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Welcome
Welcome to my blog! My name is Farrah Braniff and I am a portrait photographer in Houston, Texas. I specialize in contemporary portraits of babies and children. This blog is a place for me to feature my own personal imagery, images from my studio, my travels and the news and happenings of my family. I have two little boys (ages 5 and 6). You will see them a lot on this blog. They are my inspiration in so many ways. This is a great place to learn a little about me and my work. I hope you'll take a moment and look around. Use the navigation links at the top to find the entries by category, check out the FAQ, jump to my websites and so on. Thanks for stopping by! |
The past 2 weeks have brought me a lot of newborn babies. It seems to be what I am shooting most this month and I love it. Newborns sessions are one of my absolute favorites. It just never ceases to amaze me that we start out so small and so helpless. I also love watching my clients navigate their way through those first few weeks of a first baby. In watching them move through the big changes, it helps me remember it too, and I do, pretty vividly. I remember being too scared to cut their fingernails and taking forever trying to dress them without making them mad. I remember the bleary eyed feeling of not enough sleep and too many questions. How hard it was trying to figure out how much to let them cry, when to step in and how much they should be sleeping, eating or pooping. I read every book I could find searching for the feeling of competency that only comes with time and doing. Then just as soon as you think you have it figured out they go and change it up and start doing something new. It definitely keeps you on your toes.
One of the best pieces of advice that I ever got was not to get too wound up about any one thing because as soon as you get that one figured out, it will change on you again. That advice helped me through some tough times because it proved true, time and time again. Now my babies are no longer little babies and starting to become big boys. In fact, Finnian will be 5 in a few weeks. You might think that, once they get a little older, you stop worrying about sleeping, eating and even pooping but it doesn't work that way. In fact, I woke up at 4:45 this morning to Finnian crawling into my bed.
The worries never go away but instead they ramp up and become about things like worrying about learning, school, testing, friends and fitting in. It's so much harder when their little hearts on the line. Sayer came to me just yesterday and told me about someone at school who had hurt his feelings. That's hard stuff because you can't just fix it with a diaper change, a call to the pediatrician or a fresh bottle. I guess it's not quite accurate to call one harder than another because it's all relative and "hard" never stops but, like the advice I received back then, just changes from one thing to another.
All I can offer from my vantage point (almost 7 years into it and a long way to go) is to breathe it all in and really try to be in the moment. 5 (6,7,8...) pounds only lasts for so long. You'll turn around and the next thing you know they're walking, and then running and then...
Happy Love Thursday friends, go grab your babies and hold them close!
Cari Chee says:
I love these images, Farrah! Really gorgeous photography! My ab fabs are the first one and the last one. And your website is just beautiful!
(02.05.10 @ 07:24 PM)
Last weekend I had one of my digital photography classes at the studio and it was a big hit! I love teaching the class and seeing little light bulbs go off for people. It's like, "AHA! I can do this!". I have 3 more classes scheduled for this year. The next one is in March and will also be a beginner's class. You can sign up here through EventBrite.
For those of you who have taken the first class and want to go even further and learn more, I have an intermediate class on May 22, 2010. We'll be sending an EventBrite invite out through our email list. However, if you would like to go ahead and sign up now, please feel free to call the studio at (713) 255-2882.
Here's a little info about our beginner's class:
Digital Photography Class!
Taking your photography to the next level
Are you tired of feeling discouraged and confused when it comes to your digital camera? Would you like to take better pictures of your family and friends? I thought so! Come join me on Saturday, March 13, 2010 for a special event at my studio. I am teaching a one day digital photography workshop for beginning and intermediate photographers shooting with a digital SLR camera.
Some of the topics we'll talk about:
- Camera controls- learn how to really control your camera, know how to shoot in
various modes, and learn what all those letters and icons mean.
- Finding good light, dealing with bad lighting, and using your flash better.
- Metering the light, you can control your camera and not always the other way around!
- Composition, color and creativity!
- Lenses and equipment.
Each student will receive a gift bag, which will include coupons, hand-outs and free gifts!
Limited to 25 students! Please reserve your spot now because this class will sell out.
Where: Farrah Braniff Photographs
Taking your photography to the next level
Are you tired of feeling discouraged and confused when it comes to your digital camera? Would you like to take better pictures of your family and friends? I thought so! Come join me on Saturday, March 13, 2010 for a special event at my studio. I am teaching a one day digital photography workshop for beginning and intermediate photographers shooting with a digital SLR camera.
Some of the topics we'll talk about:
- Camera controls- learn how to really control your camera, know how to shoot in
various modes, and learn what all those letters and icons mean.
- Finding good light, dealing with bad lighting, and using your flash better.
- Metering the light, you can control your camera and not always the other way around!
