We’ve come of age with a few other professional photographers in Austin and it’s been fun to watch their styles evolve and businesses grow with ours.  Although almost all of them either started out with or began shooting newborns at some point in their career and every one of them has explained to us that as soon as they no longer needed infants to fill their schedule, they stopped booking them entirely.  We started out photographing them and after 10 years are having a better time than ever doing so.  I don’t know if the hectic schedule or delicate balance of keeping a baby asleep while getting your lighting right is too much for them or if it just doesn’t make economic sense.  Either way, we’re glad as can be to still be Austin’s best newborn photographer and we are not going anywhere.

I understand the idea that babies are traditionally the least consistent models alive.  They puke, poop, and cry with no warning and scream if the temperature gets above 92 degrees or so.  You’re trying to include mom’s favorite props, get an ill-fitting hat to stay on, and not ruin baby’s important sleep patterns- all within the first 10 days or so of their existence.  All of that is what makes it fun.  It’s the same reason we love shooting weddings, it’s a problem solver’s dream.  Juggling those things and pulling off a shot that only you can get is tremendously satisfying.  Newborns require a delicate hand, a little shushing, a lot of heat, and a decent amount of luck.  That’s a big part of the reason I’ll never stop photographing them.  I love the feeling of pulling up to a new family’s home and not knowing how we’re going to get where we need to be but assures that we have the tools to get me there and fast.  Also, newborns are fantastic.  They’re just perfect.  Other photographers are crazy.

The amazing folks at Austin Tidbits have chosen us to be the only wedding photographer included in their 2014 Bridal Guide issue.  We’ve admired their cutting edge choices over the years and have dreamed of the day that we would be included among them but I never really thought I’d see it.  If you’re not familiar withe the site or newsletter, Austin Tidbits has the inside scoop for the gal about town.  Their words, not mine but it does explain a lot of what they do.  If the girls that started the multi-million dollar online shoe dealer Gilt are having a party at the W, you can bet it’s being hosted and covered by these ladies.  When Saks wants the attention of Austin, they call Tidbits.  The hottest brunches and happy hours, the newest bars, the high fashion sale you wish you had heard about in time, it’s all there.  That’s why we’re so honored to be a part of their exclusive, and short, list.

We work harder than anyone in the industry to keep up with the latest trends in wedding photography without compromising our classic style and our love for bright eyes and vibrant color.  We’ve luckily avoided some awful trends that look ridiculous today (I’m looking at you, spot color) and it’s helped us keep our reputation as the best bet in Austin.  There were times in the last few years when we discussed moving our wedding portrait focus into some new areas in order to garner exactly this sort of recognition.  I’m so glad we stuck to our guns.  Please take a look at the article below and sign up for their great newsletter.  Thanks again, Tidbits!

http://gotidbits.com/austin/austin-tidbits-wedding-guide-bridal-photography-makeup

I love small weddings.  It always takes on the feel of a large family gathering or a reunion and drops the formality that typically goes along with the wedding day.  Holly and Mike wanted to keep their ceremony and plans low key but wanted to be able to enjoy the ceremony and all the fun stuff that comes with having a big wedding.   With the help of the amazing Ethnee Whitehead as their wedding coordinator, they made it look easy.  Everything was gorgeous and delicious.  The ceremony was held around noon and December gave us a gorgeous 60 degree day to celebrate.  Mike’s family sent all their love from New Zealand and Holly’s did their best to fill in for the missing in-laws.  Everything went perfectly and we got some wonderful images.  We’ll share a small portion here and keep the rest for the bride and groom to reveal on their own.

As part of our amazing First Year Plan, we get the honor of seeing the busiest year of a child’s life unfold right in front of the camera.  The tiny little smile that was there on the 6th day of a baby’s life always finds a way to show itself again at the year session.  The look in the smiling, sitting 9 month old has the same glow to it that I got the chance to shoot at 3 months when they pushed themselves up for the first time.  I love the exotic places that this job takes us and the amazing people that we get to meet but my favorite relationships always start with the tiniest handshake ever.

Elizabeth is one that I wish would just slow down.  She’s ahead of the game at every turn and is way too good of a kid to be outgrowing her laughing while sitting still stage so quickly.  It’s just who she is and I’m glad that I’ll get to be a part of capturing these memories at least one more time!

EB at 6 days old.  He was a perfect host, posing and stretching for mom and dad the entire session.

I met “little” Benjamin and his wonderful parents last year and we had a fantastic time with his 6 month photos.  He’s now a proud big brother to Charlie and we were given the amazing opportunity to spend a little time with both of them just a few days after everyone made it back home.  Benjamin loves his new role and is incredible with the baby.  And the guitar.

