“Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving.
What you have caught on film is captured forever… it remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.” Aaron Siskind
This quote encapsulates how I feel about photography. For me it is a way to capture the emotions behind a moment, to preserve a memory for the generations to come. I envision a lifetime of memories brought into the present moment just by looking at an image captured through the beauty of photography.

Bio

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More about me…

My name is Janine Zietsman and I am the photographer behind the lens of Janine Z Photography.
I first became passionate about photography when my daughter started to take part in singing competitions and concerts, and I realized that my little “mik & druk” was not going to cut it in the limited lighting that was available. We purchased my first DSLR and I started to learn and experiment. Many years, numerous courses, and a lot of practice later I started moving away from photographing friends and family only, and capturing images for clients.
I just love capturing images of people. I am gaga about little babies and love to see them grow up into the fun little humans that they are, each with their own quirks and personalities. I have been told that I have a lot of patience, and I really enjoy working with little ones, from babies and milestone sessions, to Cake Smashes and flights of fantasy that only a child’s mind can take.
I am passionate about showing the beauty in every person. So many people, especially women, believe the myth that they are not photogenic. With the right clothing, some TLC, great lighting and of course the magic of posing, everyone can look beautiful in a photo, and everyone deserves to have beautiful images of themselves and to exist in portraits for their families.  I love to see the look of “Wow, is that really me?” in my subject’s eyes!
I love to work in my home studio, situated in Cowies Hill, Pinetown. From bumps to babies, toddlers, kids and families to gorgeous portraits, let me capture you!

Sessions

Choosing the right time frame for your maternity photos is very important. You want to look very pregnant with a nice, round belly, but you don’t want to be so pregnant that you are starting to feel uncomfortable. For this reason, I recommend getting your photos done between 30 – 36 weeks.

If you are doing semi-nude/implied nude photos (only in studio for obvious reasons) bras and underwear will make noticeable lines on your skin so make sure to wear loose fitting clothing to the shoot that won’t leave impressions on your skin. You can add undergarments as necessary for photos later in the shoot. These sessions are private, discreet and tasteful. Please note that dads can go shirtless but I do not do nude images of dads. 

The focus of this session should be on you and your bump, but that being said, there are many cute ideas for using props. So if you wish, then you may bring the ultrasound printout, little baby shoes, or a special stuffed toy. If there is anything in specific that you have seen and want to do for your session, please let me know beforehand. 

They are just as much a part of this experience and I know that you would love them to be in your images! They should bring outfits that coordinate with what you will be wearing. Avoid overly bright colours or anything with patterns. The focus should always be on you, your expressions, your emotions, your personality, your joy and your connection.

I offer the use of dresses free of charge and they are available in several different colours and styles. I also have several body suits and I am constantly updating my selection of dresses. I do semi-nude and fabric draping images as well. If you wish to bring something from home, or rent a dress (if you have something specific in mind) you can do so, and I can refer you to some of the dress rental companies that my clients have used before. For dads and kids I would suggest sticking to solid, neutral colours. The focus of a maternity session should be on you and your belly. 

To enquire about my pricing or get more information on a session please fill in the form below. I will get back to you as soon as possible. 

Newborn sessions are best scheduled for when your baby is between 6 – 14 days new. At this stage your baby will still be mostly sleeping which will make the session go a lot smoother. Older babies can still be photographed, please note that not all poses are possible with an older baby, especially as baby might not sleep as well during the session.

I have a variety of props, hats, headbands, baskets etc. that I will be using for your session. Should you have anything in mind that you would like to bring with, please discuss with me so that we can plan.

It is ideal to contact me during or before your last trimester to pick a tentative date based on your estimated due date. Then, contact me as soon as you get home from the hospital so that we can finalize your booking for a time that is mutually convenient.

You just had a baby, so pamper yourself! Feel free to get your hair, nails and makeup done; or even have someone come to you! Keep your clothing simple.

•Mom should feel beautiful. We suggest short or long sleeves to flatter. Skin on skin is always beautiful so you can show shoulders and arms if you wish.  Light coloured, solid tops. Long dress with a light pattern for whimsy and softness. The dad can wear a solid shirt complimentary to mom’s colour, either a t shirt (new and neat please) or button down shirt can work. I ask for no stripes or patterns at that will be too busy and draw the eye away from the baby. 

•Siblings should be in solid, neutral colours (cream, white, grey) to keep focus on the baby. Pastel colours could also work.

Due to Covid-19 no shoes will be allowed into the studio, unless they are brand new and you take them out of the box in the studio. 

