This was a session I was looking forward to as soon as mom, Carolyn, contacted me about setting up photos for them. Even though they live out of state, they absolutely love Pittsburgh and knew they wanted to feature the iconic yellow bridges in their session. I really loved the idea and was really excited about shooting a session in the city! It's not very often I get to do sessions in downtown Pittsburgh so I was looking forward to the change of scenery! We decided to meet at the Roberto Clemente bridge, which happened to be closed for road repairs that morning. It worked out well because it allowed us to walk on the bridge and in the road without worrying about traffic. 

What is so fun about this family is not only are they super friendly, funny and easy going, but with two teenage brothers and a little sister, the dynamic was really fun! It was very clear how much these kids love each other. Little sister just loved taking pictures with her big brothers and had ideas of how she wanted to pose with each of them. It was so cute!! We ended up with a beautiful spring morning and I'm so glad we had the chance to capture such sweet family photos before the boys go off to college.

What a fun family! I was contacted by mom's sister who wanted to gift a maternity and newborn session, 'Belly to Baby' package, in celebration of their second baby girl. What an amazing gift!! They decided on in-home, lifestyle sessions, which were perfect for this family. I loved the casual, relaxed atmosphere in their home and it was fun getting to know them all during both of the sessions. I really enjoy doing the Belly to Baby sessions because it gives me a chance to watch the family and grow with the birth of their new baby. Whether it's their first child or their 'we-have-too-many-to-count' child, the family dynamic always changes when the newborn comes home and its really fun to capture those moments! 

In the maternity session, mom really wanted to capture silhouette images of her belly and her toddler. They had a big, beautiful window that had gorgeous light to help backlight the images for her. These were some of my favorite images because of the closeness and intimacy captured between mom and her daughter. 

For the newborn session, we used mom and dad's bedroom which was the perfect backdrop for their family photos. The casual, cuddly images were absolutely perfect to showcase the love and connection between them all. When it came time for big sister to take photos with Baby "L", she was cooperative and excited to lie with her baby sister for the photos. Plus, with a promise of a sweet treat at the end, big sister was eager to help out. 

Mom contacted me a few months before the session to discuss having their family portraits done and explained that they haven't had an updated family photo since having their sweet baby boy. So, it was definitely time for family photos! With it being March in Pittsburgh, we felt it was a bit cold to be outside with their 9 month old, so we decided to visit the local indoor floral conservatory. It was fun walking around with the family, capturing their interactions and visiting the beautiful floral spaces inside of the conservatory! I think baby Marcus really loved seeing all of the flora and fauna, not to mention the whimsical characters that were created for the spring flower show! But I think the best part was capturing Marcus' amazing smile! He is such a happy baby and stayed engaged the entire one hour session! He just lit up when he was interacting with his mom and dad, plus he loved playing peek-a-boo with me behind the camera.

This age is so much fun because they are so interactive and playful. I can usually get such gorgeous smiles and eye contact with the camera! Plus, babies in this age group typically are not too mobile, so we do not have to worry too much about chasing them around to capture those amazing smiles. I find it so important to capture your babies at each developmental stage, especially in the first year. Babies change and grow so much in the first year, it is truly amazing to look back on those developmental milestone sessions and see how much they change in just a short period of time. I'm sure by the time baby Marcus is a one year old, he will be speed crawling around the house, cruising around the furniture and maybe even walking!  And now his parents have these photos to remind them of their baby before he quickly turns into a toddler!

I met this amazing family two years ago for Dalton's newborn photos. I immediately fell in love with this family! They are so funny and I always leave with my cheeks hurting from smiling and laughing so much. I guess that's what you get with hilarious parents, fun teenagers and an active toddler!! It was pretty chilly on the day of his 2nd birthday session, so we opted for lifestyle photos in the house. I really love this style of photography because I think it gives me a chance to capture the genuine interactions within the family. It's fun especially with the whole family there to participate. Parents, siblings, grandmothers and aunts...it's a family affair! Dalton is one loved little boy and it really shows in how they all play and engage with each other. I feel lucky to have worked with Dalton and his family over the past few years and I look forward to seeing him grow in his photo session each year!