DFP Photography

Graduation is Near {Mansfield, Ohio Seniors Photographer}…

2013-05-17T01:45:42Z

I’ve been waiting since last fall to shoot these two Seniors again. You might remember this session from the fall. These two were so very polite and nice the first time that I photographed them. Nothing has changed in those few months. They are still so nice and kind.

Another thing that’s the same… the camera loves this sweet girl. She just looks gorgeous in her photos!

Her brother did great as well and I loved that I was able to capture his true smile…

These two have bright futures ahead of them… for that I am sure…

I wish you two all the best in the future… it was such a pleasure to have met and worked with you all! Thank you for allowing me the opportunity.

Motherly Love {Mansfield, Ohio Family and Child Photographer}…

2013-05-12T20:32:12Z

I hadn’t set out to post this sneak peek today. In fact, I was planning on a pretty lazy day spending Mother’s Day with my family. But then I just felt like I needed to get this Sneak Peek up today… on the perfect day to show it… Mother’s Day. Because most of this session is to celebrate a Mother’s (or Mothers’) love.

Actually, even getting the honor of doing this session happened by a complete stroke of luck. The daughter in the above photo contacted me about doing a photo session. She contacted me on a Thursday. She told me that she would like it done as soon as possible. Time was of the essence. The day before she contacted me, I was contacted by a client for which I had a session planned for that Saturday. She contacted me telling me she needed to reschedule. I told this Momma that and that I thought we could do it that night. She jumped at the chance to take that Saturday evening time slot (and still somehow found a way to get them all matched in two days’ time). Saturday came and the weather was a bit windy but absolutely gorgeous.

I was relaying all of this to my own mom and she told that this session then was just meant to be because it all happened so perfectly.

Maybe even a small miracle that it worked out so perfectly and came together so easily.

And this family… well, they were hilarious. I mean absolutely hilarious. They laughed and joked with each other the entire session. They cracked each other up, acted silly and enjoyed each other’s company.

They also showed they know how to love…

In a rare moment of not joking and laughing, the patriarch of the family asked me how long my husband and I were married… then, of course, joking at what babies we still were in the marriage game, with a mere 9 years under our belt. He proudly told me that he and his wife had been married 46 years.

This is what 46 years looks like…

So on this Mother’s Day, it seemed only fitting to show and celebrate this Mother’s/Grandmother’s obvious love for her family…

Thank you all for being so easy to work with, on such a short timeframe. Thank you for being so fun. Thank you for your laughter and your joking. Thank you for you all being you. Thank you to the Daughter/Mother for realizing the importance of being in photos with her kiddos. Thank you for letting me be a part of a small miracle. Thank you for putting your trust in me during this time in your lives. Thank you .

xoxo

Superman, Mud Puddles and Love {Mansfield, Ohio Child Photographer}…

2013-05-11T01:30:30Z

I was so excited when these adorable kiddos’ mom contacted me regarding doing a session with them. For one, I’ve always loved the way she dresses the little girl. I mean, seriously… is she not adorable?

Second, I hadn’t seen this Momma for several years so I was excited to catch up for a few minutes. Lastly, they were coming in for the weekend all the way from Louisiana. Yes, you read that right, Louisiana!! I was so honored she wanted to utilize part of her short time here by having me take these photos.

Because they were here for such a short period of time, we literally had just a couple of hours to make this work. All week the weather looked perfect. And then, of course, on the actual date it was dark and gloomy and wanted to rain. In fact, it even did rain. But we adapted and went with it… and it worked out perfectly…

Who ever said little girls in pretty clothing couldn’t love mud puddles? She had so much fun jumping and jumping and jumping!!

While the little guy didn’t love the mud puddles quite as much as his sister did, he did love playing with some trains…

And look how adorable they are together…

If you have read this blog for any length of time, you’ll know I say that I always have a favorite part of every session. Each session is truly unique, from the age group, personal style to the desires of the session. This one was no different. There were a few things I loved about this session but the thing that stands out the most, is how relaxed Momma and Dad were during this session. In fact, they told the kiddos to come with me and they completely stayed on the sideline. We just went on our way all by ourselves. It was so wonderful. We got to hang out and the kids got to just be themselves with no pressure to do the “perfect” thing during a session. That’s when I usually get my favorite images… when everyone’s relaxed and actually not perfect!

So thank you all for spending time with me while you were here from Louisiana. Thank you for being so relaxed and even hands off. Thank you for rolling with the punches with the weather changes. Just a big ole’ Thanks .

