"Tracy, when we
interviewed you about doing Noah's portraits, we had an
appointment to meet with another photographer the next night,
but after meeting with you, we knew you were the one we
wanted to photograph Noah, and are we ever glad we made
that choice! The 1 month portraits of Noah and our family
are beautiful! Our friends and family love them, and we
can't wait for the 6-month session. We know it will be great
too! Thank you!" Brian & Jenni Helland, Falcon, Co.
These
Kinds Of Photographs Are Not Accidents. They Are Not
Snapshots. And Yet They're Not "Stiff" Or Unnatural In Any
Way.
You know your child better than anyone else in the world.
You know his or her "real" smile, and you know his or her
"fake" smile. But, you know what? Other people can tell
the difference too. We all can. You've seen photographs
where you could tell the photographer just posed the child
and said "say cheese!" The lighting may have been good.
The background might have been nice. But that fake expression
that happens when a child is PROMPTED to smile - that just
makes the photograph look like a snapshot instead of a special
captured moment in your child's life. We call that deer-in-the-headlights
photography, and we don't like it!
Imagine
How Wonderful Your Child's Expression Will Be When The Photographer
Has Become Your Child's FRIEND.
Children are very smart. They don't just blindly trust anyone.
And they NEVER show their true expressions to someone they
don't know and trust. In addition to my years as a professional
photographer, I also have 17 years of experience as a child
psychologist in a way. You see, I have 6 children of my own,
and feel like I know how to "connect" with children
in a way that puts them at ease.
That's
What Makes All The Difference! The Perfect Portrait
of Your Child Is Priceless - And It's ONLY Possible If The
Photographer Understands How To Work With Your Child To Bring
Out Those Natural Expressions.
So many photographers actually FEAR children. Well,
we can understand that, right? Children can be pretty scary
sometimes. Working with other people's children can
be very intimidating. For most photographers, they don't even
meet your child until it's time to create the photographs.
So, your child is sitting there, under all these bright lights,
in a strange place, in front of some strange person he or
she has never met before. How scary is that? It's
no wonder most photographers have to resort to telling children
to "say cheese" in order to get any expression even resembling
a smile.
But
That's Not Good Enough. Your Child Is Only Going To
Be This Age RIGHT NOW - You Deserve The Perfect Portrait To
Capture This Moment In Time Forever.
When you find the right photographer, a photographer who doesn't
merely understand photography, but also understands how to
capture your child's best expressions, you have found a new
friend you will value for the rest of you life. This
photographer is going to do something for you that no one
else in the world can ever do ---- STOP TIME, and capture
a cherished memory that you will be able to relive every day
of your life.
Perhaps
n o one (other than maybe the rest of your family) understands
what your child means to you more than I do. That's
one of the things I love to do as a professional photographer
- I want to help other parents hold on to their family memories
forever, and never regret not having a special photograph
of their child created.
"The
portraits are SPECTACULAR! You have managed to capture the
essence of our children perfectly. The entire experience has
been wonderful.
You put everyone at ease." Michelle Nay, Monument
Question:
"Just Suppose Someone Were To Create The Perfect Portrait
of Your Child - One Where Your Child Looked Better Than
Ever, Happier Than Ever - A Portrait That Meant The World
To You - What Would That Be Worth?"
No price tag can be put on your family's memories. They
are and always will be priceless. So, why would you
ever want to gamble with those memories? It's just
a question of whether you believe a portrait of your children
could really mean that much to you.
If you were sick, and had to go to a doctor, would you want
the "cheapest" doctor, or the best one? Well, there's really
no question. It's the same thing with your family's
memories. You can certainly find a cheaper photographer
in town. But there are other things to consider than
just price...
The
Photographer You Choose Should Care About YOUR FAMILY AND
YOUR MEMORIES, Not Just About "Making A Buck" Off You.
I consider it an honor to have some of my clients count
me as a family friend. I've even had some clients
invite me to stay for breakfast or dinner.
You see, I'm not a photographer to become rich. I CHOOSE
to be a professional child photographer. Why do I
do it? Because it is something I feel that I do well, and
I love providing these memories to my clients. Knowing
that their portraits mean so much to them, and that they
are so pleased that they had it done means a lot to me.
"Tracy,
regarding Joshua's 1 month portraits, I loved how
experienced you were. You knew exactly what to do
and how to do it. The slideshow was amazing and the
portraits were better than I could have imagined!
Definitely an experience that I will never forget!"
Lori Ramsey, Colorado Springs
There's no cost, and no obligation to just chat with me, and
it will make the whole difference as to how great your portraits
will look. Simply CLICK
HERE
to find out how to contact me by phone, just to chat.
