Back in 2002, when I first opened As Cute As It Gets, my first and foremost goal at the beginning was to offer other parents what I personally as a mom wished other photographers out there were offering – themes. Luckily for the consumer nowadays, there are several studios in the OC/LA area that offer props/sets. However, when my sons were little, there simply weren’t. I had brought my own boys to several mall studios as well as several mid to high end private studios and always came away disappointed in several aspects beyond the lack of cute and creative themes. My main complaints were most studios had the rush rush approach and a strained ability to work well with children. Again, luckily there are lots of photographers out there that now give ample time and actually love working with kids. Perhaps I was being too picky, but I searched and searched and spent and spent trying to find the right studio, and realized that I would simply NEVER find a studio offering everything I hoped for from portrait planning to final product. I began to dream of what that studio would be like and decided the answer was to create it myself. I have spent almost 10 years (May 2012 will mark a decade of As Cute As It Gets!) in tireless pursuit of perfecting my craft and offering all the things I feel parents like myself want....turning As Cute As It Gets into the fun and dynamic studio I envisioned. A fortunate result of my efforts has been that I have developed a wide and loyal following, something I am thankful of every single day. I feel thrilled to have come as far as I have in the short time I have been at it, and with the passion I have for making As Cute As It Gets the best it can be, know the studio will continue to offer its unique products and services over the years. This is not just for my own selfish needs as a picture-happy parent but really for all the parents out there that have also dreamily imagined what the perfect photography studio experience should be. I have a lot of clients counting on me now! I try to come up with new themes for each holiday, and try my hardest to make sure everyone’s Christmas cards are the cutest around….I have several families where 2012 will mark the 11th Christmas card I have done for them ! It seems so crazy that I will have been at this for 11 holiday seasons…but they do say time flies when you are having a good time. And that I have had! Thanks to all those families that have been with me all these years! Many of you I now consider incredible friends. For those new to my work and website, as you look down the following list of what I believe makes my studio one of the best around, I hope that you will breathe a sigh of relief and say "Finally!" and give me a call! I can’t wait to meet you and your little ones!
LONG SESSIONS
As a mom of two, hhhhm. hhhhm, “active” boys myself, I absolutely, positively decided that I needed to offer other parents out loooooong private sessions if they wanted them. Long sessions allow for plenty of time to accommodate breaks for your little one to get their wiggles out, get their well-deserved hugs for a doing a great job, have a snack or use the restroom. If you have an infant, then this time is great for you to accommodate diaper changes, soothing, and breast/bottle feedings. This long session time also allows ample time to change themes and/or switch outfits, so you can make the most out of your session with me. My regular private studio sessions can be booked as a half hour, an hour or two hours. I even try to make my Portrait Event sessions long...usually 30 minutes, which serves as plenty of time for the single theme my portrait events offer.
Everyone's child is of course different and you may fear that a long session, even with lots of breaks, might not be for him/her……so in that case, the half hour private session or Portrait Event session would be ideal for you.
LOTS AND LOTS OF PORTRAITS TAKEN
I take a ton of portraits! Perhaps too many. My goal is the same as yours...to capture the true smile, sweet glance or impish expression that melts your heart. This way you get not just a few you love out of the session, but tons that you utterly adore! The hardest part of your whole experience with me should be to separate the super cute proofs from the really cute proofs! I know a lot of photographers feel it is best to narrow down a clients final selection down to just the absolute best. I can certainly do that for those that want that service….I have some clients that ask me to do so each and every time. I do have fun picking favorite portraits! However, as a parent purchasing portraits myself all those years ago….I wanted to see every single one. I was beyond peeved when photographers would tell me they decided upon the best ones and never gave me the option to see them all even when I asked. I know there are lots of parents out there that feel adamant about being able to see each and every proof and appreciate my belief in this practice. I certainly know when your child gives me a great smile, but it is important to me that you get to pick your very favorite of the bunch. There are tiny differences that only a mom or dad will see. Sometimes a second opinion is helpful to streamline your choices, so I always, always make a list of my favorites from each series we do, and offer my suggestions.
WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET. I PROMISE.
My galleries are full of real portraits obtained in real day to day sessions. My albums, collages and card examples actually were custom created for my clients in the normal ordering process. I know of several photographers that show work on their sites that simply is not the caliber of what actually comes from their studio during a regular session. Ask my husband….I am in this not because I am business person, but because I am completely in for the art of it. I will make sure that the portraits you receive for look like the portraits you came to me for. Promise. Nothing could be more important to me….and I really mean that.
I can achieve this by a combination of the following:
I am GREAT with kids
My being super silly and playful with my own kids and their friends is what mainly prepares me for being great with your kids. I also like to say that after having photographed thousands of children I truly know what strange sound or funny phrase works perfectly for each age group. I can make a chicken sound that is the envy of the barnyard, I tell you. If my normal repertoire isn’t working, sometimes in the middle of a session you and can go into a quick huddle and come up with something on the fly that works so magically I will use it forever more. Parents delight in my ample energy, zany approaches and impressive patience.....my goal is your goal...to capture that special look your child does all the time that you want to remember forever. I feel the most wonderful feeling of accomplishment every time I capture your child truly laughing. Nothing is better than getting a child to show their true smile...the one where their eyes light up with pure joy. Those are the portraits I want of my own kids. I have been told by many a parent that I am the best in the business based on this one quality!
Expertise to start with
Not to sound all M. Night Shyamalan, but I see perfect portraits. I know what I am shooting for from the start. Whether it is a theme or pose I have done for years or a new one I am trying out for the first time, I have the end product completely envisioned in my head before, during, and after I shoot it.
