Diana Carver Photography

Wright Family - Phoenix, AZ Family Photographer

2012-01-16T11:49:00.000-08:00

Stricker Family - Scottsdale, AZ Family Photographer

2012-01-16T11:17:00.000-08:00

Newborn Kayen - Scottsdale, AZ Newborn Photographer

2012-01-16T11:06:00.000-08:00

Newborn Noah - Phoenix, AZ Newborn Photographer

2012-01-16T10:57:00.000-08:00

Newborn Abigail - Mesa, AZ Newborn Photographer

2011-09-28T00:23:00.000-07:00

Winner is...

2011-09-24T00:25:00.000-07:00

The winner is...

Thank to everyone!

Abigail's Birth - Phoenix AZ Birth Photographer

2011-09-19T21:53:00.000-07:00

This is definitely one of my favorite sessions! I'm so excited to share these pictures. This was Larry and Melanie's fourth, and possibly their last, baby. Larry is a fellow photographer and wanted to take a more active role in the delivery, so I was honored when they asked me to take their birth pictures. Larry had previously arranged with the doctor to help deliver their baby. For those who are wondering, first, the doctor delivered the head and then Larry basically took it from there. (Doctor was right there the whole time.) I'm not sure who was more excited for this moment... me or the parents.

So on Saturday I received a call in the evening letting me know that Melanie was being induced and because of how they were going to induce her, the baby probably wouldn't be born until the afternoon of the following day. Just to be safe, I decided to go to bed with my clothes on and good thing I did! The next call came in at 2:25-ish a.m., Melanie was in active labor and was progressing fast. I hurried and jumped in the car. I was anxious the whole way to the hospital hoping I wouldn't miss it. Well, I got there with some time to spare and Baby Abigail was born at 3:54am. Truly an amazing experience for the parents! In the images of the delivery dad is on the right. I LOVE the images captured! I especially love how you can see the raw moments in time... the joy in dad's face and him presenting their new baby girl to his wife. Ahhhh, I seriously wish I had pictures like these to document the birth of my own three children, these are just a few of the images captured. Thank you Larry and Melanie for entrusting me to capture this marvelous moment in your lives!

Giveaway!

2011-09-14T07:37:00.000-07:00

Finally, it's starting to feel like it might be the end of 110+ degree weather here is Arizona. Waking up to this weather is really making me want it to be winter, if you can call it that here, it should be fall. There's no snow just beautiful weather for a good 4-6 months out of the year. This is why we live here and enduring an inferno the rest of the year.

So today I woke up in a very giving mood! I've decided to do a Giveaway!!! I've decided to give away a free session and a CD!

HOW TO ENTER CONTEST

-Send a picture to me at dcarverphoto@gmail.com by Sunday, Sept 19th. I will then post them to a special contest album on my Facebook page Monday, Sept 20th. Voting will begin immediately!

-If you haven't yet, join my Facebook page.

-Ask people (your friends, family, co-workers, etc.) to "like" their favorite picture (i.e. YOURS!)

-Votes are counted as likes on each individual image/entry. A person must like Diana Carver Photography on Facebook in order to like a photo.

-Voting will continue through Friday, Sept. 23rd! Winner will be announced on Saturday, Sept
24th!

Submitted images must be of at least one member of the family. (No professional pictures)

THE PRIZE!

The winner will receive:

-a 1 hour complimentary photo shoot

-a CD with 20 fully edited high resolution pictures with a print release!

-a private online gallery to share with family and friends

The session must take place in local areas to Phoenix Metro and be redeemed by the Dec. 2011. A signed model release will also be required prior to the session. **This giveaway excludes Newborn sessions since those take 2-3 hours and sometimes even more.**

Let the fun begin!

How to Select a Photographer - Phoenix AZ Family Photographer

2011-09-13T21:44:00.000-07:00

In this day and age where everyone seems to own a DSLR and calls themselves a photographer how can you pick someone that knows what they are doing? A professional. I thought I would write a series on tips for those who value photography and want to know how to pick the right photographer. Why do some photographers charge more than others? Well, why does a Lexus cost more than a Kia? Quality, luxury, reliability, performance, and comfort are just some of the reasons. Just like with cars there is a wide array of photographers, from amateur to professional photographer, but just because someone calls themselves a professional photographer does not mean they are a professional.