Don't worry. I'm not going to try to "sell you" on working
with me. I don't need to pressure anyone to work with me as
a photographer. I'll just talk to you about your portraits,
and help you discover what your photographs could be like.
If you decide to have me create your portraits - great.
If not, no problem.
Throughout
This Webpage, You'll See And Hear From Parents In The Colorado
Springs Area Who Have Had Their Lives Forever Enriched By
the Lasting Memories Of Children's Portraits
If you're like most parents, when you first thought of having
a portrait created of your child, you probably pictured in
your mind a tiny studio, with a painted background, some bright
lights, with your child sitting cross-legged on a stool looking
nervous. Maybe you even thought of a family member or friend
of yours who fancies himself or herself as a "bit of a photography
buff." Maybe you thought of having this person do a quick
photograph of your child, and you'd call that good enough.
You're not alone. Most parents think this way at first....
...but then, just like the other parents on this site, something
made you decide to check out my website. Perhaps you have
seen some of the children's photography I've created and said
to yourself "that's what I want." Maybe you realized
that this portrait of your child is so important, you're not
going to trust it to just anyone. Believe me, you've made
the right choice.
"We
thought the images were very sweet & turned out very beautiful.
We're glad that we had this done." Brent & Mary Neuenswander, Colorado Springs
The
6 VITAL Things To Look For In Your Child's Photographer:
By reading this far, you must at least be considering having
a portrait of your child created. Well, that's great - you
will probably never make a decision that will bring you more
lasting joy. However, there are some things you NEED to know
before your son or daughter steps in front of any camera.
By the time you finish reading this webpage, you will know
everything you need to know about how to have the perfect
portrait of your child created - the one you will cherish
forever!
There are 6 VITAL things you must look for in a photographer!
If your photographer is missing any one of these things, your
child's photographs will be much less than they should be.
Demand that your photographer does each and every one of these
things!
You may feel like having a children's portrait done is going
to be a lot of work on your part. Well, it isn't! As
long as you know the information on this website, it won't
be any work at all on your part.
....So, let's jump right in!
#1
Thing Your Photographer MUST DO:
Demand That Your Photographer GUARANTEE You Will Love Your
Child's Portraits.
Most photographers WILL NOT DO THIS! Just suppose you had
a portrait created, and your son or daughter didn't look natural
in it. The photograph was "ok," but it didn't turn out spectacular.
Should you have to pay for it? ABSOLUTELY NOT!
I believe strongly that no one should ever have to pay for
a photograph that isn't PERFECT. That's why I am the only
photographer in Grand Rapids to offer the following guarantee:
CHECK
THIS OUT -
A Guarantee Unlike Any You've Ever Heard:
If
Your Child Doesn't Look The Happiest & Best He Or She
Has Ever Looked In These Photographs - If You're Not Thrilled
When You Look At Them - You Don't Pay Me For Them.
That's my guarantee and personal promise to you. These photographs
will be completely meaningless to you unless they convey the
real emotions and personality of your child. That's
the only real reason to have a children's portrait created.
So, if FOR ANY REASON you feel that the photographs I create
for you are anything less than perfect - if youre not thrilled
when I show them to you for the first time, you don't pay
me for them. It's that simple.
Obviously, I'm totally confident that the portraits I create
for you will be well beyond anything you imagine. I believe
completely that these photographs will become some of your
most prized possessions. This is what I'm passionate about,
and that's why I can't wait to photograph your family for
you.
So,
To Restate, Here's My Fantastic DOUBLE GUARANTEE:
If
you are not THRILLED with your photographs - if you are dissatisfied
for ANY reason at all, I will do two things for you:
1st
- At NO CHARGE, I will photograph your child again, and make
sure that anything that wasn't perfect is fixed, without you
paying another cent.
2nd
- If I am absolutely unable to thrill you - if I'm unable
to create a photograph that you feel you will cherish forever,
I will refund EVERY PENNY you invested in them. You
don't pay for your photographs unless you love them beyond
expression!
If
I don't end up being your photographer, make ABSOLUTELY SURE
your photographer offers this strong of a guarantee. If they
are professional and really good at what they do, they should
back up their work by taking all the risk off of you.
"Dear
Tracy, I want to thank you for the incredible photos...
Your patience with 2 boys on a Saturday morning, when
that was the last thing they wanted to do, was wonderful.
You have given my family portraits that everyone will
enjoy for years... You are the best!" Gloria Ballton, Monument
#2
Thing Your Photographer MUST DO:
Meet Your Child, And Become His Or Her Friend - Ahead Of
Time - BEFORE The Session.
No child is going to look natural and vibrant on
film if they don't know and trust the photographer.
