Senior Portraits || Bend Oregon Photographer

You have a Senior in high school – now what?

A few thoughts on senior portraits.

Senior portraits are more than likely on your checklist of Things To Do with your high school senior – but what exactly does that mean? I’m noticing lots of friends seem to be asking that question – and I’ll do by my best to help pull the curtain back on a time honored tradition.

First of all, let me share that I have a junior and freshman in high school and the Senior Checklist is looming in our household. It seems quite unknown and overwhelming (ok, frankly terrifying), and I’m totally in denial that we’ll have to deal with these things very soon. As a professional photographer – the only thing I’m confident of are the portraits.

From my own experience, and likely most of yours, I went to the one studio in town that took care of everyone’s Senior Portraits – Fritz Chin in Stockton, California. It’s just what you did, without question. I’m happy to report that Arnold Chin has taken over his family business and continues the Senior Portrait tradition in my hometown. Arnold was a few years ahead of me in school – and it makes me happy to know that the tradition continues with a true professional.

In the end, Senior Portraits are just that: a tradition to mark a period in time when your child is on the verge of becoming a young adult – and wrapping up their high school experience.  A celebration of the passing of time – the perfect occasion to stop time with photography and remember your child, as they become an adult.

If you are anything like me, the volume of pictures you have of your child has dwindled as they journey through their childhood and into high school.  I’ve just spent the last weekend pouring over and organizing family photos and the volume of images drops dramatically as they’ve grown older. Frankly – we just do way less cute stuff like digging in the dirt with tractors or visiting pumpkin patches. 

Senior portraits are an occasion to slow down and take some time. An occasion to NOT just check the box in front of SENIOR PORTRAITS, rather, think about how to capture this moment in time for your young adult. It’s time to think about WHO they are – and how do you (the royal YOU, the family, especially your senior), choose to mark this time in their lives. I don’t want to freak you out or anything but more than likely, after the senior portraits, the next professional portraits you’ll have of your child is at their wedding. I KNOW… I’m freaked out a little by this as well.

So what you’re saying is…. ?

In the end there really ARE many options for Senior Portraits, unlike when our parents were making these decisions. In our town, there are tons of photographers, many styles of photography, and an equally broad range of budgets as well. It’s a popular hobby, and likely your Senior knows a friend who takes pictures & can do them for you. In the end – you want to consider a few things.  

The first thing is to consider just how important these portraits are to you, and be honest. If it ranks up there with MOST IMPORTANT THING EVER, you’ll want to spend some time considering who makes the portraits & their style. If you simply want to check them off your list & get’er done – spend the appropriate amount of time researching.

Keep your budget in mind. This will vary by photographer, and can be based on experience, whether or not the photographer is a hobbyist or professional & running a business, and will also depend on what they offer.  You should have an idea of what you want out of the session. Do you want prints, or digital files, or a combination? In my experience, families tend to stick the digital files somewhere on their computer (or even toss the disk/thumb drive in a drawer) and forget about them. I like to make sure my clients have something tangible – something physical to hang on the wall, or stick in frames to enjoy. Albums are an excellent way to enjoy a range of portraits from the sessions. Coming to your photographer with an idea of what you want out of the sessions is helpful in getting an accurate bid. 

 

Next, find your photographer. As I mentioned before, there are a lot of photographers in our town, and their experience & style varies.  As with anything, photography styles can be trendy. Do you LIKE the photographer’s style? Will you like it in 10 years? These are heirlooms that will hang around forever if you take good care of them, and it’s ok to have an opinion about this!   I respect the heck out of Picasso & Matisse– but their style of painting is not my favorite. Give me an Andrew Wyeth or Edward Hopper any day of the week!  

In the end – enjoy the process. I know our family has grown at breakneck speed – and any excuse to take a moment and stop time to enjoy a milestone is welcome. The good news is that at least THIS aspect of the Senior Checklist, if done right, can last forever. 

Getting Creative || Family Portrait Photography || Bend Oregon

I adore this quote and sometimes have to remind myself to go have FUN!

Creativity is intelligence having fun. 

~ Albert Einstein

Shot with my iPhone - posted to my Instagram account:

@kteichrowfamily

Just a girl and her Papa! || Bend Oregon Photographer

Miss V came back to the studio last week and we captured some really fun shots of she & her Papa! Precious memories to last a lifetime... AND, I got my very own Frozen concert - can you guess what she's singing??

Nearly a Year in the Making || Bend Oregon Photographer

A Community of Smiles began as dream – an internal plea after an uncommonly hectic job, where I said to myself, “I just want my work to matter!”  Through hard work this dream has come true in a big way – I have partnered with Central Oregon Disability SupportNetwork (CODSN) to write & receive a generous grant from the MCM Giving Fund that provides a family portrait experience and artwork ready to enjoy. 

The mission is for families who have more on their parenting plates than the typical family to experience family photography without a second thought in regards to their budget. It was also important for me to be sure they were able to bring home tangible memories of this precious and fleeting time in their lives – to remember every moment with their children and/or partners regardless of abilities. These tangible memories are in the form of an art package, which includes prints, a digital archive of their session, and a gorgeous piece of artwork for their walls from my canvas supplier (and generous discount-contributor), Artsy Couture. 

Through the images, 
we can clearly see that positive relationships 
are not defined by the term disability.

Please join us in celebrating A Community of Smiles at First Friday between 5:00 and 7:00pm at Crows Feet Commons in Downtown Bend, where families get to see their artwork in person for the first time!

And... stay tuned for more projects with the gorgeous families!

Now Booking Summer Family Portrait Sessions || Bend, Oregon Photographer

They grow so fast. Life is busy.  Where did the time go?

