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1. You don't have to give birth in the hospital.

Giving birth at home or in a birth center can provide a more relaxed and intimate setting for the birth of your baby. It allows you to have more control over the birthing process and can provide a more personalized experience. This option is safe for low-risk pregnancies and has similar or better outcomes compared to hospital births.

Question for your doctor: Would he/she support you and work with a home birth midwife if you decided to go this route?

2. Epidurals are not the only form of pain relief available during labor.

Epidurals are a common form of pain relief during labor, but they are not the only option available. Other forms of pain relief include nitrous oxide, spinal blocks, and natural methods such as hypnobirthing, acupuncture and massage. These options can provide a more natural and less invasive form of pain relief.

Question for your doctor: What other pain relief options do they see often that’s effective other than epidural? 

3. You can bring your own music or sounds to the delivery room.

Music can have a powerful impact on our emotions, and it can help create a calm and soothing environment for you during labor. You can bring your own playlist, a sound machine, or even your own voice to help you relax and focus during labor.

Question for your doctor: Can I bring music to the birthing room? 

4. Birthing pools can help you feel more comfortable and relaxed during labor.

Warm water can help ease the pain and discomfort of contractions, and it also allows you to move around more easily, which can help the baby move down the birth canal. Birthing pools can also provide a sense of privacy and intimacy during labor.

Question for your doctor: Are there birth pools at the hospital or another way I can use water to relax?

5. You will probably poop during labor (and that's okay!).

It's a normal and natural part of the birthing process, and your nurses and doctors are used to it. Don't let this concern hold you back, it's nothing to be embarrassed about.

6. Birthing positions - there are many different positions that can help make the birthing process easier.

There are various birthing positions that can help make the birthing process easier, such as standing up, sitting down, on your hands and knees, or even lying down. Experiment with different positions to find what feels most comfortable for you.

Question for your doctor: In what positions are you willing to help me birth my baby?

 

7. Doulas are a great support and aren’t only used for birth.

A doula is a professional trained to provide emotional and physical support to a woman and her partner during pregnancy, labor, delivery, and postpartum period. A doula can help you with relaxation techniques, provide emotional support, and advocate for your wishes during birth.

Question for your doctor: Do you work with doulas often? Are there any you recommend?

8. You can eat and drink during labor, if you want to.

Having a light snack can help keep your energy levels up. It's important to listen to your body and your healthcare provider during labor, and to make sure you are well hydrated and nourished.

Question: Under what circumstances will I not be allowed to eat or drink in labor?

9. The power of the mind - visualization and other relaxation techniques can help during labor.

Visualization and relaxation techniques such as hypnobirthing, yoga, and meditation can help you stay calm and focused during labor. It can also help to lower stress hormones and increase endorphins, which can make labor more manageable.

Question: Is there anything I can do now to learn how to cope with labor?

10. Cesarean sections are not as scary as they seem.

C-sections are a common form of delivery and can be planned or unplanned. Your doctor and nurses will take great care of you and your baby during the procedure. It's important to remember that a c-section is a surgical procedure and there are risks associated with it, but it can also save the lives of both mother and baby in certain situations.

Question: In what circumstances do you perform c-sections? 

So, there you have it, mama. You're armed with some new information that will hopefully help you feel more confident and excited about your birth!

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Want to learn more about Shelby Roberts Photography? Head over to the About page here: Shelby Roberts Photography | About
 

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What is the CapABLE Community and why I joined!

The capable community was created by an amazing photographer who wanted other photographers to have the opportunity to learn how to be more inclusive of all differently-abled people. This course encompassed and covered everything from physical differences, neurological differences, intellectual differences, and everything in between. This allowed me to be more mindful and helped me to understand the challenges families face when deciding to schedule a session for photos. This course also allowed me to understand how to help families with differently abled family members so that I can help them have a smooth session because I do not want fear to stop anyone from being able to have photos done. I want everyone to know they are welcome and I am an inclusive business to ALL people. 

Here you can find the link to all the amazing photographers that are part of the the CapABLE Community including myself!

CapABLE Photographer Database

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Back them up!

Yes, I know you are so excited because you just got your images from me and downloaded them and the first thing you want to do is show off how beautiful your family is by sharing them on social media and with friends or family- and I love that! But please take a moment and back them up! Make a free Dropbox account, put them on your google drive, back them up on the apple cloud, put them on your family's SSD, or even a thumb drive - DO whatever you need to do to keep them safe; do not keep them on a single device- save them in multiple places so you have multiple back-ups! Not doing this is a true recipe for disaster! Protect your investment and back them up!

Print them! No, actually print them!

