School Photo Shoot for a preschool in Decatur, GA

Anyone else still have their school photos from when they were a kid? I do. And every time I look at those pictures with the marbled backdrops and unfortunate choices of props, I think, why is this the standard way school photos are done? 

And the craziest thing to me, is that it hasn’t changed much since I was a kid. Can’t these be better? Shouldn’t we have school pictures that we actually want to hang up and display of our children?

Then one day I saw a school photo in one of the online photography groups I am in that was unlike any I have ever seen. It was beautiful and classic looking: plain backdrop, no props, natural light. I had to learn more! So I took the online course of Elena S Blair “SCHOOLED” and fell completely in love with the idea of taking not just good, but GREAT school photos. 

I was the school photos photographer for Oakhurst Cooperative Preschool, a loving and supportive co-op preschool in Oakhurst neighborhood in Decatur, GA. At this preschool the age range is from two to five year olds. 

I am going to be honest: I had SO MUCH FUN taking school photos! 

Kids are amazing. It is one of the reasons I love being a mom and a family photographer. Children have so much personality that they can’t help but let shine through. I think these simple, classic set up for a school photo allows for me to capture the genuine expressions and attitudes of the children. 

Probably one of my favorite parts from this school photo shoot was when one of the little girls did not want her picture taken. It is important to me to never force a child to do something, so instead, I made a game out of it. I had a little monkey finger puppet that I brought with me that day. I asked my photo assistant to hide the monkey behind me and then I said loudly, “Has anyone seen my monkey? I think he is hiding from me AGAIN?” Then I asked the little girl, “Have you seen my silly monkey? He likes to play hide and seek, and I can’t find him!” I had my camera primed and ready. Then, on cue, my assistant had the monkey pop up over my shoulder. The little girl squealed, “THERE HE IS!!” and got super giggly.

The other kids in the class that were waiting for the school photos joined it too. The monkey continue to pop up “surprising” me and being silly. I had him sit on top of my camera claiming it was his favorite spot to hang out. This goofy game allowed the kids to relax and have fun and I got some great pictures of them. 

I love the challenge of trying to get genuine smiles and giggles from the kids and make sure it is a good experience for everyone. In fact, I had a parent let me know a couple days later that his son kept talking about how much fun school photos were. That, to me, is one of the best compliments I could think of as a school photographer. 

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Monica Conlin is a natural light family and newborn lifestyle photographer that specializes in newborn photography, Fresh 48 photography, smash cake photography, school photography, maternity photography, and family photography. Monica is based in Decatur, GA and services Decatur and the Atlanta metro area.

5 things I have enjoyed about the Front Porch Family Photos project

For the month of May I took photos of families around my neighborhood of Oakhurst as well as the surrounding area of Decatur. The goal was to document families during the pandemic of COVID-19 and take a snapshot of our lives while we had to quarantine and keep social distance from one another.

I want to share five things I really loved about this project:

1. Seeing how people celebrate special life events occurring in the time of Coronavirus and quarantine 

2. Witnessing the resilience of people in difficult situations

3. Hearing other’s “silver linings” and their willingness to share the good things they see happening in a hard season 

4. Watching families grow (whether it is a new baby or new pup) and become stronger together

5. Discovering the beauty of our neighborhood and all the lovely homes in the area

Thank you to everyone who participated in this beautiful project. I am grateful for this experience and the joy it has brought me during this unprecedented time in history.

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Monica Conlin is a natural light family and newborn lifestyle photographer that specializes in newborn photography, Fresh 48 photography, smash cake photography, maternity photography, and family photography. Monica is based in Decatur, GA and services Decatur and the Atlanta metro area.

Front Porch Family Photos

A glimpse into the front porch photo project in Decatur, GA. I am a lifestyle family photographer seeking to document the beauty of being together as a family at home in this strange and unsettling time. 

I am in a photography group on facebook, and in the beginning days of the quarantine due to COVID-19, I saw a post from a photographer in the Midwest who posted that she was taking pictures of families on their front porch.

I LOVED the idea.

I decided to take on this project for the month of May once the Shelter in Place order was lifted in the Atlanta area. This was something that excited me as a photographer since I was unable to do my typical lifestyle sessions due to the importance of keeping families safe through social distancing. I saw it as an opportunity to keep my creative juices flowing and offer something to families in this difficult season. My friend down the street volunteered to be my first front porch session and capture these photos of her family.

Needless to say, I was hooked and couldn’t wait to start taking more of these! I put the idea out there on my facebook neighborhood page letting them know that they could dress up in fancy clothes or just keep those cozy sweatpants on, however they wanted to document life at this time.

And I was completely blown away with the response. 

