And all of your family and pets are safe and you have 4 minutes to grab whatever you can, what do you get?
Most people I know would say photos. And I used to think they were crazy for wanting photos. Until last month when Portrait Photographer Amber Herlocker came and did a photo shoot with our family. Now I know what it means to have photos as your most prized possessions. Now I want to decorate my entire house with photos, photos and more photos!
Amber is a partner/sponsor/advertiser here at Nesting Place. She contacted me a few months ago and offered to barter her talents for advertising here. Let me tell you, everyone wants to barter for advertising and if I were rich and had a huge empty house, I would always barter. But since I can’t pay my son’s school with cute things from etsy shops, I always have to NOT barter. Always. Until Amber, because one visit to her website told me that I needed her talents desperately.
Look, I look like I’m 18 years old. That’s the power of a professional photographer people. I might have put this photo in a thrift store frame but, I takes a lot for me to feel comfortable having a close up of my face blown up to an 11×14 photo. I have one word. Amber.
See what I mean? I am the world’s worst person to get their picture taken. I become completely self conscious and have no idea how to hold my head still {why does my head keep involuntary shaking?!} or what to do with my thumbs or how to put my legs so they don’t look like two growths. And Amber totally coached me through it.
Not to mention the fact that I sat the boys down before she ever came and had a long threat talk where I begged and pleaded with them to have a good attitude during the shoot and told them that this was my mother’s day gift and please try to have fun and not be in a bad mood. There is so much that goes into capturing a moment. And we all know how important it is for our children to not feel like this is the worst experience of their life–it would totally show in every photo. Which is bad, unless they want to look like they are cool and bad.
As soon as she got here, Amber made it a point to learn everyone’s names and find out what they liked to do. The fellas were thrilled at the thought of being photographed doing things they love like skateboarding and scootering. At one point, I looked over and Amber was laying completely flat in the middle of the road and our 12 year old was skateboarding straight for her. She is nothing if not thorough.
Never has a 12 year old boy enjoyed getting his picture taken more than this boy. I’m a little worried. But, as a mom, these action shots represent a huge part of our life. Something about having all photos of our boys sitting still just doesn’t seem right, it would make me feel like a liar. I’m glad that Amber suggested we do spend the time letting the boys do their thing. These are some of my favorite photos.
Once we were done, I figured I’d get an email from her so I could download photos for me to choose from and get printed up someplace. Wrong. Amber worked twice as hard AFTER the photo session as she did during. See that blue silhouette with our photos in it? She had over 20 of those collage things for me to look at and get ideas from. And once you find what layout you like, she’ll help you pick which photos would work best and then, if you want, you can order the frames and everything straight from her and have it delivered and all you ever have to do is sit and watch your husband hang them on the wall! It’s pretty amazing, the world of photography and professional framing and such.
It was really hard to decide what to order. I knew I wanted something for the wall over my sofa. So I taped off the measurements and asked Amber how she thought 3 close ups of the boys would look.
Amber sent me this picture, with 3 photos blown up to see if I liked them there. It was so easy for me to see that I didn’t like that look. This information was priceless.
Finally, I decided on this gallery wrapped canvas of the boys on the tire swing. Amber has great connections to get all sorts of canvas options, and I needed it like within 3 days for my Blessings Gathering, I think it got here early.
It’s a nice addition to the wall of stuff I love. All stuff I would grab if my house broke out in flames and my man, kids and dog were safe.
There was one other thing that I was sure of. I wanted a big, black and white family photo over our fireplace. Like super duper, oil leak in the Gulf big. It’s 24 x 36 {remember, that’s still a standard size} so I used the other frame I found at Garden Ridge years ago.
See how it dwarfs my hand, that’s how big it is. And it speaks to the kind of photographer Amber is for me to get this blown up so obscenely huge and it still be crystal clear.
I also mentioned my hate for glare and Amber had a solution for that as well. See the difference in the big photo of the fellas and the small photo on the stand? Moms Against Glare {M.A.G. I’m starting a new club}.
