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Writer's pictureAngie Mahlke

Portraits by Emily Sexton


Shot on Nikon D5600 35mm


Hi, friends! My name is Emily Sexton and I'm excited to share my photography with you and how I capture portraits. First, a little about me. I was born in Southern California but raised in the desert of Phoenix, Arizona. I love being outdoors yet consider myself more of a stay at home, drink tea, and watch Netflix type of person. Home and family are very important to me. I grew up surrounded by art. My father's paintings have always covered the walls in every house we lived in and, as a family, we traveled a lot. Now all grown up, I'm a wife to a wonderfully supportive husband a mother to two pretty amazing kiddos. My oldest, Tristan (6), is a strong-willed and happy kid. He loves adventure and using his imagination. When I think about his future, I see him performing on stage one day. He loves to pretend he's different characters and it comes so naturally to him. He also has a true gift in math. My youngest, Freya (2), is a spunky and fearless little girl. She knows what she wants and has big opinions. She will most likely stop and smell the roses and is an emotional one, like her mama. Freya loves music, and nursery rhymes are on loop in our house. These two personalities are the reason I found so much value in documenting their lives both in real ways and artistically. Before I know it, they will grow up on me, and those little faces change so fast. I'm still a fairly new photographer and started my journey in 2017.


My Gear

Nikon D5600 with 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm lenses. I mostly use my 35mm lens so I can keep fairly close to my kids.


Finding Creativity

Patience is my biggest challenge, yet best advice, in finding creativity. If an idea doesn't just speak to me, then I look for it in subtle ways. I like to ask myself these questions, What should we do today? What adventure can we go on? What's a lesson I could teach my kids? What holiday is coming up next? Who has inspired me lately? Asking yourself questions like these can help spark some idea in what you want to capture. Most of my portrait ideas usually have a theme. I love color! The more colorful, the better. If my daughter was painting that day, I'm inspired. If my son ate something that is messy, I'm inspired. If they reached a milestone, I'm inspired. It all come down to what my kids are doing lately that brings out some creativity in me. I tend to enjoy a theme as well that will sometimes turn into a series.


ISO 3200 35mm f/2.0 1/800sec


Sugar Rush series using 35mm ISO 2000 f/2.0 1/640sec


50 mm lens



Set Up and Lighting


Outdoor

If you ask a photographer what time of day they shoot, you might often hear the words "golden hour." I'm one of those photographers and not exactly for the reason many would tell you as to why, because I encourage all photographers to experiment and shoot at all times of the day. Photography is meant to be explored. My reason for shooting during "golden hour", or at least a later time of day (when the sun is not directly above our heads), is because my indoor shots are happening morning and mid-day, when I need the best window light and our usual adventures are planned just before dinner and bedtime routine. An added reason is Arizona can get really hot most days, so when the sun is harsh, it's not just harsh on my photos, it's harsh on them. Therefore, my focus is on my kids instead of on my camera when we adventure outdoors mid-day. I also enjoy incorporating sun flares and backlight in my photos when the sun is low. This is just a preference and comes with a lot of exercise because I squat a lot when taking photos. I love to capture my kids at their level instead of my own most days. If I'm low enough, then my subject can block the sun.


ISO 500 35mm f/1.8 1/1250sec


ISO 250 35mm f/2.0 1/320sec


ISO 3200 35mm f/2.0 1/320sec Shot at golden hour



Indoor

I used to stress about lighting in my home. Before I became a photographer, I didn't think about positioning/direction of the house and how many windows I had in my home that could bring in the best natural light. I would worry about subject matter around the house and the tones that were affected by colors. It all sounds so silly to me now since those things haven't kept me from taking the photos I really love now. It's always best to keep shooting, no matter the obstacle. Finding creative light in your home can be fun, and then you do what I do and just work with window light. I found that backdrops were my best friend in my more artistic approach. It gave me the control I needed in capturing portraits. I didn't need to think about the background on top of the moment or expression I wanted, because let's face it, if you're taking portraits of kids like I do, it's a big challenge already. I use the natural window light and position them standing up or sitting on a chair with light coming from the side. I use a backdrop stand that is set up in my bedroom (I will provide a link on where I purchased mine) and it holds a black sheet. This is the most common color I use but have used different colors if needed. I love the moodier feel a black backdrop will provide and I feel my colors pop against it. Any solid color or even a pattern can make a great backdrop. Remember "Glamour Shots"? I used to think of that and school portraits when it came to backdrops. Not anymore. My eyes were opened, and I feel more comfortable relying on one most days. If all you get from this lesson is to try using a backdrop for your photos, then I'll call it a win.


Both shots using 35mm lens with black backdrop and natural widow light.



Getting Your (Little) Subject to Cooperate

There is no magical secret on getting kids to cooperate for photos, as I'm sure many of you know. The best thing I can do to help anyone in this department is share my strategy and experience. Tristan is a bit more willing to pose for a portrait, and at no surprise, because he is older. Communication is key to everything, right? So when you communicate with your kids your idea, then they feel more involved. Before I even set up a session, I talk to Tristan about my idea. I tell him what makes it so exciting to me and why I think it would be fun. I explain what I'd need him to do and even ask for his opinions. The more he feels like it's also his idea, then it's more likely I'll get my vision to come true. This can also backfire on me sometimes because his excitement can tend to override my idea.