Preserving a Moment in Time {Mansfield, Ohio Family Photographer}…

2013-04-23T17:19:08Z

If you have followed DFP Photography for any length of time, you will know that I initially developed an interest in learning photography so that I could capture the moments of my children’s lives. Moments in time that I wanted to cherish forever. I was never as happy that I developed this interest than I was last July, when I had the opportunity to capture my boys with their Granddad. I would not be exaggerating to say that not a day goes by {literally… not a day} that I do not look at a photo or two from that session and say a silent prayer of thanks… thanks to allowing us that day, thanks to capturing that day and thanks for preserving that moment in time for my boys.

Because of that day in July, when I was approached by a friend regarding a session for this family it just seemed right. I so wanted to do it. I so wanted to capture their family… and their moment in time. I wanted to give that gift to their son… to all of them.

I send all my clients a questionnaire before their sessions because I want to discover what exactly they are wanting in a session. When I got back this family’s questionnaire… I just loved it. The Momma simply wanted me to capture the love of her family. She wanted the love to show in their photos. When I saw this, I especially wanted to capture her love for her son.

I loved how he wasn’t afraid to show his affection for his Momma. I promised him a few of the photos would be “for family viewing only” but, yet, you can so see the love in the ones I’ve chosen to sneak peak.

As you can see, this Momma-Son duo made it so easy. Actually, the whole family did. They loved, they laughed, they teased. They even listened to me when I said to act naturally and forget the camera was present. They made my job so very easy!

Momma and Dad seem pretty in love as well…

I did hear, however, that the Momma-Son photo has gotten less “likes” on Facebook, much to Son’s chagrin. Apparently he’s trying to beat out his dad for most likes. So, would you mind helping him out? If you’d love to help, feel free to jump on over to Facebook and “like” he and his mom’s photo… see if it can help put him on top .

Thank you to your family for allowing me the honor to catch this moment in time. Thank you for giving me your vision and allowing me to run with it. Thank you for trusting me with these oh-so-important memories. Thank you for allowing me to witness your love…even a few of those “for family viewing only” moments! Thank you!

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While I didn’t want this to be the sole focus of the post… I will tell you that Momma {and family} is going through a very rough time. She was recently diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). While her body has weakened, her spirit and resolve are strong. But she could use your help, both in terms of prayers and financial support. A benefit is planned in Mansfield, Ohio for this coming Saturday, April 27. If you are interested in more information, please follow this link. If you are interested in making a financial donation, please follow this link. Thank you!

Auction {Mansfield, Ohio Family & Child Photographer… and Friend}…

2013-03-13T00:43:26Z

It’s funny how time changes things. Growing up I lived in a neighborhood where I was fortunate to have many neighbors that had children my age. So I always had a lot of activities to keep me occupied after school and in the summers. Our home was on an acre. Not huge, but we didn’t have neighbors looking into our back living room window either. It was a great place to grow up! Behind us was a house that had 2 girls. I knew they lived there but they were a fair amount younger than me so I didn’t really know them.

Fast forward 20 years… and one of the girls, Emily, and I have children almost the exact same age… including our youngest sons, who are in the same preschool class this year. I don’t know if she realized the connection to our old neighborhood, but I did immediately. Last year when our two youngest weren’t preschool age yet we would see each other when dropping off our oldest sons. We always said a polite “Hi” to each other. She was always so friendly and cheerful.

Even with her never-ending friendliness and cheerfulness I knew it had been a rough year for her. I knew she had lost her sister, Katy, to melanoma. And my heart broke for her.

I continued to see her on a very regular basis this year… and she continues to be as cheerful and friendly as always.

In the last year, a Foundation was then started to honor Katy. I had heard awhile back the Foundation was having a fundraiser. I knew I wanted to be a part of it and was thankful I had something to offer.

So… if you are looking for something to do this Saturday… I suggest checking this out…

The Foundation has many awesome things to auction off… including a Mini-Session from DFP Photography. Other items include a 31 lunch bag and tote donated from my sweet cousin, Kim, who lost a dear friend to melanoma in September. {You can find a full list of items here.}

So if you were thinking about a session with DFP Photography this year and want to help a great cause… or if you just want to help a great cause… I hope you’ll think of heading to this auction on Saturday.

Thanks Everyone! xoxo

Relaxin… {Mansfield, Ohio Child Photographer… and Mommy!}…

2013-02-24T03:39:27Z

Some days you just have to take time to lay in the bed, watch the Wiggles and play the guitar…

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Make sure you stay up to date with DFP Photography. You can find DFP on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Please do not just rely on Facebook… you are not guaranteed to see the posts on the site. However, you’ll never miss a post or a sneak peak if you subscribe by email to this website! {I promise not to clog your inbox}.

Photography…to Me… {Mansfield, Ohio Mom & Photography Lover}…

2013-01-16T04:12:31Z

Isn’t it funny how something is right in front of you for so long but yet it takes you years to know it is actually there. For me that something is photography.