Next, make sure you print them! If you do not order prints through your gallery make sure you print them yourself! You did not invest in having pictures done for them to just sit on your phone, computer, and Facebook! Let's make it official and order some stunning artwork for your walls! Not sure where to order from or don’t want to pay a small fortune for Smallwoods? I hear you, there are many affordable places that print very high-quality prints and wall decor! If you are on an extreme budget check out Shutterfly! They are free to create an account and you can order free prints through them - they are only 4x6 and 4x4 but it is a start if you want to create a gallery wall of fun quirky frames or create an old-school photo album! You can also order printed photo books, canvas prints, enlarged prints, and metal prints! You can also use mpix which is the little sister of an amazing professional photographer print lab Millers- without needing a professional account! But at the end of the day my only recommendation that I will scream from the rooftops; is to print your photos, put them on your walls in any way you can, and enjoy them!

Lastly, give your photographer some love!

We work incredibly hard to give you the most incredible experience and make your sessions as stress-free as possible. And we completely understand the excitement you get when you receive your final gallery and can finally download your images. We understand that you are so excited you may forget to respond- but we love feedback! We love to hear how much you love your images, and which image is your absolute favorite from the collection, we love seeing you tag us in your heartfelt Facebook posts sharing your images with all your friends and family. Because despite years of doing sessions we still get anxious as we hit send to you. We want to know we did not just spend countless hours ensuring your images are perfect for you to hate them. We want to know you truly loved them and we love getting your feedback, we love getting reviews, shares, referrals, and tags because we love knowing you adored your experience with us!

In today's day and age, everyone who owns some form of camera thinks they are or can be a professional photographer. And while there are loads of amazing artists out there including beginners, there are unfortunately a lot of people that do not know what they are doing who like to label themselves as professional to make some extra cash. And do not get me wrong we have all been there just starting out; however, there are some key things that even newbies should be following and you should be questioning before hiring them. Asking these questions is super important in helping you to be happy with your outcome. So while that super cheap price sounds amazing you may end up being very unhappy with your results or left with nothing due to loss of files. Here are the top questions you should ALWAYS ask when researching photographers before booking.

1. Ask what their backup process is and I cannot stress this enough ESPECIALLY if you are booking a wedding or birth session. These are moments that CANNOT be recreated. How is the photographer keeping your images safe?  
2. Are you insured and a legal business? This is also a very important question to ask when booking because like stated above everyone thinks they can be a photographer and again protects you from being scammed out of money by people claiming to be a photographer. Despite popular belief, you do need to be licensed and insured to be a legal photographer. These licensed professionals will also research if a location requires permits before you have a session to avoid fines and or having the police called on you!  
3. Ask for their turnaround time! If you need images back by a certain time frame (IE, you have announcements to print, invitations, etc) make sure you bring up these dates BEFORE you book to ensure the photographer can meet that timeframe.  
4. If you have had a bad experience in the past, do not be afraid to let the new photographer know. Let them know things that you are nervous about because keeping silent will only make you more stressed when it comes time for your session.
5. ALWAYS ask to see sample galleries and their portfolio. Their work should be pretty consistent and should give you an idea of what to expect when you receive your gallery! Do not book a photographer with bright true-to-life tones if you want dark, or muted tones to your images. Every photographer is different and it is critical you find a photographer whose work you love and could imagine having on your walls. If you cannot imagine having their work on your walls then you should keep searching.
6. Lastly, ask if they have a contract in place. If they do not have a contract, find a different photographer. This contract protects you as the client as well as the photographer. The contract should outline the photographer's entire workflow process, re-outline pricing/ payments, and what-if situations. A contract is legally binding and shows that the photographer is willing to be upheld to legal standards. 

Think back to when all cameras were film and the photographer would have to capture your images and then take the film to be processed, dipped in each chemical to bring the colors to life. The photographer would not just give you the film and say here you go, they process it and give you the final processed images. Well, my “Edited” images are similar in this sense, I will take your images during your session, I take the time to adjust my cameras settings to capture the image correctly in the camera, I then upload them to my computer and even though I adjust all the settings in my camera to get the aperture, and light correct when I take the image, they still need to be processed. The images captured on my camera are so large and unusable by the average person because you need a special program to even open them, so part of the processing is transferring this large file into one that can be printed. Now, this is where the term “edited” is used lightly by me. I use this expression as it is easiest for non-photographers to understand, as I prefer the term “Processed”. 

