Inspiration: This beautiful mom was not able to capture her little girl’s newborn portraits, so it was important for her to document her daughter’s one-year birthday.

Favorite Element: I loved that mom wanted to incorporate her viola in the session as she plays professionally and is such a wonderful musician.

Biggest Challenge: I found the biggest challenge was not being noticed by the sweet one year-old. I didn’t want her to feel uncomfortable as I knew she was very shy of strangers.

Final Thoughts: My final thoughts on this session are that I wish I could do more sessions like this one. I think it’s so important for moms to step out in front of the camera with their children as they are usually the ones taking all the photos.

Hello, friends!

After much excitement and anticipation, we are absolutely elated to present the “Top 100” images of our Inspired by NAPCP Gallery Event & Print Competition. In contrast to our annual International Image Competition, the Inspired by NAPCP Gallery Event is completely creative in nature and gives both members and non-members the chance to place in one of three categories. This year’s categories are COLOR, EXPLORE, and WATER. Thank you to our phase one judges who dedicated their time to deliberating over and judging hundreds of submissions.

The work of the following artists has been selected for live display at the Inspired by NAPCP Gallery Event & Print Competition:

Alexandria Neoh | Alison Winterroth | Amanda Anderson | Amanda Dams | Andrea Godfrey | Andria Grodzinsky | Ashley McBroom | Ashley Soeder | Caitlin Lemieux | Cami Turpin | Carolyn Ann Ryan | Clare Ahalt | Debbie Sprague | Diana Unanyan | Diogo Loureiro | Emily Vaccaro | Erin Borzellino | Erin Clayton | Heather Eijzenga | Heather Nyapas | Heather Rodburg | Holly Young | Jenn Di Spirito | Jennifer Evans | Jennifer Jackson | Jenny Perry | Jenny Sciortino | Jessica Lynch | Katherine Jackson | Katie Rain | Kimberly Tank | Kristie Bradley | Krystal Reeves | Lisa Zhao | Marcela Limon | Marena Rudy | Marisa McDonald | Mary Okner | Maryam Salassi | Megan Drane | Melissa Pereira | Mercedes Elizondo | Molly Garg | Pam Bell | Pamela Salai | Ricardo Silva | Rya Duncklee | Sandy Summers Russell | Saren Cassotto | Sharon Neves | Sheena Magnesen | Tamara Gonzalez | Tina Krafts | Tracy Sweeney | Ute-Christin Cowan | Vanessa Berzak | Willy Wilson

To view the complete gallery of images to be displayed in Atlanta, visit our Facebook Page soon.

Thank you to all who participated and entered their work into the digital portion of the Inspired by NAPCP Gallery Event & Print Competition!

My session took place in a local park. The grasses are often overgrown, and the sunlight on a perfect night fills the area with the most magical warm glow. This session was all about my son. He recently turned 6.

I love to capture all the magic childhood brings. Raising your children is a magical time, after all. Every year I come up with a concept that draws inspiration from my child’s loves (just like what I do for my “Magic Within” sessions for client children).

I keep a journal that I will doodle, glue and tape magazine clippings in. My son’s favorite colors are green and blue so I knew that I wanted to incorporate those colors. I found his outfit right away at Old Navy. I was really hoping to find a few subtle props that would match (that,  or it was go back to the drawing board). He is really into making paper airplanes and loves to learn about the world. One night as I was lying in bed, it hit me out of nowhere. I would make map paper airplanes. It turns out I wasn’t the best paper airplane maker, so I ordered them from an Etsy shop. I was so in love with them. The colors were perfect.

When I arrived on location it was a beautiful evening. My son and I giggled about his shoot and he asked me, “Can we not go back to that place that I had to walk barefoot in? There were too many jagged plants.” I assured him that this location was “jagged” grass-free. I go to this spot often so I am pretty familiar with how the light falls at sunset. We started off at the bottom of the location, where the light was pouring in, then worked our way up a pathway where the sun would peek through the grasses as it went down.

Being a child at heart, I feel as though I am living vicariously through my sessions. I really pour my heart and soul into each session I create. These magical moments should be cherished and remembered for years to come.

Inspiration: Childhood
Favorite Element: Map paper airplanes
Biggest Challenge: The light. In the area I went to, the sun falls quickly behind the trees and grasses. I love to shoot during the golden hour and use elements of light pouring in. I had to act quickly to capture those moments.

Pamela Salai is an on-location custom portrait photographer in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, specializing in artistic custom portraiture for children, babies, mothers and families. Visit Pamela’s website, Like Pamela Salai Photo on Facebook, and Follow Pamela Salai on Pinterest and Instagram.