I started J. Bell Photography with more confidence than I had earned. I had photographed friends and family and I started a website with images of exactly 3 humans before heading into Austin demanding that they demand my services. Then the worst happened. They did just that.

With a few strong images to show off, I got into a newsletter with a decent following and booked a dozen clients almost immediately. If my entry level camera with the 18-55mm kit lens didn’t convince my new adoring clientele that I was worthy of capturing their treasured memories, my high prices would. I got some great shots in those first few months some that are still on this site that I’m very proud of. Some great shots. The rest were awful. Kids heads were cut off at the forehead, brides were in direct sunlight with massive shadows on their face, and families were standing in a line on the stairs (shudder). My business rightfully suffered for more than a year as a result.

I dedicated myself to learning everything possible about my craft and owe a lot of the success of this growing company to those early failures. In the season where a lot of new photographers get their start by receiving a DSLR for Christmas, I’m going to share what I learned the hard way, in chronological order.

1. Get Great Faces- This was the easy one and the reason I got gigs. I’ve always been able to make kids laugh and doing it behind the camera was no different. I made faces and then clicked the shutter as many times as I could. The Blind Squirrel Theory. I though being goofy was enough to make me famous.
2. Good Light – After a particularly massive failure, I took a few classes and learned to bounce a flash, getting rid of the lazy and uninformed moniker of “natural light photographer.” That’s amateur speak for “doesn’t understand lighting.”
3. Catch Lights- Pick a cliché about the eyes and it’s likely true. They are what make a personal portrait and getting that gorgeous shape of pure white in a child or bride’s eyes is what makes me happy every day. Confession: In year 2, I sometimes added them in photoshop. I just cringed typing that.
4. Sharpness- I know, this one seems obvious. A photograph that isn’t sharply in focus is trash. I thought some of my grainy images made me artistic. They didn’t.
5. Composition- The rule of thirds, the golden mean and others are good starting points but I adhered to them no matter what. You want that in a square frame? Um, I’m not that kind of photographer? Sheesh.
6. Background- It took too long to learn that backgrounds weren’t simply negative space that surrounded my subjects. I blew them out, left street signs in them, and likely missed entire parades walking through the frame.
7. Posing and Gesture- I once shot family sessions the same way I shot weddings and events. All 3 suffered because of it. There is a real art to posing and entirely different set of rules with each person you add. Years of personal training from the best photographers on the planet have beaten these horrible traits out of me.

This has been the best year in the history of J. Bell Photography in so many ways and next year is booked earlier than ever. We go back once a month and look at where we came from. We look at each missed opportunity and overexposed shot carefully and vow to never make the same mistake again. I’m incredibly thankful for our history, it’s made us the shooters that we are today. After almost 800 clients, a list that now includes Texas Monthly, Cadillac, Politicians and some of the most amazing brides and families in Austin; we’re now recognized by multiple organizations as the best photographers in town. We’re proud of where we are and where we’re going. And I haven’t cut anyone’s head in half in years!

We are very excited to announce that we have been chosen as The Best of The Knot for 2014! That puts us in the top 1% of all photographers in the nation and more importantly tells us that our clients have been sharing their experiences with others. Thanks so much to everyone for your part in this amazing honor and for trusting us with your most important images. Wooohooo!!!!
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To the mother that wrote me this morning, thank you.  I brag to my friends in other industries all the time about my clients and the nature of our relationships but I rarely take the opportunity to stop and consider what we mean to each other.  I have made a lot of great friends in my short decade of photographing families and children and doing so has become the biggest perk of a career that’s loaded with them.  I must respect the family’s need for privacy in a delicate matter but I want to publicly say that I love you guys.

I love the art and science of photography and 2-dimensional art but I chose portraiture as a career because of the personal nature of the work.  That applies more to family and children’s photography than any other area of my field.  On the eve of a weekend full of headshot and model shoots that preclude a full week of shooting the greatest bands in the world as a member of SXSW’s photography team, I’m reminded why photographing children and their families will always, always come first for me.  I love what I do.  I love turning a shy 3 year old into my best friend before I’m finished setting my white balance.  I love capturing the moment that a suddenly self-aware 11 year old laughs like they did before they had to be cool.  I love walking into a family’s home for the 4th time and seeing my work adorn their walls and complete their living room.  I love watching mom fight happy tears upon seeing her rapidly growing children frozen in time in her custom made slideshow.  Most of all, I love hearing that my work, the thing that I’m most proud of, makes someone else happy every day.  Hearing that long after the print has been packaged and delivered with a silver bow, it has the power to help an entire family.

Thank you again for the reminder of the importance of my work.  Thanks to every one of you for allowing me to be successful at a career that much of the time feels like a dream.  I promise to continue raising the level of my art every day to come closer to portraying the true beauty of your relationships and personalites.

J.