We had this photo backed so it stands on its own
Here’s what I learned so far about photos and framing stuff::
- Dress in what you want to wear–heels and a dress? great, jeans? great–be you, I prefer focusing on layers and textures and accessories over matching all the colors. We wore jeans, khakis, muted reds, blues and neutrals.
- If you know all your photos will be black and white, don’t even worry about colors, just textures
- Accessories! I have heels, a belt, a chunky necklace and a flower headband–but I still wish I had some bangles on my nekkid arm. If you have girls, it seems like that would be a lot more fun to dress them for portraits
- Don’t worry about having the perfect backdrop–a good, creative photographer can make anything look enchanting and interesting. If our clover and mud filled backyard turned out looking great, then Amber could make a jail cell seem inviting.
- Tell your photographer what kinds of shots you are looking for–I really wanted a family photo, everything else was icing on the cake.
- On a budget? Spend the money on the talents of the photographer and then get thrift store frames and have mats cut at Hobby Lobby
- Hate Glare? Have your photos coated so you don’t need to protect them with ugly glass {saves $$ when you need frames to since you don’t even need glass!}
- I’d rather have 2 big photos displayed than 38 tiny photos. Invest in at least one large photo.
- Black and white looks good in any room. Forever. No matter what your style.
It was so great to do all the photos in our back yard or in our case, in the middle of the road. Amber {It’s been so hard to fight the urge to call her Amba a la Boston Rob} prefers to capture people in their own habitat, which is something I appreciate.
Amber Herlocker is a creative portrait photographer based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Specializing in photography of babies, children, pregnancy, family, seniors and fashion related projects. Available for travel.
I cannot urge you enough to have photos that you love out and about in your home. And, I also think it’s worth the splurge to have a professional take photos of your family. Good family photos are as important as well made mattresses and sofas. If you live in the Charlotte area, Amber is currently booking clients and I highly recommend her. Follow her on twitter, read her blog, friend her on facebook, sign up for her newsletter, get to know her and love her because it’s really important that you feel comfy with the person pointing a camera at you.
Need some extra incentive? Amber is offering a fantastic deal right now with limited spaces available, for her rare Mini Sessions in Charlotte and Georgia – the cost is only $100 and includes the digital files so you can print up whatever you want. This is an AMAZING DEAL and always fills up lightening fast. What a great gift for someone, or yourself!
Now, it’s your turn, your house is on fire and everyone is out and you have 4 minutes to grab something, what do you grab?
Nester, those shoes are fierce… I would definitely grab those. Oh, and maybe some photos too. I love the one with your boys looking all tough and angry… love it!
Okay, this might be my favorite post by you ever. First the pictures are unbelievable. Second, yes to a great professional photographers. I relate so much to turning my head and not knowing how to sit or stand or smile. We are wanting to do family portraits. I will definilty check into Amber when we’re ready. Thank you for the great post and recommendation!
What I’d grab…probably my computer where most of our photos are stored.
I feel the same about photos. We had to evacuate for a hurricane (live hear Houston) a few years ago, and I took my pc tower, and every disk with pics on it, picture frame, and photo album that I had. We left tons of other things…but those can always be bought again, photos cannot. Even now, any family sessions that we have done, I get on a disk and put the disk in my husbands “fireproof” gun safe.
Sabrina, Be really careful about that as even though the safe is fireproof they can still melt somewhat and be unuseable. Try putting a second copy in a bank vault… very cheap and you know for sure they are safe! =)
No question, I’d grab the photos. We have worked with an awesome photographer in Houston for many years, Mackenzie Wheatley with http://www.chubbyfoot.com and her images make my heart sing. Most of what decorates our walls is from Mackenzie. Plus, she gives you a cd of all the images-score.
I’d hope to have enough time to grab my girls memento boxes (special baby clothes and other heirlooms) and my box of letters from my husband and kids, collected through the years.
Okay first — LOVE your pics!! She did an amazing job!
