When to book your maternity session | Denver family photographer

Choosing the right time for your maternity session is very important. If you do your session too early then you may not have a clearly defined baby bump, but if you wait too long to do your session you risk missing out if you go into labor early. I have also found the last month of pregnancy my clients are very uncomfortable in many of the poses and tend to not look as relaxed during their session.

So when is the perfect time for maternity portraits?

For most women, I recommend between 30-36 weeks. For first-time moms who may show a little later aim for around 34 weeks unless you are showing any signs of preterm labor. If this isn’t your first pregnancy and like me, you looked pregnant much earlier in the pregnancy, you can aim for 30-34 weeks.

Mothers of multiples

If you are expecting more than one baby you may want to plan for your session right at 30 weeks or even slightly before due to higher risk of preterm labor and also because you are going to get uncomfortable in the poses way earlier than moms carrying a single baby.

When should you contact your photographer?

Honestly it is really never too early to contact your photographer and get on their books. Often during busy season I book up several months in advance. I also occasionally run specials where you can order a gown for your session and be reimbursed in the form of a print credit for those who want a gown not already offered in my gown collection. When I do these sales the gown needs to be ordered 6 weeks prior to your session. Either way it is a good idea to contact me by around 20 weeks to start planning your maternity session.

Ready to start planning your dream maternity session? Click the button below to contact me for a consultation call.

Jennifer Tavera is a Luxury family, maternity and newborn photographer in Denver Colorado who specializes in creating an experience that will make mom feel confortable, papered and beautiful so she will be excited to turn her portraits into art for her home. Sessions are available outdoors all over the Denver and Boulder area and studio sessions in the studio space in Arvada. Ready to start planning your dream session? Click below to schedule a call.

What should my family wear for my maternity session? | Denver Materntiy Photographer

Last year I published a blog all about what to wear for your maternity session. Today I want to take that a step further for sessions involving dad or older children. Now that you know what you are wearing, what do you put them in? Here are a few of my top tips for dressing dad and your other babies!

1. Coordinate, don’t match!

This is one of the biggest mistakes I see people make when choosing clothing for photo shoots and it’s even more important when it comes to maternity portraits. The last thing you want it for your baby bump to blend into dads shirt. Having dad or the kids in a color that looks great with your gown but doesn’t match it allows you and your baby bump to shine in the portraits!

2. Choose solid colors

There are definitely exceptions to this rule but overall a solid color is typically best for dad and the kids. Again this allows mom to shine in the photos so your eye is drawn to her, not to a patterned shirt.

3. Dress it up

I love it when dad wears a suit, vest, suspenders, or even a tux (yes, I have had dad show up in a tux for the session!) but, even if your man or little men are not suit kind of guys I highly recommend a nice button-down shirt for the session even if they choose to pair it with some nice jeans. I have photographed moms in my maternity gowns with dad in a polo or t-shirt and honestly, dad just looked out of place. A nice shirt on dad honestly makes all the difference. For you little girls I have a variety of nice dresses that will match the look and feel of the maternity gowns without distracting from you so make sure to give me your little girls size so I can show you what I have available for her for the shoot.

4. Comfort is still important

While this does contradict the tip above stay with me for a moment. I get it dad and kids may not be 100% on board with being part of this shoot. Unfortunately, sometimes that is just the case. If having to dress nicely is going to result in a grumpy participant then go with comfort over style. This sample photo…her son is wearing sweat pants below that polo shirt., and we made it work. I always say have them wear the nicest thing you can get them to happily wear. Although there is nothing wrong with also slipping a nicer option in the car to see if you can get a few shots in it too!

Still feeling lost? Don’t stress it, as part of my service I will come to you for a dress fitting and family clothing consultation before the shoot. You can try on the gowns and we will look through your partner and kid’s closets to see what you have that coordinates. Ready to learn more? Let’s start with a phone call to go over details and start to plan your dream shoot. Click the link below to contact me to set it up!

Jennifer Tavera is a Luxury family, maternity and newborn photographer in Denver Colorado who specializes in creating an experience that will make mom feel confortable, papered and beautiful so she will be excited to turn her portraits into art for her home. Sessions are available outdoors all over the Denver and Boulder area and studio sessions in the studio space in Arvada. Ready to start planning your dream session? Click below to schedule a call.

Jennifer

The Gloria Gown | Newborn and Maternity photographer Denver

I am so excited to show off the exclusive Sew Trendy So You winter 2021 Subscription box! This is a limited edition Couture gown that is currently only offered to So You subscribers. Part of the fun of the box is you don’t know what it’s going to look like until your box arrives! Check out my gown unboxing in the video below!

The new Gloria gown is now available in my client closet! Mommy and me/family sessions using this gown will be happening Saturday February 26th and Sunday, April 10th space is VERY limited so contact me today for information and to reserve your spot!

It is an off-the-shoulder wrap-style gown that can adjust to fit women from approximately size 0-16. It features elegant bishop sleeves and the gown I received is a beautiful “Almond” gold color! This gown is perfect for family, mommy and me, maternity and newborn sessions.

