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Amanda 30th Birthday | Utah Photographer

May 6, 2022 by tayneemillerphotography@gmail.com Leave a Comment

Amanda wanted a big birthday celebration for her 30th, and she absolutely pulled through! It was filled with beautiful decor of bright colors and just felt so happy and fun!

Amanda had a wedding called off about 6 years ago but held onto her wedding dress in her closet, and when her 30th birthday came around she knew this was the perfect time to wear it! She had all of her guests wear all white and made it a night to remember. Some of my favorite highlights from the night were the balloon arch, all of the purple set up, the table of food, and honestly everything there including the guests!

Something so fun and amazing about all of this is Amanda was one of my best friends when we were really really little. It was so fun when she reached out to shoot for her 30th Birthday because I was able to rekindle our friendship also! I really enjoyed getting to see where she was at in her life and how happy she was! She looked amazing and you could tell she felt that way also!

Toward the end of the party, she had these amazing confetti cannons and wanted to do a “trash the dress” shoot! Her friend Ivy also had a wedding dress that she wanted to trash so she did the exact same thing, which made it even more fun for them to do together. It was such a fun night to see friendship come together and see them celebrate and embrace where they are at, and I loved the empowerment we felt from the whole night!

Bassford Family | Bedwell Bayfront Family

May 2, 2022 by tayneemillerphotography@gmail.com Leave a Comment

This is the beautiful Bassford Family at Bewell Bayfront. I loved this session so much! One thing I have been able to do the last few years is really hone in on my individual photography style. I loved this session because not only was it on the beach but what they were wearing (see my what to wear blog post here) was perfect for the setting and the time of year.

I have found it’s easy to just take on any work you can get, but it’s been so refreshing knowing the clients that are coming to me are also my ideal clients and I know I can provide them with a beautiful session.

With all of that said, the question is, what is my style? I am a true to color, classic style photographer. I love to make sure we have a beautiful looking forward shot, but I also love a few candids in a gallery. I think watching a family interact is so beautiful and is a huge part of why I love my job. I want your photos to last you a long time and you look back in 10 years and still love them.

Jessi Reed Senior Portrait Session Utah

April 23, 2022 by tayneemillerphotography@gmail.com Leave a Comment

It’s that time of year for some senior portrait sessions! Senior sessions can be done any time of year depending on the seniors preference for photos and whether they want fall/spring. My favorite time to do Senior sessions is in the spring because of all the blooms that symbolize new beginnings. In Utah the weather seems to be just perfect in the spring and everything is green and blooming. It’s also nice to do them right before they graduate since so many kids seem to grow so much that senior year of school.

For senior portrait sessions, when picking your location you want to take into account seasons and also your own individual style. Honestly it really depends on the senior. Some seniors like more rustic areas while others like blooms or light and airy spaces. I think the space should reflect the seniors personality and style. Some of my favorite locations are the apple orchards when they are in bloom and the unique buildings downtown, which can be a little more fun and modern.

Sessions can last anywhere from 20 minute mini sessions up to two hours depending on how many outfits and locations you choose. I offer mini sessions and full packages. Full packages you can have up to two locations within 10 minutes of each other and two outfits. I also would take into account what you are going to use the images for. Do you need two looks or will one look be enough for what you need them for?

This senior session I did was so so fun. I absolutely love doing photos with Jessi! She went all out and booked her senior photos and prom photos on the same day. She also got to go shopping with her mom and got a weave especially for the occasion. What I loved about Jesse‘s session was that we did a little bit of the blooms at the Utah State Capitol and had fun light airy feel to her photos. They are clean and beautiful and got some great head shots. And then we went over to Gateway Mall and took photos with the murals and her guitar. I love the photos at gateway because it represented her personality and her likes perfectly. She wanted some pops of color some interesting murals and photos with her guitar. I love that she incorporated the guitar because that is one of her passions and somethings she loves to do. It was so fun listening to her play and get excited about the wall art take the gateway. This is a prime example of letting a senior guide what they love and want.

Gwen and Ellie Newborn Session Utah

April 18, 2022 by tayneemillerphotography@gmail.com Leave a Comment

I say this every time I do a newborn session but man I truly do love it. Getting to capture a family and a new little baby is truly such a gift, then to get to do it for twins is even more exciting. Newborns sessions can be done anytime in those first 3 months. Some parents like to have the images when the babies are a little bigger and sometimes they like it when they are really little and fresh.

Gwen and Ellie were such a perfect little session. The two of them were so good and we got some beautiful shots. With newborn shoots I work really hard to make sure I have individuals of each baby and then of course of them together.

I have a blog post I did about how to prepare for a newborn session and it gives great tips on what you can do and how you can prepare.

What is the best season for family photos?

April 9, 2022 by tayneemillerphotography@gmail.com Leave a Comment

Moving from California to Utah, having four seasons has absolutely been a change for me! This last year I have really started to gain some perspective on what seasons I love to shoot in and would be best for family photos. At the end of the day, any season will work, it’s more about the pros and cons to each season and what you prefer.

