|
Babies Overview
|
| |
After months of waiting and hoping, your baby has arrived. Hurray! We're excited that you're considering Focus Photography to be your baby's photographers, and we'd like to tell you a little bit about ourselves, and how we create the images we're known for.
Let's start with who Focus Photography is. We're three photographers (Will, Lucia, and Alison) striving to produce the most artistic portraits we can create, for families that value photography. Our child-friendly studio is located on Commercial Street in Downtown Portland, and we have free parking for our guests. We're locally owned, civic-minded, and environmentally friendly.
Our principal photographer and co-owner, William von Wenzel, is an award winning photographer (and a two-time recipient of Kodak's prestigious gallery award) and the founder of Photographers Who Care. Photographers Who Care is an organization of studio owners who believe they have a moral imperative to use photography to make their communities a better place. |
 |
 |
At Focus, we've developed four niches within baby photography, and have found that most families gravitate towards one or two styles.
- Size and Scale
- Connections & Relationships
- Natural Expressions
- Milestone Moments
On the next four screens, we'll talk about each of these four styles, and perhaps you'll find yourself preferring one look over another. Of course, if you like each of our styles, well that's all the more reason why you should bring your baby to Focus throughout their first year, and we strongly recommend you look into our Baby's First Year Plan.
We hope you enjoy the images we've created on these pages, and we look forward to meeting your family. Please call us with any questions, or stop by our studio to see more work and say hello.
Will, Lucia, and Alison - the Focus team. |
Babies - Size matters
Whether we talk about tiny little fingers and toes, great big baby-blue eyes, or roly-poly baby thighs, some of the cutest characteristics of babies relate to their dimensions and proportions. Portraits that show the size and scale of your baby are one of our four baby niches at Focus, and many parents want us to show how small their newborn is. We do this using your hands, baby shoes, jewelry, yardsticks, or other meaningful items that let us measure your baby visually.
Newborn sessions are best 7 days and younger. If we have to push that date out, we can go as late as 2 weeks old, but much of the magic of newborns exists in that first week only. After 2 weeks, we should wait until your baby is at least six weeks old before coming in. So, really try for that first week!
But we can also show how much your baby has grown, even if you didn't have newborn images created. Things that no longer fit baby are effective here, such as her first pair of baby shoes, or a dress she's outgrown.
Size is always fascinating with babies. Whether your baby is the tiniest little newborn, the chunkiest good-eater, or the tallest ten-month old, showing your baby's magnitude, or lack thereof, is important to us.
| |
|
Connections and Relationships
At Focus Photography, we're known for the images we create that capture the love within families. Connection Studies are one of our Signature styles, and no where do find it more important to capture the relationship between people than with parents and a new baby.
Some people prefer our Fine-Art black and white images, where parents will be a background object, and the emphasis of the portrait will be baby clinging on to a shoulder, arm, or hand. other people like our Interaction Connection images, where we'll show you lifting baby over your head, cooing in her ear, or making her laugh by blowing raspberries on her belly.
It's our belief that the bond between parent and child is the most important thing we can capture during a baby session, so we'll always capture some connection images when you come in. Please review our "Getting ready for your baby session" pamphlet beforehand, as we have several important preparation tips for you.
|
Natural Expressions
Joy. Sadness. Pride. Laughter. Each of these words conjures up a picture in your mind, of a real emotion playing out on your baby's features. Compare that with this: 'smile. Say cheese'. Its not the same thing, is it? The image you think of has lost it's integrity, and now it's totally fake.
We're into genuine emotions, and we've found that most parents prefer genuine expressions as well. At Focus Photography, we let babies express their emotions naturally, and capture the entire gamut of baby's expressions.
The same thing applies to parents, brothers and sisters, and everyone we photograph. When people smile in our images, they're doing it because they're actually enjoying themselves, and that's the only way to get natural images.
| |
Milestone Moments |
|
One of the four niches we've developed at Focus Photography is showing the differences along your baby's developmental path. The magical changes that show how quickly baby is growing up. She can hold her feet; hold her head up while laying on her belly; roll over to her back; sit up unassisted; crawl to get something; or stand on her own.