The clichés are true, I know, as I'm living it now. 

We long to hold on to the fleeting moments of our children’s childhood. We have intentions of honoring those big and little moments, but life has a way of moving forward. Photography is a way we can hold on to the past, while allowing life to move beautifully forward. 

Photography is a means to capture those moments, and prints, wall art and albums are a way to pause honor those moments and relationships. 

Professional photography is, indeed, an investment, but it’s an investment in heirlooms for your family – which will be enjoyed and honored by generations to come. 

Where do you start? Choose that style of session that suits your family, and then give some thought into what you'd like to create from those images. Consider something beautiful for your walls, an album to cherish for ever, or prints to share with family.

Choose your photographer wisely - as the moments will, indeed, last a lifetime.

Now booking summer family sessions.

Mamarazzi at its very, very best || Bend, Oregon Photography

I was very, very lucky to have a student lend me a very fancy lens this weekend... and while I haven't gone through all of the images with a fine-toothed comb yet, I did want to share a couple from the boys' last games this weekend. The lens, in case you're wondering - is a 300mm 2.8 beast of a lens (the older version, not the VR). In laymans terms, it zooms far (well, technically it doesn't zoom at all... it just "is" far), and lets a LOT of light in at once, while also giving a shallow depth of field (what's sharp versus blurry - so you better nail your focus!) Not layman enough? Suffice it to say - its  sweet, but heavy. Even using a monopod - I was quite ready for the hot tub after 2 games & topped off with a client session in the evening.

The first image is of Sam's last tackle football game. He made HUGE strides this year, and I'm so proud of his playing & sticktuitiveness... Here he is, protecting his man! Way to go, TEICHROW! 

Here is Max on the Summit HS field playing for FCTimbers U12 White team.  I'd hoped I'd get something worthwhile with that GORGEOUS view in the background. In fact, I think I got several from the game... but grabbed this one first, as it's pretty cool. Max, too, has made huge strides in this season... he's a bit "fresh" at soccer - but has worked very hard to gain confidence and skills on the field. I had no doubts, and its fun to watch him grow.

In the end - do I covet the lens?

Kinda. It's pretty heavy - takes a lot of care (not exactly throw it in the pack and head for the hills, footloose and fancy free), but it DOES hum... and I walked away with some SWEET images of my kiddos playing hard.
Mama is happy.

And, I've got a student to work with to help him get some awesome volleyball images!
Teacher is happy.

'SUP, pups? Dogs on a Paddle Board at Sparks Lake || Bend, Oregon Photographer

I'm sure you all recognize these handsome pups! Here is a sneak peek that I simply couldn't resist from last night's gorgeous adventure... 

These amazing dogs are always ready to pose... and last night was so much fun at Sparks Lake! 

More to come these amazing dogs... but for now... Happy Friday, Fun-Day!

Want to know more about these awesome dogs? Check out the their "mom's" Border Collie rescue here!

Friday Fun-Day and putting the Studio through its paces || Bend Oregon Photography

I adore Fridays! It's the one day where I try to focus on something a little extra FUN! 

Today is no exception, as I invited a few friends over to help me put the studio through its paces! Its giving me the opportunity to find some great natural light, as well as how I can set up the space for studio lights as well!  Here's a sneak peek of this morning's visitors... a couple of silly (and adorable) brothers!

Traditions || Bend Oregon Photography

We love Todd Lake - and consider it one of the Teichrow Family Traditions, to begin our Fourth of July exploring its beauty! There were a few crazy years where we hit the downtown Pet Parade, then Todd Lake, and wrapped the day up with fireworks. Needless to say, the little ones were TUCKERED out by the end of those days.

Yesterday we dropped everything and continued the tradition after a couple-year hiatus... due to schedules and, actually, snow pack! 

This is a banner year - and was a gorgeous day. One of the things I wanted to do was recreate this image from 2005... one of our family favorites that hangs in permanent residence in the gallery wall in our kitchen. I often change the photos out - but this one has a special spot in my heart... and I think it will stay there for a long, long time. 

I think, however, that the shot I took yesterday, may live "next door" to it on the gallery wall. I love it nearly as much - and love to think about how much the boys have grown since then. 

What family traditions do you have, and are they captured in photographs? Family traditions are great inspirations for photo sessions!  Your family will treasure the images for generations to come!

Nearing the end of Construction || Bend Oregon Photographer

As I'm spending time assembling IKEA pieces and soaking up the COOL A/C in my new space - it's fun to take a peek back at the progress...

Early Spring Progress:

Stay tuned for more collages - and sneaks into what's coming this fall!

Falling in Love... all over again || Bend Oregon Photographer

For me, storytelling photography has been a personal passion, and I've been honored to carry that story through to other families and businesses as well.

Reflecting back on images, and being able to read the emotions of what we experienced is an incredible gift for anyone.

I know I'll look back on this evening and my heart will melt a little in remembering a sweet farewell as my husband packed up the boys to drive Sam to Grandpa & Grandma at the coast, and Max to his first week away from family to attend a basketball camp four hours away - and how I completely lost it as the truck drove away...

I was totally surprised by my reaction and reaching out to my husband – I texted him.

What came next rocked my world, melted my heart and made me fall in love all over again – with my son...

Border Collies everywhere! || Bend, Oregon Photographer

I've had the pleasure of meeting, and working with Flora, the director of Herd U Needed a Home - a border collie and mixed canine rescue organization. She is amazing with these animals - and working with them has been a joy!

Enjoy these images of the pack, from one of our recent shoots, which will culminate in her annual fundraising calendar!