Monthly Archives: May 2016

So this is just amazing and I have to go ahead and document this somewhere… I’m actually sitting down to my big mac at 8:00 pm writing this post and getting it ready to go out for tomorrow a.m.!  This is such a huge deal for me in so many ways!  First:  this means that my crazy ass toddler (and yes I swore just there) went to bed at 7:15 pm tonight!  WHAT?!!!!  I need to just type that again… 7:15 friends and this is an amazing bedtime since we moved!  There is so much wonderful light here in Florida that I adore, but when your child’s room gets the afternoon/evening light and they “follow the sun” that light means bedtime isn’t until like 9:30 pm!  UGH!!!  The second amazing thing about this right here is that I am actually for once sticking to a blogging calendar!

So… I’m just going to give myself a HIGH FIVE and have a coke (in silence without little lips stealing sips) and marvel in tonight’s amazingness!

Since we’ve moved, I’ve been doing a lot of dreaming!  I thought when I moved down here that I would need to take a break for a bit to make sure Linc was settled in and adjusted to the move!  I thought I would also want to get acquainted with my surroundings and actually just put the camera down for a bit.  The first few weeks we were here, this was exactly the case!  I didn’t want my camera and in fact I left it in it’s backpack for a long time!  I couldn’t even really blog because I was just coming up against a writer’s block (which is so not me!)  Both Tuck and I felt that maybe taking my time to set up the business and get situated would be a great idea!

Then… inspiration happened!  You see, sometimes when you take a break and breathe a bit, you can actually find new inspiration and remember your passion!  I started to find myself needing my camera and actually wanting to take it with me!  I was spending time shooting just MY family and that, in turn, helped me realize just how much I LOVE capturing these incredibly magical moments for others!

So I’ve been dreaming a lot at night!  Dreaming of all the different things I want to do before this summer (and apparently the heat) get into full swing!  I’ve been dreaming so much that I find myself awake at 12 pm or 3 am needing to put these ideas down in my notebook!  Some of these ideas are easy and some others, well they are a bit trickier and a little “off brand”.  BUT… they get me excited and all fired up and that’s what’s important!  I was writing these down so much that I decided to create a Bucket List!  I’ve never done one of these before and I was inspired by my friend Brandi after taking her motherhood journal images!  She pinned up on her fridge this gorgeous handwritten paper with all their family’s dreams and hopes for the season!

I just loved it so much that I’ve created my own for my photography now that we have moved into a new area!  This was SOO much fun that I think I’m going to do it every season and I encourage YOU to do one as well!!

I would LOVE for anyone to volunteer and help me out here, whether you are visiting Florida or native to the area!

2016 session bucket list brooke tucker photography

A few of these sessions will absolutely require a LOT of pre-planning!  Like the first couple!

  1.  I really want to shoot a “Day in the Life” session!  This means that I would be with you for 10-12 hours!  I am physically with you and shooting for a whole day in your life and the life of your family!  A lot of these sessions are done while families are on vacation!  They are meant to be a legacy piece and produced in an album that is just beautiful!  I really want to shoot one of these in Cocoa Beach because it’s where I already have so many wonderful memories!
  2. I really want my business here to feature Disney Lifestyle Sessions!  After coming to Disney myself in October and carting around my big girl camera and ALL of my lenses (yep I did) I came to realize how amazing it would be to have someone else taking a few images here and there.  This way we could ALL be in the pictures and savor the time together as a family instead of one of us always having to be behind the camera.   I also thinks it’s great because that means for one full day or for one full weekend, you aren’t responsible for carting around your camera, unless you want to!  Let’s face it… I totally would still do that because I can’t help myself!  I truly truly want these to be one of the main areas of my business because guess what:  we live here and it’s my favorite place on earth!  We already purchased our annual passholders as a family and so it’s super duper easy for me to meet a family at the park and spend a day with them!
  3. Disney also has this area that is just incredible called The Boardwalk!  If you haven’t heard of the Boardwalk and you’ve been to Disney… man oh man, you have GOT to make it a priority next time you are here!  It’s simply breath taking and it’s styled like an old school Boardwalk!  There are so many fun things for a family to do and see at the Boardwalk and the location is just perfection!  I really want to shoot a family session in the style of a traditional old school boardwalk!  I just see a little girl in a beautiful dress that may or may not match her mama!  I mean that’s up to you!  I see a little boy in suspenders and lots and lots of lolipops and cart stopping involved!
  4.  SURF SESSION!  So I already have this one in the works (HOORAY) but I just love the idea of documenting this incredible sport (which for families is also a legacy).  It’s no secret I love to surf, I’ve been surfing since before I can remember with the help of my parents.  I WISH that someone had captured those moments for my family so that I could frame them in my house today!  This is exactly what I want to be able to do for other families who are passing on the surfing bug from one generation to the next!  It’s also secretly a wish of mine to really learn underwater photography as well!
  5.  We live in Celebration and there are so many wonderfully FUN spots in this town to capture some lively family moments!  Our family LOVES the little spray pad/water fountain right off main street.  It was actually at that spot that Tuck and I decided we were truly going to try and make this move a possibility!  I want to be able to capture a session that is inspired by the water and the wild way that these type of fountains inspire us to just let go and live wide open!

