Rya Duncklee is an award-winning children’s portrait artist based in Jacksonville, Florida who specializes in first year milestones and video storytelling. She has been recently awarded as one of the Top 20 Newborn Portrait Artists in Jacksonville, and has been the recipient of ten NAPCP International Image Competition Awards.

Rya graduated from the University of Florida where she earned a double degree in advertising and marketing, with a special concentration in international business. Until 2011, she worked at an advertising and publishing agency as a copyrighter and art director before pursuing her love for photography full-time.

Rya is a proud member of the National Association of Professional Child Photographers (NAPCP) and is the interviewer for the NAPCP Video Interview Series. She is also an accredited member of the Professional Photographer’s Association (PPA).

When Rya’s not documenting moments in time for families, she enjoys traveling, cooking and DIY projects with her husband in their new home.

For more from Rya, and for booking inquiries, please visit Rya’s website, Like her Facebook page, and Follow her on Instagram.

Inspiration

My inspiration for this portrait session was definitely the nursery itself. Mom wanted a very boho style to her portraits, so I was sure to incorporate lots of whites and light into each photograph. We made sure to utilize a few of the items from the nursery into the session to give it an even more personal touch, like the adorable little floral crown. You will notice the printed b+w framed portraits adorning the back walls of the space – these are prints from her maternity session from the month before! I love it when clients value the end result, and make the investment to print their portraits. This added to the inspiration.

Biggest Challenge

The lighting as well as the temporary space this client currently calls home were the two biggest challenges for this portrait session. To add to that, it was a very rainy day so it continued to get darker as time went on. The saving grace was when I opened the door to the nursery and was astonished about how beautifully-decorated, and how beautifully lit, the room was. Upon seeing this, I made the decision to shoot the entire session in this small space.

Favorite Element

Mom’s touch. I personally am in love with anything white, organic and boho, so when mom communicated to me her vision for her nursery, I knew I was in for a treat. I loved all of the little personal touches mom made throughout the space. I also loved how she incorporated printed portraits of the family throughout. When this lucky little lady grows up, she will feel so loved surrounded in memories!

Final Thoughts

One of the best things about custom portraiture is being able to walk away with something tangible, something to hold on to that fleeting memory. A photograph is a way to freeze a moment in time otherwise lost. Take this idea home by printing your work, even if with your local lab. Get those images off of your device and enjoy them!

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I’m so excited to share with you about the Rainbow Baby Maternity Event I hosted in Louisville, KY. I collaborated with The Wave Salon and Spa of Shepherdsville, KY for this event. We both donated our services to 7 lucky Rainbow Baby mommies that were pregnant with their Rainbow! A Rainbow Baby is the pregnancy after a miscarriage, still birth or infant loss. I originally set out to just bless one local mommy, but after all of the entries came in, I couldn’t do only one! I decided to go with symbolism, so an invitation was extended to 7 mommies for the 7 colors of the rainbow.

I donated photography services to these lucky mommies! Each went home with 8 digitals from the event, along with some awesome swag bags from amazing vendors that donated goods or coupons!

I had the pleasure of meeting all 7 of the Rainbow Mommies and putting a face to each of their stories. We met at the brand new studio Light Box Louisville, which finished renovations the night before our shoot! Once all of the introductions were out of the way, we had the hair and makeup artists from The Wave Salon and Spa to work their magic! The Wave’s styling team made quick work of making each mommy-to-be feel beautiful after all of their pampering. After everyone was camera ready, we handed out the swag bags! (Editor’s note: For more information about the swag bags, please click here.)

My goal for this event was to make these women not only feel pampered and beautiful, but to know that it’s ok to talk about their losses. I know that the more we shine a light on this sensitive subject, the more awareness we will bring to our community. In turn, they’ll know how to respond when hearing about infant loss through one of their loved ones in the future. (Editor’s note: You can read about each mother’s individual story here.)

Although I set out to bless these mommies with something to make them feel special, this event ended up blessing me in ways I didn’t imagine. Getting to know each of these women, and now having watched all of them have successful pregnancies and healthy deliveries, it gives me such joy to now call these lovely ladies my friends. I look forward to watching these rainbow children grow and am going to do a follow up piece next spring to show off all of their cuteness!