Visit https://www.sewtrendyaccessories.com/collections/sew-trendy-so-you-subscription-box/products/sew-trendy-so-you-studio-subscription-box #Sewtrendyaccessories #Sewtrendysoyou

Ready to get started? Click below to schedule a call and get all of the information about your session!

Jennifer Tavera is a Luxury family, maternity, and newborn photographer in Denver Colorado who specializes in creating an experience that will make mom feel comfortable, papered, and beautiful so she will be excited to turn her portraits into art for her home. Sessions are available outdoors all over the Denver and Boulder area and studio sessions in the studio space in Arvada. Ready to start planning your dream session? Click below to schedule a call.

Jennifer

Balloon and floral cake smash | Arvada Baby photographer

Cake smash sessions have become a tradition as much as a senior portrait session is for a high school senior. They are a beautiful way to celebrate a baby’s first birthday and to capture a time when they are growing and changing so quickly. One of the things I am most excited about with the new studio space in Arvada is the ability to do cake smash sessions indoor for those who do not want to do them in their home. This session however is one that I shot in my own home 9 months ago, I cannot believe that I haven’t shared this beautiful baby girl on my bog yet! She is just too precious not to share even if it is almost a year later.

Every cake smash session starts with an idea. Sometimes it’s a theme, sometimes its just a few colors. Little miss Ruby’s mom knew she wanted to have a pink and gold cake smash. She saw another smash that I did last year with pink and gold flowers and loved it but I wanted to make her smash even bigger and better than the last and so I suggested the balloon arch with the flowers and vines incorporated and luckily she loved the idea!

When I do a cake smash I provide everything for the session so our next step, after I found the perfect balloons and floral, was to choose an outfit. I already had this adorable little sparkle dressing in my collection that was perfect with this theme so I just hand-made a custom headband to match the décor and complete the look!

The next step was the cake. I found a beautiful image of a cake similar to this in purples and knew it would be perfect. When you choose a smash cake you want the majority of the design to be on the side of the cake because that is the part that gets photographed the most. Luckily my favorite baker Cherry on Top bakery in Thornton, Colorado always takes my vision and makes it even better than I described!

You can expect three types of images from your cake smash session, first, before cake images, typically taken on the smash “set as your cake smash however the studio now gives me the space and freedom to do a second look for your before images if you would like. New we bring out the cake, this park looks in the photos like to take about 5 minutes but in reality I have had some kids take over and hour to get messy with the cake so don’t worry if your baby doesn’t dig right in. After the cake I can now offer milk bath images in my adorable little bath tub!

I would love to help you plan the perfect cake smash session for your baby. I have a list of theme ideas or I can create your vision or birthday party theme! Send me a message to set up a call and get all of the details!

Jennifer Tavera is a Luxury family, maternity and newborn photographer in Denver Colorado who specializes in creating an experience that will make mom feel confortable, papered and beautiful so she will be excited to turn her portraits into art for her home. Sessions are available outdoors all over the Denver and Boulder area and studio sessions in the studio space in Arvada. Ready to start planning your dream session? Click below to schedule a call.

Jennifer

Squaw Pass, Evergreen Colorado | Colorado Family Photographer

Part of creating a luxury experience for my clients is knowing and recommending the best locations to them for their photoshoots. Choosing a location for your portrait session here in Colorado can get complicated. There are hundreds of beautiful spots all with their own rules, perks, and often fees for use. Luckily I navigate this for my clients. Your session fee includes not only your hair and makeup so you can look amazing, but also travel fees and location permit fees for any location listed on my blog. When we sit down for your consultation you can tell me what you envisioned for your session, and I can give you a few suggested locations that match your vision. After that I’ll take care of the rest. Or if you see a location here that you love, mention it when you contact me! Here is another mountain location on my favorites list!

Best time of year for this location: 

This mountain location Is beautiful all year round, not only do you have beautiful mountains any time of year but also the evergreen and aspen trees are beautiful even after the leaves drop. In this post I show images of both my favorite trailhead along Squaw pass and also some spots higher up along the road that are just spots you can pull off on the side of the road. While the spots higher up are not going to change much for views in summer vs. winter the roads may be icy and harder to navigate in the winter. For the open space, it features beautiful yellow flowers covering the field around June and gorgeous changing aspens in the fall.

Best time of day for this location: 

This location would be beautiful for sunrise or sunset sessions however since my sessions come with hair and makeup I only shoot here in the evening to allow time for hair and makeup to be done.

Drive time: 

This location is just under an hour drive from the Denver metro area.

Parking: 

The main open space where I typically start my sessions up here has a large dirt parking lot. The last few images shown are taken further up the road where there are only small areas to pull off the road.

Family friendliness:

The open space is a great spot for family sessions with many beautiful spots close to the parking lot and no dangerous areas. There isn’t a restroom at this location, however. I would not recommend the spots used in the last few images for small children since they are close to cliffs and right next to the busy road.

I would love to set up a session for you here or at any of the many beautiful Colorado locations that I offer my clients. To get more information on a session please click the link below and fill out my contact form.

Jennifer Tavera is a Luxury family, maternity and newborn photographer in Denver Colorado who specializes in creating an experience that will make mom feel confortable, papered and beautiful so she will be excited to turn her portraits into art for her home. Sessions are available outdoors all over the Denver and Boulder area and studio sessions in the studio space in Arvada. Ready to start planning your dream session? Click below to schedule a call.