Baby's first year is full of these milestones, and at any given photo session, we'll try to emphasize your baby's current accomplishments. |
|
Because we think it's important to capture as much of the magic of babyhood as we can, we've developed a way for parents to bring us their babies several times to capture milestones, at a more affordable price than buying these sessions separately. We call it our Baby's First Year Plan, and you'll learn more about it on the sessions page.
Essentially, you'll get three photo sessions at key milestone times (and you might be eligible to receive two bonus sessions), as well as a framed Image Panel to display baby's most illustrative accomplishments, all for the price of the Image Panel alone.
We have more information on the Baby Sessions tab, and we hope you'll consider the benefits of getting a whole year's worth of photography for your baby.
|
|
When should I bring my baby in for portraits?
This week is a good week. Babies grow at such a fast pace in their first year, doubling in length, and tripling in weight, in under one year.
The biggest changes occur in the first month, and we love to photograph babies under two weeks old. That is when you're baby is at his tiniest, sleeping as often as feeding, and curled up into a tight little ball. After two weeks, limbs unfold more, and your baby will wake herself up as she thrusts a hand out over her face.
If you like the images emphasizing smallness, and you want to capture the delicateness of your newborn, we strongly encourage you to bring your baby in before the two week mark. If you're still at the hospital, come on the way home. You won't have to do anything but rest and watch while you're here; we'll take care of everything.
|
If your baby is between one month and four months, we can still do a fine art session showing baby's bond with you, and your newborn is still small enough for us to create a tiniest parts portrait story.
Between four months and six months, we'll focus on your child's expressions and eyes. This time frame probably corresponds to your baby's ability to push herself up, or other milestone moments such as rolling over, teething, or enjoying a specific toy.
At seven to nine months, your baby will probably be sitting up alone, and we'll use more clothing outfits in these sessions than in the earlier ones. | 
|
Somewhere between ten and twelve months, most babies are able to pull themselves to a standing position, and this milestone deserves a celebration. Some families choose to come in right around baby's first birthday, and include a cake smash in their session.
There's never a bad time to have us photograph your baby, but with each passing week, another opportunity is lost forever.
So when is the best time to bring your baby in? Right now!
|
Your Experience |
|
We'd like to think that after seeing our work and learning about our studio, that you'll choose the photo session that's right for you, and call us to set up an appointment. Here's what will happen once you make that call:
First, you'll call and talk with Lucia. Lucia (phonetically, Lu-chee-ah ) will tell you all about the different sessions we have, answer any questions about us, and ask a few questions about you and what's important to you about your baby's session. She'll tell you what to bring, where to park, and she'll block out some time on our schedule for us to work together. Lucia will also be scheduling a second appointment with you to choose your images, about a week later. |
|
Our studio is located right on Commercial Street at the edge of the Old Port on Portland's waterfront, and because our storefront windows are filled with images, you won't have any problems finding us. We have free parking for our clients on the side of our building, so you won't have to pay any parking meters. And because we're a boutique photography studio, and not working in our home's garage or basement, you'll enjoy a very professional appointment with us.
|
When you come in for your photo session, Alison will show you around, and get you comfortable. We'd like for you to feed your baby right when you come in, so that your baby will have a little time to be photographed before she's hungry again. If she naps during the session, that's great too.
When we work with babies, we first focus on the style that's most important to you (Size and Scale, Connections and Relationships, Natural Expressions, or Milestone Moments), and then create additional images.
|
|
| Lucia always schedules enough time during your session to accommodate your baby. If your baby needs to eat again, or be changed, or just a few minutes of snuggling - that's okay, we've prepared for it.
