The Multiples Issue

Editor - Creative Director Anamaria Brandt Graphic Design Kelli Campbell TAOPAN TEAM STAFF

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Ana Brandt

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Michelle Taylor

Jessica Pugliese

From the editor

Finally our twins issue is here! We thank the Photographers around the world for sending us their images. Our Magazine is geared towards showcasing amazing images towards a particulate subject - this issue is Multiples. We add just a few articles and ads, but overall the idea is to have a printed gallery of work to give you Inspiration for your sessions - or to just browse thru something pretty!

We think this Magazine is a great resource to keep in your studio to have clients browse thru and to give you both inspiration and hopes for a successful session.

Safety with one newborn is always a top priority, and when you have two or more you definitely need an extra set of hands. We strongly suggest you always have an extra spotter for each additional baby in your studio.

We look forward to future issues and collaborations!

Ana Brandt

IMAGE MAKERS We are so grateful to those who contributed images and articles to this Magazine. This list is of those who contributed the Images you see throughout the pages.

Image by: Aoife Millea

ABRAH ZION ANA BRANDT AOIFE CLEARE AMANDA SMITH ANN JESSUP ANN LYLE ASHLEY O’FIELD BREE GARCIA CASSANDRA ENGLISH CECILIA HUERTA CHELSEA JANACEK CHERISE KIEL CORTNEY TALBOTT CYDNEE JEX DAKOTA MOORE JACQUELINE GUILLOT JADE GAO JENA RAE A. TORRES JENNIFER PARPETTE JENNIFER RITTENBERRY JESSICA COOK JESSICA DOFFING JESSICA PUGLIESE KARA TAYLOR KARRIE ROBERTS KAYLEIGH ASHWORTH KELLY LUMLEY KERRI KIPPERT KLAUDIA WORARATANADHARM LAURA KING LIANA McCORKLE LISA MARIE LIZZY McMILLAN LUCY WANG MARGARITA RENTAS MARK NICHOLLS MICHELLE MOJICA MICHELLE TAYLOR NIKKI LENAE OLINDA PULLY SANDRA MOFFATT SARAH BETH CHAMBERLAIN STEPHANIE MUELLER

Jessica Cook

Ann Lyle

Jacqueline Guillot

Margarita Rentas

Kara Taylor

Nikki Lenae

Jacqueline Guillot

In France, there are not that many twins or triplets. I've always considered myself honored to have the chance to photograph newborn twins, because, yes, it's amazing that human body can build a baby but...two at a time! That's so amazing.

In my family, there are a lot of twins, 6 duets, on my side and on my husband's side. I've always thought I would have twins myself but it never happened, I would have loved to!

Most of the time, I photograph the pregnancy as well as the birth. And I love talking with the moms, listening to them, about what they feel. I'm fascinated by the way they can feel if it's one baby or the other one that's kicking, that's so cute!

Sessions with twins are always a challenge, but are always amazing. The connection between babies, the way they snuggle, and it's such a pleasure to see how they could have been Inside the womb…

And the pride of the mum, when she holds her babies, it's priceless...Yes, that's one my favorite part of my job. My “Madeleine,” as we would say in France.

On the pictures, meet Mélia and Rose, 9 days.

Jennifer Parpette - Les Créations d'Ephée - France

Cortney Talbott

Jacqueline Guillot

Jessica Pugliese

Jennifer Rittenberry

Liana McCorkle

Jena Rae A. Torres

Jessica Pugliese

Jessica Doffing

Klaudia Woraratanadharm

Aoife Cleare

Jessica Pugliese

Abrah Zion

Cydnee Jex

Ana Brandt

Lisa Marie

Kelly Lumley

Jessica Doffing

Sarah Beth Chamberlain

Kayleigh Ashworth

Mark Nicholls

Dakota Moore

Michelle Taylor

Lucy Wang

Cecilia Huerta

Michelle Mojica

Aoife Millea

Michelle Mojica

Klaudia Woraratanadharm

Chelsea Janacek

by Ana Brandt You never know when a multiples parent will call, so check your studio and see if you are fully stocked!

There is nothing worse than being unprepared for identical triplet girls!!

Wraps - have at least 2 -3 of your favorite colors. Always ask the parents if they want babies photographed in the same color or different colors. 50% of our clients want the same and the other 50% want complimentary colors.

Hats - have a boy and a girl version of your favorite hats, and stock up on some third or fourth options for similarity and when the triplets or quads come in.

Outfits - keep preemie sized outfits on hand as well as newborn. They do not need to be in the same outfit, but comparable in tones and textures. Have boy and girl sets.

Posers - have plenty of posing aids on hand, big and small to support the heads and bodies.

Blankets and furs - make sure you have duplicate colors and tones to prepare for accidents.

Heaters - we do not recommend heating pads Yoga Balls - for bouncing and soothing Pacifiers - buy new pacifiers and keep them stocked and wrapped in their packaging. We find that during sessions pacifiers get lost quite often!

Props - make sure you have props that will hold 2-3 or even 4 babies. You just need a few bigger items such as bigger wreaths or bowls.

Diapers -keep spare diapers on hand for preemies and newborns.