"Buddy the Elf" from my Christmas movie series was shot with 50mm lens


An inspired shot using my 50mm lens. My son lay on a black sheet on the ground with natural window light from above and behind him.



If it comes down to it, bribery is nothing to be ashamed about. Marshmallows have always been a big go-to in our process. "If you take this picture for me and follow directions, you'll get a jump marshmallow" seems to work perfectly most times. If it doesn't, then honestly you might need to take it as a practice shot and try another day when your kid's cooperation switch flicks on. This is the case more so with my toddler. Some days I don't know how I even got a shot with her. Toddlers are near impossible. Bribery doesn't even work all the time because if I offer a treat (let's say the lollipops, for example) then they're is the shot and I lose my vision. Doesn't mean it's a bad thing all the time, though. I love incorporating food in my portraits anyway. However, if it's just not what I want for the shot, I either set her up with my phone on her lap and get her attention for eye contact with all kinds of tricks (asking questions, making noises, laughing, etc) or just wait it out. Wait for those moments to come naturally. Sometimes my best photos are the ones that were not planned.


Frida portrait (35mm) achieved using phone distraction vs Rosie portrait (50mm) using lollipop. Freya is sitting on a chair for both shots and getting her to sit here for long takes a little practice of her learning and knowing she gets these things when sitting in this special spot.



These images below are a few of my chalk series. I drew the characters myself out in our backyard. It was fun for my son to play along with the art and he loves seeing the end result. Seeing the magic made him that much more willing to do more for me. I would wait for an overcast day or when the sun was setting before taking these shots so there wouldn't be any harsh shadows or sun in his eyes. I positioned him where I needed him to interact with the character and asked him to hold still while I shot overhead. There are some amazing set ups out there for photography from above but a ladder, extended arm, fast summer and some balance was my approach.


Chalk art series using 35mm lens and drawings inspired by Disney's Peter Pan, Sleeping Beauty and Aladdin.





Editing Process

I edit all my photos in Lightroom Classic CC and when sent to my phone I make slight adjustments in either Lightroom again or on a photo app called Snapseed. Sometimes what I see on my computer looks different from what I see on my phone. Skin tones and exposure mostly change on me. Everyone has their own way of doing things and I'm a creature of habit. Presets are helpful tool in setting the stage and cuts a lot of my editing time in half. If you are new to this process just know there is still a lot of editing after you use a preset. No preset is created equal and what I use helps me stay a little more consistent. Personally, I use LXC presets by Tribe Archipelago. I have to adjust orange hues the most to keep skin tones natural. I slightly lighten their eyes since eyes are a big focal point for me. Then I use warmer tones and subtle highlights. I love using the brush tool to lighten and saturate any specific pops of color in my photo as well. In the photo below, my husband held a balloon over my daughter's head to create static. I had many shots were the static hair looked more pronounced but I loved her face in this one. I decided to clone just a little bit of her hair and just add more to it for the full effect.


SOOC before edit


Finished edit after Lightroom and Snapseed adjustments



Self Portraits

There are two approaches I use for self portraits. One is stabilizing my camera on a countertop or trusty tripod and using a remote. My remote happens to be on my phone (although frustrating at times) it allows me to see what the photo would look like before taking it. It is Bluetooth enabled and syncs together with my camera wirelessly. I also love that I can hand my phone over to my son for photos of just me and ask him to tap on my face or hair so it focuses there before telling him to take the shot. My second approach is my husband. What's nice is if I have an idea for a photo with the kids, I take similar shots of my husband first, this way I not only control the settings, but I have photos of my husband too. He is also able to see the angle of my vision through those initial shots I took. This process make it much easier when asking any friend or family member to take pictures of you too. You are the photographer, however, it's important to get in the frame sometimes, even if it's just for yourself. You'll be so happy you did.


Taken with 35mm on tripod. Tristan took this shot using SnapBridge so I could move my dress and capture movement.


Tripod and 50 mm


35mm with my Nikon on top of cabinet surface



Final Words

I love portrait photography and the feeling I get when I take a photo I'm proud of. I have found so much joy in knowing I'm pursing a dream of mine while being a stay at home mom and raising my kids. Find that same joy in your photography. Take photos of what speaks to you. The possibilities are truly endless in this field. Whether you're running a business, or documenting life, your art and journey is what you make of it. Learn as much as you can, grow at your own pace, find inspiration in others, ask questions, take risks, experiment with light, and enjoy the process. My father, and a fellow artist, has been painting and drawing for over 40 years. He would always give me the best advice when it came to art. The one that sticks with me most is, "Don't try and be anybody else, just be yourself and that is what will make you special."


ISO 180 50mm f/2.2 1/4000sec


ISO 1250 50mm f/2.2 1/800sec



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