At the end of your session, you'll be eager to come see all the incredible images we created of you, but we need at least a few days to create the art we want to show you. Images have to be rendered, retouched, and enhanced, and then we'll be ready. You'll leave with a small catalog of the products we offer, so you can get some ideas for how you'll want to display your images. Many of our baby clients get a book or album from their session, while other people decorate the nursery.
|
And then at last, the day will come to see your images. Lucia will take you back to our presentation room, where you'll see your images projected to life size, so you won't be squinting at contact sheets. Lucia has a great system for helping you sort through the images, and then you'll get to shop! We offer books, albums, canvases, jewelry, and even handbags to display your images. And if you find you want more than your current budget allows, we offer no interest financing on larger purchases.
Every image you order will get the complete Focus treatment, and be flawless before we order it for you. Depending on your order, books will be bound, frames will be cut, or canvas will be stretched to produce the highest quality products we can offer you.
Your experience at our studio is as important to us as your delight and pride in the images we create for you. Please let us know any way in which we can make your session special for you.
|
|
Baby Sessions
|
I searched all over New England to find a photographer that took the kind of images I wanted of my baby, and Focus was the only studio I wanted to take my baby to. I fell in love with the black and white fine art pictures, and the images from my maternity and newborn sessions could hang in a gallery. I can't wait to be pregnant again so I can come back for more!
- Lindsey Green
Newburyport, MA
Fine-Art Sessions
Our Fine-Art Sessions focus on dramatic lighting,the close connection between parent and child, and also include sleeping images, multiple backgrounds and lighting setups, low and high key images, and more family involvement.
A portion of these sessions is in black and white, but we also create many artistic color images during your session as well.
|
 |
 |
Studio Sessions
Throughout the life of your child, there will be dozens of times you want us to capture the joy you feel in your heart when you look into baby's eyes. We'll focus on the natural expressions and adorable features of your baby, and combine them with our fabrics, backgrounds, and lighting styles to create art prints you'll treasure forever.
You'll always be the only client in our camera room when you bring your baby in, and you'll have our complete attention.
|
First Year Plan
One of the main reasons parents have their baby photographed is to capture some of the magical changes in baby's first year - developmental achievements that define babyhood. We call these Milestone Moments, and photographing a number of them to display together gives a great record of baby's growth.
Some of the biggest are when baby can push herself up while laying down; sit up on her own; and stand up by holding onto something. These stages - push up, sit up, and stand up - pretty much correspond to four, eight, and twelve months old. Our Baby's First Year Plan offers you a photo session at each of these milestones, and a plaqued three image panel so you'll always remember his or her progress.
|
 |
Our beach or park location: If you're looking for either a coastal or a pastoral feel to your images, we know some great locations within twenty minutes of downtown Portland, and we'd love to photograph you there. However, we only recommend environmental locations for babies one year and older.
Your House. While we may have better control of the lighting at our studio, your baby may be more comfortable being photographed at home. This is also a good option for families with multiple children.
|
|
Fine Art Sessions |
The Fine-Art Newborn
Best for babies under ten days old, our newborn sessions include both artistic as well as cute images of your newborn alone, plus the connection and relationship images of baby in your arms. |
$160 |
The Fine-Art Belly Session
Just in case you haven't given birth yet, our Fine-Art belly session is the perfect accompaniment to our newborn session. See our belly page for more information. |
$160 |
The Fine-Art Combo
A perfect baby-shower gift! Our two Fine-Art sessions are available for a special price when purchased together. |
$200 |
Our Fine-Art sessions are the most technically demanding photoshoots we do, and tend to be longer sessions. We allow 2-3 hours for these sessions, giving new babies plenty of time to feed and change.
