Digital painting is an editing process that enables artists to create portraits with a classic Heirloom painting. I use images from your session and turn them into portraits that feel timeless and resemble classic portrait pieces.
Despite a Bachelors degree in painting, I rarely bring out a brush and canvas these days.
However the love of the art has not left me. Using a digital tablet and pen, I am able to essentially paint on the digital image. Turning photographs into heirloom paintings involves a meticulous editing process. I begin by recreating the atmosphere of the portrait's mood, enhancing the overall tone and emotion of the image. Using dramatic lighting, I strengthen the focus on the subject, drawing the viewer’s attention to key elements. I soften edges, blend textures, and refine details to mimic the delicate brushstrokes of a traditional painting. Each piece is carefully crafted to convey a timeless, artistic quality that transforms the original photograph into a cherished work of art. We now offer this as an upgrade option with images from your session!
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Worried your child won't sit, stare at the stranger and smile? You're probably right but that's ok, here's why. We have been doing this for 14 years in addition to our own life experience. We have 9 kids between the two of us, Caitie homeschools and Amy has taught special education and preschool in addition to being trained in behavior therapy. We understand toddlers do not smile on command. Let me put your mind at ease. Our Classic Session is our most requested. We have found that 45 minutes is the perfect amount of time to capture the essential shots and a few fun shots! SESSION WORKFLOWBEFORE THE SESSIONWEATHER First let's talk a little about the weather. It can be frustrating when your job depends on the weather! I have five weather apps that I refer to constantly. In a traditional Florida summer it is raining somewhere, it could be a mile down the street and sunny where you are! The short version is we try to wait until the session day and just before everyone begins the process of getting ready to decide. You can read more about the weather policy HERE. For more information on what to expect during windy conditions, you can read HERE. TIMING All beach sessions are held just before sunset. We do account for time walking to the location when setting the meeting time so we aim to meet at the agreed upon time. Traffic here is unreliable however so you may want to leave early. We have a lot of bikes and golf carts that like to ride on back beach roads and in most areas there is just 98 so if there is an accident there is no way around it. However arriving early does not necessarily mean we will begin early, light is everything in portraits. We will typically meet in the parking lot and from there we will walk down to the beach while discussing final details. I will ask if there is anything you especially want to get or if there is something you are wanting printed large. We will prioritize getting those shots first to capture optimal lighting suitable for large prints. We have a general list of standard shots to include with every session. I try to work in this order so I don't forget anything: family close up and full, couple, individual shots of the children, siblings together close up and full body. We will end the traditional shots with another family shot as the light will have changed by then, providing you with more options. These are the standard traditional shots that are usually printed for walls or wallet size for sharing. By this time we're all somewhat familiar with each other, everyone is a little more relaxed and we're ready for some cozy, fun lifestyle shots that more reflect your personality than traditional posed shots. These are great for albums and social media. We will end the session when the sun gets below the water and we start losing the light. WHAT IF MY TODDLER DOESN'T WANT TO COOPORATE? Leave it to us. We both, Amy and Caitie, have worked with little ones for 15 years in addition to having 4 and 5 of our own and we love working with little ones! If you are especially worried let us know and we will be prepared. Amy has worked with toddlers for over 20 years teaching general education, special education and has trained as a Registered Behavior Therapist. You can read more about preparing your toddler and how we can help HERE. AFTER THE SESSION
I will then get to work on the after session; culling and editing. The images will be uploaded into an online gallery where you can download the full resolution digital files and place your order. Our job is not done until you are satisfied that you got what you came for. We are fully educated in the printing process and can help you decide what to print at what size. When you look good, we look good! Moreover, simply right-clicking, printing from a phone, or using a kiosk will not deliver the quality you are investing in. HERE is a blog you can check out with information about digitals and prints. Who doesn't love a beach vacation!?
A day at the beach, relaxation, free from work and home responsibilities. Only to find new ones, sand in everything, sunburn, over heated and tired kids, carrying everything but the kitchen sink, wondering if your keys will still be there when you get out of the water. Read below to see how we've come to combat a few of these problems! Between Caitie being a Florida native and Amy's 14 years in the area, they have learned a thing or two about making a trip to the beach a little easier. Read on for some tips on how to deal with sand and heat. We love photographing children! They are entertaining, honest and wear their emotions on their sleeves. We are well rehearsed in children, Caitie has four, Amy has five, and has taught at the elementary school level areas of preschool, special education and art for many years before turning to to photography full time. Our ultimate goal is for your child feel safe and to make sure they are having a good experience. Working together with you we will help your child feel comfortable and truly happy so we may capture your child's true self and personality. We want you and your child to smile when looking back at these images! Please know we will not judge you or your child. We understand that some little ones with big emotions cannot always keep it contained (I'm sure we've all met a few adults who have trouble with this as well...). Amy has taught special education and has trained as a registered behavior technician under a behavior therapist so there's not much she hasn't seen or dealt with. We have never considered any child to be 'bad', no one wants to be in trouble, they simply lack the tools to convey what the problem is even if it is just 'I need attention' or 'I need some space'. Some little ones may have not been diagnosed with a sensory disorder, ADHD or the autism spectrum or are simply especially sensitive to the feel of the sand or are very shy and cautious. We want your child to have real smiles and will never force a situation they are not comfortable with. There are always options. We have our tips and tricks, all we ask of you is to relax and assure your children that this is going to a short and fun time! Be sure to let us know if there is anything that may trigger your child such as a certain song, topic or sensory or the adverse, if there is anything they especially like. Let's look at it from your toddler's perspective for a minute. Toddlers are just realizing things may be going on outside their little circle and that caregivers are not always able to control every situation. This can cause new behaviors as they experience new emotions. Many times they have not visited a beach so it is a whole strange and new environment for them; all senses are on high alert and emotions are ramping up for all the fight/flight love it/hate it. This can be seen in many forms depending on the child. They can be shy, scared, nervous, anxious, or happy until they figure out what is going on in this new place. They will look to you to guide them, if you are stressed and anxious they can feel that. Let's look at a few ways you can help prepare your child for your photography session Once we are at the session we won't have a lot of time to coax out natural smiles for each shot. So how do we get the little ones to understand the concept of smiling on command when there's nothing in particular to smile about? We have a few tricks but there are things you can do to help as well.