So tip number ONE is to look at their work! Many photographers have websites, Facebook Pages and blogs. These are great places to look through their previous work. Photographers like to display their best work on these sites and it will also give you a feel for their style as a photographer. Make sure the style of their work matches your style and vision for your photographs.

Tip number TWO, and maybe it should be number one, make sure their images are sharp! It amazes me how many people pay "professional photographers" and they don't get sharp images. This comes with skill. Sure we all get blurred images at times, but I would never sell them to my clients. Here's an example from one of my recent shoots. Sometimes focusing on newborn's eyes is tricky because there's not a lot of contrast. Both pictures have gone through my sharpening process. The top picture is soft, the bottom picture is sharp and the eyes are in focus.

Tip number THREE. Although being able to take great pictures is a must you also want a photographer that is dependable. I can't tell you how many times I've had people tell me other photographers have cancelled on them multiple times or they are hard to get a hold of. Service is important. Getting your pictures in a timely manner is important. We usually take our official family pictures at least once or twice a year. I'm just as excited as my clients to see how they turned out, share with family and friends, and hang them in our home. Most photographers will have your pictures done within 2-3 weeks (not including weddings). So don't undermine dependability and great service or you might get stuck with a bad experience.

I hope this is helpful, I'd loooove to hear your feedback. Let me know what you think. If you have an opinion on what you look for in a photographer I'd like to hear that as well. I'll write some more tips over the next couple of weeks.

What to Wear - Phoenix AZ Family Photographer

2011-08-30T09:07:00.000-07:00

This is one of the questions that gets asked by almost every client... What should I wear? Corina Nielson shared these wonderful tips I thought you guys would love to read. This is a great time to start thinking about you and your family are going to wear for those family pictures!

Coordinate outfits

Now this doesn’t mean everyone has to 100% match with khaki pants or jeans and a white shirt! You want to complement each other’s outfits by choosing colors that work well together. I find that if everyone is wearing the same clothing, people will all tend to blend in together and there won’t be too much pop and life to the images. Coordinate VS. Matching…. let’s not get cheesy!

Use colors & patterns

Colors are everywhere around us and bring things to life… why not bring your images to life as well! Again, be sure the colors you use coordinate with each other and you don’t just end up looking like one big rainbow family! When picking patterns, choose smaller ones that won’t distract attention away from the main subject/s. Use patterns sparingly…. if one person is wearing a print, try to avoid putting someone else in a competing pattern. When thinking about texture, choose different ones that will give photos some interest such as lace, corduroy, denim, etc. Avoid large logo’s, emblems and graphics like “GAP” and “Old Navy” because again, these will typically distract attention away from the subject. We want your faces and emotion to show, not promote the clothing company you purchased from!

Be timeless

For some fashionista’s, this may be a difficult concept, however you are going to want these images to stand the test of time. Pick outfits that aren’t t considered too trendy, but will be able to be enjoyed and displayed for many years to come. One example of something that is timeless is jeans… classic look and style yet you can still incorporate your own flair into the outfit with your tops and accessories. Still be YOU, never forget that!

Let your personalities SHINE

Perhaps the most important “rule” in my book. The purpose of these photos is to hopefully capture each individual as they truly are, to capture the family, the relationships, and people in the photos just as THEY are. Forcing children to wear outfits that are uncomfortable and unfamiliar to them may cause some anxiety and stress to them which in turn will inhibit really capturing their personalities during the session. Same goes for adults. Wear clothing that YOU feel good in and the pictures will emanate those feelings. If your child wears a pair of rain boots everywhere he goes, it makes the most sense to have him wear them for pictures as well. Remember, you want to capture everyone as they are NOW. Capture these moments as they are!

Dress for the season & location

Obviously you want your images to make sense. One typically wouldn’t be wearing jeans, boots, and a jacket to the beach in the Summer so why would you for pictures? Dress the part and be aware of your location. For example, if you are shooting at the beach, ladies wear a pretty dress and sandals, put dad in a short sleeve shirt and shorts OR pants (which you can also roll up), put your little girl in a sweet Spring or Summer dress, etc. You will want to make sure that everyone is on the same page and coordinates in both colors AND styles.

