Blog Archives - Kimberly Sanford Photography

Mar

10 Things Every New Mom Should Know

As a new Mom we learn so many new things every day. This list of 10 Things Every New Mom Should Know will help you along your journey. I wish that someone had told me some of these things when I had my first baby 9 years ago.

1. Take Your Finger Off the Shutter Button and Press Record

As a Photographer this lesson was a really tough one for me to learn. My first instinct is always to take a photograph in order to capture a memory. While Photographs are amazing for documenting those little changes, there is something completely priceless about taking little videos of your baby too. That way you’ll be able to hear their little coos and watch the facial expressions when they are much bigger. Someday they will really enjoy watching those videos with you too.

2. Wade Through the Sea of Unwanted Advice

By the time you give birth you will probably be up to your ears in everyone’s advice. Complete strangers have probably already accosted you in the grocery store telling you about their pregnancies and what you should expect and do. Politely put in the invisible ear plugs. Ultimately you need to do what’s right for you and what works best for your family.

3. Trust Your Intuition

Every mother has it. With this new super power you will be able to know when something is not right; you just have to trust yourself.

4. It’s OK to say NO

As a new Mom you won’t always want everyone and their Grandmother touching your baby. Those instinctual hormones will kick in and there may be people that you just won’t want touching or holding your kid. It is perfectly OK for you to say no if it’s making you uncomfortable. Don’t be afraid of offending that person.

5. Embrace the New “Norm”

Things will never go back to the way they were before baby was born; but life just got richer and more full. Take time to find your new normal.

6. Treat Yourself as Often as Possible

Do you love drinking Starbucks or having your nails done? Whatever you love to do that makes you feel like a pampered princess, make time for it. Even if it’s just taking an extra long shower in the morning. It’s easier to take care of everyone else when you are taken care of first. Don’t neglect yourself.

7. Find a Community of Support

There are so many groups of Moms out there that can offer advice or playdates as your baby gets older. Search for a local group in your area and join up to make some lasting friendships. If you’re stumped, Facebook is a great place to start.

8. Document Baby’s Growth

Art projects may seem a little daunting right now, but find a fun way to show how baby is growing in their first year. Some people take photos in the same place each month with a little sign, some go to a professional photographer, or you could try your own Baby’s First Year Collage.

9. Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

If the house doesn’t get clean today or the dishes don’t get done, try not to be too hard on yourself. You just spent the last 10 months growing a human being in your belly and now everything is different. Savor your baby and don’t feel guilty if everything doesn’t get done.

10. Every New Place Your Go With Baby is a Victory

It may seem scary at first because everything is new and unpredictable, but pretty soon you will become a seasoned veteran at taking that baby out of the house. Again, go at a pace that you are comfortable with and if you need to leave somewhere because it’s too overwhelming; then do what is best for you and the baby.

Mar

Photographer and Mom lost 80 pounds

The Secrets to My Success

Would you like to know how a Photographer and Mom lost 80 pounds in 8 months? My name is Kimberly and I’m a Newborn Photographer in East Rochester, NY. I’m also a single Mom with three small children. This is the story of how I found a formula that works perfectly for me and has allowed me to lose 80 pounds in 8 months and to maintain my dream weight. I didn’t just lose my pregnancy weight, in fact, I didn’t even factor that in (I was 278 pounds when I was pregnant with my third)! I’m going to share with you how I blew my pre-pregnancy weight out of the water and finally achieved the body I’ve wanted my whole life.

Photographer loses 80 pounds in 8 months

Before and after losing 80 pounds in 8 months.

Worst Hula-Hooper Ever

When I first started, I wasn’t even trying to lose weight. In the fall of 2014 I went to one hooping class and bought my first hula-hoop. It’s probably safe to say that I was the worst hooper that ever existed. I would give the hoop a push, it would spin once (if I was lucky) then fall down. There was definitely more bending than hooping going on. But I didn’t give up. The teacher had said that it takes 100 revolutions to strengthen the muscles needed to keep the hoop up. Throughout the winter I kept trying with very little improvement. It wasn’t until Spring of 2015 that I picked up the hoop and began trying every single day. Little by little I was able to keep the hoop up for longer periods of time. The confidence that I gained from persevering through the discouragement was what propelled me into a weight loss journey. I thought, “If I can be good at this, then I can do anything.

Running and Diet Changes

I began taking my kids with me to the outdoor track 2-3 times a week. They played in the “sand box” (long jump pit) while I ran a mile each time. At this point I hadn’t done anything to change my eating habits but I was inspired to begin making small changes there too. We had already made the switch to Gluten-Free when my daughter was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. I started to very slowly eliminate foods from my diet and replace them with healthy raw and whole foods. The first thing that I cut out was carbs (breads and pastas, not fruits). I allowed myself to eat as many fresh fruits and vegetables as I wanted. Almonds and avocados became a staple in my diet. Without carbs, I had no more cravings for sweet things. If I chose to sweeten something I used raw honey or pure maple syrup.