- Composition, color and creativity!
- Lenses and equipment.
Each student will receive a gift bag, which will include coupons, hand-outs and free gifts!
Limited to 25 students! Please reserve your spot now because this class will sell out.
Where: Farrah Braniff Photographs
1210 W. Clay, Loft 18, Houston TX. 77019
When: Saturday March 13, 2010
10 am until 4 pm (1.5 hour break for lunch)
Price: $95 per student
The class spots will fill up fast so please reserve your spot today, (713) 255-2882.
The class spots will fill up fast so please reserve your spot today, (713) 255-2882.
Would you like to hear what students have to say about the class?
"Thank you so very much for the fabulous class. I learned a lot and I can't wait to start practicing. The class exceeded my expectations and for the first time in my life, I feel like I know what to do with my camera. I loved the practicing during the class which really helped to remember what was being talked about in the class. You are an excellent teacher and one of the most talented photographers I have seen. I know your time is precious and I really appreciate it that you spent your valuable Saturday teaching us such useful information to help make us more successful and confident. Thank you for the great class!"
"I just wanted to let you know about a wonderful class Farrah Braniff offers. I attended the one day class today and it was just what I was looking for! The class was very informative and helpful, laid back, and most importantly, fun! Farrah offered advice for both technical and non technical modifications you could start making right away in order to take better pictures and gave us an opportunity to go outside and practice some of the tips with our own cameras as the class went along. She was patient in answering everyone's questions and had a great presentation prepared which also included advice on equipment and picture storage. What I enjoyed most was the fact that I can start using the things she talked about today immediately which is very empowering! In fact, I came home and took several shots of my kids playing that looked so much better than they would have yesterday without my new found knowledge...including that ever so popular shot where the kid is in focus, but the messy background is softly blurred and no longer distracting from the picture. I'm so relieved to be able to shoot in something other than just auto...or to at least be able to start practicing doing so. I think Farrah offers the class again in another month or two, and I would highly recommend it!"
Kate Healy says:
Hi,
I heard about you from my sister (Amanda Garcia) who has gotten pictures taken of her two girls (Olivia & Sophia) and then I found out about your photography class. I have taken photography classes before, so I don't think I need the beginner's class, but how different is the beginner's class from your intermediate class? What is the date of the intermediate class?
Thanks,
Kate Healy
(02.16.10 @ 03:19 PM)
Looking for something new and fun? I have the perfect thing for you fellow shutterbugs. It's called the Fuji Instax. It's like a polaroid camera but the prints are a bit smaller. My sweet husband got it for me for Christmas. If you like what you see and want one of your own, you can buy it (and a slew of other groovy photo stuff) here.
As you might have noticed in the pics above, Finnian likes the Instax more than Sayer. Finnian has even started carrying it around and taking his own pictures. The Instax is also loads of fun when you go out at night! I stuck it into my purse recently and took it to a dinner party.
Now, go grab yourself one and have a little fun! When you're at photojojo, check out the cool seat belt camera straps too!
julie lackey says:
Okay, so, I got one.
It's the mini. Is that the one you got??
film just came today. I've taken two photos :D
(05.12.10 @ 04:42 PM)
This shot was taken early in the morning in Galveston. I picked this one because when I look at it I instantly feel like I'm there. I am missing California too so just looking at the beach makes me feel closer to my favorite spots along the Pacific.
Can't wait to see your shots! Post links to them in the comments below or post them to Flickr in the Favorite Shot Friday group pool. Please don't be shy about adding your images. Don't worry about them being perfect - we're not competing, we're sharing.
Sabrina says:
I went to post and my Vegas pictures from a few years ago came up. This was taken with just my little digital p&s before I got my DSLR and really knew what I was doing. (As if I do now!) This was just a beautiful day in the Nevada desert. I just happened to turn around from the Red Rocks sign we had stopped at for a photo op, and saw this. Love it. Like your beach one, it takes me back there everytime.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/57589507@N00/495550532/in/pool-favoriteshotfriday
(01.22.10 @ 11:31 AM)
Farrah says:
Love the shot Sabrina! Thanks for adding it!
(01.27.10 @ 02:08 PM)
what can happen in a single year? Actually, a lot! For the Ruchs (a family that I have been photographing for the last year or so) 2009 was a really, really busy year. Travis was born (in late '08), a house was lost to Hurricane Ike, Travis grew up, a new house was built, and 2 front teeth were lost. That's just the stuff that I know about! Here's a walk through 2008-2009 with Michelle and her family...
Many, many thanks to Michelle and her family for letting me photograph them over the last year! It's been amazing! Our kids are growing up so fast that it makes my head spin sometimes. Get those cameras out folks! The next thing you know, they'll have a driver's license!