I am so excited to share the maternity and newborn sessions for the latest addition to the Burger family! I have been lucky enough to photograph this gorgeous family since the maternity photos for their first daughter Avery. It has been an absolute pleasure getting to know them over the past few years and I was so excited to hear about the upcoming arrival of their second daughter!! Mom contacted me to share the wonderful news and book the Belly to Baby photography package, which includes both maternity and newborn sessions.

We started planning for their maternity photos and, as it worked out, it had snowed that weekend so we were able to get a beautiful winter background for their photos. It was pretty cold outside that afternoon, so Mom wanted to do part of her session outside at a park near her home as well as indoor for a more casual, lifestyle maternity session. I absolutely loved the relaxed, casual vibe of their in-home maternity photos and I think it really provided a nice balance to their posed winter photos outside. This was also a great opportunity for me to see the space at home where we would be taking photos during the newborn session. I do not often know what sort of home set up, lighting or space I will have to work with during the in-home sessions, so this was such a great way for me to plan my props and colors before little Peyton's arrival and scheduled newborn session.

Once Peyton was born, Mom contacted me to set up a morning for their newborn photos. I already had a look at Petyon's nursery during the maternity photos and we discussed what colors she liked as well as colors she wanted to avoid during the session, which made planning much easier for me! Mom also had a newborn photo of big sister Avery that I took using neutral color tones with lace and a bow headband that she wanted to try to coordinate with one of Peyton's setups. After taking some family photos in various spots around the house, including the living room, nursery and the parent's bedroom, we got started with Peyton's posed newborn photos. Mom selected a mauve color which we incorporated in a couple of different setups. This color looked beautiful against her skin tone and it was such a great color choice to coordinate with other delicate prop choices. Avery and Peyton are such beautiful girls and I am so grateful to be able to capture this special moment in their lives - watching Avery grow into a big sister and see their family welcome sweet baby Peyton into their home!

I am so excited to share from Fallons' first birthday and the Kiefer family's portrait session! I have had the pleasure of photographing their family since big sister Emme's newborn session but since Fallon was born during quarantine last year, I did not have a chance to meet the newest addition to their family. So when mom contacted me to set up a session for Fallons' first birthday, I was super excited to catch up and meet their new baby girl! We ended up with a beautiful March evening with absolutely stunning sunset lighting. Mom wanted to use a location that had an option for shelter in case we had poor weather, which often happens in Pittsburgh's spring season, so we settled on Aspinwall Riverfront Park. This was a new session location for me, but as it sits right along the river and has a really nice covered pavilion, this is definitely going on my list as a recommendation for other portrait sessions!

​The family was ready and jumped right in to taking their photos - it always makes things more fun and easy when families feel comfortable with each other in front of the camera. This is not easy to do! I always encourage families to focus on each other, instead of the camera, as a way to get those natural interactions. This may be while dancing, telling jokes, giving tickles or LOTS of hugs and kisses! The best smiles come from genuine joy while interacting with the ones you love! The Kiefer's were great at playing around and having fun with their children, which allowed me to capture those sweet candid moments of joy!

The girls were wearing a dress and romper set that coordinated beautifully together. After taking some family photos, the girls had an outfit change to get ready for Fallon's individual first birthday photos and her cake smash. In a lilac and lace romper with white lace headband, she looked picture perfect! Mom also came prepared with a pink 1 balloon and a pink and purple cake. Fallon took her time picking off the sprinkles while daintily eating her cake but big sister Emme was ready to dig in as soon as mom and dad gave the go ahead! It was so fun watching these two sisters interact and I absolutely loved watching Emme as a big sister! It was so great to see the family again and I look forward to future sessions with the Kiefer family!!

Welcome to the world, Baby Connor!! When mom, Meghan, contacted me about booking a newborn session for their first child, the excitement about the impending arrival of their baby was very obvious which made me so excited to meet their family! She decided on a Full Newborn package which includes family photos as well as traditional posed newborn photos. When I arrived to their home for the session, both Meghan and Zac were warm, welcoming and excited to get started with their photos!

We started with family photos in their beautiful living room - it was easy to prompt them to cuddle and love on Connor. They were proud parents and I loved seeing how attentive and loving they were with Connor and each other. We then moved on to some photos in Connor's nursery. They decided to wait to find out the gender of their baby until delivery, so the nursery was beautifully neutral but also included some gorgeous design details. Because the nursery was decorated in neutral tones, they decided on using some colors in the posed newborn photos. They opted for grays, blues and greens for the props. The blue wrap we used in Connor's first set up was absolutely perfect with his gorgeous deep blue eyes! Mom was prepared with some props she had available including a gray and white pant/hat set, some hockey props which hold sentimental value for dad and a gifted green sleeper and hat set. We ended the session with the green sleeper outfit which was absolutely adorable on Connor as he slept comfortably in the gray wooden crate we chose. The little tie sleeper was perfect for photographing Connor's little fingers and toes!! And it was a great pop of color with the neutral fur rug and rustic blanket we selected. Neutral tones provide such a great base for posed photos but I love incorporating color to show off the beautiful details of a baby which worked so well in little Connor's posed newborn session!