For years I was the girl with the camera… for as long as I can look back. You know those disposable cameras… the people at CVS knew me well! And I distinctly remember in high school that there was a man who took photos during all the basketball games… he would let me use his camera to take photos of the guys playing. College… well, lets just say I have several photos for which I’m thankful daily that Facebook did not exist during that time of my life . I continued to take photos all through law school and the beginnings of our marriage and the subsequent births of our children. One of my best friends even has a candid shot I took at her wedding as a large gallery wrap on her wall. I have more photos then I know what to do with, but I love them all for one reason or another. Yet, during that entire time I never considered myself a photographer. I don’t think I even really understood that I had a love of photography… it just seemed natural to have a camera in my hand without ever analyzing why it felt that way.

And then I saw her work… and I knew! I knew I had to have her take our photos. I’m not even sure I cared what it cost… I just knew I had to have photos from her… so we did…

It’s like it just clicked in my brain… that is when I realized my full and deep love of photography… of wanting both for me to capture moments of our family and also to have someone else do it. And so over the years we have continued to have photos taken by our wonderful photographer, Priscilla Baierlien of Priscilla Baierlien Photography.

Including my youngest child’s newborn photos, when he was a mere 8 days old…

And then again 10 months later…

What transpired from those sessions was even more surprising to me… we became friends. Very good friends. And I believe you can tell it in our photos… because my family has a comfort and ease when Cilla is taking our photos. I know that first session I worried so much about acting natural… you know, pretending the camera wasn’t there when we all knew it was. I wanted to make sure we gave her enough material to get the “perfect’ shot. But then I saw the results and worried for nothing… she captured moments I didn’t even know she was capturing… catching the perfect moments of our family. Us being natural by just being us.

And now… well, I have no nerves with Cilla… even when our youngest is freezing cold and cries through the majority of our session, just wanting to go home. Never once did I worry about the final product because we just went on our way… did our thing… comforted him, played with him and tried to get him to laugh… things we would normally do, there just so happened to be a camera present.

We feel so comfortable with Cilla that she is even able to capture moments like these… he always loves to ham it up for her…

So that got me thinking and here’s what I’ve realized…

Find a photographer whose work you admire. Have them do your shoot… and then grab on to that photographer . You’ll be amazed at what happens next… a friendship will form. A comfort level will be present. You won’t worry so much about the “perfect” photo… it will just happen because you are comfortable with your photographer. And sometimes the photographer will even be able to catch similar moments at every session…
The photographer I described in #1 is worth the extra money. I’ve been like everyone else… I’ve done the chain photography. I will be the first to admit that there is a time and place for it. Yet, I can look at a photo and tell exactly which place took it because there is no originality. Plus, you won’t get the added attention to detail… the relationship with your photographer, the painstaking and perfection-seeking editing to present a photo that perfectly shows your family’s personality and the customer service. Even if that means you do one session a year, versus three… it is so worth it!
Let your photographer know what you want, while also trusting their vision. We want to work with you and give you a session you love . Like the guitar and bike above… my husband {and now sons} love to play the guitar. And that bike has a lot of significance to our family. I really wanted to incorporate them both in sessions. I let Cilla know and she immediately jumped on board, figuring out ways to use them effectively. I loved that I offered an idea for the session but then trusted her vision to incorporate the objects however she saw fit.
Relax and enjoy the session! You’ve prepared and thought about the session often… figuring out clothing and what you want out of the session. At session time, just enjoy your family. It seems odd to try and forget the camera is there, but it’s okay if you do. You don’t always have to all be smiling and looking at the camera at the same time. In fact, some of my very favorite session photos I have done are ones where the family is not looking at me… but, instead, looking at each other and interacting with each other… that catches the real you and your family.
Get in the photos with your kiddos . Don’t always be behind the camera. Admittedly, I struggle with this. BUT, I’ve been working on it and is why I am steadfast in my desire to have Cilla take our photos on a regular basis. I know 25 years from now my kids won’t care that I thought I weighed too much or my hair wasn’t perfect. Instead, they will love that I was proudly at their soccer game or sharing a bite of their birthday cake with them or holding their hand while they are freezing at a session. That is all that matters.
Get those photos up on the walls. My husband would say I’m a bit obsessed with this piece of the pie. I love framed photos and my current absolute loves are gallery wraps and standouts. I love seeing the photos, the moments in time, on a daily basis. I joke we need to buy a bigger house {not going to happen} or finish our basement {will happen someday} just so I can display more photos .

I never set out to be a photographer. When I bought my first DSLR camera, with Cilla’s advice and guidance, I did it to take more photos of my children. But, well, a fire lit under me and I just knew this was a passion that wasn’t going to go away. So here I am… and I owe it all to a photographer… whose style I fell in love with… and whom became a friend!