• Wraps, blankets and diaper covers can be used on the baby. Keeping everyone else in neutral colours will keep the focus on baby when they are swaddled in a colourful wrap. 

Think about where you want to display your images. Do you want them hanging on the nursery walls, or in frames in the living room. Do you want a collage of the photo’s or large canvasses, or perhaps even a photo album? Let me know so that I can keep this in mind when designing your session. It will also help if you let me know if there are specific colours that you have in mind to fit into your home, then I can plan accordingly.

•Feeding baby just before we start the session will help him or her to sleep soundly , you are welcome to feed once you get to the studio

•Your new-born’s session could last up to 3 hours so the siblings could get very bored. We need things to be relaxed and fairly quiet for the session, so please arrange for dad or another grown or someone you trust take your other children away after the family images are done.

•Dress in layers. The studio may become quite hot to make it comfortable for your little one. So to make sure that you will be comfortable, it is best to dress in layers.

•Relax! I am comfortable working with newborns. Your baby may get fussy, but I will get great shots; sometimes it just takes time to calm him or her down. Sometimes your baby will need to eat, get a new diaper and just need to cuddle with mama. Babies know when the parents are stressed, so staying relaxed and calm helps to keep your baby calm.

•Safety is very important to me, and I will always keep his or her safety in mind during the session. If there is ever a point during the session where you become uncomfortable, please let me know. Baby’s safety comes first.

Little ones grow up so quickly and they will only be this tiny for such a little while. During the first year the milestones that we cover with our photo sessions are: Newborn, Tummy Time (3 – 4 Months), Sitters (7 – 10 months) and of course the 1st birthday!

I have a lot of age appropriate props in the studio to use during your little one’s session.

Around  3 – 4 months old your baby is now so much more alert, smiling and laughing at the world. This is a wonderful opportunity to catch those smiles, those beautiful little eyes and soft baby body. This session is only 30 minutes as baby’s attention span is still very short. 

Schedule your session around your little one’s nap time, a tired baby will not co-operate.

Never come to a photoshoot on an empty stomach, make sure that baby has been fed.

Make sure that hands, feet and face are clean.

Relax, make sure that you arrive on time and don’t have to rush. Familiarise yourself with the location of the studio so that you don’t get lost.

For clothing solid colours are preferred over patterns, do bring a diaper cover if baby’s diaper is going to be showing.

Bring any important toys or comfort objects with to the session.

Around the time that your baby is 7 – 10 months old, he or she will begin to sit up. This is another big milestone in his or her life and another opportunity for beautiful (sitting photos)! Please note that baby has to be able to sit unaided for this session.

The session will be between 30 – 60 minutes, and is done in my studio only (no location sessions). Depending on the package that you choose, we start off with a mini family session, then move on to the smash part and end with a splash! This is a clean up bath that most baby’s enjoy, and it is the part of the session where I usually get all the smiles.

It is important to have this detail worked out first, so that I can make sure that I have the right décor. My style of décor is fairly simple, I don’t really go over the top as I feel that the focus should be on your baby. The Pure and Essential Packages have balloons, puffs and bunting in the colour of your choice. Should you wish to have themed decor, then please choose the Deluxe Package.

My baker has been providing cakes for my sessions for a while and she does beautiful work. The cake will fit in with the theme of your choice. She can also cater for babies with allergies. The cake price is not included in the session fee, and will be an additional cost. Please make sure to mention if your little one has any allergies.

I have a selection of tutu’s, headbands, pearls, hats and little bow ties that we can use, or you can bring your own. You are welcome to bring a different outfit for your baby for the family pictures.

•Schedule your session around your little one’s nap time, a tired baby will not co-operate.

•Never come to a photoshoot on an empty stomach, make sure that baby has been fed, but he or she should not be overly full or they won’t eat the cake.

•If your baby is sick on the day of the session, please contact me asap so that we can discuss to reschedule.

•Make sure that hands, feet and face are clean.

•Relax, make sure that you arrive on time and don’t have to rush. Familiarise yourself with the location of the studio so that you don’t get lost.

•Bring any important toys or comfort objects with to the session.

•Please bear in mind that most babies do not like the cake much, and may need some encouragement to play with it. Children can be unpredictable and I will do my best to get beautiful images, by working with your child.

As your photographer, it’s important to me that you look your best in your photos and that the photos are full of your personality and style.

To make preparing for your session a little less stressful, I have compiled a list of recommendations below. These are however just recommendations. It is your session so feel free to live up to your own unique style to match your personality.