When I started running the track as my kids played in the big “sand box”

Going to the track was working well for me. I had a good routine and the kids were having fun. I began running 2 miles every time I went. Then one day as I was walking the kids to school I saw caution tape blocking the entrance to the track. When I asked the crossing guard about it he informed me that the track would be closed for the entire summer while they tore it up and replaced the track and field. I almost felt like giving up, but I had come so far. I needed to find a new routine. Something that would fit into my life as a single mother with 3 small kids. Going to the gym sounded appealing, but wasn’t a possibility. So I found a used treadmill on Craigslist and put it right in my living room.

My diet continued to evolve. The next thing to go was dairy. Originally I gave it up to try and help with seasonal allergies. I never thought I’d be able to give up cheese for good, but pretty soon those cravings stopped too and I just kept going. The final change was the switch to a vegan diet. I stopped eating all meats and eggs. I’m not 100% strict and I’ll occasionally eat wild-caught Cod or Salmon.

My Workout Routine

I was in a great place with my diet and I had a steady workout routine. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings I ran 2 miles on the treadmill (alternating every quarter mile between 5 and 6.5 mph) then hula-hooped for 800 revolutions. Sundays I ran 3.1 miles. In October of 2015 I ran my first 5K race and I came in under 30 minutes! In November I finally reached my dream weight of 155 pounds.

Ready to run my first 5K race!

Living the Dream

Not only did I lose 80 pounds in 8 months, but I’ve been able to maintain that weight loss steadily. I’ve added arms with a resistance band and a standing ab workout to my routine, but nothing else has changed. When I was running the track where I used to do cheerleading as a young girl, I imagined my younger self cheering me on. I used to hate running more than anything. I knew that if younger me could see grown-up me I would have been so proud because I was finally doing it. When I was younger there was nothing I wanted more than being thin. Now I’m living the dream, and it’s a very good one.

Feb

Baby Photography Website

A Baby Photography Website

I am not a web developer or a graphic designer by trade, but I AM AN ARTIST. I also firmly believe that you can do anything if you have enough determination and refuse to give up. My best friend calls it stick-to-itiveness. One year ago that same friend set me up with WordPress and said, “OK, There you go. You have everything you need to build your baby photography website.”

Learn As You Go

After that I spent many hours researching WordPress and web design. I watched many youtube videos and conducted countless Google searches. It was definitely a learn-as-you-go process. My first attempt was good, but I knew that I could do better.

My first attempt at designing my own website.

The Evolution of a Website

One year later I began researching themes that were popular for photography websites. I came across one that I fell in love with and I felt it beautifully represented my brand. If I had to use three words to describe what I want my brand to represent they would be: Elegant, Classy, and Beautiful. I hope that when you browse through my new site that at least one of these words comes to mind.

A snapshot of the new homepage for Kimberly Hatch Photography

Don’t Give Up

Please leave a comment and let me know what you think about the new design. Is there something that you have been wanting to do but fear of failure has been holding you back? My advice to you is jump right in and don’t take no for an answer. It may take a long time, but the success is that much sweeter when the road has been hard.

Stay tuned for another post later this week where I will explain how I used the same determination and stick-to-itiveness to lose 80 pounds in 8 months. You truly can achieve anything if you stick to it.

Feb

Newborn Art

Newborn Art: from the ordinary to the extraordinary

After a recent Newborn Session I began to play with one of the images. I loved the original but I also felt that there was more to be said. To me, the final image on the right conveys the warmth and security of a baby inside of their Mother’s womb. The rings are like the echo of a Mother’s heartbeat. When I showed this image to my own mother she said it reminded her of the rings of a tree that mark its age. That’s part of the beauty about creating Newborn Art. Ultimately, people will see what they want to see based on their own experiences, perspective and reality.

What do you see when you look at the image on the right? I’d love to hear your comments and feedback.

Creating Worlds

Sometimes capturing a beautiful photograph in the camera is only the first step in bringing a vision to life. As photographers in a digital era we aren’t limited to capturing the world around us, we also have the power to create a world of our own. My daughter has always loved fairies and rainbows. To her the world shown on the right is her every day reality. When she saw what I had done to this picture, her face lit up with joy because she realized that I understood her! With editing software anything is possible; dreams can become a reality and an artist’s vision can light up the page in new and exciting ways.

If you would like to experience the magic of a Newborn photoshoot with Kimberly Hatch Photography visit the contact page. Let’s take Newborn Portraiture to the next level.

May

Moo Cards

My new business cards from MOO.

I recently received my new business cards from MOO.com and I am so impressed with them! They are like a little mini portfolio that I can carry with me. They even came in a nice black box that protects them from the 501 other things that permanently reside inside the unknown abyss that is “My Purse.” I’m proud to hand these to expectant mothers and I feel like they beautifully represent what I do.

May

Newborn Photography Investment

What is the Newborn Photography Investment?

A lot of photographers that I’ve come across don’t have a page for pricing on their websites. Instead, you can find that information under a tab that says, investments. That got me thinking, “Is photography really an investment?” Let’s take a look at the definition of investment: the action or process of investing money for profit or material result.

