If we haven’t met yet, I’m Jill. I’m a photographer. I’m queer. My partners and I have 3 kids and 4 cats between us.
My family is pretty typical in a lot of ways – we feel pretty normal so I sometimes forget that not everyone knows queer, polyamorous people. The truth is being polyamorous does make life a little more complicated sometimes but otherwise we don’t win any awards for loving more than one person at a time. We aren’t any less committed. If you have questions or you’re curious about how this works, I’m an open book.
Let’s squeeze the most fun out of the last few weeks of summer. If your kids are part fish and love to be in the water, this is an adorable way to capture some summertime memories. We use a private pool so you’ll have the place to yourself. These sessions are really easy going – no hair and make-up, no coordinated wardrobe. Just bring your suit, floaties, goggles and a towel and we’ll jump and splash around for about an hour. There’s very little posing and no need to open your eyes underwater or be an olympic swimmer – if you and your children love being in the water, this is the session for you.
Price: $200 includes your session and choice of 3 digital images from an online gallery. Additional images available for purchase.
The session will result in 10-15 underwater/partial-underwater images. The gallery may be supplemented with above water images if your child does not swim underwater or independently.
When the forecast calls for scattered thunderstorms in Pasadena, most often we reschedule. It’s a big risk to get hair done and make-up on and kids prepared only to drive to a session that gets completely rained out. But when you take a big risk, sometimes you get rewarded with light sprinkles and a rainbow in cloudy skies. Thunderstorm skies are my most favorite to photograph and summertime sunset portrait sessions in Maryland almost never disappoint.
Doulas fulfill a vital role on the life-changing day a family welcomes their baby. Heartlove Photography offers a half-day workshop introducing the basics of birth photography and how it adds value to every doula’s work. Using the camera (or cell phone!) you already have, we will examine the ways you can get beautiful, emotional images alongside your primary roll giving doula support. Then we’ll dive into how you can use those image to increase engagement on social media, customize your website and enhance your client’s experience.
Date: Wednesday, October 2, 2019 12pm-4pm
Location: Heartlove Photography Studio – 8971 Fort Smallwood Rd. Pasadena, MD 21122
Cost: $99 / Group Discounts available for doula collectives/agencies and those taking the class for a second time as a refresher – inquire at info@heartlovephotography.com
*But what if I’m called to a birth? A make-up class is scheduled for Monday October 7, 2019
Topics Include:
Added value of photography services
Benefits of photography for web presence and SEO
Using images to acquire new clients and enhance the experience of current clients
Using your own camera vs. using the client’s
Finding time to take photos while still making doula work the priority
Camera Basics
Lighting Basics
Finding the right angles/composition
Recommended equipment
Finding “the moment”
Techniques for hospital and home birth
How to capture medical interventions/c-sections
Respecting the birth space and privacy
Storage, presentation and delivery of images
Consultations, model releases, questions to ask clients before labor
Bereavement Photography
Individual photo critique
and more!
Tuition Includes:
4 hours of instruction
Online Community for additional questions, photo critiques and more
Client Questionnaire and Model Release templates
Printed “Quick Tips” reference guide to keep in your doula bag
This class is NOT:
specific technical instructions for individual cameras
Military homecomings always involve a little “hurry up and wait” but sometimes it’s more like “hurry up or you’ll miss it.”
When I texted saying I was on the way to the airport, the response was “Don’t worry about it. I just found out they landed an hour ago.” If you know me though, I’m pretty stubborn and knowing how customs generally operates, I was going to try to make it anyway.
I got to the terminal less than 10 minutes before he came through the doors to hug his wife and daughter after more than 7 months apart.
“These photos captured the relief of having my husband home. We reunited as a family again to continue our adventures together. It was a great way to say welcome home my love. We will cherish these photos forever.”
Sometimes you just end up in the right place at the right time. When I’m photographing a homecoming, the moment a family reunites is pure magic. It’s always such a joy to watch the service members and their loved ones while I wait with my client as a click away capturing their emotion in the last minutes of waiting. Sometimes my client’s service member is one of the first ones out an we capture the hugs and kisses for a few moments before they head home – but there are still many families left waiting. In those cases, I try to find a family or 2 that doesn’t have a photographer and gift them images they weren’t expecting.
Since BWI is a large hub for military flights coming into the US, most of the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines are headed to a connecting flight to get home. There are usually about a dozen or so families at this stop in the journey.
Last night there was just one person left waiting, bouquet of roses in hand. As I approached him to explain that I’d love to photograph his reunion, he said “There he is!”
Camera in hand, I just started photographing this couple as they walked through the tunnel of girl scouts and Operation Welcome Home volunteers, past the terminal, out the doors and across the street toward the parking garage. Not wanting to interrupt their first moment together, I was thankful traffic stopped them before crossing the next lanes and – looking like obsessed paparazzi – I told them I had taken their photos and I would love to send them. Thankfully, they didn’t think I was crazy and we exchanged information before they fell into each others arms again and headed on their way.
Heartlove Photography will hold an event on August 1, 2019 to support the Perinatal Loss Unit at the Johns Hopkins Hospital.
JHH cares for almost 100 families each year suffering from stillbirth or early infant loss and provides each family with a box to hold small keepsakes from their hospital stay, including the infant’s foot prints, hat, hair clippings or other support items. They rely on fundraising to purchase the boxes – since 2016 Heartlove Photography has held community events to decorate boxes and provided them to the hospital at no cost.
Boxes and simple embellishments will be provided to create beautiful hand-made memory boxes at the studio in Pasadena. This event is free and open to the public and no experience is necessary. Volunteers are needed to complete our goal hand-decorating of 100 boxes. All supplies will be provided by Heartlove Photography. Boxes will be delivered to the hospital in August.
RSVP and Share this event on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/events/2450890098570237/
Many of the babies I photograph are between 2-3 weeks old – occasionally I even photograph a 6-8 week old baby in this style. Babies do not expire – there’s nothing wrong or worse about an “older” newborn and I have a lot of experience getting them to sleep and pose just like a few-days-old baby.
That being said, capturing a baby before they turn a week old is something very special. Their skin, expressions, shape all change so fast so I love photographing babies as early as their parent is able to coordinate a portrait session. The studio is set up to be comfortable for a newly postpartum parent, or we can shoot in your home so you don’t have to leave while you’re recovering.
5 Day Old Newborn in wrap and bonnet | Pasadena, MD portrait Studio | Photography by Jillian Mills
5 Day Old Newborn in wrap and bonnet | Pasadena, MD portrait Studio | Photography by Jillian Mills
5 Day Old Newborn | Pasadena, MD portrait Studio | Photography by Jillian Mills
5 Day Old Newborn Posed in Basket | Pasadena, MD portrait Studio | Photography by Jillian Mills
5 Day Old Newborn Posed in Wrap | Pasadena, MD portrait Studio | Photography by Jillian Mills