Jennifer Rittenberry Photography is an award winning newborn and maternity photographer, and was named 2016 Parent’s Choice by Beauty & Lifestyle Mommy Magazine. Based in Mount Washington, Kentucky, 6 minutes from Louisville, Jennifer Rittenberry Photography quickly became renowned for her premier newborn and baby photography. She is largely considered one of Kentucky’s most sought after children’s photographers, with clients often traveling well over an hour to attend for sessions with Jennifer, who owns & runs the studio. Jennifer has been specializing in newborn photography, and creating beautiful works of photographic art for her clients, since 2010. After branching into 6 month old sitter sessions, and baby’s first year plans, Jennifer Rittenberry Photography has grown to create meaningful portraits and lasting memories of your little one as they grow throughout their baby milestones.

Please visit Jennifer’s website, Follow her on Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter, and Like her Facebook page.

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Focus on Photographing Motherhood : Why?

According to Forbes.com, the key to survival is understanding your passion, your drive, and your raison d’etre, or reason for being. Forbes is not the only website out there encouraging business owners to stop and look a little bit deeper while developing their business plan. Simon Sinek gave an inspiring Ted Talk on this very topic in 2013. He says every single organization on the planet know what they do. Some know how they do it. But very few organizations know why they do it … What is your purpose? What is your belief … Why do you get out of bed in the morning, and why should anyone care?

Think about it – which one is more appealing to your clients –

I have a very expensive camera, and I can take photos of your family that are much better than the blurry ones you take on your phone — if you pay me what I am worth.

OR

Let me preserve your family’s memories and milestones so you can enjoy heirloom-quality photos for generations to come.

One of those statements solves a problem — and that is why we are here, to solve a problem that our clients may or may not know they have. By defining our why, we can help guide families and offer a service that is worth paying for, and that will encourage them to come back year after year.

We polled some of our clients to see why they feel it is important to get in the photo with their families, and here is what they said:

Because photos can paint an accurate picture of a memory, of a time that is so very fleeting.

Because the little moments add up to be the big moments – the strong memories.

Because one photo speaks volumes about the depth of a mother’s love.

Because only a photo can transport you back to a time when you were little and your mother was always available to scoop you up and wipe away your tears.

Because you get the opportunity to see how you look through the eyes of everyone who loves you, instead of your own critical eye.

Because selfies get old, and they are never very flattering anyway.

Because damn it, motherhood is messy, and it’s hard, but it is also breath-taking and beautiful.

And finally, because life is short.

Ah, sweet motherhood. Tearful, sweaty, glowing, joyful, incredible motherhood.

Although we are sad that summer is coming to a close, we couldn’t be more excited to share the latest FREE printable menu and calendar with you. Celebrate the beginning of the new school year and organize all of your after school activities in style.

Download the printable menu template here, and the printable September calendar here!

Happy School Year!

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Tell us a little about your bag.
So, when you ask what is in my bag, it is important to know that I am an equipment junkie. The items pictured here are my most used and loved items.

I don’t have a studio yet. I do mostly on location inside or outdoors. Outside in a beautiful natural setting is my preference. I am in the design process right now. My desk has been relegated to a corner of the bedroom for now and this makes a much better picture!

I have 4 more lenses and another camera body not pictured. I also have a Camranger and a Manfrotto Tripod I usually have in the car or on the bag. These are the ones I use almost exclusively for portrait photography. (I also dabble in architectural photography. My twin sister is a successful architectural designer.)

Items in my bag now:
Nikon D810 DSLR
Nikon D700 DSLR (not pictured)
Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200mm f/2G ED VR II Lens
Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.4G Lens
Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.4G Lens
Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G Lens

Which lens is your go-to?
My most loved and most used lens is without question the 200mm/f2. It was a total game changer in taking my work to the next level. And I got it on sale! What could be better!

Least used item in your bag?
My least used lenses are the 35 and the 50. I love the intimacy of the 85 and the 200.

I have done some lifestyle sessions this year, though, which have forced me to look at things from a different perspective — I am enjoying changing things up.

Thank you, Katherine, for showing us what’s in your bag!

For more from Katherine, and The Mirrored Image Photography, Like her Facebook page, and Follow her on Instagram and Twitter.