Jennifer

Isabella's quinceañera portraits | Denver family photographer

For those not familiar with a quinceañera it is the celebration of a girl’s 15th birthday. In many Latin cultures, this is considered her coming of age and is typically celebrated with a huge party and can rival some weddings.

Isabella turned 15 back in November and I was so honored to help her celebrate, not with a party (they are planning to throw her one later this year) but with portraits.

I met up with Isabella and her family on an unusually warm day in late November. Looking at these portraits I cannot believe they were taken the weekend before Thanksgiving. I cannot remember a time that there were ever leaves on the trees this late into the year, certainly never in the 12 years I have owned my photography business, but I was so happy for the warm day and green grass and trees.

Even though they were not planning a party right away, Isabella’s family went all out on the dress jewelry and hair, and makeup for her session! I brought my crown to complete her look and it matched perfectly with the jewelry they has selected. She looked just like a princess!

As much as I love the beautiful mountain locations that I use for most of my sessions, Cheesman park in Denver was the perfect fit for this session and it was fun to shoot at a location that I hadn’t been to in a few years. We started at the pavilion which as always was crowded but we managed to find some spots where there weren’t a ton of people so that I could edit out those that did wind up in the images. After spending some time at the pavilion we took some other images around the park and then headed out into the neighborhood to take some at this beautiful gate that I remembered from a senior session that I shot in the park years ago. I was glad I remembered after all of this time where it was because it was PERFECT for this session.

We finished the session as the sun started to dip lower in the sky shortly before sunset. I found this perfect spot on a bench where the light was filtering through the trees behind her. This very last image wound up being one of my favorites from the entire photo shoot!

If your daughters quinceañera or sweet 16 is coming up I would love to help you celebrate with a photo shoot that makes her feel like a princess! My sessions include hair and makeup and I have crowns and jewelry that she can borrow for the session if desired. I even have gowns if she doesn’t already have a special one for her celebration like Isabella did. I would love to give you more details, click the button below and fill out my contact form to start the process.

Jennifer Tavera is a Luxury family, maternity and newborn photographer in Denver Colorado who specializes in creating an experience that will make mom feel confortable, papered and beautiful so she will be excited to turn her portraits into art for her home. Sessions are available outdoors all over the Denver and Boulder area and studio sessions in the studio space in Arvada. Ready to start planning your dream session? Click below to schedule a call.

Jennifer

Wall art sizing guide | Denver Family Photographer

When I started working at the commercial portrait studio 15 years ago I sold prints and wall “enlargements”. In the one week of training, we received before starting as a photographer and “portrait artist” not one bit was about how to help our clients choose the best size of art for their home. Most of our clients came in, bought 8x10 prints, and likely went home and realized they were way too small for their space. After 9 years as a business owner, I started offering my clients wall art and studying interior design. While I still have so much to learn one thing I have learned is that there are rules to choosing the proper size wall art piece, especially if it is going to hang above a piece of furniture. So today I am sharing those “secrets” with all of you.

You may be reading this because you are a current client of mine, or looking to hire a photographer, or maybe you stumbled across this trying to decide what size painting to hang above your couch. Either way, whether you come to have your portrait taken in my Arvada photography studio or a beautiful outdoor location in the Colorado mountains and allow me to design your art for you or you just need to find the right size for the landscape print you are ordering the rules are the same.

The Basics

If you are planning on hanging your portrait or gallery wall centered above a piece of furniture like a table, bed, or couch you will want the image to be 50-75% of the size of the piece of furniture. The same rule applies if you are using a gallery wall, you will want to space the images 1-4 inches apart and have the full set be no more than 75% as wide as the furniture below it.

There are two different rules for how high to hang your images. The rule for hanging above furniture is 6-12” inches above the furniture piece however the general rule is at eye level. Here is how I handle these two sometimes contradicting rules:

For a low piece of furniture that is well below eye level, hang the images at eye level. In the image above it appears that the table is fairly low so when I created this sample I “hung” the images at what I believed to be approximately eye level. You could put something decorative on top of the table (maybe candle sets on either side?) to give the table some height and then hang the art 6 inches above the top of the decorations if you wanted to try and follow both rules.

For higher furniture pieces, go with the 6 images above to hang as close to every level as possible.

And in the case you have small children who may touch your art, either choose a durable option such as canvas or hang just out of reach of your little one!

Choosing the proper size for above a bed

This is a quick “cheat sheet” for creating art galleries above your bed based on the size of the bed.

The program I use to show my clients their art, which is also what I use to create these sample galleries, shows me the total width of the full gallery set so that I can make sure I create the correct size for your home. So having a cheat sheet to check those numbers against is really helpful to make sure that when it arrives it will fit perfectly like this set that I created for a client last fall.

Sizing “cheat sheet”

If you are hanging your art above the headboard choose this size for the best fit:

Twin bed- 22-30” inch art

Full bed - 30-40” art

Queen bed - 34-45” art

King bed - 42-56” art

Crib (above the long side) - 30-40”

Hopefully this gives you a start in choosing the correct size. I would love to design portrait art that fits perfectly into your space. When I plan your session with you and create your art I take into account the colors and design style of your space as well to make sure your art looks at home in your space! Ready to get started? Click below to schedule a call and get all of the information about your session!

