I only offer mini sessions a few times each year, including holiday minis. For the past few years, I have used a Christmas tree farm for these holiday sessions but this year I decided to offer a different location. I contacted an owner of a local farm in Butler and she graciously agreed to let me use her gorgeous property for the minis. Her property was perfect for an alternate location and it provided a variety of background spots to set up for photos. With a rustic, natural backdrop, we were able to capture a variety of photos for each family. 

As always, my clients were amazing! So many sweet families and silly kids which made the day really fun! Everyone came dressed for their holiday photos but I also had a few props available to complete the Christmas theme including a vintage wooden sled and various blankets for families to wrap up in. I am so lucky to have such wonderful clients and I am always thankful for the opportunity to capture such important moments for families! 

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I first met the Schaming family last year for Caroline's first birthday photos. Mom contacted me this year to schedule updated family photos and I was excited to see them again - Caroline had grown so much over the past year!! She wanted to schedule a fall session and we settled on a date in November. On the day of our session, the area had it's first early snowfall of the year, so the air was a bit chilly and there was a little snow still left on the ground. Mom and Dad came prepared with lots of adorable winter outfits for Caroline and the snow looked so beautiful with the late afternoon sun and tall, grassy fields in the Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve. 

Caroline was just a little shy at the beginning of our session and did not want to stray too far from her mama or daddy, but after she settled in, she had fun exploring the fields, playing with the snow and snuggling with her parents. She loved stomping around in the snow with her boots!! Beechwood Farms is such a gorgeous location that offers really beautiful light all year round. There are so many wonderful fields and trails to explore - it's a perfect place to let kids and families have fun during their portrait sessions! 

Welcome to the World, sweet Nora!!

In meeting Nora's parents, I immediately felt at home as they were so kind and welcoming as soon as I arrived to their home. We started with family photos in Nora's adorably decorated nursery. Mom had purchased a little outfit that she wanted to use, including a pink tutu, bow and a 'hello world' onesie. Nora was so adorable snuggling with her mama and daddy and we were able to capture some really sweet moments of their new little family. 

After finishing up their family photos, we moved on to the posed newborn photos of Nora. In her pre-session questionnaire, mom stated that she wanted to use colors that complimented her nursery as well as some fall colors to celebrate the season in which she was born. I brought a variety of colors and props for them to choose from and I loved the delicate, feminine choices we settled on for her posed photos. The floral and lace details coordinated throughout each set-up. For a fall themed setup, we selected a sunflower headband and complimented the headband with beautiful, rich jewel tones. I loved the overall colors and props that we included in each of Nora's setups - it was perfectly feminine for this sweet girl and matched the style mom explained while planning their session. I absolutely loved getting to know the Wessel family and their new baby daughter!

Oh, fall weather in Pittsburgh - it's a love/hate relationship for photographers! In planning for the Kerns family portrait session, we were scheduled on a day expecting rain storms and a pretty nasty forecast so after much back and forth, we changed the date and location in order to avoid the storms. After making some changes, the forecast changed to expect rain on our new date, but we decided to push through and chance it. I'm so glad we didn't cancel again because we ended up with a gorgeous, sunny afternoon in Sewickley Heights Borough Park!

As soon as we walked to our location to start the session, the Kerns sisters were super silly and fun to interact with for photos. I loved how the girls were immediately playful and had fun taking photos with each other and their parents. And they loved it! This allowed me to capture those candid smiles, laughs and true interactions within the family that I hope they will treasure forever!