Jaimié Birtel's photography blog
Questions to Ask Your Family Photographer
As both a mom and a photographer, I can sympathize with all the moms who are stressed about family portraits. A family photo session is a big deal! You want it to be a great experience for your family and you want to love your portraits. The first step to a successful photo session is hiring a photographer who’s the right fit for your family, and knowing what questions to ask can go a long way. So, to make it easier to book your next photo shoot, here are the top questions you want to ask.
What Is a Composite Photo and Why Do We Use Them?
Sometimes when I show clients their portraits, they say something like, “Wow, I can’t believe that shot turned out like that!” or “That pose felt awkward at the time but it looks great on camera!” Trust me, I always have a vision for the image I want to create and a plan for how to make it happen! It’s all about trusting the process and knowing that you’ve hired a professional photographer who has a few tricks up her sleeve. One of the tricks I use for some sessions is composite photography.
What to Bring to Your Boudoir Photo Session
If you have a boudoir photo shoot on the schedule or if you’re thinking about booking one, congratulations on taking that leap of faith and investing in yourself! Now you get to have the fun of planning. As you’re dreaming up your ideal boudoir session, here are some quick tips for what you might want to bring with you (and what you don’t have to bring if you book with me).
Hard Copies with Heart: Why Printed Photos Matter
So many things in our day-to-day lives are digital. We communicate over text and social media, we shop online, a lot of us work online…and yes, online platforms are great for sharing photos with your loved ones and for storing backups of your images. But as a photographer who creates portraits of beautiful families and special milestones in life that can’t be re-created, I firmly believe in the value of good, old-fashioned, printed portraits too. Here’s why.
Truth Time! Debunking 5 Myths About Boudoir Photography
You’ve heard people talk about it, you’ve seen some boudoir photos, and maybe you’ve even wondered if you should book a boudoir photo session. But all too often, I talk to women who hold themselves back from making that call because of common myths and misunderstandings about boudoir and what the experience is like. To help you get past those hang-ups, I’m here to bust some of the most common myths about boudoir photography as a Seattle area photographer.
Questions to Ask Your Maternity Photographer
Your maternity portraits should be relics that you treasure for a lifetime! At the risk of sounding too alarmist, though, you only really get one chance at maternity photos for each pregnancy. There’s a specific time frame in your pregnancy that’s perfect for maternity photography and if you book a session and aren’t happy with your photos, chances are you won’t be able to get another session before your baby’s born or before you’re too uncomfortable to enjoy your photo shoot. As a Seattle area maternity photographer, these are the questions I recommend asking to make sure the photographer you’re booking is the right fit for you.
Why I Do a Personal Consultation Call Before Photo Sessions
There are so many day-to-day things we do online today for convenience - scheduling appointments, shopping, making plans, and all that fun stuff. But when it comes to a photography session, nothing compares to talking it through with a good, old-fashioned phone call. As a professional photographer, I make sure I give every client the time and care of a consultation call, and there are several reasons why.
The Right Time for Boudoir Photography: How to Know It’s Time to Take the Plunge
When I mention my Seattle area boudoir photography, so many women say some version of, “That sounds amazing, but I’m not confident enough to do that right now,” or, “Maybe I would have done that when I was younger and thinner, but not now.” It’s a common misunderstanding that you should wait until you feel comfortable in your body to do boudoir photography, but it’s actually the opposite - boudoir photography can help you get that confidence you’re looking for. So the real question is, when do you finally go for it and book that session for yourself? There’s never a bad time for boudoir portraits, but there are certain milestones or changes in life that can make a boudoir session especially meaningful, so let’s talk about them.
What to Expect from an In-Home Maternity Photo Shoot
Maternity photography is a beautiful and special experience that I believe every mom-to-be should be able to have. But as a mom myself, I also know that the idea of getting yourself together and heading to a photo studio or a park for a photo shoot can sound exhausting when you’re creating a little human within you. That’s one of the many reasons why some of my clients choose an in-home maternity photo shoot. Thinking about this option for yourself? Here’s a peek into the process and what you can expect.
Hey, Moms! Boudoir Photography is Perfect for You and Here’s Why
So often when there’s a conversation around boudoir photography, moms will say things like, “Maybe when I was younger or before I had kids, but I could never do that now.” I get it - I’m a mom too and we all go through some self-consciousness with all the changes that happen in our lives and our bodies, at least temporarily. But here’s the secret: moms are perfect for boudoir photography! Here’s why.

