Adventures in Family Photography

Photographing children and families with children is one of the best parts of what I do…and a great workout; trying to keep up with youngsters is no joke!  Not long ago, I once again had the lovely experience of photographing Shannon, Rachelle, and their growing family — one of the sweetest you could ever meet. And just like all my returning family clients, I am truly honored to know them, watch their family grow, and capture their most important moments for them.  I love these sessions because they feel like a reunion with old friends.

I first had the pleasure of photographing Shannon and Rachelle at their wedding in 2008. Then came pregnancy and newborn photos with darling boy Dylan and, recently, the same with darling girl Ellie. Ellie was still in mama’s belly at the time of this shoot, but she arrived happy and healthy soon afterwards and was absolutely precious in her recent newborn portraits. (Stay tuned for more on Ellie.)

Notice how happy everyone looks in these images, especially little Dylan? Well, there’s a bit more to the story. See that beautiful stone stairway? The minute Dylan saw it, all he wanted to do was climb, and climb, and climb some more. He was on a mission and simply had no time for photos. It would be an understatement to say Dylan was unhappy when we suggested a break from climbing. And he wasn’t shy about sharing his feelings.

 

So how did we get from that state of mind to these happy images?  With a little patience and a lot of fun. Through years of experience, I have learned to quickly build a rapport with young kids and redirect if things start to go awry. For starters, I first spend time just connecting — without cameras and other equipment. I gauge whether a child is in a shy or outgoing mood in order to match their energy. I might even enlist them as “assistants”, asking them what we need to get done and how they think we should do it.

In Dylan’s case, something as simple as a silly face contest did the trick. Before you could say “stairway”, he was all ready to smile for the camera!

Parents often worry that their shoot won’t go well if their children aren’t perfect angels at all times. But no one’s are, and that’s okay. This is supposed to be fun!  Kids don’t have to be perfect to have a perfect family portrait photo shoot. They just have to be themselves, have fun, and we get to make it great!

– Nancy

877-881-7221 | nancyrothstein.comnancy@nancyrothstein.com

2016 Best of Oakland & the East Bay!

2016BestofOaklandBannerI’m thrilled to have been voted Best Commercial Photographer in Oakland Magazine‘s 2016 Best of Oakland and the East Bay contest — for the second year in a row! Thank you all so much for taking the time to vote! The flood of kindness (and emails!) from so many of my dear clients and friends warmed my heart.

I feel honored to be a part of a community that celebrate its members; so much that over 175 winners are recognized throughout the East Bay every year! How amazing to be a part of a community that has the diversity to award over 175 different categories, and community-minded patrons who see the significance of shopping local!

Don’t forget to pick up a copy of the July issue of Oakland Magazine to check out the full list of this year’s local favorites!

Happy summer, everyone!

-Nancy

 

877-881-7221 | nancyrothstein.comnancy@nancyrothstein.com

Finalist for Best of Oakland 2016!

2016BestofOaklandBannerI am thrilled to be a finalist in this year’s Commercial Photographer category of Oakland Magazine’s Best of Oakland and the East Bay contest! It was such an honor to win last year, thanks to all of your support!

Voting is easy — no login required. Just scroll down to Goods & Services and you’ll find me under “Best Commercial Photographer.”

I know I’ll be voting for my local favorites before the ballots close May 31st.

Thank you for taking the time to vote! I hope to see you soon!

Warmly,

Nancy

 

877-881-7221 | nancyrothstein.comnancy@nancyrothstein.com

Linda Lancione: San Francisco Bay Area Author Portrait

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I had the great opportunity of working with author and poet, Linda Lancione, earlier this month as the release date of her latest work, The Taste of Blood (Finishing Line Press), quickly approaches.

The experience was both a privilege and an engaging endeavor, as we worked together to cultivate the candor that her work so aptly portrays. I loved the process of getting to an honest image, where the true self came through.

Linda’s work takes on challenging issues, and it was important for her portrait to be just as honest, engaging, and real. Beyond capturing a simple or welcoming smile, we needed to convey a more complex message, one that her work ultimately does; that life is complicated, messy, and that she maintains her ability to be present with all of it and reconcile the extremes.

Linda kindly lent a few words of appreciation about our process working together:

“Having my author photo taken by Nancy Rothstein was a transformative experience for me. I was nervous about looking old in the photos–and, was I wearing the right earrings, the right top?—but she put me at ease and got me talking about my book. Later, when I saw the photos, I saw a woman I liked: animated, thoughtful, complex—the age and beauty questions didn’t matter anymore. The photos seemed to reveal me from the inside—that was enough. That was a gift!”

A big congratulations to Linda Lancione on her upcoming title. Thank you, Linda, for giving me the chance to take on the feat of distilling your inspiring, captivating, complexity!

– Nancy

 

The Taste of Blood is scheduled to be released on March 11, 2016 (available for pre-order through Finishing Line Press after November 16). Can’t wait? You can get a taste of her work on SoftBlow.org.

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877-881-7221 | nancyrothstein.comnancy@nancyrothstein.com