That is just a plain FACT. Plus, besides making the
photographs turn out so much better, think of how much more
fun your child is going to have during the session if the
photographer has become his or her friend! There's
absolutely NO REASON why your child shouldn't enjoy having
these portraits created. In fact, if your child is NOT having
fun, the photographs will not turn out well at all.
THERE'S NO COST FOR THIS PRE-SESSION MEETING, and it will
only take about 20 minutes, but by the time those 20 minutes
are up, you and your child will be so comfortable with me
that when I do the actual session, the expressions will
be perfect, natural, and priceless every time.
If
I don't end up being your photographer, make ABSOLUTELY
SURE your photographer will meet with you and your child
ahead of time, and AT NO CHARGE. I can't stress enough
what a difference this will make!
#3
Thing Your Photographer MUST DO:
AT NO EXTRA CHARGE, Your Photographer Should Create The
Images ON LOCATION Instead Of In A Boring Studio.
This is such an important point - for so many reasons! First
of all, as I mentioned earlier, one of the biggest challenges
for a photographer is making your child feel totally comfortable,
thereby getting totally natural and fun expressions on film.
Well, in addition to meeting the photographer ahead of time,
one of the best things for your child is to create the photographs
in a location that is familiar or fun for the child.
Where's the place most children are the most comfortable?
IN OR AROUND THEIR HOME. Imagine being a child, and
instead of going to some "scary" studio somewhere, the photographer
comes to your home, and creates fantastic photographs right
there in the home or in your own backyard! How great would
that be? Think of how comfortable and "at home" you would
feel as a child.
Or, suppose going out to a park somewhere, or playing in
a pile of leaves - and having the photographer take your
photographs there. Not only will your son or daughter have
more fun being photographed this way, but it will also be
a much more personal and unique setting. There's nothing
personal or exciting about a photograph taken in a studio.
The setting will look just like the settings of hundreds
of other child photographs.
AT NO EXTRA CHARGE, I will come to your home, or take you
and your child to a couple of locations in and around Colorado
Springs that are perfect for this type of photography. You'll
have options - we can do some at your home, and some on
location. You see, not only do I not mind doing location
photography, which takes more work on my part - I actually
ENCOURAGE it. After years of photographing children,
I know that location photographs tend to be the photographs
that parents like the most. 100%
OF THE CHILDREN'S PORTRAITS ON THIS SITE WERE CREATED AT
THE CHILD'S HOME OR AT AN OUTDOOR LOCATION.
"Tracy,
Thank you SO much for all your work on Isaac's First
Moments portraits! I cried through the whole slideshow!
We LOVE how they turned out and are so glad that we
did this. Thanks, again." Michelle & Blake Olson, Colorado Springs
January 4, 2008
#4
Thing Your Photographer MUST DO:
AT NO EXTRA CHARGE, Your Photographer Should Be Flexible
Enough To Capture Your Baby's Images When You Want.
Remember how I said that I have 6 children of my own? They
range in age from 17 down to 2. I understand that babies
have their own schedules. They don't care that some photographer
needs to take their portraits. Sometimes they need to eat
right in the middle of a portrait appointment. That's fine.
Sometimes they are cranky and just need a nap. No problem.
We'll wait until baby is calm enough to go to sleep. Sometimes
"business" just
has to be attended to! We recently had a baby do his "business"
on Mom in the middle of the portrait appointment. That may
totally fluster or offend some photographers. Hey, I'm used
to it.
ANNOUNCING:
Brand new Baby Portrait Program - FIRST MOMENTS!
We
have recently announced a brand new program called
First Moments. For this program, we come to the hospital
just a couple days after the baby is born, and do
a photojournalistic style session capturing Mom and
Dad just enjoying their new little one and each other.
Both of the baby photos above were done during our
First Moments session. This is probably my most favorite
type of assignment. There's so much emotion.
If
I don't end up being your photographer, make ABSOLUTELY
SURE your photographer is flexible and patient enough
to work with your baby's schedule!
URGENT:::
MAJOR Myth, Mistake Or Misconception About Your Child's
Photography:
"There's
No Rush To Have A Portrait Of Your Child Created Right Now."
Before we continue with the 6 THINGS YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER MUST
DO, let's talk about this for a moment. So many people
think they have all the time in the world to have a portrait
of their child created.
But, you know how things are. If you don't pick up
the phone right now, and at least call me to chat about
your child's portrait, you will probably get swamped with
other things, and forget all about it. Then, before
you know it, a year - two years - five years have gone by.
How different will your son or daughter be by then?
These
are precious times, and although things will change, this
moment never has to slip from your fingers.
Don't put this off. You know how life is. We put things
off, and before we know it, everything has changed.
If your life is half as crazy as mine is, year after year
you find yourself frustrated at the things you wanted to
do, and never got done. A portrait of your child - as he
or she is right now - is something you deserve.
