One of the big changes I have made so far this year is that I am now offering Fresh 48 photo sessions. I started by taking some photos for a few friends after they had their babies and I really fell in love with these sessions! There is something really sweet and raw about photographing a baby and their family just hours after delivery. Fresh 48 sessions are great for documenting these first moments of getting to know baby on the first day of their life. What a special and life-changing moment to capture images! I especially love photographing all the little details of the fresh, new baby...the wrinkly toes, their hospital name band and family card, even baby swaddled up in the classic hospital blanket!

I was really excited when I was contacted by mom, Melissa. She and I used to work together in the Emergency Department at Children's Hospital and I could not wait to meet the new little love they brought into their family! And I was especially excited that the family booked my Luxe newborn package, which includes the Fresh 48 session and a traditional in-home newborn posed session. I would get two chances to snuggle with sweet baby Rylee! 

Being January, it was a pretty cold, dreary and snowy day when I went to do their Fresh 48 session, but we opened up the windows to get as much natural light into the room. Mom bought this super cute, stretchy wrap and headband she wanted to use, so I swaddled her in the beautiful floral wrap and captured some snuggly images of Rylee with her mom and dad. I love how sweet and cuddly they both were with her and they just doted on her throughout the entire session! 

A few days later, I drove back out to Ohio for their posed newborn session. Mom and Dad created an adorable purple and gray nursery for baby Rylee, so Mom decided she wanted to use purple, gray and neutral colors in the backdrops, props, wraps and headbands that we used for Rylee's posed photos. We also used a navy blue and pink set up because who can resist a little girl in blue? I really loved that we were able to use so many different shades of purple to really give her gallery a cohesive style! She was such a gorgeous little peanut and loved being swaddled and wrapped for her photos. She was the perfect little model! 

My first session of 2019 was to celebrate sweet baby Luca! I was lucky enough to photograph Luca for his newborn, 6 month and 1st birthday photos so it was really exciting to watch him grow over his first year! That's what I really love about families booking the 'Watch Me Grow' package, because I feel like I get to celebrate their baby's milestones right alongside them! Another really great perk to photographing a child over their first year, is I also get to witness their parents grow and change over the first year. We go through so much, especially as new parents, so it's always really fun to see how a family changes from their first session with baby as a newborn and then once they have crossed the line from baby to toddler. Parents become more confident and comfortable in their new role and I see the first birthday as not just a celebration of baby, but also a huge milestone for the parents!

Because it's January in Pittsburgh, we decided that it was entirely too cold to attempt an outdoor photo session, so mom and dad opted for a lifestyle session in their home. The family is pretty casual so this was a great option for them to have some candid moments captured with their little boy. We first started with some photos of Luca playing with some of his favorite toys. He was making the funniest faces while playing with his little piano and blocks! I then asked mom and dad to get on the floor with him and play. Just getting the parents to play and interact with their child, we can get some of the best candid moments!

For the cake smash photos, I brought a vintage wooden highchair and we set up in their dining room. Mom had ordered a super adorable polka dot cake from a local bakery to go along with his monster themed diaper cover and suspenders. Such a cute cake smash outfit! Luca's first birthday party is monster theme so when he gave me his best 'monster face,' I could not stop laughing! He took a few minutes to get into playing with the cake, as some babies do, but he eventually got into it and even tasted a few bites. You never know how a baby is going to do with their cake smash but it's always fun to watch them for the first time!