very likely that you (or the graduate) will never see some of these high school friends again. Everyone grows up and moves to different places and chooses different paths in life, so having the ability to exchange photos makes sure they have something to show when they are telling stories about how much of a blast you guys had in physics class.

Reason # 4: To Capture Who You Are at This Moment

As mentioned in reason number 3, you may end up going down many different roads as you progress into adulthood. Your habits, interest and friends may change, so senior photos are a good opportunity for you to capture exactly who you are in this moment. Has playing basketball defined your high school years? Maybe the debate team or spanish club? No matter what your interests are at this moment, try to capture them in your photos. Meet your photographer at an empty basketball court and use that as a setting or bring props that have special meaning to you. Make your photo shoot representative of you.

Reason # 5: To Celebrate Your Accomplishment!

I would say the most important reason to get those senior photos done, is that it gives you the opportunity to celebrate your own accomplishment! Finishing high school is a big deal. We have all been there and know how crazy those 4 (or maybe 5!) years can be, but you have done it and done it well. That deserves a celebration. That deserves photos that you can look back on and smile or share with the future graduates that come after you.

Valentine’s Themed Birth Announcement | Cooper Family

Posted on April 16, 2018 by LCLindley

One of the best parts of my job is that I get to collect amazing clients as friends and that often, long after I photograph them for the first time, they hire me again and again for their changing and growing families. Julia and Mark were wed in a beautiful Edgewood wedding last summer. When they decided to add onto their family this winter, the first thing they did was email me, which is the highest honor! Julia is incredibly creative and has an awesome eye for graphic design. In fact, she used to work at Minted and designed all her own wedding invitations and stationary. Her idea for the newest addition was just as inventive: a Valentine’s themed birth announcement! I was so honored to brunch with them in Berkeley and then tromp around the greens at the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden to make her awesome idea come to fruition.

Fun Family Portrait Photography – Lake Tahoe, NV

Posted on April 1, 2018 by LCLindley

The Kallaher family is like my own personal dream come true. They read that I love happy hour on my website and thus decided to start our family portrait session at their vacation rental with wine and cheese. Be still my heart! They also used to live in Belgium and I spent at least an hour after their session picking their brain on the country and the best places to visit. Their kids were energetic, definately not camera shy, and great to work with. The entire family was relaxed and wasn’t afraid to just let their kids be kids and the end result was a fantastic well rounded gallery of really fun family portrait photography to enjoy for years to come.

Why Fall is the Best Season for Family Photos in Texas

Posted on November 6, 2017 by LCLindley

About three years ago, after gaining a new writing client, I thought it was time to finally get some
professional headshots taken. The timing was perfect. I was updating my website and had created some
marketing materials so things were falling into place. Everything was great, except for the fact that it was
the end of June, in Texas. Of course, the photoshoot needed to be outside to catch some of the amazing
natural light, which meant that I spent about three hours in the sun on a 103° day. Keeping the river of
sweat on my forehead from photobombing my professional shots proved to be more work than the mile-
long hike it took to get to the location of the shoot. I survived that shoot, but later on I thought about how
it could have easily been avoided had I planned for a shoot in the cooler months. Hopefully this post will
convince you to do the same.

So, Texas is finally getting some fall weather, which in the South typically means anytime the
temperature drops below 70 degrees. Southerners have waited an excruciatingly hot six months (yes, six
months) of summer for these cool days. Now is the perfect time to get out there and take those family
photos. Why wait until the winter season to have your holiday card photos taken? Here are a few reasons
why the fall season is best time to line up little Timmy and Tanya or Rufus the labradoodle outside and
create photos that will last a lifetime

1. You Won’t Melt into a Puddle of Sweat.

Please see my story above. Let’s face it, it’s hot as Hades in Texas between the months of June-October.
Around the end of October we finally start to see glimpses of what I like to call, “Cold Front Season.”
It’s not quite a normal fall in terms of getting cold and staying that way, it’s more like a cold front that
drops temperatures below 70 degrees for a few days, and then it jumps back up to 85°-90°. Either way,
you have to take advantage of the ability to actually sit (or stand) outside for longer than 30 minutes,
which means the photo shoot won’t leave you burned and applying aloe vera to your skin several days
later. You can actually pick a shoot location outdoors and get some great natural lighting without melting
your face off!