I am Mary Okner of Mary Bea Photography. I am based in San Jose, CA and photograph families up and down the San Francisco Bay Area as well as around the country. I’d like to share with you a little bit about myself and 3 reasons why I absolutely love being a family photographer!

Growing up, I always dreamed about my adult life and how fantastic it was going to be. Even my teachers told my mom that I was going to be a great adult. Clearly, academics were not my forte. I am dyslexic and while that does mean I learn differently it also means my creativity is nearly endless — be it my imagination, my photographic eye, or my needle pointing hobby … each of these things feed my soul!

I am so lucky to be able to use my unique perspective to artistically tell the stories of families and their unique relationships, and document their children’s growth. That is reason number 1 why I truly love what I do.

I consider myself fortunate to be able to say I do what I love, and mean it. As the saying goes, “If you love what you do, you won’t work a day in your life,” and I am blessed to say that is true for me. When I was asked to do a photography session for some close family friends on a family vacation, not only did I not hesitate to say yes, but I was thrilled to do so!

The flexibility to work anywhere, especially while on vacation (Really, who else can say they love getting to work while on vacation?) is reason number 2 why I truly love what I do.

At the end of this photo session, the sun hadn’t quite set but I knew we had a ton of fantastic images. I took this opportunity to break out my Sweet 35 Lensbaby lens that I brought with me to play around with and experiment a little. Taking every opportunity to stretch my creativity even farther feels like such a treat to me; it was the icing on the cake to an already fantastic family photo session on the beach.

The ability to constantly push myself creatively … be it through double exposure, free lensing, specialty lenses or my newest challenge of underwater photography … is reason number 3 why I truly love what I do.

I hope you enjoy seeing these images as much as I loved creating them. Thanks for taking the time to check out my work!

You probably had photos taken of your baby, but now you are a parent of a toddler! We all know how fun toddlers are: opinionated, full of energy, playful, but also full of emotions, testing boundaries and challenging. They are fun but they are also a lot of work. Sometimes we dread going anywhere with our toddlers, anticipating a potential meltdown. The thought of a family session can be very daunting and stressful. Many parents decide to skip it and wait until their kids get to that age (if ever) where they can stand still and smile perfectly.

As a family photographer, I am here to tell you that YOU SHOULD NOT SKIP THESE SESSIONS! Toddlers are challenging but they also are the subjects of some of the best photos I have taken or seen. The most honest and true photos are when I get down to toddler level and have fun with them. I follow them on their imagination adventure and then if there is a tantrum I patiently wait and afterwards we continue as if nothing happened.

Here are 9 tips for making your photography session with a toddler successful:

1. Do your research. Make sure your photographer has an ample amount of experience photographing toddlers.

2. It is also important to choose a location carefully. Let’s face it, our toddlers are on the move. They are tiny explorers and containing them is not a task you can easily accomplish.

3. Do not skip a nap for your session. Naps are crucial to your child’s mental disposition. A nap can mean the difference between a perfect angel and a whiny zombie child.

4. Dress your toddler appropriately for the session. This one seems like common sense, but you’d be surprised how many times my little clients showed up in a beautiful summer dress and shiny shoes they’ve never worn, on a very cold day. The Bay Area is full of micro-climates and dressing accordingly (with layers) is so important. Also, comfortable clothes for running and playing are absolutely necessary. We all want your child to be happy, and proper clothing is a first step that is fairly easy to accomplish. Also, breaking in a new pair of shoes is not recommended for photo sessions!

5. A full stomach prior to the session makes everyone happy. This doesn’t only apply to the toddler. As a parent I am often very busy and I tend to forget to eat, especially when preparing for a family outing. Make taking care of yourself a priority, too.

6. Reschedule the session at the first sign of sickness. Toddlers pick up germs easily and can be sick at random times throughout the year. If they’re feeling under the weather, they could be slightly more irritable then usual and their noses may be running like a faucet. As a family photographer, I am always ready to accommodate such circumstances. I want great photos as much as the client, so it’s better for everyone to shoot during a time when everyone is well.

7. A little (bribe, if necessary) goes a long way. I use M&Ms with my boy and you would be surprised how much happiness one can radiate when thinking about that little colorful M&M candy. In all seriousness it can be candy, a toy from a prize box, or even a healthy snack — whatever will motivate your little subjects.

8. When it comes to choosing a location for your session, think like a toddler. Toddlers trip and fall easily. For example, having a shoot near a cliff is a very bad idea. An equally bad idea is to photograph at a park with a playground in open view, unless you are willing to capture images at the playground. If you are running out of ideas or you are unsure of where to bring your family for a session, you can always ask your photographer to give suggestions or advice on where to have your outdoor session.

9. Let go of your expectations. Natural and candid photos are often the most beautiful. In fact, the beauty of toddler photography is that posed is almost impossible. True and honest is what you will get.