Jennifer Tavera is a Luxury family, maternity, and newborn photographer in Denver Colorado who specializes in creating an experience that will make mom feel comfortable, papered, and beautiful so she will be excited to turn her portraits into art for her home. Sessions are available outdoors all over the Denver and Boulder area and studio sessions in the studio space in Arvada. Ready to start planning your dream session? Click below to schedule a call.

Jennifer

Levonia's Mountain Maternity Session | Morrison Colorado Photographer

I had the honor of creating portrait art for so many awesome clients in 2021. I was so busy during the fall that I never had the chance to show off all of the images on my blog. I am starting with this session from the end of October because most of the leaves had fallen and this location should look very similar to this most of the winter, with the possible addition of some snow on the ground.

I met Levonia through my 2021 expecting moms group. Every year for the past 3 years myself and 2 other professionals in the birth/maternity/newborn fields have hosted a Facebook group to help new moms connect and navigate pregnancy and motherhood. If you are expecting in 2022 please join us in this years group.

I loved Levonia from the moment I met her during our zoom consultation. She is so sweet and outgoing and was so excited about capturing her maternity portraits and getting to use my gowns.

On the day of her session, I arranged for a hair and makeup artist to go to her home and help her get ready for the session. All of my maternity and family sessions include hair and makeup as part of the services I provide. I want to make sure every mama looks and feels her best for the session.

I met up with Levonia and her husband Andy up at Meyer Ranch Park in Morrison in late October. I have to say that this fall was like nothing I have ever seen before, normally the fall color is gone in the mountains by around the first week of October but it lasted through most of the month and down in Denver through much of November. I chose this location because the mountain views and evergreen trees make it a great spot year-round but, I was pleasantly surprised to find bits of yellow left when we arrived.

Every once in a while despite my 15 years of experience and careful session prep, a session doesn’t go quite as planned. Due to circumstances outside of their control, my clients arrived a little late to this session. Luckily I had scheduled with about a 30-minute extra buffer before sunset, so when they arrived we still had almost 90 minutes until sunset. We started up a small incline taking our time and stopping for portraits as we went. We were about 25 minutes into the session and halfway up the hill when Levonia mentioned that she was a little light-headed. Unfortunately, the nearest place to sit was up at the top of the hill so we turned the rolling suitcase into a place to sit and I held it in place while her husband ran to go get her water from the car. I’m not going to lie, there was a moment where I thought I was going to have to attempt to catch here and I pictured both of us lying on the ground lol. Luckily her husband arrived with the water and after drinking some she was up to continue to the top of the hill where there was a real place for her to sit and rest for a bit.

The downside to this delay was that we missed sunset to allow her to rest and make sure she was ok. The good news is the bench was next to the restrooms and after resting she was able to change and into the other gown she had selected and get some shots that were outside of my usual style, after dark. Back in my days of being a natural light photographer I would have had to cut this session short after the first gown however my expertise in off-camera flash allowed me to shoot for a short time after the sun dipped behind the mountains. The end result was that even between them arriving late and us pausing the session partway through I was still able to create my average 30+ portraits for them to choose their wall art from, and they still loved the images!

After talking to her a bit, I realized that her and her husband had only moved to Colorado, from a sea-level start, around a year before. On top of not being used to the altitude, she had not been drinking much water that day in all the excitement of getting ready for the session. So a few tips for your session to prevent this from happening again.

!. Hydrate: 1/2 your body weight in oz. of water is the recommended water intake for most people, however when dealing with high altitude drinking more is normally a good idea.

2. Let me know if you are new to Colorado. There are many beautiful Colorado locations I can recommend for those who may not do well with the high altitude.

3. Bring water with you. This goes back to #1 Hydrate.

Not every session is going to go exactly to plan, however, when working with a true professional you will still get amazing images in the end. I am so happy I was able to create images for my clients that they were excited to hang in their home. Here are a few of my favorites from the session!

I would love to help you create your dream portraits. Click below to contact me and set up a consultation call.

Jennifer Tavera is a Luxury family, maternity and newborn photographer in Denver Colorado who specializes in creating an experience that will make mom feel confortable, papered and beautiful so she will be excited to turn her portraits into art for her home. Sessions are available outdoors all over the Denver and Boulder area and studio sessions in the studio space in Arvada. Ready to start planning your dream session? Click below to schedule a call.

Jennifer

Newborn portrait art | Arvada Colorado Newborn photographer

4 tips for creating the perfect newborn portrait display

1. “Match the couch”

One of my favorite portrait art mentors tells her students to have your clients “dress to match the couch”. Why? Because it guarantees that your images are going to look amazing hanging above your couch. In the case of newborn portraits this advice isn’t always as simple. First many people want to hang the newborn portraits in the baby’s room, so maybe this looks more like “dress to match the crib”, or maybe you would like to hang the images in more than one location, for example baby alone in babies room, family portraits with your new baby over the couch and a few images in your bedroom. With newborn portraits there is an easy way to make this work, during our consultation we will talk over the places you would like to hang your images and the colors in that room. Mom, dad and any siblings can dress to match the living room colors, and then I can choose outfits and wraps for baby’ solo portraits to match the colors in the other two rooms. This way the images fit seamlessly into each space as if they were designed for it, because they were!