There are many other ideas I have in mind!  Ideas that I’m not quite ready to reveal just yet but you can be sure they will be on my FULL summer bucket list!

What are YOU hoping to shoot this new season?  OR if you are a mama… what would be your dream location or dream session to have captured?!

I really would love to know!!!!

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6 secrets to capturing authentic portraits of your children

Whether you are a professional photographer or a mama on a mission to create a legacy for your children;  we all strive for one thing:  We want to capture our children in the most raw and authentic way!  We want our images to be a true reflection of their personalities so we can keep these moments forever!  We want them to be 100 % real so that we can share these precious times with our children later on down the road!

One question I am asked all the time is HOW do you move beyond the posed portraits with the “cheese” smile and start connecting in a way that shows off these true emotions!  I have found 6 easy “secrets” that help me not only connect with my own little one when I have the camera out;  but also help me to connect with my very important little clients!

1.  Play & Laughter:

Whenever I am working with children, I always make sure our time together is full of play, activities and laughter!  It never fails that during a session (or whenever I want to shoot Linc)  the camera becomes a source of objection!  Not everyone wants to take a picture at the time you need them too!  Usually when this happens (especially with Linc) I get that forced “ugh just take the picture already cheese smile”.  He thinks he’s pleasing me but instead I get that forced grin that makes me cringe!  So what do you do when this happens?  You make them laugh, a great big open mouth laugh!  Laughing will always produce the most wonderful images because that big wonderful belly laugh is absolutely infectious!  It’s important to keep your camera ready though because those few moments right after the big belly laugh will produce those sweet moments of authenticity!  Creating that big belly laugh for most children is as simple as dropping your guard and acting silly!  Crazy animal noises, silly songs, references to anything that smells or has to do with the bathroom, and plain old peek a boo are some of my favorite ways to elicit that laugh out loud response!  Don’t forget:  keep on shooting after that big old laugh because that’s when we are always at our most relaxed!

6 secrets to capturing authentic portraits of your children 6 secrets to capturing authentic portraits of your children

2.  Activities:

I know I mentioned this above with the laughter trick, but making sure you have other things to do other than just sitting and staring at the camera is equally important for success!  Play is the child’s work and if we truly pay attention to how children play, we can open up a whole new world of magic and wonder!  Often the most authentic images I produce are when I am actively engaged in play with a child or when a little one is engrossed in something other than me!  This takes a little time and patience because you become an observer rather than an active shooter and you need to wait for just the right moment!  Action will almost always help anyone to feel more confident and secure and children are especially good at creating movement and magic!  Some of the best captured moments are during twirling sessions, tickle monsters and waiting to pop bubbles!

6 secrets to capturing authentic portraits of your children 6 secrets to capturing authentic portraits of your children

 

3.  Allow your child to “feel all the feels”:

So often we seek out those beautiful smiling images because they are full of joy;  but we forget that our children are experiencing raw emotions all the time and those are also a reflection of their true selves!  There’s nothing more beautiful to me than when you can let go of that “perfectly pretty” image and capture the other emotions and feelings!  Linc often is very studious or intense when he is truly concentrating and focused.  That’s something I always want to remember.  I try to sit back and remember to grab my camera during those moments when his body expresses his emotions just so perfectly!  This requires some inactive participation and an understanding that the camera should always be near by!  This also allows you to accept imperfection:  real is better than perfect!  Our children don’t react to things the way they think they should or where they should,  they just feel!  Your house might not be perfect, there might be popsicle all over their face or heck boogers in their nose BUT aren’t these truly the moments you will want to remember when your children are adults?!  We might not have had a shower and our hair might be completely out of control but they choose to snuggle with us right then and want us in the picture!  Embracing that beautiful mess of imperfection will give you a freedom that will create an authentic legacy and picture of your lives!

6 secrets to capturing authentic portraits of your children 6 secrets to capturing authentic portraits of your children 6 secrets to capturing authentic portraits of your children 6 secrets to capturing authentic portraits of your children

 

4.  Shooting positions:

You can break the rules when you shoot children, or at least I do!  There are so many ways in which you can capture childhood and using different shooting positions and lenses is a great way to capture their special quirks or “magic”!   I love to break out my 35 mm lens because it just perfectly captures the way their bodies are growing!  Getting down on a child’s level and seeing things right at their point of view is also a fun way to capture how they see the world!  I always find that when I’m squatting down or laying on my belly, the camera becomes less intimidating for little ones.