Second — I found a photographer close to me about 6 or 7 years ago. It is the best thing I have ever done. We go to her house cause she has AMAZING outdoor backgrounds. (even a waterfall!!) We get a family portrait every 2 years. Then the kids a session every year. I love them and proudly display them! We bring out own props — kid’s toys, etc. One of my faves is a three shot “series” of my little man playing with his bulldozer — PRICELESS! (Yes I am grabbing it if the house catches fire.)
Hey Nester,
How do you hang a photo in a frame without glass? Do you cut posterboard to serve as a backing? Do the canvas photos fit better in a glass-less frame? What would you suggest for pulling off the look?
PS. I love the new look of your home!
PSS. I would grab our “special boxes” aka hope chests.
I had all of my photos coated and backed with um,,,amber, what was that stuff that made them stiff? That way they didn’t curl or anything. It didn’t cost that much more and made a huge difference.
We had them printed on a light-weight matboard and lustre coated to protect them! No flimsy photos here! :)
Thanks girls!
Don’t you love how a great photographer can make you look at yourself in a new light? We recently had family pics done with a very talented photographer, and for once I can’t find anything to complain about the way I look in a photograph. Love your oversize family picture! (Don’t know if I am brave enough to blow myself up that big, though. If I am 20 pounds overweight at normal scale, how many pounds overweight will I look on a blown-up canvas? Hmmm…)
My family JUST went through a fire, (like on Monday morning), we were in the process of moving and thankfully were in the new house. Unfortunately, we still had not moved all of our possessions. We lost our computers (and 5 years worth of digital pictures) but I am a scrapbooker and had thankfully moved all of my scrapboks. I would have been devastated if they had been lost. We also had moved the framed portraits, etc. Everything else is just stuff. My family is safe, but all those pictures… the albums… it also makes me thankful I blog because I have lots of pics on there and saved to photobucket, etc. We got really lucky. And if you don’t have renters insurance, GET IT! Your pictures are BEAUTIFUL!
Kelsy–I am SOOO sorry! Glad you got your pics though!
And yes, we have renters insurance–it’s only like $100 a year and SO worth sleeping better at night.
LOVE the photos, you will cherish these forever! Janell
Those pictures are so great! That seems so boring to say, because they are so much more than great. But my brain is so fried right now I can’t think of a word that matches the pictures. : ) Suffice it to say, Amber did a stupendous job! LOVED the pictures of the boys doing what they love.
Incredible photos! Wish I lived in Charlotte! It helps to have 3 gorgeous and photogenic children too! :) I’m still searching for a great photographer in the Cincinnati area. The one of your 3 boys on the swing is my favorite! Looks like they should be hanging in an Abercrombie store. Thanks for sharing them with us. Love your blog!!
Tessa- check out my friend Jessica at 503 photography in Cincinnati!! She is fantastic!!
I definitely second Amber’s suggestion – Jessica is wonderful! She took our wedding photos and did a fabulous job! I cherish those moments she captured. I also took her online photography class, which was really great. She has a website that you can check out @ 503photography.com and her blog @ http://503galleries.com/blog/. I hope you get in touch with her!! :)
The photos blow me away. Really, they are just amazing!
I just treated myself to a professional photography session after the birth of baby #3. We didn’t really need anything, so I thought some great professional photos would be a wonderful treat for all of us. I found someone on craigslist who had a website with work I LOVED and her price was fairly reasonable. I cherish the resulting photos and was able to use one of them for our birth announcement, which saved me having to try to capture the perfect photo (bought the electronic release on that one). I LOOOOVE the pics you had done. Something you’ll cherish forever, and who can put a price on that?
Wow, she did an amazing job. I love family photos and have them all throughout the house. Always looking for new pieces of furniture to add in our home so I can display more pics. Great job Amber!
I would get OUT :) j/k well actualy no.. I would grab the dog and cat then get out:)
I am sorry I am dyslexic and you stated the obvious in the question..what would you do AFTER you got your family out etc…sorry.. lol. Your site is amazing
You quoted Boston Rob! You quoted Boston Rob! I always KNEW I adored you and that we’d be amazing friends in “real life.” =^)
I don’t know who likes him more, me or my husband. I wish Rob were on every TV show. I wonder if he can sing? Dance?
