local outdoor portraits
It's that time of year again...the time where we all pause to think about what we are especially thankful for in our lives. While I can't keep up with the daily facebook post that everyone else is doing right now, I do want to share what I am thankful for! And here they are...
Rarely do I create a blog post about my own children, but believe me, they are photographed A LOT! I always intend to share their images, but somehow taking the time to do so never seems to happen. So since I just shot these of my youngest just today and literally JUST downloaded them onto my computer, I figured I would take a few extra minutes and actually put them on my blog! 
For those of you that know our family, you already recognize this sweet face as our little dude, Canon. He just turned 7 and is just the best little boy in the world (I'm biased). What might be hard to recognize is that Canon is affected by autism. Which, of course, means we are ALL affected by autism. We are affected because sometimes Canon has strong reactions to certain stimuli and that can cause strangers to stare and pass judgment on his behavior and our reaction to his behavior. But autism has also affected us in a very positive way. We have learned that each of us is wired differently and just because someone doesn't fit into the same box that we do, doesn't mean that there is something "wrong" with them that needs to be corrected. It's our reaction to people who are different from us that needs to be corrected. Canon has taught us to accept people as they come, appreciate the gifts and talents they bring, and to recognize that life would be pretty boring if we were all cut out of the same cloth! And I have to add...Canon is not only a very bright child, but he is absolutely the sweetest little boy on the planet! I overheard him telling his sister yesterday "I hurt my leg, but Mommy kissed it. Her kiss is magical!" Love that kid!!
Even though it is still about 8o degrees here in the Bay Area, it's not too early to start thinking about what you would like to do for your holiday card photos this year! I'm not a big fan of overly "themed" portraits, but I do love an image that will make your cards stand out. I picked up this old sled and the cute little ear flap hat and off we went to find a spot for baby Shawn that would give a holiday feel but still be "pretty"...meaning not a lot of bare trees and cold light! Because sessions are always done either first thing in the morning or right before sunset, the temperature was perfect so Shawn was not uncomfortable in his winter wear. Now we can easily use a few of the images with the hat and the sled for the cards, but because the images are nice and clean and the props are subtle, they will still make beautiful portraits that can decorate the home for years to come! I've got a few other ideas for unique cards this year and am quickly gathering my props, so expect more images to come in the next month as the holiday season gets under way!
Miss Kelli did very well for her session! As any parent or photographer knows, the two-three age is normally not the easiest to photograph. The trick is to keep it easy, fast, and fun so the kids don’t really feel like they are on display. Even though we were able to squeeze in four different outfits, the session only lasted about an hour and all took place across the street from my home so it was very easy (and stress free for her mommy). This was a styled session, so I provided all of the clothing and accessories, with the exception of the cute little cowboy boots which my clients borrowed from a friend of theirs. I planned the outfits in a way that we would be able to just quickly change out a few key pieces as we moved through our locations to match up with the colors in the scenery. One thing to keep in mind when planning your child’s portrait session, though, is this…the kids run the show. Even though I had four outfits planned for Kelli’s session that certainly didn’t mean that we were guaranteed that she would make it into all of those changes. When working with small children, you have to be flexible. Some kids will do their best if left in just one outfit and others can handle multiple changes, but I never push it and I always watch the kids for signs that they have had enough. The goal is to end on a high note so everyone leaves happy. If this session had also included her parents, I would have tried to keep the outfits limited to no more than two to make sure we weren’t over stimulating Kelli and pushing her out of her comfort zone.
Past clients always know that I have my treasure box on hand full of little prizes and that is a wonderful incentive to keep little ones focused on our task. I usually start the session by showing the kids the treasure box and explaining to them that as soon as we are finished, they will be able to pick out a prize to bring home. Then I remind them of the treasure box throughout the session when they start getting antsy and it usually works like a charm to bring their attention right back where we need them. I also keep Pez and stickers in my pockets for extra ammo, but for Kelli’s session we didn’t even need to go there. Her mommy also thought ahead and brought her a couple of new little toys still in the package to help entice her along, and that was a big motivation for her as well!
So if you are thinking of having your little one’s portrait created, now is a perfect time as the spring flowers are all in beautiful bloom! Mother’s Day is right around the corner, and moms and grandmas love beautiful updated portraits of their little loves! I have a lot of dads contacting me this time of year to squeeze in a quick session in time for gifts for their wives and mothers. If this is something you are interested in, please call the studio at 925-676-7036 or send me an email at gretchen@gretchenadams.com and I will be happy to give you all of the info and help you set it up!
This evening was a lot of fun. My best friend (for the past 25 years) brought her beautiful daughter, Sami, over to my house so I could photograph her in her prom dress. Since she hasn't found the perfect pair of shoes yet, I had to keep the shots close up, but I couldn't wait any longer as the cherry blossom trees that I wanted to photograph her under will not be holding their beauty for much longer! SO...if YOU want to capture spring time portraits that show off the blossoms, mustard fields, or wildflowers, don' t put it off much longer! I still have a few more spots available before the flowers fade, but you gotta call me ASAP! Remember, Mother's Day is right around the corner, and what mom or grandma wouldn't love a portrait of her children or grandchildren as a special Mother's Day gift! So Sami, here ya go...these are just a few of my favorites that caught my eye while I was editing, but I do have A LOT more for you to go through! Enjoy...
I had the honor this evening of photographing this adorable litter of Shih Tzus for my neighbor who is searching for perfect homes for each of them. If you are interested or know of someone who might be, just send me an email and I will get the contact info over to you. And for anyone viewing this who happens to not be in the SF Bay Area, yes, the weather has been that nice around here that the neighborhood boys are walking around shirtless! We are having a VERY mild winter so far! :-)
I had a great time photographing Vicki and Michael’s family portraits this past season. We did a session about 3 years ago at the beach, which was a lot of fun, so this time we decided to do something a bit different. We met up over at my Benicia studio to capture a more urban vibe this time around! The location was a nice complement to the set of images that are hanging on their walls from our last session. The color palette they chose for their clothing was a combo of grays, blacks, and eggplant. It looked fantastic! We were able to get in an outfit change for some variety as well. It was an unusually hot day over in Benicia, so we tried to be as quick as possible before everyone melted, but at least we had a nice breeze coming off of the water to help a bit. Benicia is usually just a bit cooler than other parts of the East Bay, but occasionally we get a hot day and we just have to go with the flow! Here’s a little sampling of what we captured that evening…
The main reason I decided to lease a second studio space was in order to provide my high school senior clients a place where they can really relax and have a fun, fashion inspired portrait session to celebrate their upcoming graduation. This new space is perfect for that, and also is great for some families that want a less traditional, more urban feel for their family portraits. This week I had the pleasure of photographing Carli for her senior portraits. She was an absolute dream to work with, and I think her personal style really shines through in these images! These are just a handful of the shots we got during her shoot. Enjoy, Carli! :) 
This is a set of actor headshots for a few very talented kids! But headshots aren't just limited to the acting set, all business professionals also need a great quality headshot to show prospects the face of your business!