6 secrets to capturing authentic portraits of your children 6 secrets to capturing authentic children

 

5.  Allow them the freedom to GET MESSY!

Sometimes just the hint of being able to do something that is usually unexpected or not in the norm will bring out a special kind of shine!  Children love to explore their world and allowing them to do something that aren’t usually allowed to do all the time (like get messy) will bring about a whole new side to their personality!  You can capture hints of sassiness or a little mischievous grin that will make your heart sing!

6 secrets to capturing children 6 secrets to capturing children 6 ways to authentically capture your child

 

6.  Using the Light:

Ok, I’m not going to lie this was something that actually took me a while to learn (and I”m still learning!)  Light can produce the most beautiful images and the way that you use the light can truly tell a story!  Most often, bright light conveys a sense of joy and happiness, while dramatic lighting and shadows can help produce a soft intensity!  I love bright and happy images that are filled with sunlight, but sometimes when we are at home by ourselves, I can really reveal Linc’s sweet side by using dramatic lighting!  Finding light is easy if you remember to look for it and put it first!  This takes a bit of pre-planning and also some good old trial and error!  Just remember:  nothing is “wrong” when you are shooting children!  They move so fast and their emotions come and go so as long as you are capturing the moment, you have found success!

6 ways to authentically capture your child 6 ways to capture your child 6 ways to authentically capture your child

 

Thanks ya’ll for stopping by today!!

Keep up to date with our crazy life as a family of three on instagram (@kbrooketucker):  living a magical life in Disney and trying to keep up with a crazy wild little boy while capturing real over perfect moments in motherhood!

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Carter Ryan Lifestyel Newborn Photography by Brooke Tucker

I feel so blessed to have been able to capture this sweet time for Jess and Ryan!

We were all patiently waiting Mr. Carter’s arrival so when I finally got the call to come over for some photos, I was just over the moon!  Jess and Ryan are seriously the most at ease parents I have ever met!  Jess is beautifully graceful and laid back which is saying a lot for a first time mama!  I was FAR from laid back!  I am so in awe of how natural Jess is and how I automatically felt a calm wash over me when I walked in the door!

Carter was bright eyed for most of our session!  This little guy doesn’t want to miss a thing and he was absolutely smitten with their dog Sammy!  Sammy couldn’t wait for his turn in front of the camera or his turn to lay on the bed with the whole family!

I loved being able to spend time with them in the comfort of their own home!  Ryan was able to participate in our session and have lots of cuddles before heading off to work and that’s when I was able to just chit chat with Jess and really capture some sweet moments between the two of them!

It’s insane how much you love your little one!  There’s no other love like it and I love watching Carter look into Jess’s eyes and coo and smile!

Carter Ryan Lifestyel Newborn Photography by Brooke Tucker Carter Ryan Lifestyel Newborn Photography by Brooke Tucker Carter Ryan Lifestyel Newborn Photography by Brooke Tucker Carter Ryan Lifestyel Newborn Photography by Brooke Tucker Carter Ryan Lifestyel Newborn Photography by Brooke Tucker Carter Ryan Lifestyel Newborn Photography by Brooke Tucker Carter Ryan Lifestyel Newborn Photography by Brooke Tucker Carter Ryan Lifestyel Newborn Photography by Brooke Tucker Carter Ryan Lifestyel Newborn Photography by Brooke Tucker Carter Ryan Lifestyel Newborn Photography by Brooke Tucker Carter Ryan Lifestyel Newborn Photography by Brooke Tucker Carter Ryan Lifestyel Newborn Photography by Brooke Tucker Carter Ryan Lifestyel Newborn Photography by Brooke Tucker Carter Ryan Lifestyel Newborn Photography by Brooke Tucker Carter Ryan Lifestyel Newborn Photography by Brooke Tucker Carter Ryan Lifestyel Newborn Photography by Brooke Tucker Carter Ryan Lifestyel Newborn Photography by Brooke Tucker Carter Ryan Lifestyel Newborn Photography by Brooke Tucker Carter Ryan Lifestyel Newborn Photography by Brooke Tucker Carter Ryan Lifestyel Newborn Photography by Brooke Tucker

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  • May 10, 2016 - 3:28 pm

    Elizabeth - So incredibly beautiful!!! Love these four so much and to see them as parents is just amazing!!! Beautiful session!! Big hugs to all!!ReplyCancel

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