Well, we all know that images of your children aren’t going to make you rich. So how did the word investment somehow becoming linked to photography?

What’s to Gain?

Photographs are something that appreciate in value over time. The older your children become, the more fondly you will look back upon the times when they were tiny and completely dependent on you for their every need. Those moments that you treasure now will someday be hard to recall. You think that when your child is 20 that you will still remember how tiny their little hands were the day that they were born, but the truth is that memories fade as they are replaced with newer ones. That is why Newborn Photography is truly an investment that increases in value for your family over time.

So in 20 years, how much will images of your newborn baby be worth to you? Can you put a price on a captured memory?

The Newborn Photography Investment is a price that you pay today in order to receive a sliver of time immortalized in a beautiful piece of timeless art. And that little baby that is so precious and tiny now, will someday be grown and living on their own, while the images that you bought so long ago will have become priceless to you.

Ready to make the investment? Contact me today.

Apr

First Year Collage

“They Grow So Fast.”

I’m sure as a new parent that you’ve probably heard about a million times already that kids grow so fast. Every well-meaning stranger feels it is their personal duty to tell you that you’d better enjoy them while they are small, because before you know it, they are in college and you’ve got an empty nest!

A Project to Slow Down Time

When I had my first child I knew I wanted to do something special to capture her first year and to show how much she grew in that short amount of time. That’s when I came up with this idea. At 9 weeks, 18 wks, 33 wks, and 1 yr baby and I had a little fun with some acrylic paint. I suppose they have different (and less messy) mediums out there that could be used…but it was all that I had at the time. I made sure each time I did the handprints and footprints, that I made as many as I could and I gave out the extras to the Grandparents as gifts.

Photo, Footprint, Repeat

I’ve since done this project with all three of my children. I remember when I was pregnant with my second I was so excited that I was able to do this again. The image above is from my third child’s collage. They proudly hang on the wall in my living room. Every time I look at them I can remember not only how little they were when they were small, but also how strong and quickly they grew. I truly treasure these captured memories.

Apr

History

Photography was a passion of mine, even as a child. My grandmother used to encourage me to take photographs with her little 110mm camera when I was very young. We would walk together to the local drug store to drop off the film, and a few days later we would take another adventure there to pick up the developed prints. I could always tell which pictures my grandma had taken, because her tell-tale thumb would be covering most of the image.

Those early days fostered in me a love for photography that has never gone away. I became determined to document memories. I was in high school when I received my first point and shoot digital camera as a gift. I was completely fascinated with the fact that I could take a seemingly endless amount of photos and not have to pay for the images that I didn’t like. It opened up a whole new world of creativity for me. It was also the age of computers and my older brother was always aware of what new technology was gracing the market. It was he who first introduced me to Photoshop. At the time I had no idea what I was doing…but I could see the potential. I knew that with this one simple program I could take an image and manipulate it (essentially altering reality.) Like every teenager, I was very concerned about my complexion. I used to take self-portraits and load them into Photoshop and zoom into the image so close that I could see each individual pixel, and if there was any blemish, I would tirelessly sample colors and paint them on until any redness was gone.

Still, it never occurred to me that I could someday make a living from photography. I also loved singing and acting and I had dreams of becoming a Broadway star. All of that changed in the fall of 2002. Living in Rochester (the birthplace of Eastman Kodak) certainly has its advantages when you are a photography enthusiast. Somehow I found out that Steve McCurry was going to lecture at the George Eastman House. I was familiar with his famous image from National Geographic of the “Afghan Girl” and I was deeply moved by it. Though it happened to be the night of my Senior Ball, I was determined to attend. Somehow I knew that this event would be significant, and that nothing was worth missing it.

After listening to Steve speak about his travels and journeys around the world and witnessing the breathtaking images that he was able to capture, my heart was never the same. I had a new longing in me to do what he had done; to see someone’s soul and capture that moment with a single photograph. I knew that I had to be a photographer. I was in my Senior year of high school and I hadn’t yet decided on where I would be attending college. I was running out of time.

That’s when I put all of my eggs in one basket, so to speak. A coworker of my mother’s was also a photography enthusiast and during a conversation he mentioned to her a college that he knew of in the little town of Turners Falls, Massachusetts called Hallmark Institute of Photography. When she told me about it I knew that was where I wanted to go. It was the only college that I applied to and thank God I was accepted. What I loved the most was that they didn’t require a portfolio of images, they actually preferred that their students begin with a clean slate so that they could teach the foundations of photography from the ground up. It was perfect for me because I loved photography but had never taken a class.

At Hallmark I finally learned how to use Photoshop and I can proudly say that I’ve been using Photoshop for more than 15 years! I graduated from Hallmark in 2004 and I have been photographing people up and down the East Coast for more than 10 years. As my grandmother grew older, she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease and I saw that memories truly are a gift to be treasured. I have yet to travel the world on a crazy photographic tour, but I have learned one very important lesson: life is meant to be lived, and the good times are worth remembering.