2. Choose a wall art style or frame that matches the look of your home

As much as I love the look of my heritage wood prints, if you have a very modern style of home they are not going to look right in your space. On the other hand if your design style is country farmhouse, a sleek metal framed print is not going to be the best fit for your home. When I sit down with my clients to design their art I take all of this into consideration, I show my clients the options and then I suggest the style I believe will look best with their current décor. For those clients that don’t really have a design style yet I’ll help you choose your favorite option and it may be the perfect base to help you create a look in your home that you love!

3. Choose nontraditional shapes

If your wall art is all feeling boring and the same this might be a great way to mix it up a little. I offer many traditional sizes like 16x24, 30x40 and 40x60 however I also offer square, round and long and narrow images. I will typically design a sample set for each client with more traditional sizes and one with a more unique layout to help you choose which option is more your style. Below you can see several mock ups with both traditional and nontraditional shapes as well as samples with a mixture of both. These are all real samples that I presented to my clients.

4. Consider one large image

I love creating art sets with a variety of sizes and shapes, but sometimes what you really need is one statement piece. Especially in a larger room where smaller images are harder to see from the other side of the room, a larger image is more appropriate. So how do you know how large of an image to choose? One thing to consider is the size of the piece of furniture you will be hanging it over, the image should be 50-75% smaller than the furniture. Another thing to keep in mind is the size of the room, just like choosing TV sizes the further you will be sitting or standing from the image, the larger it needs to be. If wouldn’t put a 20 inch tv in your living room so an 8x10 or 11x14 print is also going to be too small to see clearly and make the statement you are looking for in this larger space.

If you are ready to schedule your newborn session and have custom art created for your home I would love to schedule a call to talk with you. Click the button below to start the process and learn more about my sessions.

Jennifer Tavera is a Luxury family, maternity and newborn photographer in Denver Colorado who specializes in creating an experience that will make mom feel confortable, papered and beautiful so she will be excited to turn her portraits into art for her home. Sessions are available outdoors all over the Denver and Boulder area and studio sessions in the studio space in Arvada. Ready to start planning your dream session? Click below to schedule a call.

Jennifer

Studio Christmas sessions | Arvada Colorado Portrait Studio

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Truth Photography!

I was so honored to be able to celebrate with families in a new way this year with studio sessions in the Arvada photo studio located off of 80th and Wadsworth. The studio was beautifully decorated for the Holidays including this beautiful bed set. This was one of a couple of holiday sets that were available. I am so excited to be sharing this gorgeous space with two other photographers over the next few months and hopefully beyond!

Here are some of my favorite images from family and milestone baby sessions in the studio last month. I will be offering this space for newborn, baby, kids and cake smash sessions as well as the occasional family or maternity shoot. Each season there will be a limited edition holiday set as well as staples like the bed and couch areas perfect for newborn family shots, milestone sessions and kids portraits. To see more of the studio visit my last blog post using the button below.

This bed has already been redecorated for spring and summer sessions! We also have the Valentines set ready for sessions in January and February so contact me today to book you spot!

Jennifer Tavera is a Luxury family, maternity and newborn photographer in Denver Colorado who specializes in creating an experience that will make mom feel confortable, papered and beautiful so she will be excited to turn her portraits into art for her home. Sessions are available outdoors all over the Denver and Boulder area and studio sessions in the studio space in Arvada. Ready to start planning your dream session? Click below to schedule a call

Jennifer

Welcome to the studio space | Truth Photography Arvada Colorado Photographer

I am so excited to announce that I now have a studio space available for winter sessions!

Introducing the Arvada Studio! The Studio is located off of 80th and Wadsworth in Arvada and is perfect for newborn sessions, baby milestones, cake smash sessions, and even family and maternity shoots.

The Arvada studio, which I am currently sharing with two other local photographers, offers a lounge area with a changing table and hair and makeup station. A fully equipped newborn room with a newborn posing bag and additional props, wraps and outfits beyond those in my own collection. A seasonal room for limited edition seasonal sessions, cake smash sessions and baby milestones sessions. The final room, the “bedroom” features a bed for newborn family shots or baby milestone sessions, and two couch areas perfect for families, maternity or kids!

Now booking!

I am now booking for the following types of sessions, space on all sessions is limited.

Studio newborn shoots. January-April ONE slot available per month. Newborn only and Newborn family sessions available up to 3 hours time as needed.

Cake smash session. January-April TWO slots per month. Choose from dozens of ideas from my inspiration board or previous sessions or choose your own theme and I will design you a custom set. Cake smash includes the cake, outfit, and decorations, before cake images, the cake smash, and an after cake milk bath shoot. Please book a minimum of 3 weeks in advance to ensure that I can order your cake, décor, and outfit on time.