Newborns, babies and children are of course my specialty, but during my family and maternity sessions, where I am working with adults as well, I can assess how I will pose you in seconds based upon physique, clothing and hairstyle. I try to make you laugh too. I won’t tickle your tummy though…. unless you give me no other choice.
I take portraits knowing what will happen to them in post- production. For example, if it turns out your little one is going through a separation anxiety phase, I can have you sit right next to them in the set touching their arm or back, then edit you out. I have a solution for virtually everything that comes up, and in newborn sessions…what comes out… during a session.
I also have heavily invested in education and regularly attend the annual conventions and seminars. I know the technical stuff. But I truly believe creating one of my portraits comes down having a good eye.
Complimentary Retouching and Affordable Editing
Bruises from yesterday’s tumble...gone! Glistening drool strands...erased! Stretch marks in your pregnancy portraits...magically invisible! Unruly prices of hair…. tamed! Stains on your little ones shirt from the juice box on the way over ….removed! All necessary retouching and enhancing is offered as a complimentary service....I want your portraits to be perfect as can be! In post production I can work miracles beyond the complimentary retouching when needed too for a small additional charge. Imagine all your little ones smiling in the same portrait by seamlessly moving in faces/heads/bodies from other portraits taken in the same series. Parents are of course their own worst critic, so imagine waists and double chins slimmed for a price much cheaper than purchasing your own hot tub time machine. I think a lot of parents LOVE me for offering the level of editing I do. I didn’t marry a plastic surgeon, but am sure delighted that my husband is such a wiz with the more refined features of Photoshop than I. It’s the next best thing! That and his cute British accent.
Creative and super dedicated Post Production
Our advanced expertise in post production also allows for many of my themes to be fully realized.
Simple approaches to it might be turning my vintage sessions sepia or tinting the big letters your child holds for their name collage. More complicated endeavors include my pond set that has your child’s reflection rippling in water that wasn’t there. I can’t imagine my fairy set without the beams of moon light or the fireflies. And all the little girls love the fishies in the mermaid set.
All the adorable collages, albums, and cards you see throughout my site are created by hours and hours of design work. And lots of coffee. But good coffee. Kean Coffee’s Mochas do make the world go ‘round. Each portrait, collage or card is custom designed and specifically tailored to your needs. Anything we do, we offer lots of design choices.
It also helps that all my portraits, canvases, and press printed cards are printed from the portrait industry’s highest-end pro lab using the best in archival inks and materials. Further demonstration that I believe in high standards and not taking shortcuts. I was trying to think of a joke here, but for once, don’t have one. I love what I do, and have an annoying need to make sure I offer the best I can possibly can.
And last but not least, creativity.
You like either have it or like, you don’t. Just kidding. Hey….I’m like, blond, grew up in the 80’s in LA…like, ya know? Sadly, it turns out I do say “like” a lot. Luckily I can disguise that fact when I write. Anyway, I digress. But I do really feel creativity is the one quality I have for some reason an over-abundance of. If I think of it, I just truly know how to create it, or for certain, can’t sleep until I find out how to. One of my clients once complimented me by saying my studio sets its self apart because you can’t fake creativity. That was one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me!
So, if you haven’t guessed it, I love, love, LOVE themes. Most of my house is themed. I live for dress up days and holiday parties at my kids schools. Yes, I utterly drink up theme parks! I have made the coolest Halloween costumes for my sons and do a crazily fun Haunted House each year. I am THE girl you go to for themes. All the themes on my site were created with complete enthusiasm….perhaps too much. I have stories about each set that I sometimes will tell you if we are in break mode. I make almost everything you see or searched like a mad man for a certain something, often terribly vexing people by outbidding them on eBay at 3am. I guess my point is what I offer isn’t an open the box and add water approach. It’s about finding a way to bring what I envision to life so that I can feed and quell the creative beast in myself, while thankfully bringing joy to all the parents and children that come to my studio.
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I encourage you to spend time on my website and Facebook. The website is work in progress, I try to update things after our little blond monsters go to sleep, so some sections/galleries on the website aren’t up yet. I wish I could have popped it all up all at once, but by day I am at the studio where I hardly work and instead have fun, or at home, alternately resisting and then giving into futile attempts to clean my house. It’s all true what they say about creative people….thank goodness I often trade services with the owner of Molly Maid.
The website will be fully completed soon... turns out the truest statement ever uttered is ‘there are only so many hours in a day’. I know, you’re thinking ‘excuses, excuses’. Patience
is a virtue, young grasshopper. Promise it will all get posted. If you need more info on anything or have any questions in the meantime, just email me at
info@ascuteasitgets.com and I will get it to you right away.
So hopefully after checking my site out, you will believe I truly have a love and commitment to the experience and art I create for my clients. The reason I write so much so much on my website is that hopefully after reading section after section you will really know if I am the photographer for you or not. Having a photographer that you click with and communicate with truly increases the likelihood of your being delighted with your session and portraits. I hope to attract parents that read through everything and hands down believe what I offer is what they have been searching for. I believe I absolutely have the right way of doing business, as I am repeatedly told by moms and dads that they feel every dime spent was well worth it.
I hope you call/email to book a session with me. Within minutes of your arrival at your session, you will see how different As Cute As It Gets is...and by the delivery of your portraits, you simply will be convinced of it! And that is a wonderful feeling. For you...and of course, me! Every session I have absolutely affirms my choice to start As Cute As It Gets. I LOVE WHAT I DO...and thankfully everyone tells me over and over again that it shows!
Oh, important disclosure. I promise I am not this wordy or talkative in real life. Can you imagine? Eek. The horror.
Click below to see a list of
Frequently Asked Questions
that explains my policies in greater detail.