Diana

Diana is about to become a big star on my website; she's going to get her own portfolio to show how much variety can come from one photo shoot. I love working with women by themselves, especially young women. Often, there are those beautiful years between when we last had our portrait done (senior pictures?!) and when we next have our portrait done (wedding) when we don't have any beautiful portraits made. Diana will always remember how she looked in Seattle, in her early twenties, because she'll have these images to cherish.

Soon-to-be Big Brother

Lots of my maternity clients bring an older child to their photo shoot. This little guy, Ian, was definitely in the squirming phase so we had to try and make things fun and interesting for him. We took lots of pictures of Mom, Ian, and the baby-to-be who turns out to be another little boy, Zack!



Thankfully, Grandmom came along for the shoot to keep Ian busy while mom and I took some maternity photos of just her alone. What can I say, I love a pregnant woman in jeans and a sweater!

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day everyone (and my mom, especially)!

I love this recent portrait I took of this little girl - holding on to her mom's hand for support and encouragement. It seemed so simple at the time - Emma wants to stand and she needs mom for balance!

But, looking at it now in the light of Mother's Day, I am getting a little emotional about what this image really signifies: all the times that mom is there to hold our hand, suppport us, teach us something new, comfort us, care for us, and to one day do one of the hardest jobs in motherhood...let us go!

Happy Mother's Day to all my M. Larson Photo Moms - all the moms-to-be and new moms I have photographed throughout the year.

Muse

Every artist needs a muse, and Emily is mine! Every time I photograph her, she looks beautiful, simple, real, genuine. Her serious looks are gorgeous but I love to make her laugh and catch her off guard too. We went out to a local Seattle park on a recent "sort-of-Spring" day and quickly came home with some gorgeous new portraits to add to both of our collections.

Every woman deserves to have her own portrait made and you don't really need an "occasion" to do it - although it is a good way to celebrate something! Emily has good news on the horizon and I think these photographs show her the happiest and most serene I've ever seen her.

p.s. A big THANKS to my great husband who went into the blog, did his code magic, and gave us all bigger pictures to look at! :)

Survey Winner!!!

A big "Thank You!" to everyone who took time to participate in the Spring 2008survey. I am one day late announcing our winner so I hope you'll forgive me - things have been very busy in the studio and the office!

Congratulations - Christine K. of Bellevue Washington!

Christine will receive a complimentary basic portrait session (worth $250) and a print credit as well. I think she will use it for photographs of her two little children so I'll be sure to post a couple images here once we do the photo shoot!

Thanks again to everyone who took time to answer the survey!
Best,
M. Larson

p.s. I decided to give everyone who participated in the survey a $25 print credit - check your email!

Red-Tri Favorites!

Hi Everyone,

Big news this week! I am very excited that M. Larson Photography is now listed as one of Red Tricycle's Favorites for Baby, Children and Maternity Photography in Seattle! I am so pleased because I love Red Tricycle's website and email newsletters but also because I am on the list with a lot of other great photographers. Here's a copy of the review they wrote about me, but you can also click here to go directly to my page.

Thanks for all your help in making me a Seattle Favorite!
Martha

p.s. Don't forget about my great referral program for existing clients - send a friend my way for a sitting and get $50 off of your next session fee!

New Camera!

Hi Everyone,

Well, it only took me three weeks to find the time but I finally took the brand new Nikon D300 camera out of the box and took it out for a little test drive. This is picture #0001. I put over 30,000 images on my last camera so I am sure this little guy (or gal?!)and I have a great future together.

M.

New for Mother's Day

Hi Everyone, brand new for Mother's Day (coming up May 11th!) I am introducing a new line of jewelry products that can be customized with your favorite image from our photo shoot. There is a special offer price for my existing customers only (hurry and you can become a new customer before the deadline!), just in time for the perfect Mother's Day present.

Call the studio for more information, or to place an order, but hurry - orders must be in by April 24th! Also, if you’d love to have some jewelry with your baby’s photo – I will arrange a special package and squeeze in a sitting in time for the big day!

Best,
M

New Business Cards

M. Larson Photo finally has brand new business cards! I wanted to create a series of cards that highlights the kind of photography I most love to do: maternity, kids (and babies too!), and women in all life stages. Below are three different cards, front and back pictures of each that show lots of images and highlight my vintage-inspired style as well. You can see all of these images larger on my website at M. Larson Photo. These themes will begin to appear soon on all of my printed materials including referral cards, gift certificates, and brochures - so let me know if you need any info to pass on to friends and family!

Vintage Motherhood Maternity Card:


Vintage Childhood Card:


Portraits Celebrating Women:

Playing with Texture

I love to play with textures. While making my new business cards, which I will post soon, I developed this shot of one of my favorite models. I like it - it's mysterious! She has kind of a modern Mona Lisa smile here. You can see her more classic portraits from our shoot back in February. I like to see the different styles you can create from the same shoot, even the same images. It's one of the trademarks of M. Larson Photography - pushing the boundaries of straight portraiture into the realm of art piece.

M. Larson

Take a Survey - Win a Sitting!

Hi Everyone,

I have developed a short survey for the questions that are most on my mind this Spring. I would like to know a little bit more about YOU; those who visit the M. Larson Photography website and blog!

Entrants can participate in the drawing and one lucky survey participant will receive a complimentary basic portrait session and a $25 print credit. You can use it for yourself or give it as a gift. That's a $275 value just for 10 little questions! If you want to be included in the drawing, you will need to enter your contact information at the end.