First Year Sessions |
Studio Plus Sessions
Good for newborns to pre-schoolers, our Plus sessions capture the magic of baby's expressions, the wonder of their development, and the adorableness of their cute outfits. (about 1 hour long) |
$80 |
Baby's First Year Plan
Three Studio Plus sessions for your baby over the course of a year. An excellent way to document the joy of your new baby. (We only offer a limited number of First Year Plans each quarter - call to check on availability) |
CALL |
Your Place
Some of our clients would rather have their baby's images created in their own homes. We'll work entirely with your bedding, furniture, and throws to create truly personalized images of your baby. (approx. 2-3 hours, travel fees may apply based on where you live) |
$300 |
Outdoor Sessions
Perfect for a family session for baby's first year, we'll work at a beach or park to create images of your whole family, as well as baby alone. |
$120 |
|
|
The Fine Art Session |
| |
|
| Scheduling |
|
|
| |
| |
|
The Newborn Session |
| |
|
| Scheduling |
|
|
|
| |
Our Mommy and me Session |
| |
|
| Scheduling |
|
|
| |
| |
Baby's First Year Plan |
|
| |
|
|
Babies
Raves
|
We came to Focus for the artistic newborn images, and my husband and I are still amazed at how much we love the portraits you guys created of Adam.
Everyone who comes to our house comments on the grouping of black and white pictures on our walls, and I think my neighbor is thinking of having another baby just so she can come to you!
Thank you Will and Lucia for doing exactly what we wanted. We brought you our son, and you created art that captures his innocence.
- Amber Steel
|
 |
|
We've loved evertything about working with you both!
Early in my pregnancy, I started searching for my photographer, and from the moment I met you, I knew you would photograph Gabriel.
I loved my maternity session, our baby sessionw, and we're eager to have you photograph Gabriel throughout his life.
The album is wonderful, but it's the prints that really take my breath away. Henk holding Gabriel up against his chest, and all the shots you did of his little fingers, face, and toes.
Thank you both so much.
- Gigi and Henk Jordaan
|
 |
|
If you've worked with Focus before, and you'd like to share your story, we'd be thrilled to hear about it. You can drop us any comments using our 'Contact Form', or we have a short set of questions you can answer on our Share The Love page.
Questions are as simple as 'Why did you choose Focus Photography?'; 'How was the quality of your finished images?'; and 'What would you tell other clients about us?'. All answers are helpful to us to continue to deliver an exceptional experience.
Thanks for your interest.
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
|
What Happens if My Baby is cranky?
We've had cranky babies before, but not very often. You see, when you come to Focus Photography, you're baby will be the only baby in our studio. You'll never wait in a line with dozens of other mothers - when you get to our studio, you'll relax in our air-conditioned studio, feed your baby in privacy, and then when baby's ready, we'll get started. The music is soothing, the lighting is soft - it's really very relaxing.
I don't blame babies for getting cranky at those other studios where your baby is treated like cattle - I'd get cranky too.
It's not like that here. And, if your baby is having a hard time relaxing, we'll have scheduled plenty of time for you to sit, feed, change, soothe, and coo to your baby.
Do you have a discount on multiple sessions?
No, but we have something better. Our Baby's First Year Plan gives you three sessions to capture baby's milestone moments, plus it includes a custom-framed, three-image panel for you to hang on your wall, all at a substantial savings. See the sessions tab for more information.
How much will I spend on images?
Most families spend a few hundred dollars on artistic images. Some families we work with are lucky enough to be able to invest more significant amounts of money, while others might only have a few prints in their budget. And that's okay. We're grateful that we get to work with people who value photography, and we understand that not everyone can afford to decorate their home with artistic portraits (yet).
But our clients tell us again and again that the images they've ordered have been some of the best purchases they've ever made.
How much will I spend on images?
Most families spend a few hundred dollars on artistic images. Some families we work with are lucky enough to be able to invest more significant amounts of money, while others might only have a few prints in their budget. And that's okay. We're grateful that we get to work with people who value photography, and we understand that not everyone can afford to decorate their home with artistic portraits (yet).
But our clients tell us again and again that the images they've ordered have been some of the best purchases they've ever made.
Are you part of a chain?
Nope - We're just three photographers - Will Wenzel, Lucia Razionale, and Alison Thomas. And we're passionate about creating amazing images for our clients. Focus Photography is a boutique photography studio, much like your favorite clothing or jewelry boutique, except that everything we carry is custom created especially for you.