Plan an extra hour or two compared to a regular newborn session. It is best to not plan a session right after a multiples session!

Parents are most likely sleep deprived and tired. Offer them water, juice, or coffee as well as snacks.

SAFETY FIRST Have an extra set of hands for each additional baby that is coming to your studio!

Cherise Kiel

Cassandra English

Kerry Kippert

Michelle Taylor

Sandra Moffatt

Michelle Taylor

Stephanie Mueller

Laura King

Ann Jessup

Jennifer Ritenberry

Bree Garcia

Cherise Kiel

Stephanie Mueller

Ashley O’Field

Cherise Kiel

Sarah Beth Chamberlain

Lizzy McMillan

from Lizzy McMillan, The Multiples Whisperer™ 1. Planning & Prep: Having a solid posing workflow and sets/props laid out saves time.

2. Baby Wranglers: Having an extra set of trained-newborn-posing hands makes a huge difference & ensures safety.

3. Helpful to have: Pacifiers, extra milk, extra posing beans/cloth diapers.

4. Optimizing your time: Maximize the time when both babies are asleep. If one is feeding, photograph individual images of the other, then switch.

5. Camera Settings: Pose babies on the same plane, and shoot with a wider aperture (f3.5-4.0) to ensure both are in focus.

6. Twin personalities: Usually one baby is more mellow, and one is a bit more feisty. Pose and settle the easier twin first, then add the feisty twin.

7. Maximize your poses: Capture full frame, then zoom in and vary angles for variety. Don’t forget individual images of babies, and detail/macro shots.

8. When in doubt, swaddle it out: Have coordinating wraps on deck, so if babies won’t cooperate on the beanbag, wrap them and move into a swaddled flow posing.

9. Props: Beds, baskets, crates, bowls, all are great options for posing twins together and adding variety.

10. Patience: Babies can feel your energy. Relax and breathe- you’ve got this!

Lizzy McMillan

Lizzy McMillan

Dakota Moore

Lizzy McMillan

Lizzy McMillan

Amanda Smith

Aoife Millea

Stephanie Mueller

Nikki Lenae

Lizzy McMillan

Kerry Kippert

Cassandra English

I knew this session would be special from the moment I started talking to the mum. She told me she is a redhead herself, has two redheaded sons, and so the triplets would most likely be redheads too! Being a mum of two redheads myself I instantly knew how special this session was going to be. In Christchurch, New Zealand newborn triplets are very rare. So I arranged a videographer to come in and do a behind the scenes of the session, not only to show off the beautiful triplets but also to give my clients an inside look into the studio and to demonstrate how gentle, relaxed and safe my newborn sessions are. (https:// vimeo.com/229816114)

A big tip for working with multiples is to just be yourself. This may sound silly, but when researching inspiration for triplets I found lots of amazing images, but they did not fit within my usual style or I did not feel comfortable attempting the poses. So after weeks of brainstorming some rather far-fetched ideas I decided to treat it as a normal session and simply capture that magical sibling bond. So I stuck to my usual workflow, poses, colours and setups.

I started with the babies swaddled and put them in one of my custom floral/foliage wreaths. Then I slowly worked my way to the point where they were nude at the end. I used my signature cream backdrop and found myself doing birds-eye images with lots of negative space to emphasise how small and delicate they were. By sticking to my usual workflow and style the session was completely stress free and was actually heaps of fun. The babies were relaxed and the session took a total of 3.5 hours. With the help of two assistants.

Having an assistant you feel comfortable with is important. I had my beautiful sister Maddy alongside me. She assists me at every session so we work seamlessly together.

Maddy also helped me build the big succulent wreath in the early hours in the morning of the session gathering twigs and succulents outside in the dark.

Cassandra English - Hazel&Cass - New Zealand

Olinda Pully

by Ana Brandt While Newborn Photographers generally like to schedule newborn sessions at 8-10 days, working with twins or multiples is a bit different. First, they are usually (not always) premature and quite often spend time in the NICU. When your client calls with multiples, first ask her a few questions…

•How old are babies?

•Were they premature?

•Birth weight? Current weight?

•Did they spend anytime in the NICU? •Is there anything we should be aware of (such as physical deformities, or breathing issues) •Are they breastfeeding or bottle feeding? (If bottle, bring a ton of extra bottles!)

Twins are usually scheduled when they have reached their ideal birth weight or about 2-4 weeks after birth depending on the weight. For example, if they were born under 5lbs, then usually you would wait until about week 3 when they have gained their birth weight. If they have been in the NICU you want them home at least one week so they are in a normal home routine before taking them out. On average most twins are photographed around 3 weeks if they were premature. If they were born full term and are healthy then they can easily be photographed around 12-14 days.

Ask the Parents if they have a preference to colors and similarities in tones, textures, or colors. This is so important because you want to be stocked and ready and be prepared for transitional posing throughout the sessions.

Lizzy McMillan

Liana McCorkle

Stephanie Mueller

Cassandra English

Lizzy McMillan

Cassandra English

Jade Gao

Lizzy McMillan

Lizzy McMillan

Karrie Roberts

Lizzy McMillan

Cassandra English

Ana Brandt

Cortney Talbott