Limited edition Valentine’s sessions. Ages 3 months to 10 years. 3 dates Monday, January 17, 9 am to noon, Monday, January 31st noon to 2 pm, or Sunday, January 23rd, 1 pm-4 pm.

---

Jennifer Tavera is a Luxury family, maternity and newborn photographer in Denver Colorado who specializes in creating an experience that will make mom feel confortable, papered and beautiful so she will be excited to turn her portraits into art for her home. Sessions are available outdoors all over the Denver and Boulder area and studio sessions in the studio space in Arvada. Ready to start planning your dream session? Click below to schedule a call.

Jennifer

Echo lake, Evergreen Colorado | Colorado Photoshoot Locations

Part of creating a luxury experience for my clients is knowing and recommending the best locations to them for their photoshoots. Choosing a location for your portrait session here in Colorado can get complicated. There are hundreds of beautiful spots all with their own rules, perks, and often fees for use. Luckily I navigate this for my clients. Your session fee includes not only your hair and makeup so you can look amazing, but also travel fees and location permit fees for any location listed on my blog. When we sit down for your consultation you can tell me what you envisioned for your session, and I can give you a few suggested locations that match your vision. After that I’ll take care of the rest. Or if you see a location here that you love, mention it when you contact me! Here is another mountain location on my favorites list!

Best time of year for this location: 

This mountain location Is beautiful all year round. Due to the high altitude, the roads may be icy during the snowy months.

Best time of day for this location: 

This location would be beautiful for sunrise or sunset sessions however since my sessions come with hair and makeup I only shoot here in the evening to allow time for hair and makeup to be done.

Drive time: 

This location is one of the further locations on my list, normally I include locations that are around an hour drive from the north Denver area. This location is just over an hour from Denver metro however it is so beautiful I have decided to make it one that I regularly offer.

Parking: 

There is a small parking lot on the same side as the lake however it fills up quickly. More parking can be found across the street.

Family friendliness:

This is a great spot for family sessions with many beautiful spots close to the parking lots. It is also a very safe location if you are looking for mountain views. There are no cliffs or sudden drop-offs near the areas where I shoot.

I'm Jennifer Tavera.

A family photographer and portrait gallery designer in the North Denver Colorado area.

I help moms look and feel their best so we can capture the family moments that matter and turn then into beautiful art to hang in their home.

Learn more about a session with Truth Photography below.

What should I wear for my maternity session? | Denver Colorado maternity photography

If you are looking at having maternity photos done you have probably seen hundreds of shots where mom is wearing a gorgeous gown that makes her look like a goddess, or princess, or just amazing! You may be dreaming of the perfect gown, but in your mind wondering if it is worth spending the money for a dress you will wear once. Many of us photographers have been dreaming of taking your photos in that perfect gown and have, like me, started a collection, or client closet, for their clients to use. As I write this in August 2021 my gown collection consists of 23 gowns size small to XL and I’ll admit, I was looking at a new one today!

I have a range of gowns so I wanted to put together this blog with some tips on finding the right one for you!

Flowy of form-fitting?

Personally, I love both, and both can be beautiful for your session. Form-fitting gowns give me a little more freedom for posing your hands, they don’t have to be on your belly for every shot because that gown is going to show it off! Flowy gowns are popular however because many moms want to feel like a princess at their session and the flowy gowns definitely give that vibe! They are also more forgiving if you are not really sure what size you need, they typically fit a size larger or smaller than the size on their tag.

Do you want to toss?

You probably just thought huh? Unless you are as obsessed with designer maternity gowns as I am, then you may have known exactly what I meant. Many high-end maternity gowns are designed with what is called a tossing train. These trains can be a lot of fun at your session for all kinds of dramatic shots, just be warned I may put the baby’s dad to work tossing if for us!

Even if we choose not to toss the gown it can be perfect for dramatic images with the gown laid on the ground. I have added a variety of images below with my tossing train gowns so you can see both the toss and non-tossed train.

What Color should you wear?

Color can be used to tell a story, like the gender of your baby, or that this baby is your rainbow, the joy after a loss. But choosing color can also just be about choosing the best tones for your skin color.

Cool skin tones

Colors that will compliment your skin tone include; Green/Emerald, purples, light or bright blue, sage green, light pink, very pale yellows, reds, bright white, gray, or navy.

Warm skin tones

Colors that will compliment your skin tone include; Green, brown, mustard yellow, warmer reds, peach, coral, gold, olive or moss green, plum or magenta purple.

Not sure which you are? I found this quiz that helps you find out, don’t worry it doesn’t ask for any contact info! https://www.popsugar.com/beauty/Warm-Cool-Undertones-Quiz-1843402

I am always expanding my collection so while some of these shades aren’t currently included I am hoping they will be very soon!

What do I do if you just can’t choose?

Don’t worry, you don’t have to choose just one! You can choose up to 3 different gowns to wear for your session! I will help you choose up to 3 unique looks for your session. I want this to be a session you will never forget!

What accessories should you wear?

