I first heard of Kelley Ryden and her sister Tracy Raver when I had lunch with my aunt and cousin and they were talking about “these twin sister baby photographers” they saw on the Today Show and how amazing their work was. Several weeks later, I saw a post on Beth Jansen’s blog mentioning this spot on the show and went to YouTube to take a look. I was instantly smitten! I signed up for their class (I go at the end of the month!) and bought their book Sleeping Beauties: Newborns in Dreamland that afternoon! Their work is so beautiful and one thing that really struck me in the interview was that Kelly said, “Perfect posing is what we’re all about.” Her attention to detail is simply superb and I adore her use of color and texture. Here Kelley graciously shares with all of us moms with cameras!
Hi Kelley! Thanks so much for chatting with us on Moms With Cameras! Can you please tell us a little bit about your business and how it grew to what it is today? I think my background has been a big part to lead me to newborn photography. I have an Elementary Education Teacher degree with a focus on early childhood development, and also a Software Engineer degree. So working with children and then also the technical side of digital photography has allowed me to pull both of my background degrees into one perfect job. I had my first son in 2005 and tried to go back to work as a software engineer after maternity leave with a lot of hesitation. It was so hard for me to leave him and spend my days away in a cubicle writing software code! I had to be with him and at that point I knew I had enough clientele to help with our family budget. It was a tough decision to leave a professional job, but really the best move that I’ve ever made. I was able to focus on raising him and then also have more time for my photography growth. My husband Kevin has always been super supportive helping me with my goals and he encouraged me to take the leap to do photography full time. I’m thankful for all his support and also the best partner in my twin sister Tracy to team up with to keep our newborn portfolio growing.
You and Tracy specialize in newborns. Can you tell us what a typical session looks like? (If such a thing exists – lol!) When I started doing client work in 2003 I did all ages, but around 2007 my focus was on newborns under 2 weeks of age. There was a challenge with this age that really drew me to it. I think when a viewer looks at sleepy newborn images, they think how easy since they are asleep. But the true challenge and what is the hardest is to keep them sleeping and looking so completely peaceful, while getting everything perfectly in position. When you get a newborn under 2 weeks of age, this makes it easier to get all the wonderfully curly images while keeping them peacefully asleep. As they get older, their amount of wake time increases and they are more easily disturbed while sleeping. A typical session for Tracy and I will last around 3 hours, always in the morning with a west facing window as the main light source. We do 90% of posing on the bean bag, then the last 30-60 minutes of the session we will focus on handheld shots, and props. Tracy and I definitely have a flow and nonverbal communication during a newborn session. We both have our strengths, mine being comforting newborns and camera technique and Tracy with positioning, handmade props and set-up.
What special trick up your sleeve do you have for getting newborns to sleep so soundly? Are some babies just easier than others? We get asked this a lot and what I like to start by saying is that Tracy and I have had several newborns a week in my studio for the past 3 years, so with good old practice and patience we have become VERY good with newborns. Of course the key is to get them under 2 weeks of age, do a morning session, have a full belly and a super warm tropical temperature… warm and humid works the best! Often during a session a newborn will let you know what they like or don’t like. When we notice this during a session we do point out to the parents so they can give it a try with their newborn. Some like a soft rock, a pat on the back, their head rubbed or to simply to be swaddled tightly. We have spent so much time working with newborns every week through the years that we are able to comfort before anything escalates. I always have said that you have to have the right calm energy with an in-charge approach. Newborns can defiantly feel this calm energy which helps to keep them peaceful. Of course all their needs have to be met, and the number one thing is a nice full belly!
I find that boys in generally are the most relaxed and cooperative. Little tiny girls (under 7 pounds) are the feistiest and most vocal, yet the most rewarding since they make you work the hardest to keep them peaceful. No crying allowed in my studio, strict rule! The wonderfully chubby girls (over 9 pounds) are just a pure, sleepy delight and ever so fun to pose. I really love all newborns and Tracy and I enjoy working with parents and hearing their stories that have already been so memorable for them with their new baby just days old. We have often been asked by the parents to come home with them since they had such a peaceful experience with their newborns first photo session!
How do you come up with your amazing poses for newborns? Where do you get all of your beautiful baskets, blankets, bowls, fabrics, etc? Our focus during a session is always on posing. The main focus of course being the face of the newborn. Being a Mommy of two (and one on the way in November 2010), I know the first thing I looked at when I met my children was the face. So we create those memories in print of the feelings they felt when first meeting their newborn by great posing to show off their cute little faces.
Tracy is the prop buyer in our duo and is always on the hunt. It’s an obsession of hers! She shops mostly local at antique and fabric stores, but there is also many sources online that you can purchase the same type of props. We are both fabric junkies, so whenever we go to New York our first stop is the fashion district to get unique and one of a kind fabrics. Those little touches of unique props and fabrics can add a different look to a style of newborn photography that is super popular right now.
You have a new book out, Sleeping Beauties . . . Newborns in Dreamland. How did you decide to do a book? What was your favorite part of the process? After the first Today Show appearance we had several publishers contact us with interest. We of course thought that would be fun and it has been a great learning experience and one more goal achieved! It’s been fun to see our images in print and with our 3rd printing of the book we are thrilled that so many have been purchasing and enjoying what they see.
How do you market your newborn photography? What are your favorite products for your newborn clients? My website does all my work for me, so I’m always updating and keeping it current. That’s the only marketing I do other than word of mouth and good client referral. Keep your clients happy and they will keep passing your name on!
You and Tracy are both mommas . . . .what do you recommend to keep the work/home balance in place? For me I really have to limit how many sessions I book per month. I prefer to only do one per week so that I can focus on quality product and service. Of course it’s always hard to turn down sessions, but for me it’s more important to have a balance between family and the amount of time that I am working! Tracy and I also have a full workload with the Baby Posing class as well as publishing work, so the more you can balance the amount of work, the easier meeting time frames can be. I can’t say I’m always the best at this, but I work very hard to keep an open communication with my clients so they understand time frame for completion.
Can you tell us a bit about your baby posing class? How can someone sign up if they’re interested? Our Baby Posing class is not just about newborn posing. I talk about 5 things that have to come together to get the great images. (1) camera technique (2) use of natural light (3) set-up (4) working with the newborn (5) Photoshop technique. For me number one is camera technique and the bulk of the class is about how to get great images straight out of camera. The other 4 areas are talked about in great detail as well, and all the skills are taught at class to go home and put the whole package together. We spend around 11 hours during the 2 day class with newborns, then the remainder on Photoshop. We work on getting great results straight out of camera so not much is needed with editing!
To be added to a class date an email must be sent to me at kelleyryden@gmail.com. Your name will not be added unless an email is sent in order for me to track history and obtain your business information. Subject line of the email should be as follows: register for class date ‘specific date’. Within the email please give name, address, phone, website and blog. Once I send back a confirmation email, the rest of the class details will be forwarded to each photographer.
Thanks so much to Kelley for sharing with all of us! Here is some of her beautiful imagery! To see more of her amazing work, go to www.kelleyryden.com. Have a great day everyone!
by Emily
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