2. The Colors Duke, the Colors!

Summer is nice, but in Texas it tends to get so hot, that things just turn brown and die without some
diligence in watering. However, fall seasonal colors are the best. The foliage is no longer getting beat up
by the unbearable summer sun and the leaves finally begin to realize that winter is coming. What that
means for you is that there are lovely colors everywhere, and lovely colors mean lovely pictures. Because
fall colors tend to be neutrals, you can color coordinate to your heart’s content. In addition to the color
coordinating, the weather is cool enough to add in some additional matching accessories. Try hats,
mittens, gloves or scarves for additions to your holiday card.

3. Holiday Props

In addition to cooler weather, the fall season welcomes in what the internet lovingly refers to as
“HallowThanksmas,” or the season in which we celebrate or prepare for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and
Christmas/other holidays. What this means for you is that you have the ability to use lots and lots of props
of your choice in your photo shoots. Feel free to pull out that Menorah and Dreidel, plant yourself in a
pumpkin patch or pull out the famous ugly Christmas sweaters and lawn snowman. Try variations of all
of those things if you are feeling adventurous this year. Just know that fall is the perfect season to take
advantage.

Hopefully this article encouraged you to go ahead and book your family photoshoot now. Take advantage
of the cool breezes, the awesome fall colors and the opportunity to pull out the Christmas tree early. The
cool weather might not last for very long and come Christmas, we may very well be looking at a sunny 90
degree day.

Tahoe Family Portraits | Bryant Family

Posted on May 26, 2017 by LCLindley

This family has the cutest most adorable endearing two year old ever. The weather the week they were on their Tahoe vacation was incredibly cold and blustery and for a few days, we weren’t sure if we were going to have a weather window on this day to photograph their Tahoe family portraits. In the end, we had some beautiful overcast skies and nice soft light but frigid May temps. Their kiddo was a trooper and was almost all smiles the whole time, especially because her parents were hands on and excited to interact with her. From games of hide and seek to playing with pinecones, your natural interactions with your children create images of precious vacation memories that you’ll value as a keepsake from your travels!

Tahoe Family Portraits | Valhalla Estate | Crandall Family

Posted on May 17, 2017 by LCLindley

Although our spring temps are lingering in the realm of brisk this week, summer is on the horizon and that means summer vacationers will fill our beaches, campgrounds, rental houses and bike paths. The welcome change in temperatures will surely pave the way for more outdoor adventures. I’m personally ready to get on my bike! Summer vacation is also the perfect time to take your Tahoe family portraits.

The Crandall family hailed from Texas so I felt right at home with this large loving laughing crew. We did some large and small group shots, as we always do, but then the family trusted me enough to let their kids play and enjoy themselves in some outdoor exploration, which made for great candid photo opportunities, which I love. Valhalla Estate is always a fantastic choice for your South Lake Tahoe Family portraits session because it offers such a wonderful mix of forest, meadow, lawn, pier and beach.

If you’re looking for Tahoe family portraits for your summer Tahoe vacation, get in touch!

Tahoe Family Photos | LTCC Demonstration Garden | Poth Family

Posted on May 10, 2017 by LCLindley

Last fall, shortly before their second daughter was set to be born, my friends the Poth family hired me to celebrate their growing family with some Tahoe family photos. We met early in the morning at the LTCC Demonstration Garden, when their spitfire of a child Zada would feel extra sparky and accommodating.