I also provide accessories for your session! I hand make all of my floral crowns so that they match perfectly with my gowns. They are often made with a specific client in mind, for example, a mommy and me set made for a maternity shoot with a 3-year-old big sister participating. Or, the purple and red crown I made for the session where mom was wearing my plum colored gown and dad was wearing a red shirt. The crown tied the colors together perfectly! In addition to the florals, I offer glam accessories like gemstone sashes, jewelry, and crown. I will help you perfectly match your accessories not only to your gown but also to coordinate with anyone else participating in the session!

Throughout this post I have shown many of the gowns I offer currently however I am always adding new ones to my collection! Take a look at my collection here and contact me today to schedule a consultation to select your gown and accessories!

I'm Jennifer Tavera.

A family photographer and portrait gallery designer in the North Denver Colorado area.

I help moms capture the moments and milestones that matter and turn then into beautiful art to hang in their home.

Learn more about me and a session with Truth Photography below.

Outdoor newborn family session | Westminster Colorado

I get excited every year when the weather gets warm because while I can offer beautiful outdoor session all year for families and maternity, newborn sessions can only be done fully outdoors during the warmer months.

This family not only chose me to do one of my favorite types of sessions for them but also allowed me to style them with items from my collection. Initially we were going to have dad in a light blue shirt but he really wanted to wear the maroon shirt. I was glad I had the perfect maroon wrap for baby to tie the look together. Moms gown, jewelry, the girls dresses and the floral crowns/headbands were all from my collection as well. In the end I was glad he decided to wear his maroon shirt as these colors looked beautiful together.

I would love to photograph your family! My sessions include hair and makeup for mom, use of my gowns and kids clothes and help styling your session. Contact me today for a free consultation.

I'm Jennifer Tavera.

A family photographer and portrait gallery designer in the North Denver Colorado area.

I help moms capture the moments and milestones that matter and turn then into beautiful art to hang in their home.

Learn more about me and a session with Truth Photography below.

Betasso Preserve, Boulder {Colorado Photography Locations}

I fell in love with this park immediately with its stunning mountain views, beautiful evergreen trees, and stacked split rail fences. I believe that this will be a new favorite on my locations list!

Best time of year for this location: 

This mountain location Is beautiful all year round and was easy to access even in the winter. In the case of a large amount of snow like the 2 feet we had recently the parking, lots may be closed as was the case the day I first went to scout the location however, they were able to get them back open the week after the storm.

Day of the week restrictions: 

This location is only available for shoots on Wednesday or Saturday evening. It is a big mountain biking spot and on other days of the week, it is often overly crowded however the park does not allow bikes on those two days each week.

Best time of day for this location: 

Sunset, I actually shot earlier in the day the first session I shot there and while there was some shade it was not enough to produce the even lighting that I prefer so I would highly recommend sticking to a sunset session for the best light.

Parking: 

There are a few parking lots up at the preserve. I have my clients meet in the first lot which you will take a left turn into and follow the road, it then splits into a lower lot and upper “picnic area” please park in the lower of those two lots if possible.

Family friendliness:

This is a great spot for family sessions with many beautiful spots close to the parking lots. It is also a very safe location if you are looking for mountain views. There are no cliffs or sudden drop-offs near the areas where I shoot.

I would love to help you plan your session with a free no-obligation consultation. I will answer all of your questions about sessions and wall art and help you plan the session of your dreams. To request more information click the link below and tell me a little about the session you would like to plan. I will get back to you to schedule a consultation.

I'm Jennifer Tavera.

A family photographer and portrait gallery designer in the North Denver Colorado area.

I help moms capture the moments and milestones that matter and turn then into beautiful art to hang in their home.

Learn more about me and a session with Truth Photography below.

Eliana pink and gold first birthday {Denver Cake Smash Photographer}

I get this excited for the cake too! Isn’t little Eliana smile precious here! I had so much fun photographing this precious girl!

Every baby treats the cake smash differently, most take forever to even try the cake. Some babies get excited about the cake right away and then quickly lose interest, either way, I can get adorable portraits.

Eliana took awhile to get excited about the cake and didn’t make as big of a mess as some babies BUT she gave the most precious smiles and beautiful expressions. The photos from her session are absolutely precious, so cure in fact that I had a hard time narrowing down which to show in this blog. So, here are all of my favorites!

Deluxe gallery (Click the image to view my featured gallery options)

Cake by Cherry on Top Bakery Inc

I would love to plan a cake smash session for your baby. Set up a free consultation to discuss your theme and all of the session details.

I'm Jennifer Tavera.

A family photographer and portrait gallery designer in the North Denver Colorado area.

I help moms capture the moments and milestones that matter and turn then into beautiful art to hang in their home.

Learn more about me and my photography style:

Sarah and Bill {Mountain maternity session}

Maternity sessions are about celebrating your baby, but they are also about celebrating the beautiful woman who is growing that baby inside of her. She deserves to feel beautiful for her session. My whole session is designed around that idea. That is why every session comes with hair and makeup for mom, that is why I only carry high-end gowns that I know will look stunning on clients of every shape and size and that is why I provide accessories like necklaces, bracelets, and hairpieces to complete your look.

I really enjoyed helping Sarah bring out her inner supermodel. Her and her husband Bill are so excited for their baby boy to arrive this month and Sarah really did glow with love and joy for her child! We chose 3 gowns for her session and Sarah looked amazing in all of them. All 3 gowns are from my client closet and made by Sew Trendy Accessories and these gowns really do look like they were made to fit every woman I put them on but, Sarah looked especially beautiful because her joy was shining through the whole time!

