Jennifer Chaney Photography

Hurry up and wait :: Walnut Creek, CA Maternity Photography

jennifer — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 06:04:00 +0000

When I got the call about this maternity session, we rushed a bit to get it done because the mama was pretty sure she would have the baby early. So with the maternity photos out of the way, we started working out the details for a birthing session (nope, I’ve never done one, but this family is perfect for me to test the waters – and when I say birthing photography, I’m talking about the emotional aspect of the day… not the “hey, what’s happening down there, oh.. whoa… I see..” kind of photography.)

I want to capture moments to help a family remember an amazing day. A day that zips by faster than a wedding day. A day that is oddly forgotten about until you start talking about having another baby. When I see some slideshows that other photographers have done for birth photography, I am literally in tears… and it’s not even my baby! I don’t even know the couple. We aren’t even in the same town, much less state, and here I am fully crying over their pictures. So maybe it’s selfish. Maybe it’s because I wish I would have had the foresight to have a professional photographer in the room. I don’t know. But whatever it is, it excites me. I get all giddy thinking about it. Being in a profession where it’s commonplace to move your clients to tears is powerful, but being able to produce work that moves a complete stranger to tears? I’m beside myself. Not to mention I’m rambling. So next week is the big day. Hopefully all the stars align and I can create some lasting memories for this beautiful family.

So here we are. Waiting for baby.

xoxo

Big Success! :: Bay Area Beginning Photography Class

jennifer — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 23:55:00 +0000

Yesterday I met 13 fabulous women for my first ever beginning photography class, and I was floored by how sweet, excited, and ready to learn they were. They made it so easy for me! I’m excited to see how they implement all that we talked about, but I’m even more excited since it seemed nearly unanimous that I need to have another class so they can further their learning. Thank you lovely ladies for joining me… I’ve got a lot to say and you all impressively stayed with me!

And a few more thank you’s I need to pass out: Kristen Kiltz, for help in assisting and offering her daughter as a model (beautiful!), Rikki Roden, for taking a few “action” shots of the class, Julie Ligon, for the use of her gorgeous Dailey Method studio, to The Nurture Center, for the model’s clothing (the entire outfit can be purchased for under 50.00 – yes, that’s right, the super cute hat, shirt, and baby legs for under 50!) And last but not least, a thank you to Cathy Bennett of How Time Flies digital scrapbooking – She stopped by to offer everyone a little peek at her album layouts and offered a generous discount.

Be on the look out for more classes! I will definitely be doing another beginning photography class and am now working on the next level up: learning your DSLR.

Now… back to the Hockey game!

And seriously… how cute is this little peanut?

Sweet Family Session :: Walnut Creek, CA Photographer

jennifer — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 06:08:02 +0000

As we near the end of February (can that be right? how is that possible?!) I’m also nearing the end of my self imposed time off – but I have to admit, I worked A LOT. I don’t know why, but I can’t stop! So even though I may take a few weeks off from shooting, I still work on networking, marketing, and educating myself. I think I like both the business side and the photography side equally. I have no idea how that happened. I thought creative types were supposed to be one or the other… not both. Maybe that’s why I feel like I need a third arm? And with that disclaimer, I shall share yet another session… (even though I should be relaxing and enjoying my last few days of “vacation.”)

This session was fantastic… “why” you ask? Loving people, funny kinds, and nobody ran away from me! Yes, that’s right, I didn’t have to run at all! Now there was a little bit of sassiness as you can see, but that’s totally to be expected, and always worth a good laugh or two! So here they are, a very sweet family that I can’t wait to work with again.

Pssst… see the photo with the mom looking down while carrying her son? Yep. Perfection.

Geek speak: working with glasses can be tricky, especially if they are transition lenses… a tip? Bring up the curves and mask the glass only. And then dup the background layer and dodge the glasses at a low opacity. Works like a charm!

