TAYNEE MILLER PHOTOGRAPHY

Utah Wedding and Family Photographer

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In Home Maternity Session | Utah Photo

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When you’re getting ready for your first baby, you deserve getting to celebrate and capture this time in your life with an in home maternity session. After all the baby showers and making the registry, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed with all of the things you need to do to prepare. One of those things I would prioritize is capturing this time in your life.

Your first baby truly changes your life in so many ways, being able to have memories from this time of your life will always be something you will remember. An in home maternity photo session with me will leave you awaiting the arrival of your little bundle and also beautiful classic images you can look back on.

Family and Mama

Some of my favorite in home sessions are seeing people in their own environment and seeing how where this baby will be coming home to. Whether it’s of just the parents or with kids involved, it’s a cozy setting that keep things intimate and personal.

What To Wear

Neutral tones for an in home maternity session is always a great and safe way to go. In home sessions you can always have two outfits also. Here are some examples that would work.

  • Dad in a simple white T-shirt and natural pants
  • Mom in a white robe- perfect to show off her pregnant belly
  • Mom in a fitted white dress – this one is also perfect for family shots, covering up a little more but still showing your belly.

How to Prepare

As your session comes up, you will want to rid of any clutter in the room we will be doing the images in. Have your outfits laid out the night before and steamed and ready to go. I highly recommend getting your hair and makeup done the day of so that you can have that pressure off of you. Then last, leave the session to me! I promise I will give you a beautiful memorable session that you can look back on for years to come.

Kate + Stacie | Empowering Women Utah

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This session is one I will forever think about and love! Photographing empowering women and finding connection and other people you have similarities to just feels so good.Kate and Stacie are old friends who met up for a conference in Provo where they would see the each other for the first time in three years. Kate, who is from Canada, surprised her friend Stacy with a branding shoot with me! In my opinion it was the ultimate gift to give another girl boss!

One of my favorite things about photography is the community. So these two found me on a photographer‘s group on Facebook. Kate said she love my style and my portfolio and decided to go with me. I was so flattered and also so excited to be able to do their session and capture their friendship also!  

When I think back to why I loved this so much I realized, this was an ideal shoot for me because we got to have fun, dress up, and make these women feel beautiful and powerful. Kate and Stacie’s personalities were so fun and we just laughed and had a blast the whole time. It is so important to me to help women see their beauty and be a part of that process of them growing and developing!!!

The entire shoot was so so fun, but my favorite part of the shoot was getting to know them. We went deep and talked about religion and how we came to this place in our lives at this moment. Through these conversations I know I will always care about these women. It was so empowering to find similarities to other women when the world can often feel isolating.

One of the services I love to offer is helping all of my clients with outfits, texting back-and-forth options, and make up and hair suggestions. Stacie hired an amazing team for her hair and make up. I think that is always worth it because they know how to make sure it’s enough for the shoot. You want to make sure you have a decent amount of makeup and that your hair will hold for the entire shoot. This is something I’m also always able to help with.

Since Kate and Stacie were only going to be here for the weekend conference, we wanted to fit in as many of the beautiful murals in Provo as we could. The great thing about downtown Provo is that it is very small. Because we managed our time wisely we were able to hit four different locations in two hours rather than the usual two locations. It was so worth it and I’m glad we got everything that they wanted for their shoot.

Modere Collagen was the company they both sell for.

Makeup: https://instagram.com/jayci_mua?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Hair: https://instagram.com/sandyssalon_?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Jamie + Ben | Utah Wedding Photographer

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Weddings can be such an amazing adventure. Jamie and Ben’s wedding was truly magical. My favorite part about working with Jamie and Ben what is that they were unapologetically themselves and so unique the entire time we did photos. I felt like because they were so genuine we developed a good friendship and had some great times together through the laughter of engagements to the raw emotions of their wedding day.

I love how the wedding day wasn’t as traditional. During the ceremony they gave each of their children a token of their love and had it engraved for each child. It was beautiful to see these separate families come together and become one. 

One of the most memorable moments of their wedding day for me was listening to their full wedding story. This was both Ben and Jamie’s Second marriage so they didn’t do all of the traditional Things on their wedding day. They had a beautiful ceremony followed by a receiving line and then instead of the reception they had an amazing dinner. At the dinner that night with their close family and friends they told the full Story of how they met. I had heard a portion of their store before but at this dinner I learned they had met in high school through Ben’s sister. They both had an eye for each other, but neither of them made a move. They reconnected years later multiple times and it was just never the right time for them to be together. But finally years later they made it back to each other and are happily married. Seeing how much they love each other I knew that their journey and everything they went to through together was what they needed to be ready for each other.

How to prepare for your photo session

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Sometimes the hardest part can be finding someone and committing and hiring them! At this point, you have now found me, and I am so excited to show you how to prepare for your photo session and then photograph your session! Now let’s get down to business! I’m going to walk you step by step through the entire process. This really is such an exciting time for you but also can feel stressful and overwhelming, so I want to help take this off your shoulders.

Here we go!

WHAT TO EXPECT

Nervousness: I know you are thinking that you are worried will everyones outfits look okay, will you look okay that day, will everyone be smiling and doing what they are supposed to do?? This is where I say trust the process and ME! I have done this so many times and I know exactly how to get the people in your session engaged and involved. The more we let our family feel our nerves, the more they will be nervous and potentially act out. I will help get their attention and keep them on track and make sure I get beautiful images while I am at it.

