OK so most of you know I don’t have a daughter, we have two sons, but as a parent I can’t think of a better photograph to have on the walls of my office than the one above….hope you have some empty wall-space Greg!

And here he is all grow’d up one year later!

Thanks again to Keith and his family for helping to support the Ronald McDonald House Charities!

This was the fourth consecutive year I’ve been able to photograph Conner & Zach, and luckily the Morton Arboretum cooperated with some awesome fall color!  (although it was close to 80 degrees that day!)

This was Jack’s first trip to Walt Disney World, and despite the fact that the temperature was in the high 90′s, with 99.99999% humidity each day, Jack had a pretty good time meeting his heros and talking us into buying him way too much stuff to take home.

The funny thing is with the video capability in the new iPhone, I actually found myself recording as much video as still pictures. So here’s the final product……

2010 Disney Vacation from Jay Crihfield on Vimeo.

And as long as we had all three kids dressed nice and in (somewhat) cooperative moods…..we kept going…..

This last photograph is one of my favorite family portraits of the year.  Emily told me she wanted a portrait that she could display in her home above the large sofa in her living room, but like a lot of parents, wasn’t sure about the idea of having an enormous portrait of just the three of them which could possibly be almost “life-size.”  Needless to say this photograph was the preferred choice for a larger wall portrait, the only question now is what’s the final portrait size going to be?  Stay tuned,  but let’s just say that the number “40″ was thrown around quite a bit

The “7 Ages Of Childhood”

Every year new clients tell me that they regret not beginning their child’s and family portrait documentation at the very beginning of their child’s journey through life. It’s not that they don’t value or see the importance of creating these timeless photographs. Being a new parent, or welcoming a new child into your family makes a busy life even busier. It’s very easy for the years to slip by. I know this first hand because like most parents, I simply do not have as many fine portraits of our younger son Conner, while we have a very adequate collection of portraits of our 3 year old son Jack. I always thought as a photographer that staying up to date with my children’s lives would not be a problem. However life gets in the way, and keeping up with running a business and raising two small children presented the ever present challenge of procrastination. That’s why I wanted to created this guide which outlines and helps parents recognize the 7 most important times to photograph your children, from infancy to young adulthood.

Today They’re Babies, Tomorrow They’re Children….

Have you ever said to yourself “they grow up so fast”? Fact is, they do grow up fast. The changes that occur rapidly and in the blink of an eye during the first year and early childhood years, typically continuing up until about age 3. The best advice I can give to any new or expecting parent is that it is never too early to schedule your baby’s first photography session. One of the most popular options is a “First Year” portrait collection that includes multiple photography session in order to capture the major developmental milestones of the first year, from birth…..to sitting up and/or crawling….and finally to walking.

Options for Contemporary Fine Art Children’s Portraits

Clothing, location, and styling can go a long way towards achieving the desired aesthetic for your children’s portraits. The different stages of your child’s life and development will be the starting point for the variety of options available to style any particular session. However regardless of the age of your children or the style you’re looking for, simple garments and clean backgrounds tend to photograph best, placing the emphasis on your child’s face and expression.

Infants and Toddlers……(the first 3 ages….1st year, age 2, age 3,)

Newborns and toddlers photograph best in simple clothes and outfits that will not overpower their delicate features. After all, these are the features that change the quickest during the first year, and we want to preserve them. Whites and pastels are classic choices, and convert well to black & white images. Brighter primary colors and casual clothing can work well for older babies. And finally, this is the one time in life to lose the clothes alltogether!

Children…….(the 4th and 5th ages……ages 4-5, and ages 6-8)

Again simplicity is the name of the game in order to show off bright smiles and inquisitive eyes. But don’t forget to include props and clothing that expresses your child’s ever developing personality and interests.

Pre-Teens and Teens…..(the 6th and 7th ages…..ages 9-12, and ages 13-17)

Continue to expand the options that reflect moods, activities and recent accomplishments with interesting locations and props.

Show How Much You Really Care

Psychologists who specialize in early childhood development believe that children who consistently see their own image displayed in a positive and uplifting form throughout the home eventually develop strong feelings of self-esteem and self-confidence. Portraits on display serve to make a child feel loved and valued, and when Mom and Dad (and even the grandparents) appear in the portraits, the child is reminded of the place he or she enjoys within the family. Is there a better way to demonstrate how you feel about your child than to decorate your home with portraits made at important milestones in his or her life? Portraits your children will eventually pass down to your grandchildren?

While it can be tempting to think you need to photograph your children every year of their life, often it is not convenient nor cost effective to invest in fine portraiture every year. However with careful planning, utilizing the 7 primary age groups mentioned above, you and your photographer can create a complete collection of your child’s development, leading up to their high school senior portraits prior to graduation.