Even as an adult if you put a time to anything you do not want to do it's so much easier to get through it. I save bribery for last. For one thing, it doesn't last long and I don't want to give away my secret weapon too soon. I keep a roll of Smarties on me because not only is there no saturated fat, very very little sugar (just 6 grams for a whole roll), they are also gluten, dairy, and peanut-free, according to the official website. It dissolves quickly enough for toddlers to not present a choking hazard, it does not leave candy trails on the face or hands and comes in rolls of 15 so it can be used more than once. I essentially buy their happiness and pay them to like me. "After every picture we get a Smartie!". (We do permission beforehand). ![]() Start showing pictures and videos of the beach to get your child familiar with environment. A lot of children are amazed with the sand, they either love it and want to roll in it and eat it or they're scared it will stick to them and never come off. Try putting some dirt in a bowl for your child to play with and get used to the idea that it's ok. If you know your child has tactile sensory issues and will not get in the sand let us know and we can be prepared with something for him/her to stand/sit on during the session.
If you have anymore tips or tricks that have worked for you let us know in the comments below!
Photographing clients is the one part of our job clients see, we do much of our work before and after the session. Editing is harder, and easier, than one would imagine. It takes a lot of classes, research and testing to get it right and we are always learning and expanding as our programs are. Take a look below to get an idea of how we like to edit. As photographers and not digital artist we strive to retain the integrity of the image and subject while enhancing the overall image. For instance, a general rule is 'if it will be there in a month it stays'. Tattoos, birthmarks, scars will remain unless requested and face blemishes, bruises, spots on clothes will be edited out. We smooth the complexion while retaining wrinkles. We want you to look like the best version of you while not feel like you are a stranger. We edit out flyaway hair, extra subjects in the background, cars/buildings if possible. My goal with each image you get back is for it to be a 'portrait', not simply a photograph someone took of you. We take hundreds of pictures during a session, making real time adjustments to each shot. Every click is intended and planned for. Sometimes it's to get extras to use for face swapping, sometimes to catch the hair not billowing to the sky, or to expose for different lighting situations, or it's to ensure there's no eye blinking. There are just way too many reasons to list here. It’s necessary to take these images, they are part of the working process of art, just as a painter sometimes tries a few colors before making the final stroke. We then go through the images and cull them, marking the ones that will be edited, discarding the eyeblinks and my own testing shots to select the real pieces of art that all the other shots helped create. We choose the best of each 'pose', combining several photos together if necessary so hopefully we can get some of everyone smiling, not blinking and looking their best. We love to add extra shots, the story telling images taken throughout a shoot in addition to the posed images. We take those shots and spend a great deal of time working with them by hand to tone the color, smooth any imperfections, and produce heirloom pieces of art that are up to our artistic standards – the same quality of work you saw in our portfolio. And finally, to answer the question of why we do not give out all the images we shot. Not all shots are created nor intended as final products – they simply enabled us to work out issues that arose to ensure you’d get the high quality images you received. Below is a standard A&C edit. Cleaning up the background, making sure all have smiling faces, and finishing up with adding our brand style all while maintaining the quality that ensures a good print.
Some images require more editing time than others. This one below was edited to remove distractions and bring focus to the story.
Sometimes you have to grab the moments as they come and do not have time to set up the shot. In this case I was photographing his sister when I turned around and saw him coming up and just had to take the shot. The cityscape on the left was bothering me too much so I filled it in to create the story of him in the woods taking a stroll in a stream.
Although my lovely model did not need much help, we do light skin retouching on each image to enhance ones natural beauty.
We meet at Grayton Beach State Park and George immediately showed us he was a beach loving boy.
Caitie beth nelsonAwesomely Talented Fun Loving Destin and 30a Family Beach Photographer August and September have become increasingly popular months for our beach photography business. Jessica reached out to us in July of this year about her family's upcoming beach vacation to Destin, Florida.
Caitie Beth nelson30A, Santa Rosa Beach, and Destin Photographer "A grandparent is a little bit parent, a little bit teacher, and a little bit best friend." That about sums it all up perfectly. Amy D. contacted me during the summer for a September session that would be near and dear to her heart and a special gift for two folks she loves very much...
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