Where can I park?
We have plenty of free parking for our clients on the side of our building. Just pull around the building and enter from the back, and you'll find a whole row of parking spots on the cobbleston alley adjacent to our studio. You're welcome to park in front and feed the meters, but we searched long and hard to find a studio location that would have parking for you..
What should I bring?
That's up to you. Newborn sessions are mostly about a naked baby - and that's true for the first photo session even if your child is three or four months. One or two cute outfits or a special dedication dress is great, but we won't use a ton of clothing in the first session.
Older sessions want to have a few more outfit choices, and maybe some accessories, such as hats, barettes, ribbons, etc. Just ask Lucia, and she'll guide you through everything you might need.
|
|
|
Babies Extras
|
The Towns
At Focus Photography, we work with baby clients from both the greater Portland area, as well as from throughout Maine and New England. In the Portland Metro area, babies have come from Freeport; Falmouth; Cape Elizabeth; Brunswick; Scarborough; Yarmouth; South Portland; and Gray to get artistic baby pictures. We've done newborn photography for clients from Portsmouth, New Hampshire; Boston, Massachusetts; Providence, Rhode Island; and Montpelier, Vermont.
Baby photography clients have come from Acton; Eliot; Kennebunkport; Waterboro; Wells; Alfred; Old Orchard Beach; Newfield; Buxton; Berwick; North Berwick; Ogunquit; Limerick; Dayton; Hollis; Kennebunk; Cornish; Kittery; Lyman; Arundel; Sanford; South Berwick; and York for baby pictures with us.
Infants from Cumberland county in Maine have come from Gray; Bridgton; Brunswick; Harrison; Cape Elizabeth; New Gloucester; Casco; Cumberland; Falmouth ; Standish; Freeport; Scarborough; Frye Island; Gorham; Harpswell; Long Island; North Yarmouth; Pownal; Raymond; Naples; Sebago; Windham; and Yarmouth to do their maternity pictures with us.
We’ve photographed babies from Lincoln County, including Dresden; Boothbay Harbor; Jefferson; Newcastle; Westport; Bristol; Southport; Damariscotta; Edgecomb; Waldoboro; Nobleboro; and Wiscasset.
We’ve created cute baby pictures for infants from Knox county in the midcoast, including Camden; Rockport; Appleton; Thomaston; Cushing; Friendship; North Haven; Hope; Owls Head; Union; Warren; and Vinalhaven.
From Rockingham county, New Hampshire, our baby clients have come from Portsmouth; Nottingham; Exeter; Derry; Salem; Atkinson; Hampstead; Hampton; Newmarket; Londonderry; Seabrook; New Castle; Plaistow; Rye; Newmarket; and Windham for their newborn photography. Thank you NH!
Massachusetts has sent us newborns from Boxford; Beverly; Newbury; Marblehead; Danvers; Swampscott; Haverhill; Ipswich; Gloucester; Manchester; and Topsfield to have artistic newborn portraits created. |
Baby pictures are too important to have them taken at the same place you buy tires for the car or new sneakers for the kids. Newborn photography is time sensitive - pictures of baby taken today will look different from those taken next month. At Focus, we've devoted ourselves to being artistic baby photographers, to take more than cute baby pictures, but to create artistic heirlooms of your newborn infant. Don't settle for mediocre baby photos - let us be your infant photographers, and create newborn portraits you'll treasure forever.
baby pictures, pictures of baby, baby photos, pictures of babies, baby photography,
newborn pictures, cute baby pictures, newborn photography, baby portraits, pictures of a baby
baby photographers, baby boy pictures, baby girl pictures, infant pictures, pictures of newborn
infant photography, newborn baby pictures, newborn portraits, pictures of newborn babies, newborn baby photos
newborn photographers, professional baby pictures, professional baby photos, infant photographers, newborn baby photography
|
|
|
|