I’ve know Amber since she was in elementary school and she is as talented as she is nice, or is it vice versa. Go Amber!
I’ve always said photos, ever since I heard my mom answer the question that way when I was about eight. I really thought about it and realized she was right. Everything else can be replaced, but the photos in our albums (and on my computer, so yeah, that’s what I’d grab) are irreplaceable and are reminders of so many happy days.
This is the #2 reason we have a fireproof safe. It holds CD backups of all our digital photos. (#1 reason – paperwork: birth certificates, wills, etc. We don’t keep things of monetary value there.)
WoW! Those are great photos!
Aw, your family pics turned out so great! I love the pics of your boys goofing off and skateboarding. I think candid shots like that are so fun and capture them in their element. Your photographer did such an awesome job! You and your hubby look awesome too! :) Great outfit choices. Ohh and what beautiful home you have! Thank you for sharing.
We just did our beach engagement pics and we had a blast doing them too. I can’t wait to get one we love blown up on canvas! :) Have a great day and enjoy your pics! :)
Her special is amazing—you can’t find photographers with deals like that around here!!
1. Your shoes are fab. Totally. I love them.
2. Gorgeous photos—my memories are all like snapshots in my head, that’s why I love pictures so much. Because I think in pictures. :)
3. I NEED to find a photographer who can make me look 18 again. And a size 4. The end.
;)
These pics are amazing! Your family is GORGEOUS! I’ll be calling Amber for a session in the future!
Speechless…yes, I am. And you know that rarely happens in this house. :) Can I just say, Amerca’s Next Top Model…sheesh…
oh, and I guess the hubs and boys look ok too.. ;) Can your son’s eyes be any more blue in that picture? Loveit!
Love those pics! They will always be so special to you. Wouldn’t one of these be awesome? https://iosafe.com/home A disaster proof external hard drive. I can’t speak for these myself, but I’m definitely adding it to my Christmas list.
Great pictures! I believe I even see a sparkle in your eye in that one of you and your hubby! I have plans on getting some pictures of my hubby and I {very soon actually} and I’m looking to do two outfits one laid back in jeans and another of us dressed up a bit. I also want a black and white close-up of us with our heads together, showing that even after 25 years he still does what I tell him to, I mean, that we love each other very much. : ) We’ll be using a friend of my daughter’s who is trying to get her business going, so we’ll get a break on price and she will get some pics for her portfolio.
First let me say your photos are FABULOUS!!! I agree that a great professional photographer is worth every penny!
Secondly, if I would grab all my photos, not just the pretty professional ones because those are the memories that make life grand! Even the not so great snapshots can bring back memories that may be forgotten. All the other stuff can be replaced, but not the memories. I even “purge” to clean house by taking photos of keepsake items since I want to remember so much “stuff”. I just simply take a photo and mark what it was to keep down the clutter… but I do still keep a few VERY important keepsake items. ;)
Love, love, love, love, LOVE your family photos! The one over your mantle is SO perfect! I have always shied away from using large family portraits in our home…for some reason I never felt it was “us”, but after seeing yours in your house at the Blessings Unlimited party, I came home & told my husband that we need a BIG family photo for our house. It really looks great!
Speaking of the BU party, my box JUST arrived! Now I must go & open it up!
Beautiful photos!! The one of the guys lookin’ all tough and mean… the best!
And the one of hubby looking at you… the other best!
I looked at the first picture and thought you had a teenage daughter. No lie. I did not figured it out until the middle of the post.
dar,
Marry me?
I did too! I totally thought, “But where’s mom in this picture?”!! lol
I don’t have any pictures of my family in a stiff portrait studio because I HATE THEM! You’re family pictures are perfect. If I were in the area, I would definitely hire Amber. But in your living room I just have to look away because I have serious white, slipcovered sectional lust which leads to couch envy. I just can’t go there (anymore). ; )
ohh, i’d grab {aside from Hubbs}:
-my red couch
-my sewing machine
-our wedding photos on the buffet
-a blue antiqued tower clock/hidden “cupboard” like the one you sold at a garage sale ;]
What lovely photos!