 Unfortunately with popular apps and social media rolling out these “filters” and “edits”, that you click and instantaneously get images with better colors and smooth perfect skin; this has made people think that all photographers do once they upload is click a button and that is not the case. On top of transferring the files into ones that are usable to the average person I go through and remove any unflattering images that may have been taken during your session; think blinking, sneezing, moving during the shot, etc. Then I go through and hand adjusts every color in the image, even ones that you may not think would be in the picture. I utilize color theory to adjust skin tones and the colors of greens. I adjust shadows, highlights, blacks, and whites to give you the crisp clear true-to-life colors you see in my portfolio. So no, I do not just slap a filter on your images and call it a day as you can do on Instagram, Snapchat, or even Facebook. I process and hand-edit each image individually to give you the best images, and the best quality. This rolls into the question I get daily; “Do you give all the “Un-Edited” images. The short answer is no, I do not because that would mean that the images are not “processed”. And no it is not that I do not want you to have all your images, it is that it takes a lot of time to get the images processed. This also means you would receive unflattering images, which at the end of the day are you going to want to be printed and put on your wall? No.  

I like to use the example of a painter; a famous painter would not give you a canvas and paint on their palette and call it finished, you would say “well this is not finished work, this is just a canvas and a side of paint”, “this is not cohesive to your portfolio”, and the list could go on, and on. Now take that concept and apply it to a photographer. If a photographer gave you un-processed images, they would be giving you an unfinished product similar to the canvas and side of the paint. This in turn leaves it open to you being able to interpret or change the work, which if you loved your images and wanted to tag the photographer in the images on social media; anyone who saw those images would assume that is how the photographers work looks even if you were the one to put a filter on them. If you are going to pay to have your photos taken wouldn't you want to be given the finished product? One that you do not feel compelled to edit or change yourself? Part of the process of finding a photographer is finding one that you love their work, you love everything about their portfolio, or everything about their previous sessions. If you see their portfolio and think “I do not like how these look” then you should keep looking until you find one that's work you adore. The reason I and other photographers cull and process your images to a set number is so that you are not overwhelmed and have the opportunity to print the images into a cohesive album or gallery wall in your home. At the end of the day, you want images that you can print because what is the point of hiring a professional for your images to sit on your phone?

Photography is a VERY competitive field. Especially with everyone trying to call themselves photographers just by owning a “fancy camera”. Photography is not just taking photos of people, editing them and calling it a day. Photography is about knowing lighting, color theory, composition, white balance, among other things. It is about being able to connect with people so that you capture true raw emotion. It’s about capturing those precious moments and being able to see the emotion when you look at the composition. Photography is art. You wouldn’t do a paint by number and call yourself a painter would you? Nor would you play with play dough and call yourself a sculptor. Just as painting, drawing, sculpting, and other art forms require rigorous training; so does photography. And just like other art forms you wouldn’t start by jumping right in; you would start small and build. Before even taking a photo you have to know your camera, it is a tool; like a paintbrush or clay. It seems simple because everyone has the idea that they are easy. But do you know about composure, shadow, light and how to apply your tools to make the composition? They require years of training before you can call yourself a professional. You cannot take one good photo, paint one good portrait, or create one good sculpture and call yourself a professional. You must be able to produce that quality EVERY time if not be better each and every time. This field is not for the faint hearted. And it is incredibly frustrating to me as a creative that people just buy a camera and want to call themselves a photographer. Like I already said this is an incredibly competitive field especially as a woman.  I have put in over 12 years, and earned my degree and I still push myself to be better. As a professional creative you can never stop learning because to keep up with competition you must continue to learn. Photography is an art and it deserves that respect. 

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As a creative professional this is my biggest pet peeve. As a true professional, you have to put in the hours, Learn color theory, lighting techniques, proper posing, white balance, composition, and use your camera among many other things. As a professional, you never stop learning through classes, workshops, networking with other professionals, mentoring/ and being mentored.  Not to mention technology; it is ever-changing so not only are you learning new editing techniques. But also learning your equipment updates. A true professional will learn their camera in and out; their camera truly becomes an extension of them. They will view the scene and know what settings to put that camera on to capture the image that will require minimal editing and definitely no preset use. This is why you are investing in your photos when you choose a true professional because we put in the hours to give you our best work.  These images are our art and they represent our business and add to our portfolio. And no I am not saying you should disregard the amateur who is just starting out because we have all been there in some form at some point during our photography career.  I am saying you should understand what goes into a professional photographers business. Why our price list is the way it is. And know that if you book a amateur with little to no experience you should not expect perfect professional quality photos. 

When you book with me know that I have spent over 12 years with hands on learning and taking photos without charging a cent. Practicing different techniques, learning the different settings, learning in different environments. I have taken actual classes in photography and gained my degree in professional photography. I ensure my camera is on the perfect settings for the location and take photos in such a way that very little editing needs to be done. Most of my cropping is even done in camera not post production. All of this allows my turn around time to be shorter and allows me to keep my prices low. Because I feel everyone should have access to professional photos. So please do your research before booking with a photographer. Go through their portfolio and see if you like their style it will truly make you happier to find someone who can give you the style you want reflected in your images!