Layering

One of my favorite “tips” for clothing choices! In the Summer months, this may be more difficult to pull off but during all of the other seasons, definitely layer your outfits. Not only will it provide more visual interest in each photo but it will also allow a lot more variety in your shots and poses. Have a ton of images of yourself in just your dress or cute top and jeans? Throw on a little sweater or jacket and a hat and you have entirely different look.

Personalize It

These are YOUR images and of course you want them to speak volumes about you and your family. Discuss things your family enjoys doing together and bring “props” and accessories that will help compliment who you are. If your family enjoys playing music together, bring your instruments to your session. If your family enjoys boating, suggest doing your session on a boat or at the very least near the water. Bring along items that will represent who each individual is AND who your family is collectively.

Remember where you came from

Typically, not something everyone will keep in mind before their session. However, I always encourage clients to think about their home, their decor,colors, style and feel of their homes. Chances are, at some point after your session, you will be ordering prints or digital files. Why not keep your decor in mind and ensure that it all blends into your home. This will ensure that any large portraits will coordinate beautifully.

Plan ahead

Make sure you have given yourself enough time to think about all of the details of your session. Plan ahead so that #1 you can truly think about your photos and everything you want out of the session, #2 you aren’t rushing and stressing out right before your session, and #3 if you have decided to go for a new look for your session or someone gets a bad haircut, you still have time to fix things if you need to.

Keep make up natural, but definitely use a little color

You will want to avoid using very heavy makeup, but a bit of color on your lips, eyes, and cheeks will help bring you to life in photos. Be sure to bring some lip gloss with you as well. Don’t risk getting drowned out!

Outfit changes

If time allows it, bring another set of outfits. Again, you will get a lot more variety in your shots so why not capitalize on the opportunity and get the most bang for your buck!

Ladies & their shoes

I'm all for a sassy pair of shoes, however they may make for a very long and painful session. If you plan on wearing heels, be sure to bring a pair of flats or flip flops that can help you get from point A to point B without any pain. You can just swap them out as you need to.

If I were building outfits for my family this is how I would do it:

Keeping your location and season in mind, start with one person. Don’t try and think of everyone at the same time. I find that mom or a little girl makes the most sense since they would typically be the ones wearing a print. So mom will be wearing a floral print dress (small pretty pattern that is).
Now move on to the next person. You will be pulling colors from mom’s dress so begin to think about who in the family would look good in what colors. Dad doesn’t look so good in XYZ since it tends to drown out the tone in his skin. Let’s pick ABC for him instead. And so on.
Then start to come up with ideas to personalize the session. A little boy may have a security blanket or teddy bear he never parts with…. be sure to bring that with you. The little girl may like crafting so have her make a cute matching headband or clip for her hair. Mom loves tulips… on your way to the session pick some up. Make thoughtful choices and be sure to discuss the ideas with your photographer! Believe me, most are full of ideas however, it’s always nice when the family helps and truly ensures a “custom” session.

Alexa - Phoenix, AZ Newborn Phototgrapher

2011-08-28T22:27:00.000-07:00

Some of you might remember a Newborn Contest we did back in March. I'm so happy to announce Alexa was born earlier this month! Her parents had been trying to have a baby for 10 years and she's the answer to their prayers. She was a doll and did great during our session, slept most of the time. I feel so lucky to be part of their journey and document this joyous time in their lives. Here are just some of her pictures from our session...

Mermaid Under the Sea Party - Children's Party Photographer Gilbert AZ

2011-08-24T17:38:00.000-07:00

This Mermaid Under the Sea Party was designed by Mindy from Mimi Marie Design. for her 5 year old daughter! So fun! I loved photographing all the details. Mimi Marie Design offers several sevices including logo and party design. Check her out!

Photography: Diana Carver Photography

Custom Mermaid Tutu: Atutudes Handmade Tutus

Custom Lucky Bracelet: The Lucky Elephant

Fondant Seashells: Tradewind Tiaras

Mermaid Cookies and Seashell Cookies (on table): Tradewind Tiaras

Seashell Cookie Favors: The Sweetest Thing

Grape Custom Labeled Sunblock: Moodylicious Children’s Spa

Seashell Soap Favor: Bugs and Bubbles Soap Co.

