The biggest question we have from new parents is: "What do I bring to my Newborn Session?"  Leaving the house for the first time with that perfect little angel is a real wake up call for your packing skills. The first time, if feels like you are moving. Seriously. You think....What do I need, well obviously I need everything....diapers, diaper stuff, clothes, more clothes, extra blankets, extra pacifiers, bottles, extra bottles...breathe. Stop.  Just breathe. Daphne Ellenburg's Newborn homework will really save the day.

Every portrait session at Ellenburg Photography includes homework and a bring list. So no matter what we do for you, you will get a list of suggested things to bring and suggested things to do. We've been doing this for quite a while, so you can trust us. And for newborns, no one is better than South Alabama Photographer, Daphne Ellenburg. If you are nervous, Daphne will assure you that everyone is nervous. But the proof is in our homework. If you do the homework, you will have a great session. If you miss a few, but do the items listed in BOLD, you will have a great session. 

Our checklist includes things that you should have in your diaper bag, it has a list of things to pack the day before - so you don't have to think about it. Our list will ask you to bring one special item for your new baby to be photographed with and one special outfit. 

Baby Elizabeth (shown above) was given a strand of pearls by her father on the day she was born. This was the perfect thing to bring along for this family's "special item." Other great specials things could be: A family quilt, A sonogram photo or other special photograph, New fun shoes, a headband or crown - if it is special to you, Daphne Ellenburg will make it part of your shoot. 

For your special outfit, many new parents bring the coming home outfit from the hospital. After all, a lot of you parents are spending sometimes hundreds of dollars on that one outfit, it's the perfect add in to your session. Other things that are great to bring is vintage clothing from your childhood - some grandparents saved a ton of sweet delicate baby clothes. Ask them if they have any that you could bring along. Can you imaging having a photo of you and your baby in the exact same outfit? So fun. If you have the first photo, bring it along and Ellenburg Photography can try to match the style.

The next most important part of your homework, is to plan to be photographed with your child. We poll all of our new parents at the consults and ask them if they have a photograph of their Mom with them as a newborn? Less than 5% can say yes to anything more than just a snapshot. We will create a gorgeous portrait of you and your new baby that will reflect all the joy you feel in your heart back to you like a mirror. We will also photograph your first family portrait. The homework comes with a suggested wardrobe guide to make it easy.

The homework includes things to eat and not eat if you are breastfeeding. It includes a sleep schedule and a suggested feeding schedule. It includes a list of things to bring.

The LIST is a lifesaver. When you do your homework, you make the most of your time in the studio and get really stunning portraits of that beautiful new baby.

Did you know that Daphne Ellenburg stocks custom wraps, head pieces and one of a kind outfits for newborn portraits? You have access to all her gorgeous treasures that she has been accumulating for over 15 years to use during your session. This alone takes so much pressure off our new parents. Relax and let Daphne Ellenburg create the beautiful portraits you've been dreaming of your whole life.

Daphne Ellenburg is award-winning Wedding, Newborn, and Baby Photographer. She is the owner of a bustling Portrait photography business called Ellenburg Photography and a brand new Boudoir studio both located in Southern Alabama. Daphne has a supportive family and a fancy-pants 2000 sq ft studio in the heart of Saraland, Alabama. She loves college football, big handbags, lip gloss and all things Apple. She also enjoys writing about her Photo-Adventures and her entertaining family. Daphne is a proud member of PPA, WPPI, and the local chamber. Catch up with her at EllenburgPhotography.com or email her at daphne@ellenburgphotography.com. 
We love to read your comments.

Today is the first day you can claim your spot for sought after Santa Experience. Booking for the The Santa Experience started today exclusively for clients who participated last year. This is a limited event available to the first 20 clients to book and if you did it last year, I know you will want to do it again this year.

This holiday season Ellenburg Photography is offering you and your family a one of a kind Magical Christmas Experience. Private un-interrupted time for you and your family with Santa in a warm, inviting setting with all the personal touches of the North Pole. There are a variety of times available starting at 20 minutes going to a full hour for you and your family to enjoy Santa. With all sessions, you will enjoy the following: 

• See your child's name on the Nice List. 
• Read your Christmas wish list to Santa. 
• Learn about how Santa travels all over the world in one night.
•  Hang a special ornament on the tree with Santa. 
• Enjoy cookies & milk with Santa. 

All of these magical Christmas moments will be created into the beautiful portraits you've always dreamed of for now and years to come.

Clients who sign up early qualify for monthly payments for the event. And it's only $100 to secure your spot with Santa.

This year we have created an exclusive Night Before Christmas themed portrait album staring your children. It is a real showstopper. I can't wait to show it to you!

Getting notifications for our sales and special events is easy. Just sign up for our newsletter. Click the link below and join at the bottom of our home page. 