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Lifestyle newborn sessions are not for everyone. This will not give you the perfectly posed photos of a baby nestled in a swaddle or propped delicately on their hands; I get it sometimes you want that perfect Instagram-worthy image and in home, sessions can sound quite lackluster in comparison, but please hear me out. As a mama who had her baby during the start of this lovely pandemic, I had no other option but to do my own in-home session for my baby's newborn photos. But this gave me time to play with lightning, props, swaddles, and poses; to truly perfect my technique. Because babies, newborns especially are unpredictable. They haven’t quite gotten on a set schedule or if they do it can change at the drop of a hat. They can decide to wake from their nap at just the moment you try to capture the image.  And taking them to a studio for a photo session can just stress them out. Babies do not always love a change of environment.  

So here’s why I think in-home newborn sessions are AMAZING! One of the biggest reasons is its low stress on the baby; which in turn is less stress on mom and dad. Because let's be honest, you are probably not getting enough sleep and stressed out trying to learn what your new tiny human needs without added stressors. It is also less stressful in the sense of exposure which is everything right now with COVID, because everything in your house is safe. The only outside factor would be the photographer who should be disinfecting themselves and their equipment before entering your home. Another reason in Home sessions are great is that we can build a story with images for you. It allows us to capture a part of your day. Yes, we will get posed shots during the session but the unplanned moments in between the posed shots; as baby nestles in your arms, as mom and dad snuggle baby or as baby yawns; these are all tiny moments that make for amazing images and tell YOUR family’s story. It tells the story of your baby and you as new parents which is a big deal. And one of the best reasons in-home sessions are amazing is because if a baby decides they need to eat, or spits up on their outfit, or just needs a break; everything that they need to make them more comfortable is at your fingertips. You do not have to worry about forgetting their favorite pacifier, bringing enough diapers, needing a new outfit because you are in your home. And trust me as a mom I know these things happen; again babies are unpredictable! And that is okay! It is my goal as your photographer to ensure we schedule enough time to deal with any hiccups that come our way during the session. And if no hiccups occur that's fine too it just means you get extra time in front of the camera to play with different outfits or props you are dying to use. The whole idea of an in-home newborn session is to be more laid back and tell your family's story!

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So if you have a thought that you may want to do a boudoir session; my advice is, go for it! Take the plunge because you deserve to feel confident! Find a photographer that suits your needs and makes you feel confident and comfortable-key for great photos. Here are some ideas for outfits: you can wear your favorite oversized slouchy sweater and lacey bralette, a button-down from your partners closet, shorts and a tank top, a satin slip, lingerie, or if you want go tastefully nude or hint at it by doing something like taking a bubble bath, wrapped in a faux fur blanket or something else that looks luxurious. Wear whatever makes YOU feel confident. If you want to rock an oversized sweater, lacey underwear and lipstick go for it! If you want to wear a bra and panties go for it! I am here for you!  I want to show you what a beautiful badass you are! And show you how truly beautiful your body is that brought life into this world!

As we head full force into the end of fall you may be asking yourself; “what are some good colors to wear during an end of fall session?”. Or you may even be asking yourself; “What colors can I put my family in that will be cohesive without being overly matchy?” Well, I am here to help you out! I have put together a sample of color palettes that will help you get some ideas of colors that look amazing together while still giving those lovely warm fall vibes you are wanting in your pictures! Below you will find some warm tone golds, burnt oranges, maroons, and some olive greens!  Keep a lookout for my next post as I will be posting some cool tone color palettes to inspire you as we head into winter!

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1. If you find yourself nervous fill out the client questionnaire so I can understand and figure out what I can do to help you be comfortable and put you at ease. This is my main goal so you can be your best self in your photos!
2. Go on Pinterest and get inspired! No really! Figure out what kind of poses you want and get outfit inspiration. 
3. Do NOT- I repeat DO NOT- worry about blemishes! If a blemish pops up the morning of your session Do NOT fret!  I will edit them out during processing like they were never even there; so, do not let that make you uncomfortable in any way! We are all human and it happens to the best of us!
4. If you wear nail polish, please make sure it is fresh and not chipped or completely removed entirely. Please do not arrive with old, chipped nail polish.
5. I know we all love our smartwatches, however, they do not look great photographed especially if you get an alert- please leave it at home- opt for a classic watch if you must wear one.
6. If you have a baby joining the session, please try to schedule around their nap time and a full belly! This helps them to remain calm and be happier during the session. And always bring spare clothes that match your color scheme just in case they need to be changed mid-session.

And finally, just be yourself do not worry about being stiff and posed have fun with it. If your kids like playing with leaves or grass let us incorporate it! It adds personality to the pictures. Just have fun!