Two Bright Lights is ready for babies!! We are so excited about the expansion into new categories – now photographers can upload, share and submit all sorts of events including everything related to babies. And we have some fabulous new editorial partners who are thrilled to check out, accept, and feature your work. And today we are thrilled to feature….
Lauren Halperin of Baby Lifestyles
Baby Lifestyles seems to cover everything babies, from nursery design to celebrity babies to real baby showers. Could you tell us a bit more about your editorial style and the types of images you hope Two Bright Lights users submit to you?
While Baby Lifestyles does cover current events and celebrity headlines, our main focus is on the moments in baby’s life that parents want to remember. Images illustrate these moments in their truest form, which is why we feel photography plays such an important part in baby’s life. Baby showers and birthday parties play a huge role in the editorial content of Baby Lifestyles.
We love images that showcase ideas of décor, style, themed parties, and original interpretations of celebrations. It’s on these occasions that parents often hire professional photographers to capture the details of their day and provide gorgeous pictures for our readers. Nurseries are very special to parents as they work diligently on their creation. While parents are pregnant and nesting, the nursery room gives them something tangible to focus on while they patiently wait for a new life to come into their world. Nurseries are often changed after a few years as babies transition to toddlers, so taking pictures of nurseries both while creating them and finished becomes important to parents for remembering the space their baby first occupied.
Image and Design Courtesy of Dawn of Designing Dawn
We’re so happy to announce the addition of maternity photography and newborn sessions to Baby Lifestyles. These are special times in the lives of parents which are truly captured through the lens of a camera. We are actively seeking beautiful and touching photography that illustrates the emotions of parents expecting a baby, and those incredible shots of newborns in wonder of everything around them.
Why did you start Baby Lifestyles?
After I sold my last print publication, I wanted to do something solely online. After I was married, I had entered that phase in my life where all my friends seemed to get pregnant at the same time. Baby Lifestyles originally started as a way for me to communicate trends to my friends about what celebrities and other moms were doing for their baby showers, how they were decorating their nurseries, and what products were trendy.
How would you describe Baby Lifestyles in a few words?
Baby Lifestyles is an online magazine and website for parents looking celebrate their baby’s world.
Could you tell us about your upcoming issue of Baby Lifestyle Magazine? What are you most excited about? When is your next issue coming out?
OUR CURRENT ISSUE: The August/ September issue of Baby Lifestyles was about celebrating baby in the summer time. We featured several parties that were outdoor events in the sunshine, with bright colors, and beautiful details.
OUR NEXT ISSUE: As we approach the October/ November issue and the December/ January issue, we are finding ourselves turn towards the change of seasons and holidays. While each issue does not have a ‘theme’, we do try to incorporate editorial that encompasses the time of year.
Baby Lifestyles Magazine is geared towards parties and nurseries taken by professional photographers as opposed to amateurs. The magazine itself was started as professional photographers started sending in their work of birthday parties, nurseries, baby showers, tutorials, etc. When we saw the caliber of photography far surpassed that of parent submissions, we wanted to give these pictures a place to be showcased.
Baby websites, blogs, etc. seem to be exploding online. It seems to be not only a growing category for photographers to shoot, but also for editors to cover. Why do you think that is? How do you see Baby Lifestyles fitting into this market?
Interesting fact, in 2009, there were more babies born than in any year of the post World War II baby boom. In the past five years, there has been more than 10 million babies born. With lots of websites and blogs devoted to babies, they are only following the trend accordingly. When I launched Baby Lifestyles the one thing I wanted to set it apart was that we would not include anything medically related. Many others out there (and I won’t name names) focus on the medical issues surrounding baby and pregnancy. Baby Lifestyles is about celebrating the fun of having a baby. If you ask any parent what they hope for their expected baby, they’ll tell you “I don’t care as long as it’s healthy.” Probe a little past that, and parents have big dreams!
What is your favorite part of being an editor of Baby Lifestyles?
The baby industry is an amazing world to be a part of. From designers and manufacturers, to party planners and photographers, everyone has a smile on their face when thinking about their adorable, tiny clients. Being an editor allows you to spot trends across the board and share them with parents who are so excited to see the next hot thing. It’s so great to reveal ideas with parents who will implement them for their own lives and that of their children, knowing that you are helping them create memories they will have forever in the process.
What makes baby related submissions do you absolutely love? What makes a stellar submission for you? What is one mistake that photographers make when they submit to you?
We love submissions that illustrate details clearly and uniquely. A great submission is all about the photography. Take a nursery submission, for example, where most include a submission of where the crib is placed. It’s amazing the difference details can make, whether it’s displaying the crib bedding pattern, or giving us a baby’s eye view of the mobile.
Photography submissions that stick out are ones that are creative in their individuality. Whether that means an incredible birthday party with vivid party details, the way tiny fingers are curled up on a newborn’s hand, a picturesque background where a maternity shoot is taking place, a floral centerpiece at a baby shower table, or a family heirloom on a nursery shelf, bright, clear colorful details shown in interesting ways get our attention.
We’re also getting submissions from planners and stylists where they stage parties for us and hire photographers to do stunning shoots. This Red Riding Hood party was one such one. The photography gives the entire setting a fairy tale, dreamy feel to it.
Event Styling, Graphic Design & Printables: One Sweet Party
Photography: Karen Lisa Artistic Photograpy
What types of shoots will you be looking for from Two Bright Lights users?
We are actively seeking photography shoots of moments in baby’s life. This includes maternity, newborn, parties, indoor settings such as nurseries, playrooms, big kid rooms, etc., as well as special moment collages including birth photography. We recently got a beautiful shoot of a 10-month-old playing in a pumpkin patch against colorful Autumn foliage. Beautiful! With the launch of our maternity and newborn section, we’re very interested in seeing creative and different shoots!
Could you share with us some of your favorite features?
One of my favorite shoots was a newborn photography shoot which perfectly illustrated all the emotions of a mom giving birth. If photography is about capturing the emotions of a moment, this shoot definitely did that!
Images courtesy of Ciao Bella Photography
Kingston’s nursery was actually designed by his professional photographer mom. When we speak of showing off a room’s details and color, this shoot nailed it in every way.
Images Courtesy of Pink Coffee Photography
This blue, geometric nursery was another one that really stuck out at me.
Images courtesy of Four Walls and a Roof
When it comes to parties, it’s very much about the details. The best are by far the ones used in our e-glossy magazines, but online I love the Land of Sweets party for it’s incredible color palette. It was such a unique twist on the Candy Land theme and the pictures display that perfectly. Dessert buffets are the hottest things in every kind of party so getting shots of the dessert buffet are crowd pleasers in every submission.
Images courtesy of Michelle Lee Photography
Paper decor and party styling: Sugarsticks Parties
Ones like this Pink Explosion party do a great job of getting the details of the dessert buffet from every angle.
Images courtesy of CJ Scott Photography
If you want to learn more about Lauren, Baby Lifestyles, and their editorial style before you submit, check out their Website or Twitter stream.
