Tell us a bit about your approach to the work you do, your time in the business and a few personal facts about you.

Hi, I’m Shilan! A mother to 3 little crazies, with one more on the way. I’ve been married to my husband for almost a decade and believe it or not – he’s actually the reason I’m in business. He bought me my first full frame after I’d vaguely mentioned how fun it’d be to be able to turn my love for taking photos into a career. That was six years ago. I’ve been photographing newborns and families ever since and loved every minute of it. I always approach each session with the goal of producing an end product my clients will gush over. I try putting myself in my client’s shoes and going from there. I find myself asking – as a mother, what kind of shot would I LOVE if this was my family in front of the camera?

What makes you the most nervous during a session? 
Kids and husbands! Haha, I know it’s silly, but if the family I’m shooting have toddlers I’ll be super nervous not being able to get the kind of shots mom is wanting. Let’s be honest here, kids are unpredictable beings and they won’t always listen to you, or sit still, or smile. Now, I have been pretty blessed with awesome clients with some really supportive husbands. But once in a while I’ll get that one husband who just doesn’t want to be there. He’ll be on his phone in between shots and is rather difficult in front of the camera too. These guys make me even more nervous than the little ones, hah! It always turns out ok though and most of the time I realize I was being nervous for no reason at all. 

What about this session was most memorable?
Oh, so many things! Their insta-worthy home. The chemistry between mom and dad. The absolute LOVE for their brand new baby and their sweet, sweet pup. The moment I set foot in their home and met this family I knew this session would be amazing, and it really was.

Were there any hurdles?
Honestly, this is one session where everything just went super smoothly. The light in each room was perfect. My clients were gorgeous! Baby was calm. Dog on her best behavior! Everything just went so well.

Your best photographer/session advice?
Be yourself! For the longest time I thought I had to be super professional during my sessions. To the point where it got boring. 
Joke around. Make silly faces at the kids. Talk about your own experiences as a mother with your newborn clients. Just be yourself! Depending on the type of session, you’ll be spending at least an hour with your clients. You want to make it memorable and fun for them. Their positive experience and gorgeous final images is what will make them come back to you for their next shoot. 

What is one goal for your business?
My ultimate goal for my business this year is to grow and keep growing. I want to shoot more lifestyle sessions. More fresh 48’s! And a lot more in studio newborn sessions.

What gear was used to achieve these?
I shoot with a Nikon D750 and Sigma 35mm 1.4

Any presets used or hand editing?
For this session I started with SMAL presets as a base and made tweaks. I finished it off in Photoshop.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

I’m Shilan! A newborn and maternity photographer based out of San Antonio, Texas. I’ve been running my photography business for the past 6 years all while juggling being a mom to my 3 little ones.  

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