Since then, their family has grown to include their new daughter Ayah, but not without quite the journey. Baby Ayah was born premature, blind, and with holes in her heart. She is a little fighter and this family has been air-evaced back and forth across the Western US for more surgeries, hospital stays and emergencies than any one family should endure. They are doing well and trying to be as normal as a family can be under the circumstances they are in.

If you are interested, you can donate to Ayah’s Go Fund Me. In addition, the Poth family urges you to donate blood. Donated blood is one of the only reasons Ayah is still here today. Get information on donating blood in your area here. If you are a Lake Tahoe resident, there is a blood drive in our area on May 23rd and you can register to donate here.

If you are not a member of a medical flight network, especially if you participate in any sort of sport, then both myself and the Poth family urge you to join one. Our local networks for the Reno Tahoe area is AirMedCare.

The Poth family also requests that you contribute to medical and scientific research. It saves lives.

What to Wear in your Family Portraits

Posted on May 3, 2017 by LCLindley

I am constantly getting queried by clients on what to wear in your family portraits, so I thought that a handy dandy blog post on the subject matter was required! I promise, you are not the only head of household that’s been stressed by the daunting task of trying to figure out what to pack for your family vacation portrait session. It’s not that hard when you break it down simply, I promise!

1. You want to pick coordinating colors, but not matching!

For family portraits, it’s best if you pick 3 coordinating colors such as two brights and a neutral to work with so that everyone is coordinated but not too matchy-matchy. This color wheel tool is a great way to choose complimentary coordinating base colors.

2. Use your accessories to add pops of your colors.

With two primary colors and one neutral, you can mix and match your colors as much as you want. If someone in your family tends to be more subdued, they can still dress without bright colors and bring in that pop of coordinating color through their accessories.

3. Still stuck? Consider placement.

Are you filling space on one of your walls with a print from your session? Consider the colors in your home (which are probably the ones that make you happy) when picking your color scheme. If you love your orange and turquoise living room, then start there! If you’re a family of Aggies, don’t be hesitant to show off your colors!

4. Jewel tones work great but stay away from greens

Taking photos in the Tahoe forest? Don’t blend in! Greens don’t pop very well against our all green forest, but other jewel tones like dark blues, golds, and plums, look great!

5. Limit patterns, logos and branding.

Say no to anything with big logos or branding and limit patterns, especially on adults. Patterns often tend to read too busy on adults. That being said, small children in patterns is a great choice to compliment your color scheme! It adds a mini-dose of fun to any portrait.

6. All white or all black: just say no.

All white? Sends you straight back to the 90s yo! This isn’t a Florida beach photo.

7. Keep it classy, San Diego.

Stay away from trends and hip current fashion. Keep it classy and classic – especially when it comes to high school senior portraits. It will prevent your photos from looking dated in a few years.

Winter Maternity Portrait | Valhalla | Deibert Family

Posted on April 7, 2017 by LCLindley

A winter maternity portrait at Lake Tahoe is a great way to celebrate your growing family. The Deiberts contacted me on a whim – they were coming up with family to visit and as luck would have it, I was available. Valhalla is one of my favorite places to photograph family photos in Lake Tahoe. It offers such a wonderful mix of forest, meadow, and beach for fantastic variety. You almost always get that nice golden CA glow that everyone wants there as well! I really loved how Erika’s scarf complemented the fading meadow grasses. Congrats to this growing family!

Tahoe Newborn Session | Blasser Family

Posted on March 31, 2017 by LCLindley

“You feel like family,” my friends told me after I photographed the birth of their first child. The experience wasn’t without some complications that left me driving back and forth between the three of their separated family from our homes in Tahoe to both Reno and Carson City, but in the end, and many miles and sleepless nights later, everyone was able to return home together for some sleepless nights there, as nights are apt to be when you have a newborn.

I’m proud of my friends, who also feel like family to me, and their newest addition. They are already parenting like pros (or, at least, the type of parenting pros that I prefer). Their kid is pretty damn cute, but then again, I’m biased.