The biggest question we get from our Senior Moms and Dads is - "Daphne, when should we schedule our Senior Portraits?" The answer is NOW. We shoot more Senior portraits in February, March and April than any other month.

It's finally YOUR year! You've been waiting for it your whole life. Senior Year. You look great. You feel great. And you are minutes away from taking over the world.  One problem, this year is moving way too FAST. Spend an hour or two with us and let us slow it down and create the amazing memories you will want to relive over and over again.

Don't settle for average senior portraits when YOU are anything but Average. Go BIG. It's Senior Year. 

Daphne Ellenburg 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 NEW 2000 sq ft studio. 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. 
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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.

Formal family portraits are NOT old fashioned and in fact - Ellenburg Photography thinks that these timeless masterpieces are on the way back in. Formal family portraits have been hanging around walls since the beginning of photography - Moms, Dads and Children all dressed in their best wear posed and frozen in time for all generations to see. When you think about going over to Grandma's house - it was always fun to look at these wall portraits and decide who looked like who now. That joy can live on for your children with Formal Family Portraits.

Successful formal family portraits are filled with careful planning.

Who will you invite to participate? What will we wear? How do I make sure my brother doesn't show up in socks and sandles? Don't let your head spin with all these pesky details - let the South Alabama portrait experts at Ellenburg Photography help you. Every session at our studio comes with planning. We chat with you about your family. We get to know the groupings, how many people you will be bringing, what you will wear, and if there is any special occasion that we are focusing on. Big or small occasions are a great time to get dressed up and celebrate and document the day with Family Portraits. 

How long will my formal family portraits take?

Time for formal family portraits are part of the planning. Most south alabama portrait sessions last 60-90 minutes, but can got longer if you need it. Daphne Ellenburg prides herself and her studio in organized groupings for maximum fun and efficiency. She will start small and build and build and build until every one is in your portrait, then she will peal away and modify the groupings to the planning you made.  Every formal family portrait session is led with fun around your event. 

What kind of event would be great for formal family portraits?

Any event that would have multiple generations and a reason to dress up is completely perfect for formal family portraits. Events like - your anniversary, your parent's anniversary, the christening of a child, the birthday of a grandparent. These options can go on and on and on - and we can help you all along the way. All of your portraits will focus on the star of your event and include every one you want to have photographed.

If you can find a reason to be dressed up in South Alabama, Daphne Ellenburg can help you create the magical formal family portraits you've dreamed of having. Do you have a special occasion coming up? Ellenburg Photography does not have regular business hours. This helps us to be there for you before or after your family event. Baby Maggie and her beautiful family were photographed together after her Sunday Christening here in Saraland.

Let the experts at Ellenburg Photography help you create a portrait you would proud to have passed down from generation to generation. How will your tiny baby know that she had grandmother's eyes or her long fingers? Close cuddly loving formal family portraits in a fun studio setting is proudly offered at Ellenburg Photography. Call Daphne Ellenburg to plan your portraits today. Don't let the future slip away because you didn't record the past. Cherish the people you love now.

Exist in portraits for the people that love you the most.

Would you like to see what a 60 minute formal family portrait session at Ellenburg Photography looks like? Enjoy this video from Baby Maggie's session at our South Alabama portrait studio.

Growing a baby is a truly magical time in your life. Daphne Ellenburg’s beautiful maternity photos capture both the beauty and exciting emotions of this special time. Pregnancy is a life-changing experience, and these priceless memories are captured as the art of your gorgeous life with Daphne’s beautiful maternity photography.
With many years of experience, Alabama photographer Daphne Ellenburg specializes in fine art studio photography and lifestyle Maternity Photography. Daphne has gained a great reputation as an esteemed Gulf Coast Maternity Photographer. Her maternity photography celebrates your voluptuous curves and natural glow of your pregnancy.

Celebrate your amazing new baby with Maternity Portraits at Ellenburg Photography. 

The portraits created at Ellenburg Photography are infused with the excitement and anticipation of pregnancy. Maternity Photography clients love her attention to detail. Daphne's Pregnancy Photography focuses on the shape, the shadows, and unmatched emotions of pregnancy. Most importantly, her portraits capture the joy of motherhood, and the special bond between parents and child, along with the special bond between soon to be new parents. Gulf Coast Maternity Photographer, Daphne Ellenburg does her sessions in our Saraland Alabama, or on location.  Each setting offers its own unique lighting and mood. Each session also allows new Mom's to enjoy our gorgeous collection of maternity gowns for your portrait session.

A new baby coming into a home is no doubt going to receive a lot of love. Daphne Ellenburg always try to include photographs that focus on the strong bond between Mom and Dad, because bringing a new child into the world with someone you love is, without a doubt, love in its purest form. As a maternity photographer in Saraland, showing that great love back to you in amazing portraiture - now that is our ultimate goal.

Your Maternity Portrait session is generally scheduled around 32 – 38 weeks.

Ellenburg Photography views your maternity session as the beginning of a beautiful new relationship. She looks forward to capturing not only your maternity photography, but also your newborn photography, baby photography and family photography to be treasured for years to come.