Living in Utah we get four full seasons. I love that we do because it truly offers a lot of variety. The first thing you need ot decide is what scenery would you like. My favorite is spring time with all of the flowers in bloom. Anytime from April to October are prime months for photos in Utah. This makes it easy because really you could have spring, summer, or fall photos.

PROS FOR SPRING FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY- This is my FAVORITE!

Warm weather
-the kids will be happy it’s not to hot or to cold
Blooming Flowers
-This is my favorite time of year for pictures because the flowers truly can make for a stunning backdrop.
Light colors and pastels are so beautiful in images.

CONS OF SPRING FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY

Bad Weather – It rains quite a bit from March-May sometimes even snows, so you need to stay flexible and ready to reschedule.
Busy Photographers – this is when our season begins so we are focusing on engagements, bridals, families, it can get really busy.
Hard to dress for- Bringing kids to this type of shoot, you want to be sure you plan for layers because if it is a breezy day the kids for sure will get cold.

PROS OF SUMMER FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY

You can start later and have the most BEAUTIFUL sunsets at the end of your session during the summer season
Weather is hot, but that means you can dress in sundresses and linens
Beautiful locations! The hills will be so green and that makes for some beautiful shots.

CONS OF SPRING FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY

HOT- Now I also called this a pro but it can be a con if it is way to hot! This is important to keep in mind what time you book at and where. If you book in the mountains it will be a little easier because the temps are a little lower.
Scheduling issues.
– People travel a lot so it can be hard to find a time for a photographer to book you and have it work for everyone

PROS OF FALL FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY

Awesome temperatures – This is the best time to get some images while keeping everyone cool
Beautiful fall foliage – Utah has the most amazing leaves, trees, and fall season. It’s also a great chance to get some more themed photos like at a pumpkin patch.

CONS OF FALL FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY

Turn around time -This is the BUSIEST time of the year as people are getting photos for Christmas cards and with these great temps. You should expect a longer wait time.
Locations Crowded- A few of the main spots I love I know get so busy in the fall so you should plan to have multiple families and photographers at most locations .
Busy timing – This is when school starts back up, holidays are coming, so things are crazy in scheduling world. This is important to notate if you also have kids in sports because your photographer might not be able to be super flexible.

PROS OF WINTER FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY

Open Schedules –This is probably the easiest time to book! Things are super mellow for most photographers this season and slow so it makes it easy for you to get in on your time frame.
Chance of snow- I can’t even tell you how many shoots have had it start to snow during the shoot! It makes for some magical photos!
Beautiful color tones – Majority of outdoor spots will be dead and be more neutral which can be great for images you will be putting in your home so that they work anywhere.

CONS OF WINTER FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY

It’s COLD! – I have been at shoots before that have been so freezing and that can be incredibly hard. You sometimes will have red hands, noses, other body parts from being so cold. It also typically goes a lot faster because of that.
Limited on looks- you can go without coats but you will for sure be cold! This is something to keep in mind as you plan outfits and if you have kids in your shoot.

I hope this helps you! Which is your favorite season for family photos? Have you done each season? Would you want to try each season??

Ready to schedule your family photo session? Don’t wait! Send me a message here!

Red Butte Garden Engagement Session

April 1, 2022 by tayneemillerphotography@gmail.com Leave a Comment

One of the best parts about Utah is the location variety like Red Butte Garden (see more

here) You get so many different looks it’s perfect for families, engagements, bridals, really any session.

Working with Jamie and Ben was so fun. My favorite part was getting to know them as a couple. They are so cute together and so well matched. It was just fun to see them interacting with each other and making each other laugh and open up in front of me. It was a fun little peek into the relationship. I always admire seeing couples really embrace their relationship so that it can shine through on their photos.

I’ve talked a ton about how outfits can really make the biggest difference in your photo shoot (you can see my post here). Jamie did an amazing job at picking out her dress and doing her makeup and coordinating outfits. They both looked perfect together. I loved the soft tones with this time of year and how she really took into account the location they were shooting at while picking outfits.

When you book a session with me, one thing I go over is location. I often have my own spots and then other popular spots that I know will photograph well. Jamie and Ben took the time to ponder my list of suggestions for location. They also went out on their own to look at the locations to see if it was what they wanted. Jamie said when she went to Red Butte Garden that she just knew that she loved this place and she found a beautiful spot by the waterfall that she wanted captured. This makes it so easy for me to include a piece they love also in their sessions. Red Butte Garden has so many different locations to offer within their gardens. I would highly recommend checking it out prior to your shoot if you choose this location.

We had snow the week before their engagement session so we weren’t sure exactly how green it would be, but we were able to find lots of beautiful sceneries. I also spotted one little patch of blooming flowers and I knew we had to somehow capture it and get photos with the new blooms. I’m so happy that I could photograph them in this beautiful location. I hope they love these dreamy photos.