Sand Castle Lollipops: Tradewind Tiaras

Octopus Cake Pops: Cake Pop Fusion

Mermaid Tail: Tradewind Tiaras

Party Design and paper displays: Mimi Marie Design

At the Beach

2011-07-06T09:19:00.001-07:00

We spent our 4th of July at the beach! It was so fun and I loved the kids expressions when we told them where we were going. They were so excited they couldn't stop talking about it. The boys are now old enough to remember previous experiences at the beach, but this was only Ashley's second time and she just turned two.

We had to take a few pictures before they got in the water when we got there. Spencer kept telling me as we were driving there that I would only get one picture. lol

I love this picture, this shows just how hesitant she was to going into the water. Sad to say, but she didn't like the beach.

Tyler helped them build a fort, should have taken a picture of the finished project before the wave came in a knocked it down.

Priceless smile. All he wanted to do everyday was swim, swim, swim!

And this is how I spent most of my time at the beach... with Ashley wrapped in a towel on my lap. That's the only place she wanted to be.

How the boys warmed up.

Tracy's Party Planning - Gilbert AZ Photographer

2011-07-06T00:17:00.000-07:00

I'm back, summer has been going great and I'm enjoying my time with the kids at home. I'm dreading August a bit when my oldest begin kindergarten. I will be posting soon some of our summer activities, yes activities, even in this 110+ degrees in AZ. I'm falling behind some of my blogging because... well I'm a mom first. :) And I will never have this precious time again. But I thought this was so fun and creative that I thought I should post! Tracy Stringer is the designer and she did such a fun and creative baby shower for a friend of hers. Here are just some of her amazing creations!

Newborn Colton - Chandler Newborn Photographer

2011-06-14T09:11:00.000-07:00

Photographing this newborn was certainly a treat! This 4 day old newborn belongs to a wonderful friend of mine. His two older brothers are super excited to have him join the gang, you may remember them from this previous session. Their house if full of all kinds of boy toys ready for him to play with. So, when I showed up for our session the boys had left their play mat along with cars, trains and planes where out. How much "boy" can you get?!

He gave me lots of sweet baby smiles!

Fun Times

2011-06-01T22:33:00.000-07:00

We've had so much going on lately. Recently my oldest graduated preschool. Felt so weird to think he wasn't going to be in preschool and was moving on to kindergarten. He's been in preschool since a couple weeks shy of his third birthday. I remember thinking how he was going to be in preschool for 2 and a half years and *puff* here we are. He's had an amazing teacher and I'm so lucky and grateful to have found her. He's learned so much and I'm feeling confident that he's ready for what's next. Here are some pics from his graduation.

We also went bowling on Memorial Day. I've been wanting to do this for a while and was going back and worth on whether our kids where ready for this. Finally our friends asked us to go with them and we couldn't turn down the invitation. :) They loved it and got the hang of it quickly. They didn't even use the ramp thing they give kids to bowl with.

Check out Spencer's form...

Can you tell he was happy?

Even my soon to be 2 year old wanted to bowl and enjoyed it!

This picture cracks me up with Scott's determination...

LOVE this picture! Just wish Spencer would have been there.

Smith Family - Tempe, AZ Family Photographer

2011-05-16T20:18:00.000-07:00

Had so much at this family photo session. Besides Laura being a friend of mind and knowing her children they were so awesome and didn't make me run around after them. Which I usually do with little kids. :) Here are some of my favorite pictures of their family...

Cousins - Tempe AZ Children Photographer

2011-04-28T09:07:00.000-07:00

You might remember baby Rylee from here. Well, this time she brought her adorable cousins with her...

This picture cracks me up. I was talking to her as I was taking pictures of her and then all of the sudden she bust out with this face. lol

Todd and Heather's Engagement Session - Phoenix AZ Wedding Photographer

2011-04-27T10:20:00.000-07:00

This was a fun engagement photo session on South Mountain. Todd's family at one point owned the land we took pictures on. Now it's Todd and Heather's extended backyard as it's only walking distance from their home. It was a beautiful and peaceful place with lots of wild life. These two were definitely a treat, they were fun and goofy. I can't wait to photograph their wedding in Nov., but for now enjoy some of their engagement pictures!

