Oh, sweet Evelyn - I cannot believe you're already a one year old!! From maternity photos and her newborn session to celebrating her first birthday, it has been so amazing watching this beautiful baby girl grow in her first year. I feel so lucky to have this business - to get to meet and build relationships with so many sweet families and capture images that they can cherish for a lifetime! Mom and Dad decided they wanted to take their photos at North Park and I had the perfect hidden treasure location for their sunset fall session. It's a great mix of large fields with tall grass, trees with changing leaves and gorgeous sunset light!

Mom had an adorable custom, monogrammed dress made for the occasion and fit perfectly with her fall themed birthday session. And the little baby pumpkins she brought along were the perfect props to match! We started with some family photos while we allowed Evelyn to get used to the camera. This is the absolute best way to help kids ease into a session - let them stay close to their parents, engage in play while they snuggle together and I slowly get closer as I photograph little details of the family interacting. After Evelyn warmed up a little more, we had her stand or sit on her own for some solo birthday photos. I always love hearing moms and dads behind me trying to get smiles and laughs from their kiddos....the sounds, songs, and silly dances make the best entertainment! And they knew exactly what to do to get beautiful smiles from their sweet baby girl!

In sticking with the pumpkin and fall theme, mom brought a light orange icing smash cake with a pumpkin ONE cake topper in sparkly gold. Evelyn also changed into a pink and gold sparkly tutu, totally fitting for her cake smash! At first she was not too sure about touching or eating the cake, but after some help from mom and dad, she got her hands in to the cake and took a few bites. Sometimes kids need a little help with their cake smash, we never know how they are going to react to this new experience. Most babies have never had cake or this sort of treat before or maybe they are not a fan of soft texture foods, so it's important to stay flexible and understanding that every child is going to respond differently. Luckily, once Evelyn got her hand into the cake, she started to get the hang of it and she had fun with it! Smashing and eating cake is such a fun way to celebrate that first year milestone!!

For baby Bruno's in-home lifestyle newborn session, I was actually contacted by mom's sister who wanted to book the session as a gift for the new family. I could tell how close the sisters are and just how special their relationship is so this gift was incredibly important to the family! When little Bruno arrived, we set up a day for their session and I was so excited to meet this sweet baby boy! Mom and Dad were both so warm and inviting. And they were so excited for their photography session! It was so obvious just how much in love they both were with their new son and was wonderful to capture this in their images. 

We took photos in various spots around their house including the living room, Bruno's nursery and even the stairwell! Living in an older home in the city, there were some really great architectural details that I wanted to capture and the stairs offered a great backdrop with beautiful lighting! During my lifestyle newborn sessions, I encourage a lot of cuddles and kisses with their new baby. Mom and Dad were both so natural in front of the camera and happily snuggled their baby boy which allowed for some really sweet, intimate and candid images! I loved photographing this adorable family and am so happy to capture these images of their new baby!

​All images by Becca Baker Photography
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania newborn, maternity, child & family photographer
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*Becca Baker Photography specializes in newborn, infant/child, maternity and family photography in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and the surrounding areas.*
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I first met the Schaming family for their older daughter's first birthday session and have had the pleasure of photographing their family for the past few years. When mom contacted me to book a newborn session for their second daughter, I was excited to see them again and photograph their growing family! It is always so much fun to build a relationship with a family and capture such special moments in their lives! This session was also fun because grandparents were visiting and were able to participate in the session. Sometimes when I arrive for a session, there is a visiting family member - an aunt, grandparent - to help the family during the early days after delivery. When I see that family is present, I like to encourage them to take a few photos with the baby as this is a special time for them as well! So it was really great that Caroline and Emily's grandparents were there and ready for photos! 

Mom and Dad decided on taking family photos in their bedroom, as well as some lifestyle images in Emily's nursery. I loved the moment of Caroline reaching in to hold Emily's hand while she was lying in her crib. Such a sweet little moment!! After capturing some family photos, we got started with Emily's posed newborn photos. Mom had purchased a wrap and headband set that matched Caroline's dress, so we made sure to incorporate this special wrap into her photos. Mom chose to use neutral tones, pinks and some teal in the posed set ups. We chose several shades of pink and teal as pops of color on the neutral backdrops. I love working with the parents on selecting our final props for their session, but I really love when the older siblings get involved in making choices as well. It's such a fun way to keep the family involved in the process and it always helps to customize their session to their own preferences. I want to ensure the family is happy with the final images and allowing them input in what props are chosen is extremely important!