Behind the Lens, Part I

I get a lot of really funny looks and comments from wedding guests when I’m shooting. Sometimes my job requires me (and my fellow photographer friends) to get into weird positions or use odd techniques to get the shot we are looking for. I decided it would be fun to give my clients and fans a “behind the scenes” look into what this type of positioning can produce. Those of you with a hobby – along with anyone else who loves photography – don’t hesitate to experiment! We didn’t come to the conclusion that these shots would work by having someone tell us. There is a lot of experimenting that goes on in photography, just like any other art form.

Aimee Fredy of White Daisy Photography grabbed this shot of me capturing some bridesmaid getting-ready snacks:

Here is another of Aimee using a fun position in order to get a beautiful shot of the bride getting ready:

At one of Aimee’s weddings, I took this image of her going the extra mile for that amazing wedding dress shot (editing done by Aimee):

Last but not least, here is an image from Jessica Cole, soon to be Jessica B Photography. This is a typical way of shooting a reception in order to get great shots of guests partying:

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This Week…

Just a little preview of what I’m working on this week… Remember the contest winner Kim? Here she is with her sweet hubby. I intend to share the rest of her family pictures soon!

And a couple shots of the Holt family from last week:

I LOVE this little girl!

And, as I mentioned Sunday night, I did a small shoot with my girls. Unfortunately, we are going to have to call this one a work in progress. Despite the fact that they did so well, as soon as we got to our location, brother fell asleep and kids started feeling sick. See why I never shoot my kids?!

I love this shot of my sweet, sensitive girl:

So much to look forward to this month! Lovin’ it!

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Disneyland Anticipation!

I rarely post about my own family on my blog due to the fact that when I’m spending time with family, I tend to put down the camera. I know – it’s a shame. Being a professional photographer, you would think that I take more pictures of my own family than of anyone else. For this trip, I DID take my camera, and I am so happy I did. I have a full post coming in the next couple of weeks, but here’s a little peek at my girls’ excitement when we made it to our hotel room at Paradise Pier. (More info on this later on in my post, but I gotta say that staying at a Disneyland hotel is THE WAY to go!)

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Getting back down to business

Just in case you have stumbled across my blog recently without linking first as a friend from Facebook, let me introduce you to the newest member of my family! Zeke Marek Vaughn Gerhart was born on Wednesday, March 23rd at 6:01 pm. He weighed in at 8 pounds, 14 ounces (ouch!) and 20 1/2 inches long, and all five of us are very much in love with him. Five days after his birth, we had the pleasure of having the lovely Jessica Cole come into our home to capture the first images of our gorgeous little bundle.

He’s mommy’s little man.

In addition to showing off my beautiful little guy, I want to use this post to remind current and prospective clients that I will not be booking as many weekend sessions this year. My weddings and engagement sessions have taken up the bulk of my weekends for the year, and I will be focusing more on my family and spending time with my new little one. Sunday and weekday evenings may be available for small sessions, but please contact me as soon as possible to find out my availability for the dates you are interested in.

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My girls. Finally.

Here I am, a week before my due date and what am I doing? Taking my girls’ pictures, of course! I promised myself that before baby Zeke got here, we were going to go out and do this the right way. I researched their outfits, bought/borrowed props, and hyped them up for this photo shoot for two weeks straight. Cut to this week… It’s the one day of the week where the weather forecast promises sun, and three little girls are SICK. I’m not talking all the same ailment either – one suffers from a UTI, one from pink eye and a horrid cold, and the last one is getting the ickies with a sore throat and headache. Still, Mommy continues as planned after pumping three little girls with the proper medications for the first half of the week.

You can’t tell by looking at the other 500+ pictures in this session, but the girls did an amazing job. Even through their discomfort, they did their best to give me everything they had. Yes, we had hurdles and moments in which they did NOT want to cooperate. But we made it through the two hours of shooting, and I am very, very pleased with the results. Here is a little peek at my three girls:

On the other hand, I have to point out that my little Thayana pretty much stole the show. If one of them is destined for a career in modeling, it’s gonna be this one!

I am certain that I will have much, much more to come from this session. In addition, I had no intentions of waiting this long to post in my blog, but pregnancy has done a good job of tripping me up again. We will see how I do with keeping up a little better.