Tempe AZ Family Photographer

2011-04-20T23:45:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I blogged about how I had gone to downtown Tempe scouting locations. Before I showed up at the session I had a vision on what we were going to do. But as we started walking I spotted a location that I hadn't seen. So half of what I had planned for our session went out the window. But sometimes you just have to go where the inspiration takes you. Here are some of the pictures...

I normally prefer photos as they are and not overly processed. I think this is a timeless look and won't ever go out of style. But as I processed this image and I felt like it called for a vintage look. Something sweet and I'm loving how it turned out.

Newborn Jameson - Mesa, AZ Newborn Photographer

2011-04-13T10:19:00.000-07:00

I'm not going to lie, I didn't want to leave this session. Jameson was a perfect newborn. No peeing or pooing occurred during our session and he was such an awesome sleeper. Ah, just perfect and snugly! Here are some of his newborn pictures we captured...

Lost Baby Tooth - Mesa, AZ Family Photographer

2011-03-31T13:25:00.000-07:00

After two weeks knowing that Spencer was about to lose his first tooth... it finally happened and I cried. The thought that his little baby smile was gone forever it put into perspective how much he's changed and really growing up.

On Tuesday he came up to me crying because he'd been fighting with his little brother. Then all of the sudden I noticed he had blood dripping down his chin. I asked him if his tooth fell off, but he said no. So, I checked and sure enough it was gone. I had to retrace his steps, but thank goodness we found the tooth. He felt like such a big boy and was so excited to have to Tooth Fairy visit our house. Here's his new smile...

Birthday Party - Chandler AZ Familiy Photographer

2011-03-28T10:12:00.000-07:00

Lebby emailed me a few weeks back wanting to schedule a photo session, she mentioned how 2 of her kids and her were having birthdays in April and wanted to have balloons, hats, and cupcakes. She also said she wanted to bring some games. I got really excited with her idea and just brought a few more props. I knew she trusted me from working with her twice before. (click here to see one of her sessions.)

They played with bubbles, Uno Attack, ate cupcakes and were silly. It was really so fun to capture how they are together as a family at this time and talking to the kids and seeing how they've changed in the past year. I left the session feeling very much like I was leaving a party. So here are just a few pictures to try to tell the story...

Can you tell who won?!

Tempe Town Lake - Tempe AZ Family Photographer

2011-03-24T20:45:00.000-07:00

Today I went scouting in downtown Tempe for ideas on future photo sessions. I did this last year, but it's always nice to look at things from a different perspective. My friend Amy and I both have sessions scheduled there soon so we loaded up the gang and headed to downtown Tempe. We spent most of the afternoon chasing after our kids, laughing and brainstorming.

Here are the boys burning up some energy...
Spencer said "Mom, mom look at me, take a picture"

Spencer is about to lose his front bottom tooth, so this will probably be one of his last pictures with his baby smile! The tooth is even to the side... that's how loose it is! Makes me sooo sad.
More running around...

"Mom look at me, see what I can do? Take a picture"
Scary face... Ok, I'm starting to see this quickly becoming a Spencer photo session. ha!
We ended up at the beach, yes there's a beach in downtown Tempe. Not big, probably about 100 feet long, but a beach nonetheless. Here's Amy taking a pic of her little girl.
I should post some pictures from our last adventure scouting out places. It seems that we always end up by a body of water with my boys soaked, naked, and cold! This was just the beginning. I reminded them how cold they were last time, but of course they didn't listen. Thankfully, I found extra clothes in our car to have them change in to.
Ashley wanted to get in so bad, she even took off her diaper because she saw her brothers' getting undressed.
"Not too bad..."
"Maybe if we raise our pants this time we won't be cold..."
About 20 minutes after they started playing in the water we noticed a dead fish. Yuck! It must have been there for a while because brave Amy tried to move it and she was grossed out that it felt hollow. I was just grossed out to see it. lol
Until our next adventure!

Birthday Party - Chandler AZ Familiy Photographer

2011-03-24T09:57:00.000-07:00

Normally, I post my first sneak peek on Facebook, but Facebook messes with the colors of the photos sometimes. And this is one of those times and I couldn't stand it. So here's what it's suppose to look like. :)