My cat, my carebear and as many photo albums or scrapbooks I can hold in addition to those :)
Those pictures are soooo unbelievably good, Nester. I am crazy about the ones of your son skateboarding…it looks so real-life and candid and totally not stuffy. I love it all. I am so very tempted to snag one of the Augusta appts … and drive 2.5 hrs for it …. very tempted …. I’ll let you know if we do it. :o)
I’m loving the photoshop trick. Just did that on my blog for fun with a House Beautiful image and it made me think “I should do that with my own home!” It sure would help me make decisions faster to see it visually!
We just had family photos taken, too (for the first time) and like you, I practically want to wall paper my house with them!
Blessings to you…Linsey
What a great looking family . . your boys are beautiful! Loved what you picked. Sandy:O)
Those are absolutely fantastic shots. Your family is just beautiful, so I am sure it is easy to get great shots of your family. :)
If my home was on fire I always answer the same: my cat and my deceased father’s original Beatles albums. It would take too long to grab all of the old photos I would want to rescue after my cat and the albums, I’m afraid.
When we had to evacuate for a hurricane, that is the only thing we took of value. Photos.
And the damn bill basket.
I will laugh all day about that!
And all your portraits are awesome!
What I noticed.
Your necklace, belt and shoes. Very cute.
And the boys (all four) look well-behaved. And I think it is safe to say you will have 3 very cute DILs.
awesome post my friend..great info and i love how she showed you those big close ups would really look…that is always scary to spend $$ on a big portrait and not be sure how it might look..you made excellent choice..love love. of course it doesnt hurt that yall are adorable;;
cant wait to see what you do for the Matthew Meade mag..congrats!;;
Next purchase, red belt. Dang girl! You have yourself some fierce style there. That turquoise and red together just inspired ina new necklace design. Off to go whip it up. You are down right inspirational. :)
Beautiful! I have a friend that does wonderful photos and consider myself very lucky. Now, I could be even luckier, if you would reveal where you got your necklace!
Khol’s!
professional pics are the one thing we’ve splurged on over the years. oh they are priceless!
i gotta tell you girl, not only can you decorate, but you are so cute and skinny!
your pictures turned out gorgeous!!! i know you are excited!!
Dude… you look like a rock star! I’m pretty sure I have those shoes in brown… I call them my “hootchie shoes”….hahaha!
I love, love, love your family pics.
I would grab my jewelry boxes. I use clear fishing tackle boxes to store all of my jewelry and keep them from getting all tangled. It’s not that they are filled with expensive jewelry, but priceless memories. I have been so lucky to have many special jewels passed on to me from my grandmothers and my aunt, and to me wearing the jewelry is like wearing a memory.
PS-Love how Sassy you look in the pic of just you and the boys-great pics!
Yay for professional portraits!!!
I am an aspiring photographer… actually unemployed/under employed and realizing I should have followed my first love! So right now I work at a chain portrait studio, and I do enjoy it!! I love making mommas happy.
Although it is terribly disheartening to deal with these families who in some way value portrait photography (or they wouldn’t come in… right?) but then gripe about the price – which at the chain portrait studio is DIRT FRICKEN’ CHEAP!! Oh, it hurts my soul.
But I guess people associate the chain photography and ‘professional photography’ as two distinct categories.
I digress.
What I mean to say is that as someone who wants to start her own photography business one day… I’m very happy to read about your great attitude toward the session and that you truly value the work as priceless… because it is!!!
The photo’s are absolutely fantastic!!!! LOVE THEM! :)
I am so very happy for you. What a treasure of photos!
My favorite part is your son’s Indiana t-shirt……
IU class of 93,
Stacey
Nice pix! I’d grab as many of the quilts, needlepoint, and other things I’ve handmade as possible! Other than family, those things are the most irreplaceable.