I knew that I would enjoy the photography part of this photo project, but the thing that I ended up loving most was the people.

I met neighbors I didn’t know before and learned a little about their life. 

Documenting people’s stories, understanding the unique and the collective experiences during this time in their life, as well as looking at their connections with one another is the beauty of family photography.

If you want your own front porch family photos, then SIGN UP HERE because there are limited spots left.

This is just a sneak peek into the project. I will be sharing more soon.

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Monica Conlin is a natural light family and newborn lifestyle photographer that specializes in newborn photography, Fresh 48 photography, smash cake photography, maternity photography, and family photography. Monica is based in Decatur, GA and services Decatur and the Atlanta metro area.

Quarantine with Kids at Home: 4 ways to turn a rough morning into a GOOD DAY

I am a family photographer, but I am a mom first and foremost. And don’t we all need a little help right now during this whole social-distancing thing? So after experiencing a fare share of rough mornings, I thought I would share a little about things we do to change a train wreck morning into a good afternoon.

When I wake up in the morning, after consuming the right amount of coffee, I am ready for the day ahead of me! I greet each day with an optimistic nod, believing the best of my kids and myself. 

However, I have found that even before my coffee kicks in, the hope for the day is quickly fading and I am thinking: how in the world will we make it to bedtime? 

Before quarantine and social-distancing, I had several go-to options when I needed to change up a day’s pace.

But given our current situation, I no longer can call up friends with kids for a playdate, let my children loose on our local playground, or run to the donut shop for a special treat and an extra dose of caffeine. But I have found a few things that have really worked for our family to change the trajectory of a bad day. 

They are simple, do-able, and hopefully helpful for you. Try one or two or all of them to help turn a hard morning into a day that is enjoyable for you and the kids. 

1. Get Outside!

We all know this to be true, kid’s attitudes (and my own) change when you get outside. The shift is palpable with the change of scenery, the fresh air, and the ability to be loud. If the weather is nice, this is what I do first. 

Here are a few ideas of outdoor play that is minimal effort with maximum entertainment:

• A water table or kiddie pool for pouring, splashing, measuring, plant watering, bucket filling, etc. It is amazing how many games they make up with a large container of water and a few buckets and measuring scoops. 

• Scootering and bike riding

• Nature walks looking for bugs, leaves, flowers

• Sidewalk chalk. We’ve made obstacle courses and art work. 

• Digging in the dirt or sand with construction toys and kid shovels

• Allowing them to take an indoor toy OUTSIDE. So exciting to “break” a rule! 

• Picnics and snacks in the backyard or on our front porch steps

2. Dance Party!

Another good way to get those little bodies moving, even on a rainy day, is having a dance party. So crank up the tunes! (Do people still say that?) I know turning on music helps boost my mood and dancing around like a fool gets those endorphins flowing. We take turns making up silly dance moves and trying to copy each other. I take this time to fulfill my duty as a parent to teach them classics like “running man”, “the lawn mower”, “the sprinkler” or “the disco point”. Please, join me in teaching our children these valuable dances. 

Here is a thirty minute Kid's Dance Playlist we listen to!

3. Snuggle up and practice gratitude. 

This is another one that can be done anytime and anywhere. Usually if my kids are whining, complaining, and overall having a rough go of it, I pull them in for a good ol’ snuggle session. Not all kids want cuddles, but mine would love it if we were touching 24/7. So they pile on my lap and I ask them to tell me something that they are thankful for.  They typically require me to share first, so taking that few seconds to pause and think about it already starts turning my mindset around. Practicing gratitude together helps remind us of the good things in our lives. 

4. Schedule a break for you.

Every parent knows that they NEED a break: this is obvious. But I do think we need to be told to TAKE a break. I can feel the desire in my bones to just take a breather from the constant attention and care of my children, but most of the time I try to ignore that feeling. I am learning the importance of acknowledging and acting on the need for a break. 

And if you are like me, you have already listed ten reasons in your head why you CAN’T take a break. But here is where I give you permission to do it anyway.

If you have another caregiver in the house, talk with them and schedule a time that works to tag them in for thirty minutes while you shower or walk or just sit down. If you don’t have help during the day and need a break, let your kids watch a tv show (or two or whatever), or send them in the backyard with a snack and watch out the window to have some peace and quiet. Even a small amount of time allows me to reset and feel ready to take on the rest of the day! Again, here is your permission and someone telling you that IT IS OKAY.

So don’t let a rough start to a day determine how it will end. You can do this. It will get better. 

Monica Conlin is a natural light family and newborn lifestyle photographer that specializes in newborn photography, Fresh 48 photography, smash cake photography, maternity photography, and family photography. Monica is based in Decatur, GA and services Decatur and the Atlanta metro area.