Look at what happens when I get my sisters to test the lighting before a photoshoot.  This is why we stay behind, not in front of the camera!

Neither I nor my sister were able to get maternity photos done for our first babies, so here she is with her second!  We are all so excited to find out if it’s a boy or a girl!

My niece turned two on Wednesday, and was so excited to have her chocolate cake…well, mostly excited for the smarties on top.

It’s going to be a surprise!  I love surprises and this has got to be one of the greatest surprises in life.
Kristy had the most perfect baby bump.  She is one of the lucky ones where all the weight gain is just in the belly.  I’m really glad they came in and got their maternity photos done.  If I looked half this good while pregnant I would be pregnant all the time!

I encourage all you moms-to-be to get some maternity photos done, even if it is just a friend taking snapshots of you.  I am sure it will very special to the little baby (when they grow up) to have a photo of their mama with them inside your tummy.  It’s also a nice thing to have for their baby book or as a print hanging up in their nursery.

Poor little Maggie looking suspiciously at the photographer.  After a few treats she let us take a few photos of her!

Look Maggie is even smiling in this one!

Seriously, she looks like she belongs on the cover of Vogue.  P.S. I love your necklace! I didn’t notice until I was editing the photos, but the color of the necklace perfectly complements your eyes.

I can’t wait to meet your little one!  

It was hard for me to choose a few of my favorites, so here is a bunch!  This little guy was so good, he was happy posing, and then sleeping throughout the photoshoot.  He was already almost a month old, but I figured since he was born early and was about term at the time of the photoshoot he would do the typical curled up “newborn poses”, but nope he didn’t want any of it, freedom baby! So we skipped the baby cocoon and here he is in his birthday suit!

I knitted this Christmas-y hat especially for him because he was born a few days before Christmas! What a special Christmas gift

I love it when babies get the relaxed-squishy mouth when they are in a deep sleep.  He has got the most perfect nose-lips-chin combo for this kind of pic.

What a gorgeous mommy!  I know Jenny is going to be a great mom, she is one of those calm, patient and understanding types of people and you can totally see it in this picture.
I remember those newborn nails!  So soft that you can tear them with your fingers, but so sharp they can leave deep scratches.

With daddy.  Did I mention that Jon got Jenny this photo session package as a birthday gift?  What a great idea, so thoughtful and practical.  It’s nice to see a guy that values family photographs and understands how important it is to us moms to have these memories, not only for ourselves but for our kids when they grow up.
I don’t know what Jon is doing to poor little Zach in the second picture, but he’s making such a cute little face I couldn’t resist posting it.

“See ya when I’m 6 months!”

Isn’t this little guy the cutest??  I had to post this one while my daughter naps (finally!! She is either teething or feeling the effects of her 1 -year old shots).  He is wrapped up in the same cloth that we put his mommy in when she was pregnant with him.  I love how the cloth drapes and the rich color, but I think I love his little smile even more.  Gotta go, I hear my daughter waking up now!

-Hurene

Hello everyone!

I am very excited as this is my very first ‘MAKEUP MONDAY’ post! As some of you may know, makeup for photos is a little different than everyday makeup.  I will explain step by step every Monday how to achieve a very natural look that compliments your own beauty without looking too made up or that the makeup has taken over your face (although sometimes that is fun, but there is always a time and place for that!)

I will start with the ‘basics’ and begin with under eye concealor.

Texture?

You may think, isn’t this just the same as all other kinds of concealor? oh no.  The skin under the eye is thinner than the skin on the rest of your face.  Putting a concealor that is too ‘cakey’ or heavy can really damage the skin around your eye and cause pre-mature wrinkles, and it will also look very unnatural and heavily ‘made up’.Try a concealor specific for under the eye that is moisturizing, light and creamy. You can get concealors that are light, but also full coverage.

Color?

To battle those blues use a ’salmon’ (pinky/orange) toned concealor first to counteract the blue. Then use a concealor the SAME color as your skin (not lighter!) over top.  Use a concealor brush (synthetic brushes to glide creams smoother), if not use your ring finger and do a light patting motion.  It is amazing the difference you will see in using the salmon color underneath your normal color.  Good thing I haven’t been sleeping well! Perfect for this blog!

haha.. I look concerned don’t I.  Probably thinking (hopefully people read the blog and not just look at this photo and think.. her eye looks weird. haha)

(No photo shop on the face to show the makeup clearly)

Last tip and Trick!

When applying concealor under the eye do not apply right up to the lower lash line, it will only make your eyes appear smaller.  You want a little bit of your natural shadow right under the lash for a more natural look.

Happy concealing!

Elaine of the Hua girls.

p.s. ANY questions on concealing your under eye leave me a comment and I’ll be happy to help if I can!

We had the pleasure of photographing this beautiful baby girl this afternoon.  Can you believe she is only 6 weeks old? Such great focus in her eyes, and she was so strong she could already hold up her head!

Rockin the bandanna.

I love love love the last photo.  A wonderfully loving and beautiful little family.

For those of you who have ever taken professional photos, one thing you probably always fuss about is what to wear!  Many times, you think that everything (and everyone in the picture) needs to be all matching…. wrong! Different colors and texture really adds to pictures and is really a way of showing your personality.  This is really the time to put on that favorite outfit because you want pictures when you look and feel your best.

Of course, this rule does not apply all the time, for instance, during newborn and baby shoots, you want those pictures  where everyone wears all black or white to portray a certain style, but for those casual, playful shots, layer on those colorful favorites!  Even a simple scarf, or an awesome pair of shoes makes a big difference.

Here are some examples of our past shoots where our clients clothes really liven up their pictures and their personalities…

This couple is looking super chic with little matching details which look effortless.  Very Mr. and Mrs. Smith.

I love the outfit of every person, and especially the different patterns and textures.  It really adds to the playfulness of the photo (and shows how super cool this family is!)

I love layering!!  This couple’s style totally shows off their edginess and playful personality through the awesome retro shoes, tall boots, and  layered jackets.

I couldn’t resist putting up this photo of our amazing make-up artist Elaine! I love the bright green scarf she is wearing.  Even though it is such a simple detail, it adds a lot of character to the picture.  Even the smallest thing like a colorful scarf or chunk necklace can make a big difference!

Feel free to post any questions or concerns about anything style related, and I’d be happy to help!

~Janet (aka. the style maven)

These little cousins are a year apart in age, but for the month of January, they are both one year old!  I am sure they are going to be best friends and will have so much fun growing up together.