Our
Most Popular Baby Portrait Program - Baby's First Year Wall
Panel!
So,
to help you capture these special moments in your baby's
life, we have an exciting program for new parents, in addition
to our First Moments program. It's called Baby's First Year
Wall Panel. We will come to you and photograph your baby
4 times in her first year of life. It's your choice. You
can have these sessions done at newborn (works great tied
in with the First Moments program), 4 months, 8 months,
and 12 months, OR, at 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, and
12 months. There are 3 different packages within this program,
but each one comes with all 4 sessions PLUS a 10" x
20" mounted, ready-to-frame collection with your favorite
image from each session. This is not a matte with 4 openings
- it's a digital collection that we custom-design just for
your family, just like you see below.
#5
Thing Your Photographer MUST DO:
The Photographer MUST Allow At Least ONE HOUR To Photograph
Your Child!!
This is a biggie. Most photographers are trying to
crank so many sessions through in a day, they only have
a short amount of time to photograph each subject. Did you
know that the average child photographer spends ONLY 12.5
MINUTES photographing a child?! That's insane!
Fine children's photography is like a great meal in a fine
restaurant: It CAN'T be rushed. The photographer is like
your personal chef, preparing the meal for you. The photographer
is going to have to "add all the right spices" into the
photograph to make it just right. This takes a bit
of patience, and a lot of focus. If your photographer knows
that in about 15 minutes the next client is going to show
up, you're not going to get the attention you deserve.
I ALWAYS set aside at least one hour for every child session
I book. I've done some sessions that only took about 20
minutes or so to get a number of stunning images, but the
point is - it's vital to leave that much time open.
Don't let your photographer rush through this. Remember,
these are your memories, and it's up to you to make sure
your photographer realizes his or her responsibility to
you and your child.
If
I don't end up being your photographer, make ABSOLUTELY
SURE your photographer spends AT LEAST ONE HOUR creating
the perfect images for you - this cannot be rushed!
#6
Thing Your Photographer MUST DO:
Make Your Child Feel Totally Comfortable By Using A Favorite
Stuffed Animal, Pet, or Toy.
I love this part. You see, this is a two-fold benefit
here. It's going to make your child so much more comfortable,
and at the same time, it's going to add yet another level
of personalization to the final photographs. As you know,
children love familiarity. Nothing can calm them down
like that "security blanket" they love to haul around the
house, or that special beat-up raggedy old stuffed animal
that Grandma gave them on their first birthday, or that
cherished family pet that is like their best friend.
Imagine the wonderful photographs that will come from allowing
your child to play with something that is so special to
him or her. Some of the most emotional and memorable
portraits I've ever created involved a child playing with
a toy or a pet or even a family music box. We've all
seen children almost seem to "slip into another world" when
they play with certain things. Those are the moments I
live for, and those are the moments I'm going to capture
for you on film.
It's
Not Too Late. This Moment, Right Now, Can Be Held Onto For
The Rest Of Your Life - For You To Share With Family And
Friends.
You don't have to make a big decision right now. You don't
have to choose your photographer - you don't even have to
decide that now is the time for your child's portrait.
Just take one small step toward holding onto your child's
happiest moments RIGHT NOW.
WHAT
SHOULD YOU DO RIGHT THIS SECOND? (and why?)
Pick
up the phone, and call my studio. CLICK
HERE
for the number.
Even
if it's after business hours, still call right now. I've
got an answering machine that is just waiting to cheerfully
take your message, and I'll personally call you back so
we can chat. Just let me know when is a good time
to call you back. Don't worry, I'm not going to try
to "pressure" you at all into working with me. Plus,
there's no cost at all for us just to chat.
When you call, we'll briefly discuss the things you need
to know. I'll tell you a bit about me. I'll answer
all your questions about how to prepare for your child's
portrait. It won't be a long call, but it will be one of
the most important calls you make.
You can call any time. If I don't answer, just leave your
name and number at the beep, and I'll call you back.
If you're thinking of this photograph as a GIFT FOR SOMEONE,
let me know, so when I call back, I only ask for you, and
don't spoil the surprise!
Once
again, CLICK
HERE
for the direct phone number to my studio.
The
Perfect Portrait Of Your Child Is Only One Phone Call Away...
Make the call now. It will be a call you will be
glad you made for the rest of your life. I look forward
to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Tracy
Bookman
Photographer
TRACY
BOOKMAN PHOTOGRAPHY
719-749-0043
Colorado
Springs Wedding and Portrait Photographer
Weddings - HS Seniors - Families - Babies and Children
All
photographs and images on this site copyrighted to Tracy Bookman Photography
No image may be copied or reproduced without written permission