It's Summer. Despite the blistering heat and amazon rain forest levels of humidity that engulf you every time you step outside, Brides and Grooms are still opting for Summer Outdoor Weddings. Those high Alabama temperatures combined with a rainy month of May, means whether you want them or not, bugs are going to crash your outdoor summer wedding this season. Fear not, party planners have been battling bugs for years. These helpful tips will stop bugs from bugging you and help you feel good about them NOT eating YOU or your guests.

You will be pleasantly surprised to know that most venues have their outdoor area treated for bugs every month. Question to ask, is when was the last spraying? and When is the next spraying? and what kind of insects do they treat? Most treat for the standard removal of mosquitoes, fleas, ticks, flies and ants. If you are planning a backyard wedding at Mom and Dad's, you've got to start early. Plan to start your de-bugging at least one month before your I dos. Consult a professional exterminator for help planning your backyard wedding.

Express your bug-free concerns to your florist. A good florist can help you plan centerpieces that will help keep the bugs away. There are plenty of beautiful flowers that bugs completely hate. Florists love using lavender in summer weddings because not only is it beautiful in centerpieces and bouquets but it also keeps the bugs away. Other great flowers that bugs hate are: Marigolds, Mint, Lemongrass, Rosemary, Alliums, Chrysanthemums, Petunias, ect. These flowers are attractive enough to be worked into your current choices or to be sprayed all over your event to help keep your bug-free vibe alive during your big day.

It is true! (and a little crazy!) Fabric Dryer sheets like Bounce REALLY do repel bugs. New research says that the dryer sheets can help you avoid bugs like mosquitoes, gnats and flies. The research on how close you need to be to these sheets varies. Not to mention what you are really thinking -  how can you incorporate dryer sheets in a way that is not completely tacky and lame for your wedding day? Party planners suggest hiding them under all your chairs with little tape. No one will notice they are even there. And imagine the possibilities if you tried the new lavender ones. Great planners have them hidden under tablecloths too. Who knew?

Personalized hand held fans make a great party favor for summer weddings, but don't stop there. Rent fans for your outdoor wedding. LOTS OF FANS. It will help keep your guests cool and will blow away mosquitoes and flies before they even consider crashing your wedding. Most caterers recommend having fans present at your food tents for all outdoor weddings. You definitely want to keep the bugs away from here.

Don't think tiki torches and margaritas. Get that image right out of your head. They make a ton of very tasteful solid candles or oils that can be burned in just about anything along the perimeter of your event. Just one more way you can help keep those bugs away.

Have you jumped on the essential oil bandwagon yet? If you haven't, I am willing to bet you know someone who has. WE ALL DO. The most promising oils for helping keep you bug free are oregano, clove, thyme, vetiver, sandalwood, cinnamon, cedarwood, and peppermint oils. Consider creating tiny little misting bottles with water and the oils you like mixed together. You can even label these tiny bottles with something crafty like: "Stay smitten, not bitten" You can also have little stations set up with with things like bug sprays, bug wipes, your mister bottles and even sunscreen. Your guests will thank you for being so thoughtful.

With a little planning and enlisting the creativity of your vendors and your super handy BFF, you can relax and enjoy your hotter than ever South Alabama Wedding this Summer Season without the bugs or the bites. You really can have it all. Happy Summer Wedding Planning.

If you are looking for the most creative, and most skilled wedding photographer in South Alabama, look no further than Saraland Alabama Wedding Photographer, Ellenburg Photography is the studio for you. Daphne Ellenburg strives to create compelling images for the discerning South Alabama Brides and Grooms, and we understand the intricacies to working through the city on your big wedding day. Whether it’s battling all the weird South Alabama road construction or navigating around the throngs of tourists in Downtown Mobile Alabama, I promise to document your South Alabama wedding with grace and skill. Get to know Ellenburg Photography.

Daphne Ellenburg is award-winning Wedding, Newborn, and Baby Photographer. She is the owner of a bustling Portrait photography business called Ellenburg Photography located in Southern Alabama. Daphne has a supportive family and a fancy-pants 2000 sq ft studio in the heart of Saraland, Alabama. She loves college football, big handbags, lip gloss and all things Apple. She also enjoys writing about her Photo-Adventures and her entertaining family. Daphne is a proud member of PPA, WPPI, and the local chamber. Catch up with her at EllenburgPhotography.com or email her at daphne@ellenburgphotography.com. 
We love to read your comments.

Getting the best engagement portraits is kind of a big deal. You are trying to create a portrait - not a portrait, THE PORTRAIT that is a beautiful reflection of your love. Not even a portrait, a mirror that you can gaze into and always feel the way to you do at this exact moment. So, lets get serious about it. Before stepping out of your home and into the hot Alabama sunshine, know that the best (and the least stressed) future brides and grooms are the best planners for all occasions. The more ready you are for all that life throws at you, the more fun you are likely to have being prepared for all occasions. If you are not a big planner, don't worry. Daphne is here to help. I've created a wonderful check list to help you relax and enjoy your Engagement Portrait experience.

