Magnolias Gift Shop - A Birmingham, Alabama Commercial Session

For 23 years, Magnolias Gift Shop has been offering amazing gifts and friendly service in Sylacauga, Alabama. In June of last year, they decided to expand and opened an additional store in Pell City. Needless to say, I was thrilled when the store manager (and personal friend) asked me to take some commercial shots of the new storefront! 

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Coder Family - Birmingham, Alabama Family Session

I have so enjoyed getting to know this sweet family and their adorable little boy, Grady. From sitting quietly on a blanket at his 6-month session to running around (nonstop) at his 18-month session, he has been a blast! I love how these turned out and captured his personality perfectly!

Flour Magnolia - Birmingham, Alabama Blog Session

Over the past several months, I have had the pleasure of shooting for the Birmingham based blog, Flour Magnolia. As a perfectionist, I was not sure how much I would enjoy blog photography. It is fast-paced and sometimes relies heavily on quantity rather than quality. What I found; however, was that I love the staging, planning, and coordinating almost as much as I love shooting and editing typical sessions. Stay tuned for a food photography blog post from all of our food shoots. In the meantime, I offer a sample of some of her outfit sessions. 

Heather - Birmingham, Alabama Portrait Session

Since she was little, she has wanted to move to NYC and try her hand at acting. As her older sister, I spent the better part of that time wishing that she would change her mind and decide to stay here in Birmingham. She did not change her mind and in the middle of stuffing clothes into a suitcase, she realized that she would need professional head shots. While I cannot coach her on her acting or give advice about the subway, I certainly could help her in this small way. As I said in her sneak peek, it helps when your model looks this good. 

Behind the Lens - Dress for Christmas Session Success

There is a common question among all of my clients. My portrait clients ask it. My blog clients ask it. My family session clients definitely ask it.          What do I need to wear?? While some of this depends on the client's style, there are a few tips to keep in mind before your next shoot. Since we are in the heart of the holiday season (how is it already November??), lets tackle the art of dressing for your Christmas card. 

1. Plan ahead! 

       When you book a session, start to think about your clothing choices right away. If you wait until the last minute, you risk clothes not fitting or            not being clean.  

2. Coordinate but do not match your colors. 

       Wearing the same thing sounds good in theory. However, this can make a card/picture come out bland and forced. Try starting with neutrals          and adding a small pop of color to a few members of the family. Around the holiday season, reds and greens add fun and festive pops of                color!

3. Know your individual/family's style.

       Look in your closet. Look around your house. Are you drawn to neutrals? Do you love bright colors? If these images will be displayed in your          home, you want them to compliment your existing decor and reflect your style.

4. Do not be afraid of accessories.

       Wearing a scarf, tie, necklace, or hat literally adds another layer to your session. Not only do they look good, but they are fun to play with                during a session.

5. Be careful with patterns, prints, and characters. 

       Limited patterns can really add something special to a photo. However, too many patterns can distract from the final image. The same can be          said of prints. I suggest avoiding all character shirts and dresses. While your daughter may love Elsa (because who doesn't right now), her              face on a shirt is very distracting from the overall feel of the shoot. 

6. Avoid solid white and solid black. 

      It is easy to lose detail and quality of an image when someone is wearing solid black and white. If you are used to strong solids, try navy as an         alternative to black and light pink/light grey as an alternative to white. 

I hope these tips help you make your Christmas cards Merry and Bright! 

 

Blue Gill Clothing Co. - Birmingham, Alabama Commercial Session

When Blue Gill Clothing Co. launched in January of this year, they set out to "capture the laid back feeling of lake living." When the founder of the company asked me to shoot a series for their new line, he naturally wanted shots that mirrored his vision. We grabbed fishing poles and tackle boxes and ended up with a laid back, lake living kind of shoot. Check out their amazing gear at Blue Gill Outdoors. 

Behind the Lens - Birmingham, Alabama Photography Blog

Photography and business were never in the same sentence for me. I started taking pictures as a way to document vacations and family memories. To date, my camera has visited over 100 cities in over 12 countries. But now, its destination hits closer to home. Now, I will document your family's memories. K. Olis Photography offers sessions for newborn, child, family, and portrait photography. I could not be more excited about this new chapter and I hope you all will tag along on this adventure of mine. Stay tuned and subscribe for sneak peaks, discounts, tips & tricks, and seasonal session announcements.