Today we’d like to introduce you to Naomi Weber.
Hi Naomi, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I have always loved art and the ability to create with expression. However, I never really felt like other creative outlets were an expression of what I wanted to portray. Until I held my camera for the first time. At the end of a long day, my husband walked through the door and set a wrapped box on the kitchen table in front of me. He told me that he hoped I would find some joy in creating something just for myself. I was a young mom of three busy little ones, always on the run to baseball or dance practice. I wanted a hobby that could include my kids but would also be an expression of myself. I opened the box and held my first camera.
Once I got acquainted with shooting in manual, my camera became an extension of myself, and it felt like home. I quickly became more comfortable with my camera in my hand than I was without it. I really enjoyed spending time with my kids, taking photos to create art for the walls of our home, and it was the first time I felt excited to decorate. Seeing the laughter and joy in my images every day really made our home come alive to me.
Soon my friends began asking if I would be willing to photograph their families, and that is how my love for photography turned into a business.
I spent my first couple years in business helping out our local newspaper and second shooting weddings for a photographer friend of mine. While I really enjoyed the uniqueness of each wedding, I realized that the long weekends away from my family was not offering me the flexibility to be present with them as I wanted. As I started to branch out more on my own, I fell in love with photographing newborns.
I loved everything about their sessions. From the interaction with the parents to all the baby cuddles, the challenge of sleepy poses, and the happy tears when mom received her images. All of these things brought me great joy. Newborn sessions were more than just taking a quick photo. They were an investment, both of time and relationship. The time spent with these moms was just as sweet as the time spent photographing their newborns. We’d always end up in deep conversations, and I realized that this was where my heart was. These moms walked in as clients and left as friends.
We would talk about sleepless nights with colicy babies, labor stories, toddler stories, and they’d ask advice on how to comfort or calm their little ones as they watched me soothe them into all those curly baby poses. I had one couple ask me to write down advice for them to help their baby sleep at nap times. One dad even asked if I’d consider nannying for them. It was the sweetest compliment and part of why I love newborn photography so much. Connection is everything, both in working with the families and in the images I present to them.
The other area I specialize in is senior photography. In part, I love this stage for similar reasons to the newborn stage. It is another huge milestone in a family’s life, and the joy and pride I see in the parents as they look at their teenage son or daughter is heartwarming to me. Our years with our children go by so quickly, and to be able to capture those moments in time is a real blessing and privilege to me.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I think in anything we do in life, there are always different obstacles to overcome. There are a couple areas that stand out to me along this journey, and the first is learning to trust my own art and vision, even if it wasn’t what everyone else was doing. I was nervous to break some of the rules of photography, but honestly, that is what ended up drawing my clients to me. They weren’t looking for the more traditional style and loved that I was providing something new, fresh, and different for them.
The second thing would be having to move my business and start over in a new area. I think that’s been my biggest struggle. Not only because you’re starting from the ground up but because I really enjoyed the many families I had gotten to know and the rhythm and flow of shooting in the area in which we lived.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a portrait photographer specializing in artistic newborn and senior portraiture. I am known for my patience, time, and care that I put into each of my sessions. I want my clients to have a wonderful photography experience with me. From the moment they contact the studio till they receive their portraits, I am there to walk them through each step. My clients have often commented on my attention to detail, both during my sessions and in my editing process. Each image that I take is its own created work of art. It begins with the click of the shutter and carries over into a creative process in photoshop. It is important to me that each of my clients have heirloom quality works of art that will grace the walls of their homes for years to come.
I am most proud and find great joy when my clients view their images for the first time after their session. I love to see the expression on their faces. Whether it’s a moment of laughter over a silly image or tears of joy over their child’s graduation. Or a new mother viewing her babies’ images and seeing how in just two weeks’ time they can change so much. Every moment is priceless, and that is why I’m here with them, to capture that moment so they can enjoy it forever.
A couple things that I believe set me apart from others is that I have learned from some of the most nationally recognized photographers in newborn and senior photography. I take pride in the care and safety that I exercise in working with newborns, and my husband and I have created some very unique props that he custom-built just for my clients. Creating beautiful images for my clients is not just a job to me but is something that I am very passionate about.
What matters most to you?
Connection. I want my clients to not only feel at ease in front of my camera but to really enjoy the experience as a whole. I want them to let down their guard and feel as though the camera isn’t even in the room. I want the joy and laughter of their best days to come through in their images. The sweetest hugs and the brightest smiles. Years from now, I want my clients to be able to look at their images and be overwhelmed with joy and remembrance of their loved ones in that moment.
Pricing:
- Newborn Packages starting at $400
- Senior Packages starting at $400
- Mini sessions starting at $275
Contact Info:
- Website: https://naomiweberphotographer.mypixieset.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/naomiweberphotographer/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NaomiWeberPhotographer
Image Credits
Tina Boyd (Featured Photo)
All other images credit Naomi Weber