{PS – I’m already planning our next session with her… because even though we are 250 miles apart… I just cannot imagine someone else taking our family’s photos!}

And that to me…is photography

{all photos taken by Priscilla Baierlein Photography… no reproduction without permission is allowed}

2013 Session Information {Mansfield, Ohio Family, Child and Senior Photographer}…

2013-01-08T02:32:26Z

Hi Everyone

I hope you are having a great start to 2013. Our 2013 has kept us very busy, but I would not have it any other way.

I am so thankful to all of you for a wonderful 2012. As I have said before, it exceeded every expectation I had for DFP Photography’s first year in business. I was blown away and honored at all of those who put their trust in me to capture their child’s or family’s special moments. I honestly had a favorite aspect of every single session that I did. And my favorite compliment was so many of the families saying they can’t wait to work with me and DFP Photography again this year. That’s music to this photographer’s ears and is the highest form of flattery.

As 2013 is upon us, I am so excited to announce the 2013 pricing and session dates. You can find all the information here.

I am expecting these sessions, especially mini-sessions, to fill quickly this year. As such, if you are interested in one of these sessions or one of these pre-determined locations, please let me know as soon as possible so we can get your spot reserved. I am also this year offering dedicated Senior Sessions and the brand new A Moment in Time Sessions. I am so excited for these additions to DFP Photography. If those are not exactly what you are looking for, I am still offering a regular full session. Like last year, I am only accepting a limited number of sessions every month, so that I can offer the customer service for which I strive. That is why it is especially important to get your session reserved because once they are full, they are full.

As always, if you have absolutely any questions about any of the sessions, including which one would be perfect for your family and/or child(ren), please do not hesitate to contact me. I am always happy to answer any questions you may have. Usually the quickest response will be by email. You can find me at dawn{at}dfpphotography.com.

Thanks everyone! I can’t wait for a wonderful 2013!

Tree Farm Revisited {Mansfield, Ohio Family and Children Photographer}…

2012-12-28T02:45:15Z

I’ve been so excited to show these images, but wanted to wait until this family’s Christmas cards were out. And now that they are out… get ready to see some seriously adorable images!

Ones like this…

And this…

And do you recognize that sweet little lady? It’s been so fun to watch her grow up this first year of her life. You’ve previously seen her here and here. I’m so honored her Momma allowed me to capture such exciting moments of her first year. She is just absolutely precious!

And I was so excited to finally do a family session with these wonderful friends…

They are a very fun family to watch interact. Very sweet and nice. And you can tell their parenting is 100% a team effort.

Yes, I know I’m going completely overboard on images from this session but, well, since they have already received their images and I love them so much, I’m sharing away So here are a few more…

Thank you all for being so awesome in the year 2012. I find it only fitting that I end my 2012 session images with an image from your family. Thank you all for working around your schedule to get to this session. Thank you all for allowing me to capture the moments of your adorable family! I have so much fun working with you all!

Naturals {Mansfield, Ohio Family & Child Photographer}…

2012-11-13T04:01:01Z

For every session I do I always walk away with a favorite aspect of that session. This family I have done two sessions with and I have walked away from both sessions feeling the exact same way… that they make my job so easy, that they are complete naturals.

They define my style… capturing the perfectly imperfect moments of their lives by just being themselves. By not posing. By not being stiff. By just interacting and being themselves.

They are not a family that I have to pose much or create ways for them to interact. They just do it. They are complete naturals!! You can see their joy in just spending time together.

PS… this is one of my very favorite images… ever!

And Momma… she is a preschool teacher. As my son would call her, she is the “front of the line teacher.” Her daughter might say she teaches “just preschool.” You can just tell she is a teacher. She is sweet and she has the best laugh in the world. Her daughter does something and Momma just so sweetly laughs. A completely joyful and pride-filled laugh.

And I find myself behind the lens smiling. It’s infectious.

Not to forget Dad… he’s a great guy too. His little girl is clearly wrapped around his finger and he has a quiet kindness about him.

The only thing I don’t like about this family’s sessions? And I literally mean THE ONLY thing… is that we have such fun and they are such naturals that I have the hardest time narrowing down their images. I always have so many good ones to choose from… with this time being no exception.

Thank you all for putting your trust in me when I was so very new (they were like my second session ever). Thank you for coming back again this year. Thank you for sharing your adorable little girl with me… she might start out shy but by the end she is always rocking it. Thank you all for making my job so very easy. Thank you for sharing your clearly wonderful relationship. Thank you all for just being so natural… simply, for being you! I adore you all. xoxo.

Are you interested in seeing their prior session? If so, you can click here.

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Make sure you stay up to date with DFP Photography. You can find DFP on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. You can also subscribe by email so that you never miss a post! {I promise not to clog your inbox}