If you are unsure of an outfit that you would like to bring and would like some advice, please don’t hesitate to contact me for assistance

Layers also make it easy to bring a bit of variety into your session. You could interchange jackets/cardigans/loose blouses over a base outfit to easily change your outfit. Time permitting during an hour session we could do one simple outfit change if you wish to change from a dressy look to a more casual look.

Just keep in mind that if it looks wrinkled in person, it will look extremely wrinkled on camera. Wrinkles cast shadows that are very obvious.

Iron your outfits the day before and don’t wear items that crease easily in the car– rather get dressed at the studio/location.

If you want to take pictures wearing your glasses please keep in mind that there will be glare on the lenses that can detract from your eyes. If possible, bring a pair of glasses with no lenses for the session.

Bra straps won’t do anything to help your outfit look its best. Be sure to bring a set of bras and strap-adjusting accessories to work with any outfit you want to shoot in to keep those straps well-hidden.

Be mindful of what you will be wearing at your shoot and don’t go into the sun for prolonged times just before your session as you could end up with a bad sunburn that will detract from your images.

This is your session! Interact with the other people in the photograph the way that you would normally do. Goof off, make faces, cuddle, hug, laugh and play. Do whatever your family would normally do to make the kids feel relaxed and make the photo’s more natural. Candid, “real” shots of the kids laughing and goofing off will be a lot more meaningful than forced smiles. Not everyone has to look at the camera at the same time.

Choosing the right time frame for your maternity photos is very important. You want to look very pregnant with a nice, round belly, but you don’t want to be so pregnant that you are starting to feel uncomfortable. For this reason, I recommend getting your photos done between 30 – 36 weeks.

During a family session everyone does not have to wear exactly the same (thinking of the jeans and white t-shirts trend here). This does not show off the personalities of the individuals and in my opinion makes the photos look boring. Especially in studio where the backdrop is simple and the focus is on the people. Better to choose a neutral colour and bring in co-ordinating colours that complement each other but will allow the individuality to shine through!

If you wish to wear prints make sure that they are the accent pieces and not the overall theme and that they don’t clash.

Jewellery is a great way to insert your own personal style into your portraits. Try to keep it simple and to a minimum. If your session includes infants and toddlers and you are going to have your arms around them a lot, then avoid bracelets or watches that may distract them.. 

Try to get enough sleep before your session, and avoid alcohol the night before. If your eyes are very red on the day of the shoot for some reason, there are eye drops on the market that will help clear them up.

Make sure that the shoes are clean and well presented. Please don’t wear white socks with dark pants. Make sure that your shoes won’t leave black marks on the backdrops.

Start to moisturise a couple of weeks before your session (Men especially) as dry flaky skin can detract from a portrait.

Schedule your session around your child’s nap or bed time. While the best time for outdoor photography as far as lighting is concerned is the two hours before sunset and after sunrise, this won’t be much fun if the children are grouchy. Never come to a photo shoot on an empty stomach. Give kids non-messy snacks before the session if they are hungry.

Clothes often look better in photographs when they are layered (weather permitting). Think cardigans, jackets, scarves and belts. Hats are good but don’t come to the session wearing them as they could leave impressions on your hair (i.e hat-head). Make sure that clothing fits properly as items that are either too small or too big won’t look good on a photo.

If you are going to get a haircut try to do it a week or two before the shoot. Tidy up eye brows, lip hair and nose hairs. They really do show up on the photos. Men – shave before the shoot and take care to look for those little stray hairs.

A subtle application of make-up can really soften your skin and accent your facial features. Make sure that your base matches your skin tone as a very orange or yellow tone will stand out in photos. Don’t over apply make-up as it is easier to cover up blemishes in after processing than to fix poorly applied make-up.

If you can afford to, having your hair and make-up done professionally can really add an extra oomph into your sessions.

Bring extra lip stick and facial powder to top up during the shoot.

Make sure that your nails are tidy and clean – touch up your nail polish if you have painted nails and try to wear colours that will compliment your colour scheme for the day.

Remember to remove keys and cell phones from your pockets!

Leave plenty of time before the session to get ready and organised. If possible, have your hair and make-up done well in time, and make sure to leave plenty of time for showers, baths, dressing and grooming. Make sure that you know where the location/studio is ahead of time so that you don’t get lost. When a family shoes up to a session rushed, frazzled and fighting it sets the tone for the session.

Contact me:

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066 274 9593

Email Us

hello@janinezphotography.com

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Cowies Hill, Pinetown
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