During your Engagement portrait shoot, you are going to cover a lot of ground. You will be in the studio and on location. With all that moving around, mixed with mother nature's sense of humor, anything can happen. Creating a Wardrobe Emergency Kit will save the day. And even better, if you pack it right, you can pull it out again for the wedding. DOUBLE WIN. A good wardrobe emergency kit will include things like:  Lint brush or roller, Sewing Kit, Stain wipes or Stain pen, Fashion Tape, Deodorant Removing Sponge, Earing Back, Instant Button, Nail File, Blister Pad, Hair Band, Shoe-Shine Sponge, Safety Pin, Rubber band, etc. What do you pack it in? Throw it in a Gallon Zip lock back and tuck it in the glove box. Now you're ready for almost anything. It may sound a little over the top, but imagine how relaxed you'll be knowing you are ready for anything.

Ladies, it's Summer on the gulf coast and we're not perspiring, we are melting. Bring a few things, like powder to keep you fresh as you adventure out in nature to create the most perfect portraits. Don't bring too much lipstick, because just like you and me - it will melt too.

Daphne has tried, but we can not control the humidity in South Alabama for your Engagement Portraits, but we can help you fight back with a little hair spray. Bring a travel size or something bigger of your favorite hair spray along for the ride on engagement portrait day. Not only is it going to be great for your beautiful hair, but did you know that hair spray is also great for repelling the bugs that are literally everywhere in the deep south, or for lifting lint out of your clothes or for stopping static cling on your favorite dresses and skirts. That's right. Hair spray is magical super power that you can carry around. Don't forget the hair spray for your portrait adventure.

Sometimes locations take a little longer than expected to create your dream engagement portraits. Sometimes breakfast or lunch doesn't last nearly as long as it should. A snack or a cold drink can be just the thing to keep everyone motivated to keep going to all the dreamy places you've mapped out for your portrait adventure. Think proteins like nuts or trail mixes and water is always refreshing - and if it spills, no biggie - because it's only water.

At the engagement portrait session, it's all about the ring and the finger it's on. Hands will be photographed. It's inevitable. A good manicure will go along way to giving your portraits a crisp polished look. Dudes, I'm talking to you too. A good nailbrush will take care of you in less than five and you will look just as good as your beautiful lady.

Engagement portrait day is full of love and magic and little baby unicorns - but don't let the glitter blind you to the purpose of these portraits. You NEED 3 things from this day. You need that perfect mirror portrait. You need something dazzling for the save the date cards. And you need something for Mom and Dad to put in your little home town newspaper to announce that their baby girl is tying the knot. It's a BIG deal. Talk with your photographer to make sure they know exactly what you want so they can go after the shot for you. And a really good photographer, like the ones at South Alabama's Ellenburg Photography, can create the perfect save the date for you. Just one more thing you can cross off your list.

Engagement portraits are always uniquely all about YOU both as a couple. Are you known for wearing funky hats or sunglasses or skateboarding? Bring along some props. Plan with your photographer to incorporate them into your session. Do you share a pet turtle? Or do you share a fur baby? Bring him or her along! or Have someone bring him or her to join you during the photoshoot. Is one of you bringing children into the relationship? Are you not only getting married, but becoming a NEW family? Consider incorporating them into your session. Children love LOVE as much as you do. It's exciting when everyone is exciting about the BIG DAY. Share your joy with the people you love the most.

Engagement and Wedding Photographers in Mobile, Alabama.

Serving Saraland, Satsuma, Axis, Atmore, Mobile, Daphne, Fairhope and the Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida Gulf Coast.

If you are looking for the most creative, and most skilled engagement and wedding photographer in South Alabama, look no further than Saraland Alabama Wedding Photographer, Daphne Ellenburg. Ellenburg Photography is the Alabama photography studio for you. Daphne Ellenburg strives to create compelling images for the discerning South Alabama Brides and Grooms, and we understand the intricacies to working through the city on your big engagement or wedding day. Whether it’s battling all the weird South Alabama road construction or navigating around the throngs of tourists in Downtown Mobile Alabama, I promise to document your South Alabama engagement and wedding with grace and skill. Get to know Ellenburg Photography.

