Blog von Julie Jolie

Birthday is celebrated today – in two senses!

We’re celebrating my 39th birthday and (!!!) Julie Jolie’s tenth birthday.

Ten years ago I officially entered the field of photography and became self-employed. A very special division quickly crystallized, namely newborn photography for me. That means I’ve known some families for ten years. Some of the babies I photographed back then are now up to my chin :-).

I am so happy and grateful that I decided to take the step into photography back then and I want to give a little bit back to you.

I have three gifts for you:

For my pregnant women & newbies: “Three for two”.

Are you pregnant? Get together in threes, one of you gets your pregnancy photo shoot for free! The same applies to newborns. If you have/are going to have a baby soon and you know women in your childbirth preparation course who would like to have their baby photographed, then get together. A shooting is for free!

Best of all: the whole year is still valid AND: also retrospectively (all babies born in 2022)

For ten years of Julie Jolie there is a 10% discount on the newborn photography workshop on August 20th and 21st, 2022 with Thommy Willkowei. Attention: This offer is only valid today (25.07.) So if you book by 00.00 a.m., you can save a lot. Booking

On Thursday the popular fairy shootings will take place in Hamburg, here you will also get a whole 10% discount! This offer is only valid for today (July 25th). Booking

With this in mind – have a wonderful day and drink a glass with…

Whether you are just starting out or already advanced, on August 20th and 21st of this year, I am offering you a 2-day newborn workshop together with Tommy Willkowei from Ahrensburg. From the basics and technology, to safe handling of newborns and of course the parents, to the complex editing of images and the use of Photoshop and Lightroom, everything is included. Best of all, catering is also provided and there are several real photo shoots where you also get the image usage rights. An intensive coaching, where you are guaranteed to take a lot with you. We look forward to seeing you.

More information and directly to the workshop can be found here.

Now it has actually come true, I received the trophy of the International Photography Contest “Baby Photo Awards” 2021. When I hold this in my hands, it’s still a bit unreal. I’m so proud and just really happy about it. For a year I took part in the monthly competitions, the so-called collections. It’s always a surprise, a trembling with excitement and an excited wait for the releases. If individual pictures are awarded, these awards add up, so that at the end of the year I had 51.

Over the past few years, the competition has become an increasingly established size in the field of baby and newborn photography. There are currently over 4600 professional photographers who regularly take part in the great selection of images. The participants come not only from Germany, but also from the USA, Israel, Canada, Australia and 56 other countries.

Of course, I’ll take part again next year. But now I’m really happy about this award. If you want to see all of my pictures from the competition, you can do so in the Awards / Baby Photo Awards category. In the Awards category you can find more pictures from competitions. I am curious what else will come.

Shooting a newborn baby with dogs is a special affair. Two companions were present at this shoot and of course wanted their attention. There are not many moments when the baby is in a pose and the dogs in their place, let alone smile friendly at the camera.

I like to photograph newborns, babies and children with dogs. That may sound very stressful at the beginning, but it is only when the atmosphere is not relaxed. The often very small baby in the presence of a sometimes large dog has a magical visual effect. Once the baby has fallen asleep, the dog often comes to rest too.

In this picture two dogs were present as part of the family. After the baby had snuggled up on the armchair, the two dogs, with the help of their mistress, let themselves be wonderfully involved in the shoot. However, it was not possible without goodies here either. But the actual moment that led to this picture was very brief. As is so often the case in photography, there are often only a few moments for the “perfect” picture. If you are not prepared, that’s it and the mood is gone.

You can find some insights into my results of baby and dog photography here in the gallery.

With a good camera, press the shutter release a few times and bang – the most beautiful pictures of all time are in the can. But it’s not that simple after all. For me, the shoot starts days in advance. Thoughts and plans for the process are then usually replaced the day or evening before by concrete preparation for the decoration and props. After all, everything should be perfect on the morning of the shoot. But when the shooting day is over, things really start for me.

I then sit down to look at the pictures and sort it out roughly. Depending on the shoot, this can be a few hundred pictures, sometimes even a thousand. These then have to be viewed by me first. Some are then sorted out in advance, e.g. if the focus is not exactly right. An unwanted expression on the baby’s face or other family members are also exclusion criteria. My customers then see the preselection so that they can make their selection of favorite photos.

Digital images also need to be developed

Compared to home and hobby photography, in the professional field of digital photography all photos are always saved in several formats, but above all in raw format. A number of memory cards are also written too at the same time, so that in the event of difficulties or image loss, at least an error-free image can be accessed. The advantage of the raw image data is the unique possibility to access and develop all light and color values. It’s like having the opportunity to take the picture over and over again until it is as coherent as you want or wish it to be.

And as you wish … Well, this is where the individual handwriting of each individual photographer begins. Excellent image material, i.e. great original photos, make it easier, of course, and ultimately lead to a great result. But now the artist’s handwriting comes into play. I develop the photos further and further, up to the finished “dream image”. Depending on the effort, several hours can be planned here. Often only a few images have been developed, but they can be breathtaking.