In general, try your best to treat it like any other time. That is the best way for me to get candid shots of your family. The more relaxed you are and the more you can be yourselves, the more you’ll love the photos. I will mix up posing and prompts, so don’t feel like you have to come with any of those ideas. I will be your idea factory that day so you can relax!

Fun: Do your very best to treat this as a fun activity. If we go into something stressed, others can feel it, so remember to have fun and just really lean into the session!

WHAT TO DO AHEAD OF TIME

Choose a location: I have a list of spots I love, but also am open to hearing if there is a spot you want! I am always open to doing the shoot at your home also if that is something important to you!

Pick a date: Do you want a fall session or summer session? Do you want to make sure you can have enough time to send cards/invitations out at a certain time. This will all be critical information to decide on, so that you have plenty of time to get the images back from me to use.

Pick a time: As a photographer, I will always recommend doing it at a time that is best for the light! Keep in mind how much time you will need to get everyone ready, get them to the location, and then give us at least an hour for your session!

Communicate: I will give you a beautiful session, but if there is something you are hoping for, please tell me so that I can make sure we achieve that for you!

Prep your outfits: Don’t wait til the day of your shoot to pick your looks! Start thinking now of coordinating outfits, get them ordered and planned, and then get them prepped for the session by ironing them or steaming them ahead of time!

Prep yourself and family: Make sure to get hair cuts a few days in advance and start practicing how you will do your hair or book an appointment to get your hair and makeup done! It’s a fun way to treat yourself also!

WHAT TO WEAR

What to wear and how to coordinate: The most important thing is to feel comfortable and happy in what you are wearing. If you feel beautiful it will shine through. Also think classic styling so that in years to come you love them just as much!

Be yourself: Don’t dress totally out of your normal style, find a style you love and know you will look back in and feel confident and happy!

Color: I always love more jewel tones or softer neutrals for your session! This is huge that everyone is in a similar color wheel so that everyone can coordinate color wise!

How to coordinate: Don’t match too closely so that it will all balance the photos. Go for complimentary colors, patterns so that it all flows nicely!

I have a whole post here dedicated to what to wear! Make sure to check that out!

This whole process can feel overwhelming but I promise you once you are there it will be amazing! I can’t wait to get to meet you and photograph your session!

Desmond First Birthday Session | Utah

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The first birthday session is a great time to capture your child’s growth and changes, which is why I love this type of session and all the changes they make! From their physical features to their mobility, it’s like they are a completely different child from only a few months ago. Getting those first birthday photos are so important because it’s a milestone of being so tiny and helpless to gaining independence and seeing their growth! 

Location

There will always be photographers in every price range, but this first birthday session is so important to hire someone who is your style and aesthetic. You want to find someone who will be able to reach your baby and really pull out their personality, someone with experience who knows how to capture little ones that you can remember forever. 

When you are planning out a baby’s first year pictures, it is important to think about what you really want remembered. Do you want to have a separate shoot for the party or just one of the baby and some images of the baby eating their first cake? I will always recommend having both photographed because they only turn one once. 

For the baby photos, I highly recommend doing a studio shoot, especially because you can do it year-round. Babies tend to also be in a much happier mood in the mornings, which is great because you’re not battling against harsh light in a morning outdoor shoot!

If you do decide to do an outdoor shoot, I highly recommend doing it when the sun is not at its highest. The prime time for great outdoor photos is around 4-6 pm.

Regardless of where you do the shoot, it’s very important to eliminate distractions so the baby can focus on the shoot and the camera and not anything else. This goes for toys, but also things like dirt or grass that might cause them discomfort, which will create a distraction. 

Backgrounds

My personal preference is a clean background, such as a white studio. It allows you to capture the tiny details of the little one and a simple background eliminates distractions. 

When you are seeking out photographers for this session, look specifically in each photographer’s galleries for images like the ones you want (e.g., indoor vs. outdoor, white studio vs. darker studio, etc.).  Do they follow the same aesthetic and style that you like, are the photos translating into images you can imagine your one year old in? 

If you decide you do want to do a studio for your baby’s first birthday photos,  I can help you find and book a great space. 

This session was so fun to do. I was so glad that I connected so much with Desmond’s parents and that we had the same vision. I knew from the start I was a great fit for them. 

Theme, Props, and Decorations

When preparing for your shoot, you don’t need a ton: a banner, a cake stand, some balloons, and a simple little outfit goes a long way

Not all first birthday photo shoots need to have an elaborate theme. Instead, you can keep it minimal and sweet to get fantastic images. 

Outfits 

 When picking your baby’s outfit for the shoot, think of simple and soft colors. I love a little linen outfit or a little romper for a girl. You can get an outfit that shows they are turning one, but this is not necessarily required where the decorations can achieve this effect as well.

I would bring at least 2 outfits for the shoot: one for the nice and clean images to hang in your home and then one the baby can use for their cake smash photos.

A great time to do a baby’s one year photos could also be combined with your family pictures. If you combine the shoots, plan coordinating outfits for the whole family. It’s best to keep things simple and classic.

If you do a cake smash, remember that the outfit will get dirty. I would recommend staying away from any heirloom outfits or anything you don’t want ruined.

Timing

When you are preparing for your shoot, you want to be sure you plan around the baby’s nap time. You want them to be in the best mood possible. Bring snacks that your baby loves, music, a favorite toy, whatever is going to help get their attention and keep them happiest and motivated!