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Maternity Session by Jessica Cole

In the last couple of years, I promised myself that I would make sure that I had nice family portraits for my home. It’s just like with any other occupation – you are so busy working for your clients that you forget to make sure and do for yourself also. So when fellow photographer Jessica Cole proposed a photo session swap, I was thrilled! I had taken photos of her and her family on the beach in Santa Cruz last August (which I have still not blogged, but have every intention of doing so now that I am not shooting for the next few months). I chose to wait a little bit longer for my session since I knew that I was going to want some nice maternity pictures by the best maternity and newborn photographer in the area. These shots are definitely worth the wait! Thank you, Jessica, for the awesome photo shoot and precious memories that we will always cherish.

I also want to remind all of my clients that I am currently on maternity leave from shooting for the next few months. I will still be available through email and phone, and I am able to attend meetings if necessary. If you have any inquiries about future wedding or photo session dates, please do not hesitate to contact me as soon as possible. I am already booking small sessions for the end of April and into May, and weddings are booking all year long.

And this is how you pull an eight-month-pregnant woman out of a creek in the middle of January:

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Trizza Grantham Photography featured in Real Weddings Magazine

I’m so excited to announce that one of my weddings from this past summer has been published in a two-page feature in Sacramento’s own Real Weddings Magazine! If you get a chance to pick up the current edition, you will find Nicole and Dan Caramello’s wedding inside. What an honor, and a huge thanks to the fabulously helpful editors and staff at Real Weddings Magazine!

If you are interested in picking up a copy of Real Weddings Magazine, they should currently be available all around the Sacramento area. You can also have the current magazine emailed to you if you visit the website (link above) and request to have it sent.

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Changes in session pricing… And a beautiful little girl!

As my year of photography is coming to a close, I am super thankful for all the awesome clients who have trusted me with capturing their memories. My job is (in my opinion) the best job in the world. I get to travel, spend time with amazing people, and receive their gratitude when they allow ME to shoot their special events. How could this job get any better?!

In additon, the demand for my work is increasing steadily as my clients continue to pass on my name to their friends and family. Those people who have made it a solid habit to refer me out to others have been the foundation of my business. You all know who you are, and I can’t begin to tell you how special you are to me. I feel blessed to know that there are so many people out there who believe in me and the quality of work that I do.

Because I am fortunate to have a job that I love, I have been reluctant in the past to raise my prices. I have been told that the quality of my work and the packages I provide are worth far more than I charge, however, I pride myself on giving the best possible packages to my clients. As of January 1st 2011, my small session prices will increase to $200.00. They still include travel to the greater Sacramento area and the counties of Colusa, Sutter, and Yuba. Small travel fees may apply for any sessions out of this area. I’m still offering what I have always offered in a fun and upbeat photo session with amazing memories being captured for your family to enjoy. Weddings and other large events take extra special handling, so please contact me if you would like to discuss your event.

In close, I hope everyone is thoroughly enjoying their holiday seasons. And what kind of post would this be if I didn’t include a fun image at the end? This is my best friend’s daughter, and we grabbed this shot last-minute before the sun went down. She looks so peaceful to me.

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Family portrait sessions this fall

It SEEMS a little early for this post, but it truly is not. Fall is right around the corner, and holiday portrait sessions will be booking up fast. Unfortunately, this year will book up even faster than previous years due to my busy schedule. In addition to wedding season running longer than usual, my husband and I recently found out that we are expecting another baby in March. My normal hectic running-around-like-a-crazy-woman schedule will probably not work for a pregnant woman this fall, so I will only be offering limited photo sessions. Four sessions per month during September, October, and November will likely be my max, so I strongly encourage families to book sessions now. All bookings will require a $50 non-refundable deposit to hold the date, especially with weekend sessions being most popular. Below are available weekend dates for fall sessions:

Sunday, September 12
Sunday, September 19
Saturday, September 25
Sunday, October 3
Sunday, October 17
Saturday, October 30
Sunday, November 7
Saturday, November 13
Sunday, November 14
Saturday, November 20
Sunday, November 21

Please contact me for available weekdays, including Fridays. It is unlikely that I will book sessions Monday through Wednesday, but other weekday sessions are possible. It is my goal to not stretch myself too thin and risk my health throughout this pregnancy, so once I book four sessions, the month WILL be closed.

I am leaving you with a lovely portrait that Aimee of White Daisy Photography captured during the small family ceremony Luke and I held in Hawaii with our girls. I will post many more soon, but there hasn’t been time for Aimee to crank out more than this fun little teaser.

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Jeniece and Tony – Engagement Session – Chico, California

This is my little sister Jeniece. She’s ten years younger than I, and one of the sweetest girls ever. Recently, she and her long-term boyfriend Tony became engaged and they will be getting married in a few weeks. My family loves Tony, and we are so happy that Jeniece has found someone who keeps her happy. Best wishes to you both… I love you, and make sure to stay close enough for me to visit!

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