White Studio Photography- What Makes it Special?

Our faces hold so much emotion, feelings, thoughts and personality and portrait photography delivers all of this to you in a beautiful package.  Being able to freeze that moment in time and hold on to those incredible details forever is a true treasure.  And as a parent, holding on to those details and memories seems to be more important to us now than ever before!  White studio photography is a unique and special subset of portrait photography and I can’t wait to explain why it’s the perfect genre for newborn, baby and children photography.

What IS White Studio Photography?

There’s no trick answer here….white studio photography is portrait photography that takes place in a predominantly white studio!  The important factor is that the background and surrounding area is as close to white as possible to create a consistent backdrop for the photographer.  In my studio at Kimberly Gerfin Photography, I have white seamless Savage paper as my backdrop, a white floor and white billowing curtains on either side.  The goal is to keep everything very simple and clean with no distractions so the focus of each portrait is solely on the subject!

Why is White Studio Photography so special?

As I began studying photography, I found myself drawn to portraits that simply focused on the subject. Clean backgrounds- often times white or a light grey.  Classic lighting- either Loop or Rembrandt.  And finished in either color or black and white.  What did I like so much about this style of photography?  Over time, I realized there are three key reasons why I fell in love with White Studio Photography.  It’s timeless, it keeps the focus solely on your child and it allows their details and personality to truly shine through.

Timeless Photography

If you’re at all around my age (eek….born in the 80’s!), you probably have several school photos with the laser beam background.  Mine were always a nice combination of pink, blue and white.  Classic 80’s and early 90’s!  Background styles definitely change over the years and what was once exciting and popular now looks dated.  When you have professional portraits taken of your child, you want to enjoy them and showcase them throughout your home.  Clean and classic white backgrounds create a truly timeless portrait- one that can be cherished for years to come!  Investing in portrait photography is expensive and I want my clients to fall in love with their art- and love it forever.  Pieces that transcend generations are true treasures to you and your children….and even your grandchildren!

Focus Purely on Your Child

Every year, my whole side of the family vacations in the Outer Banks, NC and we have a wonderful photographer take family pictures of us on the beach.  They are wonderful reminders of a special family tradition and I love those photographs.  However, for me, I love creating a portrait that focuses only on your child.  Although outdoor portraits are stunning and they include the beauty of that particular location, I believe that your child is more than enough to create a stunning photograph.  They deserve that spotlight!  My photography is focused only on children- newborn through grade school- and therefore my art focuses solely on your child so you can celebrate who they are at each and every stage of their young lives!  White Studio Photography allows your child to be the true star of each portrait.

Their Details and Personality Remembered Forever

I am a mom of two little boys and one of the things that keeps me awake at night is worrying about what I’ll forget.  I’m not worried about forgetting their show and tell items for school or washing their nap mat in time for the new week.  Those are givens….I absolutely will forget and I’ve stopped stressing about those things!  What I worry about is will I forget my youngest’s slight underbite?  Or my oldest’s tiny dimple in his chin?  Will they continue to giggle in sync with one another as the years go by or will their personalities drastically change a few years from now?  I love…truly love the insignificant details that make each of my boys who they are.  They are SO significant to me and I ache for what’s already disappeared and do everything I can to document and hold on to what still remains.

My clients echo these sentiments- they know how fast time flies by.  In an instant, our kids go from crawling to riding their bikes to school.  One of my gifts is my ability to capture your child’s true personality, documenting those little details you desperately want to remember!  My white studio creates the perfect background to highlight their sassy smile or bashful look.  By keeping everything clean and simple, all you see is your child, just as you see her!

The Difficulty with White Studio Photography

Creating something that is white….not off-white or kind-of white but white…..is not easy.  What could be so hard about it, right?  That’s what I thought when I first got started!  Oh was I wrong.  I quickly learned that white IS white and to achieve white takes a lot of work.  The three keys creating a beautiful white photograph comes down to lighting, white balance and editing.  Whether you’re using natural light or studio lights, it’s best to have it as bright as possible!  I use studio lighting and the secret is to have your light as bright as you can without blowing your highlights, position your light at a 45°angle to your subject AND place your subject 2/3 from the light and 1/3 from the background.  White balance can be corrected during editing.  However, I use a custom white balance in my camera and only have to slightly tweak it in Photoshop. Finally, while editing, I constantly check my whites to make sure each portrait has a beautiful bright white background.  Although there’s a lot of steps involved, the end result is so crisp and stunning!

White Studio Photography Legends

It has taken me a long time to get to where I am in my white photography.  Thankfully, I’ve had the great fortune of learning from some incredible photographers.  These women have paved the way and allowed others, like me, to learn from their process.  In addition, there are some immensely talented artists who simply inspire me with their vision and artwork and their style has helped me create my own little nook in this world of White Studio Photography.  Here are some of the legends that I feel deserve recognition for the beautiful portraits they’ve created!

Chris Higginbottom Photography

Chris is a Canadian newborn, baby and maternity photographer located in downtown Victoria.  She started her business in 2012 and as a mom, she found herself drawn to the more candid pictures of her children- the ones that showcased their personalities.  Using her white studio, she has created countless treasures for families that are bright, white and full of personality!  Her incredible trainings have been the foundation for my ability to create white studio portraits and she is truly one of the kindest and most genuine women I know.  A true leader in the industry and I feel so lucky to have learned from her!

Hope Davis Photography

Hope is a newborn and child photographer located in central Mississippi and she started her photography business in 2010.  After her father passed away in February of 2013, she did a beautiful thing.  She reassessed her life and prioritized her family first.  Because of this, she refocused her business and decided to only photograph what she was passionate about.  Newborns and Children.  Her timeless style and incredible talent have made her one of central Mississippi’s best newborn and children’s photographers.  She is a true woman of God and an inspiration to photographers like me and I’m so grateful for her kind words and support!

Little White Photography

By the name alone, you know instantly that Suzi is an expert at creating gorgeous white portraits.  Located in Hertfordshire, England, Little White Photography specializes in maternity, newborn and baby portraits.  With two children of her own, Suzi knows how important baby photos are and she truly loves capturing the journey from maternity to newborn and baby for families across southern England.  Her images are stunning- she has such a gift of capturing a child’s eyes and the spirit they contain!  Suzi’s photography never ceases to amaze me and I always know when I come across one of her portraits on my Instagram feed- it’s hard not to fall in love with each and every one!

White Studio Photography

Hopefully, this journal has helped you gain a better appreciation for White Studio Photography!  I’m sure you can see why it’s such a unique and special genre.  If you’ve fallen in love with this style of photography, let’s connect!  I would love to talk to you about creating beautiful and timeless images for you and your family!  Feel free to reach out through my website contact sheet or call/text/email any questions you may have.  I love exploring possibilities with parents and would be thrilled to do the same with you.  Do you want to learn more about Kimberly Gerfin Photography and what a session with me is like?  Here are a couple of links to other journal entries about me and my studio.

An Effortless & Stress-Free Portrait Experience from a Dallas Baby Photographer

Dallas Children Photographer: The Most Important Milestones For Classic Portraits

Thanks so much for joining me and I hope you visit me again soon!

xoxo,

Kim