Behind the Scenes of Composite Photography: Butterfly Baby
My favorite type of photography is whimsical composite photography. Bringing stories to life and creating real-life fairy tales is a satisfying ability that makes my childhood dreams come true. I always had an artistic, overactive, imagination. Therefore, being able to put that to use in my career is such a fulfilling sensation.
Composite photography, by definition, is a photograph made by combining several other distinct photographs.
Last year, my client contacted me about a particular photo she would like me to composite for her daughter’s newborn session. I was given a few guidelines that were important to the mother and used my artistic discretion for the rest.
Hunting is a favorite pastime for my client and her husband. They spend numerous weekends, during hunting season, in the woods. Sheena, the mother of this beautiful little cherub, has a huge passion for butterflies and they carry a special symbolic meaning to her. Out of those two requests, I created the image below.
I try to make sure that every aspect in each of my composites has a meaning and symbolism behind it. For instance, the tree in this photo is actually a tree that sits in the front yard of my client’s home. Placing the baby in the tree for this composite helped to tie in the woods feel my client wanted. Monarch butterflies are the mother’s favorite butterfly, thus establishing the connection. Why 5 butterflies? Because there are 5 members in their family.
In each aspect, I thrive for a connection that brings the story to life and makes it personal for my client.
With all of my sessions, safety comes first. As you can see in the following photos I used to create this composite, I didn’t really stick a newborn infant in a tree. 😉
I present to you, “Butterfly Baby”.
Unicorn Magic and Octopus Hugs,
Jenn
The following photos are photos that I used to layer to create “Butterfly Baby”.