Pregnancy Photography in South Alabama is a beautiful thing. South Alabama Women on our beautiful gulf coast love their baby from the moment they know that he or she is growing inside of them. There is nothing like it in the world, and it is a memory that will be cherished forever. The problem is that many times a woman does not feel beautiful during pregnancy. A professional maternity photographer knows the right angles to shoot, and will provide you with beautiful, tasteful and flattering maternity portraits that will be a treasured keepsake for all your life. We capture time in photos, this is a time that you can now hold onto forever in beautiful portraiture.
Maternity photography is truly art when it is at its very best. Professional South Alabama Photographer, Daphne Ellenburg knows how to manipulate the studio lighting to get the best affect for you to feel the most beautiful in your portraits.

A pregnancy photographer based in South Alabama focuses on the female and her natural essence, and allowing the true personality and beauty of each mom-to-be to come through in every portrait. Highlights and shadows and surrounding details all come together to create an amazing masterpiece, thanks to the skill and talent of Saraland Alabama maternity photographer, Daphne Ellenburg. The final images will reflect breathtaking silhouettes and beautiful voluptuous curvy lines unique to the woman herself and she is transformed into a work of photographic art – maternity photography – that is flawless and timeless.

Daphne loves making Pregnant women feel beautiful both inside and out during her Maternity Portrait Sessions. 

Among the most accomplished and renowned pregnancy artists of the area, South Alabama maternity photographer, Daphne Ellenburg, loves making pregnant women feel beautiful inside and out. The maternity photography works that she creates are by far among the best in the region. Specially trained in the field of pregnancy photography, Daphne Ellenburg – a Gulf Coast maternity photographer presents you with image quality that is both beautiful and exceptional. Ellenburg Photography is creative and really knows how to capture the truly natural beauty of a woman and her pregnancy. These are pieces of your history that can be passed down through several generations, and will be adored by everyone who sees them, thanks to the skill of maternity photographer Daphne Ellenburg, located in Saraland, Alabama.

Whether you are having timeless family heirlooms created, or you are wanting something done of a more private nature, maternity photographer, Daphne Ellenburg will give you photos that you’ll love. The true beauty that shows through your portraits is beyond description. You actually have to see for yourself, and even then it is hard to believe that Daphne was able to reflect this great love back to you in portraiture. Even if you had no intention of sharing your maternity photography, you will want these classic beauties to be seen, at least by close friends and relatives.

Ellenburg Photography will create Pregnancy Portraits that you will love.

Ellenburg Photography’s maternity photography is beautifully taken, lighting is perfect to flatter the silhouette and then the editing process takes the actual finished product to extraordinary new heights. You will see your maternity photography and have a whole new appreciation for both the art, and for your body during this pregnancy. You will finally see how truly beautiful that you and that pregnancy can be. Trust the experts at Ellenburg Photography to photography you during your pregnancy.

It's nearly Spring and Mom of the Year has already booked her South Alabama Spring Session. Dad is ecstatic. Now what? We plan. Planning takes the mystery out of Spring portraits. Spring colors are everywhere but those babies grow so fast - they certainly need something new. This guide will inspire you.

If you are shopping for just one baby - the world is your oyster. At every turn there is something that would look amazing on your baby. And...There are tons of wonderful stores that have stunning Easter wear that will not break the bank. First stop...hit the Mall. The Gymboree in the mall just got it's Easter Dresses.  The sequins bunny top at H&M is to die for.

Am I right or what!?! You can't go wrong with gold. And Bow Tied deliciousness is back at Target for boys. 

Shopping for more than one kiddo or the entire family is where you get to use all your shopping skills. Mom, You have trained for this moment your entire life. And I have some great tips to help along the way.

Tip #1: Every store with departments for the entire family, has color-dyed matching color pops that will mix and mingle in every department by brand. So BAM - that gives you the opportunity to pop one or two colors on everyone just a little. Photo above popped the spring orangey pink with blues. You could easily pop yellows or pinks or purples. Think pastel and you can't go wrong.

Tip #2: Got an Easter basket? or a favorite stuffed bunny? Bring it along. Anything you have that makes the Easter Season a tradition can easily be incorporated into your session.

Tip #3: Shoes are optional. There is nothing cuter than baby toes and if you haven't sprung for golden bunny eared shoes yet, you can save a little if you want. And almost no family portrait has started with, "Be sure you photograph my feet." It just doesn't happen. Period.  I run around bare footed at the studio, you can too.

Tip #4 When in doubt, khaki is king. Khaki is the ultimate coordinate to your pastel masterpieces. If you bring your girls in dress and your guys in Khakis - they will mix perfectly with any spring portrait adventure we will have set up for you.

Tip #5: Don't bring your kids dressed in your Easter best gear. Change them here at our cozy studio. Stuff happens on the way to the studio. Babies spit. The backseat can become a snack time war zone. Don't risk it - just dress here. And Bring more than one outfit. The bunny sessions have plenty of time for outfit changes along the way.

Tip #6: Relax. When you book in, we will schedule you in for a consult. We will take all the nervousness out of your session with one magic word: Planning. We will talk about what you want to create and we will Wow you with masterpieces of the people who love you the most. Consults come with a studio tour and product sample viewings. Skip the mystery and keep the Fun in your family portraits.

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