Dr. Ozzie :: Blackhawk, CA Portrait Photographer

jennifer — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 05:56:50 +0000

How many of you got a little excited because you thought the title read Dr. Oz? But stay excited because Dr. Ozzie Jafarnia is equally as fabulous as Dr. Oz – especially if you have kids! She’s a pediatric dentist in Blackhawk, and when I met her I instantly took to her. She’s very kind, warm… and she laughs at my jokes. (How could I not love her?!) Anyhow, we soon started chatting about motherhood and how busy we got when the second baby came along. She was telling me how important it is for her to get pictures of her youngest before she grew out of that precious baby stage. I think all parents can relate to that feeling… time seems to move at warp speed!

So here they are, Dr. Ozzie and her beautiful family! I think their family portrait is my all time favorite. It was one of those magical moments where everyone was in sync with one another. But with kids, these moments rarely last for too long – as you can see by the oldest “brushing” her teeth with her finger… clearly the daughter of a dentist! Too cute!

I hope you’re all getting out to enjoy this warm weather! I keep having to remind myself that it’s about this time of year that I get lulled into a false sense of weather security… the cold and rain aren’t gone for good, and I know I’m going to be caught off guard again!

More family sessions coming up! Plus a beautiful maternity session, so be sure to check back!

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Hello Baby :: Newborn Photography Emeryville, CA

jennifer — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 16:14:58 +0000

This family has been long time clients, so when I got the email that they were expecting baby boy number two, I was excited for two reasons. First, it was a newborn session (I love those!) New life is so precious and sweet. I always feel so honored to be a part of that fleeting moment. And second, I knew the light in their loft. It sounds so photo geeky, but it’s true. Whenever I get a call or email about a newborn session, I immediately wonder about the light in their home. The baby’s room had HUGE windows, so the light was beautiful. You can really see it in the second picture down with his profile. As it turns out, that picture is my favorite. There’s just something about it that makes me stare – maybe it’s his little nose, or the way his tiny hand is curled around his ear… maybe it’s just his overall peacefulness.

Anyhow, this little peanut was too cute. He was gorgeous in every way – super sweet and perfectly chunky – I seriously didn’t want to put him down! He also slept more than I could have possibly hoped for. He was still fast asleep once we moved outside! Of course there is that little moment where he’s crying like mad… almost as if he knew his mama was giving attention to his older brother. They do know, don’t they? Kind of like when you’re on the phone and the quietly playing children suddenly decide it’s time to start WWIII. This, my friends, is why I don’t dare answer the phone when The Crazies are awake. It’s for the greater good.

I hope everyone has a lovely Valentine’s day – I cannot believe spring is nearly here!

And don’t forget about my beginning photography class at the Nurture Center in Lafayette. It’s in two weeks!

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Beginning Photography Class :: The Nurture Center, Lafayette CA

jennifer — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 05:15:42 +0000

I’m very excited to have partnered with The Nurture Center in Lafayette, CA, for a one hour beginning photography class! This class is geared toward anyone wanting to move their photography skills beyond the snapshot. We will study light, location, and composition to help us discover why we love some photos, but don’t like others. Bring your cameras and manuals as we will go over basic camera operation, if time allows. Oh yes, and bring your questions, too! The more questions the better, that’s what I say!

And be sure to pop into the Nurture Center while you’re there – I hadn’t stopped by for quite some time and they’ve gone through some lovely changes. The store has been totally redone and they now carry clothes and toys for older kids. I was pretty impressed by a lot of the items (especially the little baby clothes!) and have added them to my recommended shopping page. I sincerely believe we should shop local as much as possible, so I’m very happy with the new direction of the store.

Please note: Due to an overwhelming response, I decided to increase the class size, which means we have outgrown the Nurture Center’s classroom. The owner of The Dailey Method in Danville, has kindly offered her beautiful studio for the class. Thank you Julie Ligon! With this new space we will have room (and large windows!) for a demo using a 6 month old model.