There were just too many awesome images from their session to narrow them down to just a few to share so here are all of my favorites from the session!

I would love to help you celebrate your baby boy or girl and the beautiful mama carrying them with a maternity session. Contact me below for more information!

I'm Jennifer Tavera.

A family photographer and portrait gallery designer in the North Denver Colorado area.

I help moms capture the moments and milestones that matter and turn then into beautiful art to hang in their home.

Learn more about me and a session with Truth Photography below.

Why newborn portraits are the most important photos {Thornton Newborn Photographer}

I am going to say something controversial here, Newborn portraits are more important than wedding photos. Ok, I know that some of you will disagree but, let me tell you why I believe this.

The day we got married was not the most important day in our lives.

I was a wedding photographer for about 5 years. People spend thousands of dollars on their wedding photos to have gorgeous photos and professional quality prints of “the biggest day of their life” created. I photographed some amazing couples that I really loved. But I have watched many of these couples start families and some of them get divorced.

I love my husband and even after almost 12 years of marriage, I want to stay with him forever. But honestly, the day we got married was not the most important day in our lives, the day each of our children was born was. Our love started as just the two of us and has grown with each child to make us who we are today. Each baby has increased our capacity to love and made our family more complete. No matter what happens in our future the newborn portraits of each of my children will always hang in my home.

Each baby has increased our capacity to love and made our family more complete.

As my children grow I trade out many of the photos on my walls for updated images of them, but my newborn photos never get taken down. These are the first image of my babies and I never get tired of seeing them hanging in my home. I invested in high-quality products for these photos like canvasses and wood prints instead of the less expensive traditional prints I use for photos that I know will be switched out in a year or so. For me, the investment was worth every penny.

I want to create a work of art for every client I work with and for me, that does not stop with a perfectly edited digital file.

I want your printed photo to be a high-quality piece of art that you can pass down to your great-grandchildren. Before for say “but I want the digital file to share online and make more prints to send to my family” don’t worry, all of my printed images come with a matching digital file and most of my clients ordering canvas or wood print sets are eligible to receive a full set of digital files with their order.

I would love to create art for your family! If you have questions I would love to answer them during a video consultation. You can set that up or email me directly at the link below!

I'm Jennifer Tavera.

A family photographer and portrait gallery designer in the North Denver Colorado area.

I help moms capture the moments and milestones that matter and turn then into beautiful art to hang in their home.

Learn more about me and a session with Truth Photography below.

Lair O'the Bear, Morrison {Denver Photography Locations}

Lair O’the Bear is a great spot for sessions for those who want the feel of being in the mountains without traveling up steep winding roads. It is also a great spot for those who would like that mountain feel as well as a river. It is located west of Morrison CO only about a 10 minute drive into the mountains.

Best time of year for this location: 

This mountain location Is beautiful all year round and was easy to access even in the winter. The mountain views and evergreen trees make it a perfect winter location when most trees in the Denver area are dead.

Best time of day for this location: 

I book sessions at this location for 2-3 hours before Denver’s sunset time since the mountains block the sun a little earlier.

Parking: 

There is one large parking lot for this park. It is typically best to park at the far side away from the road since I normally start the session on the path at that end of the parking lot. If however, you need to use the restrooms (outhouse) they are located closer to the start of the parking lot.

Family friendliness:

This is a great spot for family sessions with many beautiful spots close to the parking lots.

I would love to help you plan your session with a free no-obligation consultation. I will answer all of your questions about sessions and wall art and help you plan the session of your dreams. To schedule your consultation click “contact me” below.

I'm Jennifer Tavera.

A family photographer and portrait gallery designer in the North Denver Colorado area.

I help moms capture the moments and milestones that matter and turn then into beautiful art to hang in their home.

Learn more about me and a session with Truth Photography below.

In home newborn portraits {Westminster Newborn Photographer}

Most photographers recommend that you have your newborn portraits taken in the first 14 days of your baby’s life. The reason for this is in the early days babies sleep better for their session, relax into the poses, and don’t get as upset about being posed and moved.

With all the craziness of the last year though, a lot of parents missed that 2 week milestone. Wyatt’s mom contacted me when he was already 2 months old to schedule his portraits in December. If you missed to 2-week “cutoff” as well don’t worry, with a little extra work to settle your baby you can still have beautiful portraits of your baby at this age.

Wyatt was a little cranky at first, but after awhile we were able to get him to settle down and fall asleep for a few minutes. When he woke back up a few minutes later when I moved him to a new pose (another downside of older babies is they are very unlikely to sleep through being moved) he was happy and smiley for me!

In the end, we got some adorable images of him and mom and dad loved them!

I would love to photograph your baby. Ideally, you should contact me before your baby arrives but if your little one is already here I would still love to help you capture their first portraits!

I'm Jennifer Tavera.

A family photographer and portrait gallery designer in the North Denver Colorado area.

I help moms capture the moments and milestones that matter and turn then into beautiful art to hang in their home.

Learn more about me and my photography style: