Shoot to thrill: Trend-setting photographers up the artistry on children’s portraits

In an era when parents can document and share every moment of their child’s life with the tap of a smartphone or tablet screen, the concept of professional photography can seem quaintly obsolete.

Even so, families are using the services of photographers more than ever, and the results are a far cry from department store portrait galleries of yore. Parents are now opting for more high-concept baby and child photography, where costumes, makeup, props and the occasional Photoshop tweak add a dash of fantasy.

The demand for this kind of photography is evident in the work of Maniac Magazine owner April Hubal, who often parlays her background in fashion photography into kid-­friendly shoots with a creative bent. Over the holidays, she hosted two “fully stylized” Nutcracker-­themed photo sessions, which included hair, makeup and ballet costumes from a local boutique. Last January, she also gave children between the ages of 12 months to 12 years the chance to play dress­-up with mom during a Minnie- and Mickey­-themed shoot at her studio on the South Side.

The response to both concepts was overwhelmingly positive, with all the sessions selling out. As a result, Hubal hopes to do one session every month, each with “some kind of artistic component to it.”

“Minnie and Mickey was really, really cute, and it’s nostalgic and vintage and just different,” says Hubal, who plans on running images from the session in a future issue as part of a Maniac Kids editorial segment. “We’re just having fun with it right now.”

Parents also want high-concept photos that are as special as their little ones, which makes personalization an absolute must. Local freelance photographers such as Sandy Yetter of Red Lotus Photography have noticed the trend, and are happy to fill the new niche.

“The photography world is changing a lot,” says Yetter, who works from her Bridgeville studio. “It’s not the way it used to be where everybody is posed perfectly and looking straight into the camera.”

Yetter, a self­-taught photographer with a degree in neuroscience from the University of Pittsburgh, decided to pursue her craft after giving birth to her daughter. She started her career shooting weddings, but for the past five years has focused on maternity and newborn photography, working with parents to create a vision specific to them.

In the Red Lotus online gallery, props such as flower pots, tree branches and a saddle are used to showcase sleeping bundles of joy. In one photo, a swaddled newborn smiles from the cozy confines of a fur­-lined basket, which is encircled by antlers provided by the child’s father, an avid hunter. Yetter also keeps an arsenal of Etsy­-acquired knitted hats and other items clients can use.

While Yetter welcomes and accommodates requests for stylized baby photography, she also believes they should only encompass a portion of a shoot.

“I do sprinkle the props through the session, but then I also take photos that are very simple and plain because that provides a variety someone can choose from,” says Yetter.

For local photographers such as Krystle Lojek of Sweet Juniper Photography, helping families achieve their vision also presents an opportunity to flex some creative muscle.

“Everything I use in my sessions, I make,” says Lojek. “I pull a lot of things from nature and return it when I am done.”

Five years ago, Lojek, a self-­described natural light photographer with a fondness for the outdoors, decided to step away from shooting weddings and put her talents to use with families and children.

Her approach encourages clients to use their imagination by offering “magical creatures” or staged scenes set against the beauty of the natural world. Her website gallery now boasts plenty of enchanting images depicting children cavorting with real live sheep, ponies or reindeer in bucolic landscapes, or playing pretend on the beach or in the woods.

Lojek believes that coming up with more ambitious shoots not only makes it more enjoyable for her, but for everyone involved.

“I absolutely love dreaming up special moments for families so they have something to treasure forever,” says Lojek. “It’s not just about the moments, it’s about the memories we make capturing them.”

Some photographers, such as Nikki Shumaker of Nikkala Anne Photography, are able to offer benefits to inspired parents looking for more convenience. In addition to on­-location photography, Shumaker hosts shoots right in her own backyard at her studio, situated on an 18­-acre patch of land in Kittanning, Armstrong County. She also plans on opening a studio in Lawrenceville to offer clients the best of rural and urban worlds.

Shumaker decided to seriously pursue photography 10 years ago after buying her first DSLR camera. Much like Yetter and Lojek, she started out doing weddings, but now specializes in photographing newborns and children, as well as families and high school seniors. A self­-dubbed “styled lifestyle” photographer, Shumaker enjoys capturing children being themselves with a little added flair, such as a cute costume or cascading leaves.

“I found that photographing children was something that made me feel like a kid again,” says Shumaker. “Watching the awe in the child’s eyes as they see themselves become a fairy or as they dance through flowers. Each session I make a new little friend and many parents tell me their children will ask to come see me again.”

But passion and creativity aren’t all that’s needed in this field. Combined with their photography expertise, Yetter and Shumaker also draw on their own experiences as parents when organizing a shoot, as they both comprehend the stress associated with preparing little ones for picture­-taking.

Shumaker, who has four girls and one boy of her own, lets the children determine the pace and even takes snack breaks if necessary. Yetter only does one newborn session per day so she can fully devote herself to the shoot.

Lojek also realizes the challenges of parents’ hectic schedules. “Families are busy, so they don’t have the same time that I do to really sit down and dream up something perfect,” says Lojek, who helps alleviate the hassle of preparing for a shoot by taking over most of the creative direction.

While the photographers agree that such high-­concept photography is creatively fulfilling, the biggest reward is parents’ reactions to seeing their children’s photographs for the first time.

“I have many parents cry when viewing their gallery,” says Shumaker. “And it makes me tear up also.”

Looking to give your little one the star treatment? A few of the more stylized options found in the Pittsburgh area:

Anne Wilmus Photography packages begin at $695.

Studio S Photography offers newborn packages between $200 to $250.

Sarenae Photography sessions start at $300.

Red Lotus Photography packages range in price from $750 to $2,600.

Munchkins and Mohawks mini sessions, in Pittsburgh and iconic settings in New York City, Salt Lake City and Chicago, start at $650.

Sweet Juniper Photography packages range in price from $250 to $550.

Nikkala Anne Photography creative session fee is $200. Digital packages start at $1,200; holiday sessions begin at $350.

Pamela Salai Photography offers a creative retainer for $150; collections start at $400.

Julie Kulbago Photography prices all sessions at $695, which includes at least 25 professional retouched images and 25 customized birth announcements.

Tiny Bean Photography offers a newborn session starting at $500.