Saturday Feb. 27th @ 11:30 am

The Dailey Method – Danville, CA

Cost: 35.00

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Early registration is suggested as there are only 10 openings. To register, please contact me (click HERE) and include “photography class registration” in the notes section – you will receive a registration form link via email shortly after.

PLEASE NOTE: this class is not intended for professional photographers or those wanting to turn professional.

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Wedding Photography :: Jasmine Star Style

jennifer — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 04:25:34 +0000

Over the past few years I have been so fortunate to have opportunities to learn from some of the best lifestyle and portrait photographers like Cheryl Muhr, Brianna Graham, Barb Uil of Jinky Art, Joe McNally, and Kevin Kubota (which, for the record, was amazing! He is informative, passionate, and entertaining!) So some time last fall I began the painful process of trying to decide what workshop I wanted to take next. It may sound like an easy decision to make, but workshops are expensive and 9 times out of 10 they involve travel. In my blog-hopping trying to narrow down my picks, I got side tracked (as I often do!) by Jasmine Star’s blog. She’s always so funny and informative that I just get sucked right in. On this day I realized that if I took just one more workshop this year, hers would be the one. I had no idea when it would be and I knew she was in HIGH demand, so I signed up for her newsletter and crossed fingers. The very next day (I kid you not!) I got an email announcing a workshop in the OC… are you serious? I grabbed the phone, made a quick call to my husband and upon hanging up, I registered. I patiently waited to hear back – half expecting that taking a mere 30 minutes to register was 30 minutes too long. Then I got the email saying I was in! Ecstatic doesn’t even begin to express my state of mind. I was beyond thrilled. Her workshop sells out quickly. I know a couple of people who tried just a few hours after seeing the announcement and didn’t make it. So I was feeling very much like this was meant to be!

The workshop did not disappoint. The brilliant Jasmine Star was on fire! She is so vivacious and kind – it was worth every penny to hang out with her for a day. Here are some pictures from the workshop – I’m not a heavy shooter at workshops because I learn best by watching, but I did find some moments I felt that I needed to get. This couple is just gorgeous. Should that be in caps? GORGEOUS! Yes, that’s better. So here’s a little wedding eye candy for you!

Have a fabulous weekend!

xoxo

The details: Bride’s amazing makeup and hair was done by Vivian Tran of All Made Up, and Lauryl Lane did the extra fancy fall bouquet. Someone had asked Jasmine about the bride’s headband and I believe it’s from ETSY. They used a few of them to layer and make the feathers more substantial. Very creative and very beautiful!

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Danville, CA Photography Displays

jennifer — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 05:47:34 +0000

If you follow me on twitter, you’ve probably already seen some pictures of recent displays I’ve had hung around Danville, but I wanted to share a few more! Aren’t they purdy?

When I originally designed the first set for one of my favorite people, Julie Ligon, owner of The Dailey Method in Danville, I had envisioned three large pictures running along the back wall. But after spending some time with it, I decided I really wanted to make a bigger impact. I played around with some ideas I came up with 9 16×16 flush gallery mounts pictures with a black beveled edge. I absolutely love it! I mean LOVE LOVE LOVE it! And these mounts are such a great alternative to frames. They are solid, come ready to hang, and have a super sleek modern look. They are absolutely perfect for her studio!

The second set was a special project for long time clients (wedding, maternity, and newborn sessions) Jenny and Brian Oas of Allstar Swim School. They just redid their swim shack and wanted to include some fun swimming pictures of a few of their clients. I went with white for these gallery mounts and made them a little thinner because they were bigger. I love the colors and the clean look of them. As a side note, my Crazies take swim lessons with Jenny and Brian and I sincerely cannot say enough kind things about this couple. They are amazing at their jobs. People drive from all over the Bay Area to have their kids take lessons here. And I believe they are one of the only swim schools in the area that will start teaching kids as early as 6 months old. Plus they do the ISR (Infant Swimming Resource) training which is a must if you own a pool or have your babies around water a lot.

As always, I hope your weekends were lovely and you were able to get out into the sun!

xoxo

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