Click here to take survey

The survey will be open for the entire month of April and the winner will be announced on May 1 - check back here!

Best,
Martha
M. Larson Photography

Model Search - Babies!

Hi Everyone, M. Larson Photography is working on a new ad campaign and I am doing a search for model babies! (though, not necessarily crying ones :) )

Who I need:
Babies under 6 weeks of age for newborn photo shoots (and their moms, too!)

Babies around 6 months of age who can sit up by themselves but aren't too mobile yet!

If you are, have, or know someone who has a baby that just fits this profile, please reach out to me about being a baby model. I will use your images in my ad campaigns and on the M. Larson photo blog and website, etc. Models will be compensated with a free sitting and a credit towards portrait artwork.

Zoe's Outtakes

I love to show outtakes from fun kid photo shoots. Sometimes, to get beautiful, soft pictures like the ones on my website, this (Zoe is the first image in Kids - Studio), we have to do some silly things to get there!

At M. Larson Photo, kids are encouraged to play, make jokes, make funny faces, talk to me and when the time is right, goof off! In between all the fun, I get portraits of their unguarded moments.

More Pics from the Winter

Hi Everyone,

Just wanted to share a few more pictures from a wonderful photo shoot I did with a young woman back in February. We were having so much fun during this shoot that we both lost track of time and ended up working together for hours! I guess that's a good reminder of why I dedicate a full day to one shoot only - just in case! There were so many pictures to choose from in the end, but I thought I'd share a few of the artsier choices. Enjoy!

M.

This first one was taken on a "new" vintage camera of mine. I quite like the way it turned out but it would not be the same after a while - so I sold the camera on Ebay and now this photo is the only one of mine that can have this look!

Crawling is fun

Oh Boy! This little guy could crawl like you would not believe. In the last frame, you can see he is about to crawl right out of the studio! Mom and I certainly got our exercise by chasing him, picking him up, and taking him back to the "starting line" over and over again. But, it was a lot of fun for all of us.

Every baby crawls at a different age and it may happen quickly! It's always a great time to bring them in for a new photo shoot to document this brief stage in their development. They have that look of the first taste of freedom that comes from being able to go where they want!

Best,
Martha
M. Larson Photography

Happy Birthday to me!

In the spirit of showing some old photos this week, I thought I'd share one of my own. Besides, it's my birthday and I can post if I want to!

This shot of me, with such a baby face, was from early 2001 and was taken during my first ever maternity shoot. I was so absorbed in my work that a friend and fellow photographer caught me unaware and took MY picture! It will always be one of my favorites because every time I look at it I realize how far I have come from a 23 year old learning my craft (with film!) to the photographer I am today.

I would like to say a big "THANK YOU" to everyone who has helped me along this journey and been so supportive in helping me achieve my dreams.

Featured in Red Tricycle!

Big news for M. Larson Photography today - we are being featured in a Red Tricycle Dedicated email! This email will go out to Red Tricycle's subscribers in the Seattle area and is all about my Vintage Photography for children and maternity portraiture.

In case you can't read the text, I have copied it for you here:

What is it about a vintage photo that evokes such strong emotion? The small, square silvery silhouette that offers a glimpse of days gone by is a treasured reminder of your family, your history, your heritage.

Wouldn't it be cool to capture your own family in that same dramatic, retro style? Seattle photographer Martha Larson fell in love with vintage photos from the 1940s and 1950s and began offering vintage portraits as part of her children and maternity photography business. The response from clients has been overwhelming and vintage has now become the biggest request of new clients. As you scroll through the photographer's beautiful, haunting gallery of vintage portraits, you can see why clients adore Larson’s artsy, modern-meets-retro approach.

Larson is clear to point out that this is not a Photoshop technique (though she can edit and enhance the shots post-production) -- she actually shoots with vintage 40s and 50s cameras, authentically reproducing the look and feel of early and mid-century photos.

Currently the only photographer in Seattle utilizing this iconic style, Larson shoots vintage primarily with pregnant women, couples and children and always shoots digital alongside (though 9 times out of 10 clients favor the old school shots). Who says nostalgia isn’t what it used to be?

Vintage Inspiration

We all have photographs of our parents or grandparents that we love. That's why I knew I had to use a new way to bring vintage style to children's portraiture in 2008. I use some of the same beautiful cameras from the 1940s and 50s; with a twist into today's modern photography.


I used to dig through boxes of old family photos and pull out my favorites. These are from my parents' childhood circa ~1946. There is so much nostalgia and emotion wrapped up in vintage images. For my parents, they are memories, and for me they are glimpses into the past.

I have found my favorite way to create modern kids portraits that allow us to feel that emotion now, about the photographs of our own kids, in 2008! You can see a lot more on my website at M. Larson Photo.

Copyright 2008, M. Larson Photography

New Baby Announcement!

Congratulations to Anne and Rob from my Winter Babies Post, whose little girl Madeline was born on February 28th - just in the nick of time before leap day! Maybe mom and dad will even send along a photo for the blog. Best wishes Anne and Rob!

Mom and Baby

Look at this little monkey - isn't she so cute? This shoot wasn't my traditional baby shoot - this one was all about mother-daughter-bonding through nursing. I was able to capture some beautiful tender moments with mom nuturing daughter but during a little break (for all of us!) I snapped this quick shot of Shiloh looking full of personality!