Daphne Ellenburg is award-winning Wedding, Newborn, and Baby Photographer. She is the owner of a bustling Portrait photography business called Ellenburg Photography located in Southern Alabama. Daphne has a supportive family and a fancy-pants 2000 sq ft studio in the heart of Saraland, Alabama. She loves college football, big handbags, lip gloss and all things Apple. She also enjoys writing about her Photo-Adventures and her entertaining family. Daphne is a proud member of PPA, WPPI, and the local chamber. Catch up with her at EllenburgPhotography.com or email her at daphne@ellenburgphotography.com. 
We love to read your comments.

How will I ever decide on a Wedding Photographer?

If you are in the throws of planning a wedding or just getting started, you've heard this come out of at least twenty people's mouth, "After the cake is cut, the flowers are wilted and the last gift card has been sent; all you have is your new spouse and the wedding portraits from your photographer. Without saying it, finding the right photographer to document every moment you've been planning since you were a little girl is a bit of pressure. Maybe more than you were ready for.

There are now over 150,000 wedding photographers in the United States alone and you are searching for the one that will document your day from start to finish in the way you've always dreamed of. And YOU thought finding your soul mate was hard!?!

Sadly some of the things you see and read that sound like amazing selling points, are really Big Giant red flags. Here are a few tips to help you wade through the sea of wedding photographers on your way to happily ever after.

Math it out Sister. With only 52 weeks in a year, this studio is churning out nine or ten weddings a week? And that's with no holidays off or vacation. Experience is a MUST but this is one very busy studio. Studios that boast BIG annual numbers are every where. Ask about turn around. Average studios with far less weddings per year have a minimum of 6-8 weeks on return delivery. Ask about turn around for proofs, digitals and albums. Everyone is going to ask you for these things starting on the day after the wedding, knowing what's ahead makes life less stressful. Studios THIS busy often hire out teams of photographers to cover over booking. You photograph all ten Saturday weddings personally. Make sure you know who will be holding the camera on your big day.

Not in all cases, but in some cases BIG gorgeous venues have a "Pay to Play" set up with their preferred vendor lists. Simply put, when you book in, that sales rep gets a bonus from your photographer or your caterer or your new florist. Do the research. Do they ONLY photograph here at this particular venue? Check the reviews and get some word of mouth answers from past clients and guests. Everyone always has references. Reach out to them along with your online research. Every now and then they send you to a real gem. So always be on the lookout.

In college, a good friend of mine planned her wedding on a shoe string budget. Most brides budget BIG for the wedding dress, but not her. She cut back here and put the money she saved onto her photography budget.  She said, "A good photographer can make my bargain dress look it was made for princess, and bad photographer can make Vera Wang look like a thrift store find." It's all about perspective. Ask anyone who is butt-hurt over their wedding photography, it's not a bargain if you hate your portraits. If your favorite photographer is running a 10% off Black Friday sale or a BOOK NOW and get a free engagement session. Jump on it. That's a great deal. A half price sale should raise some eyebrows. A good photographer is using great gear, professional printers, is carrying insurance and is paying taxes. If the sale is that good, find out where they are cutting corners. The profit to stay in business has to come from somewhere. Make sure it's not coming from your big day.

A great portfolio is the best reason to book your photographer. Loving someone's work is a big first step. After you stop drooling over their Pinterest boards, contact them and set up a meeting.  The next step is making sure you gel together. After all, you will probably spend more time with your wedding photographer on your BIG day than with your own MOM, so it's important to really like someone before you invite them in on the biggest day of your life.

What if you have a cousin who just graduated art school? or a Uncle who just got a new amazing camera? or best friend who is also an amateur wild life photographer? And they just offered to shoot YOUR BIG DAY for FREE! This may sound like a money saving lottery win, but if it goes wrong you risk a bad blood situation. Just because your friend can take photos of hummingbirds, doesn't mean they can light a pitch black wedding venue. What if you don't LOVE the photos? What if your art school cousin takes amazing photos but has a crumby back up system and loses all your photos? What if your Uncle takes a break to have shots with his brother at the bar during the cake cutting? Big picture: When you are hiring a Wedding Photographer for your BIG day, hire a Wedding Photographer.

Don't be overwhelmed with all the details of planning your wedding. Keep your chin up and the bar high. When you meet your wedding photographer, you will just KNOW that he or she is the one. Congratulations and good luck with your planning!

To learn more about the gulf coast wedding photography services offered by Ellenburg Photography, click the link below.

Daphne Ellenburg is award-winning Newborn and Baby Photographer. She is the owner of a bustling Portrait photography business called Ellenburg Photography located in Southern Alabama. Daphne has a supportive family and a fancy-pants 2000 sq ft studio in the heart of Saraland, Alabama. She loves college football, big handbags, lip gloss and all things Apple. She also enjoys writing about her Photo-Adventures and her entertaining family. Daphne is a proud member of PPA, WPPI, and the local chamber. Catch up with her at EllenburgPhotography.com or email her at daphne@ellenburgphotography.com. 
We love to read your comments.