This weekend I was invited to partner with Portrait Innovations. We were given the full VIP treatment and so many wonderful photos.
I will let you in on a little secret though, I’ve been to Portrait Innovations for photos before, and even though this time they were aware that I was a blogger and writing for them, they treated me with the exact level of respect and fun as they have every other time. The staff there always blows me away with how happy, excited and FABULOUS with kids that they are. This happens every single time and this time was no exception.
If you go there you will be treated like the VIP of the day, regardless of if you are a walk in customer, had an appointment or a blogger doing a review. That’s something I really appreciate about their company. Every family’s photos are the MOST IMPORTANT photos for them and they will put forth every effort to make sure you get the best shots ever.
But let’s get to the good stuff… I’ve been wanting for a long time to get extended family photos with my in-laws. We snapped some in the front yard shortly after my husband and I got married, almost seven years ago. Since then, we’ve had two kids and my husband’s brother has gotten married, there’s a lot more to photograph now!
It’s not easy getting that many people looking and smiling at once. And adding two preschoolers to the mix makes it next to impossible. My goal for the day was to get ONE good shot of all of us. Just one and I’d be happy whatever else happened.
We got the one I was looking for. I was over the moon… You can just tell when a photo is going to be good, can’t you? I could feel the kids giggling as they were standing in front of me between shots. None of the adults were groaning that their eyes were shut when the flash went off. No one looked awkward. This was exactly why we came! And then this happened:
We got another great shot of the entire family together. The kids were behaving because they put not just one but TWO staff members on our team. Cari was snapping photos while Angel stood behind her making jokes and playing with toys behind the camera to make the kids smile and laugh. It took all the pressure off of us to try to make the kids smile really quick and then pose for the shot at the exact right moment.
At other photo places it always seems to be on the photographer alone to make the kids smile. So many times the photographer will have gotten the PERFECT smile from the kids, but it’s impossible to be quick enough with the camera to snap it, so by the time she’s back in position she’s missed the shot.
The photographers at portrait innovations are on the move and carry their cameras with them, so there are NO missed shots, and since they work as a team the photographer can focus on getting those good shots too. When photographing kids in particular, that’s so important and I love them for it!
They even got a photo with my kids and their grandparents. You guys, I can’t even tell you what a treasure this photo is to me. These are the only grandparents my kids have and every photo of them together means the whole world to me. We rarely take time to get a posed shot at home, it’s just not something we think about when we are at their house every single weekend. But this is important. Capturing those memories with the people my kids love most in the world (and the only people who come close to matching the love my husband and I have for our own kids!).
We also took photos by family. This was all in one session and there’s no sitting fee, even for all of these people. We could’ve even changed clothes if we wanted to (we all really liked what we had on though).
There are toys in the front room which allowed the kids to be able to walk around and play a bit between shots that they were in, and easily be called back in to grab another photo with them when it was their turn. This helped them get the break that they need to keep being willing to be still and smiley for a photo.
Portrait Innovations just “gets” families. They know exactly what they need to do to get the best shots. From set up of the studio (you get to shoot on 4 backgrounds in two rooms… changing rooms helps the kids get their wiggles out too!), to the way they have two person teams working together and the staff they hire. I’ve been going to Portrait Innovations for 5 years now, and have had my kids photo taken by a lot of different photographers there and they’ve all had fabulous personalities and been fantastic with my kids.
I take photos of my kids every day and KNOW how hard it is…but they roll with it, laugh, smile and make it a fun and active experience for the kids.
If a child is feeling shy or nervous they give them the chance to play on the set for a minute until they become comfortable and THEN start snapping photos. It’s all about making you and your family comfortable so you get that perfect shot.
Right now they have a special going on that gets you a TON of images.
It’s a great place to start, with their $19.99 portrait special and you can go from there to purchase additional poses either by sheet or by package. They are very flexible with how they let you purchase so you can make the best decision based on your budget and the particular needs that you have for photos!
I know I’m gushing, but this is truly my favorite portrait brand… As you can see here (I’m seriously having to hold myself back from posting more!)
My son’s baby pictures
My husband’s first father’s day when we took 3 generation photos with them:
Our maternity photos
Our daughter’s baby pictures
Her first birthday shots
Christmas photos of the kids…
They even snap those candid shots at the end of the shoot when baby girl has just had enough (this is one of my absolute favorite pictures!!!)
Yep, I know I’m totally fan girl-ing but I’m obsessed with photos and GOOD photos. And that’s what I get every time we go there. I can’t recommend it enough. You can also print greeting cards there, so if you take your family photos you can get them put right on a Christmas card so you are all ready for Christmas letters for the year. Get a head start now so you don’t forget! You can find your closest portrait studio here and call for an appointment. They are great about working with YOUR schedule too. Another huge win.
Okay, I will stop gushing now..but show me your pictures! Have you had shots taken there? Or take some and then come back to me and show me, because… I’m photo obsessed!
Sarah says
Our experience at Portrait Innovations was good, too :) They have cool props and are amazingly patient with fussy kids! I agree – they’re great for families and the same-day service for prints can’t be beat. Thanks for sharing the special package deal!