Over the years, I have had the pleasure of photographing many milestones and important moments for the Day family and I have loved every one of them! For this session, we were celebrating the twin's 1st birthday. Wow, I can't believe they're already a year old! When mom booked the boy's birthday session, she knew she wanted to do a Mickey Mouse theme with their outfits. They had just gone on vacation to Disney World and she found the cutest ears and Mickey suits for the kids. So when I got there, we went straight up to the playroom where she had set up some of the boy's favorite toys as well as some pieces from their family's vintage toy collection. It was so much fun to capture the boys playing and enjoying their playroom. It was the perfect way to photograph active twin boys! 

We next moved on to some lifestyle photos of the family together reading a Mickey Mouse book. It was so cute watching the babies and big sister interact with each other, and they really loved reading their book! After we finished up some family photos, it was time for the cake! Mom and Dad quickly changed the boys and got the cake ready. They boys had already had their birthday party by the time we did their session, so they had become familiar with eating a smash cake. They dove right in and loved their delicious cake!! We let the boys enjoy their cake for a few minutes and we couldn't hold big sister Roma off anymore...she was ready to eat some cake too! So she joined in and then Mom and Dad grabbed a fork for a few bites of celebratory birthday cake! I always feel that celebrating a first birthday isn't just for the baby but for the entire family....it's time to celebrate your first year together as a family, as a big sister and the accomplishment that you made it through the first year! Happy Birthday boys!

This couple was so amazing to work with...I think we laughed throughout the entire maternity and newborn sessions! Mom contacted me about photographing her maternity and newborn sessions, wanting to book the Belly to Baby photography package. This was their first baby and they wanted to capture this special time in their growing family's life! The couple moved here to Pittsburgh from out of state a few years ago and wanted to celebrate their time in the 'City of Bridges' with a maternity session downtown. So we met on the North Shore, walked through the Cultural District and back across the Roberto Clemente bridge for sunset photos with the downtown Pittsburgh skyline! It was one of those warm April evenings and perfect weather for a sunset maternity session! I loved that we were able to showcase the beauty of Pittsburgh for their session - a moment they would be able to cherish for years to come, whether they are still in Pittsburgh or if they move to another area of the country!

​When it was time for Baby K's newborn photos, Mom and Dad decided on a rich, deep color palette for his photos and props. So, I brought a variety of props that they were able to choose from that coordinated well with this nursery, their decor and his skin tone. Baby K was definitely more comfortable being wrapped and snuggled up tight, so I made sure to keep him wrapped and cozy for each setup. I really loved the dark, beautiful colors that we used for his photos, especially the gorgeous green, gray and blue vintage quilt for his bucket shot! 

I absolutely love working with families and repeat clients. I feel so honored to have had the chance to photograph their family for such important milestones. And I cannot wait to see what the future holds for Baby K and his family!

I first met this super sweet family for baby Tyler's newborn session. He was the cutest little newborn and when I got an email from mom about scheduling his sitter session, I was super excited to see how much he had grown! I just love when families choose the Watch Me Grow photo package because I love having the opportunity to capture their growing baby over the first year. They change so much...developmentally, physically, emotionally and it's so much fun to document their growth!

Mom chose to do their session at Phipps Conservatory. They are members and will often go explore the gardens. She said that Tyler loves to look at the various plants and is always really engaged in the exhibits. So it was the perfect location for their family photos and his 6 month sitter session. We went on the first day of the spring flower show so there were lots of amazing displays to explore, which were all fresh and new for Tyler. Plus, there were lots of people, especially grandmas, who fawned all over him and helped us get awesome smiles!

There is nothing sweeter than a couple who have welcomed a new little addition to their family! The anticipation and excitement is palpable and I love seeing the mixture of exhaustion and pure love for their new little baby. It's such a special time in their lives!! When mom contacted me at the end of last year to book their newborn session, I could tell how excited she was about the upcoming birth of their little baby girl!

Because all of my newborn photography sessions are offered in the client's home, I often do not know what type of lighting, set up or space I'll have to use until I arrive. It can be both exciting and challenging! But when I arrived to meet baby Emilia, I fell in love with their home - it was such a beautiful space to photograph! The living space was bright and airy, there was a really great big window space to set up for Emilia's posed photos and her nursery was absolutely stunning! They did such a wonderful job decorating her nursery and it was fun to capture all of the sweet details in her room.

When we finished up the family photos and lifestyle images in Emilia's nursery, I set up for her posed photos. Mom had a really fun time going through all of my props and headbands, making the final selections for Emilia's photos. And Emilia slept so well during her session that we were able to get through several set ups! Oftentimes, parents will have personal items that they would like to try and incorporate in the session, if possible. Mom had some really awesome items that we were able to use, including a blanket from her Aunt and some adorable pink paper flowers that were used at the baby shower! I think it adds a really unique and sentimental touch to the photos and I'm always happy to try and use them in their session!

One of the really fun aspects of being a photographer is that I am able to be creative and make each session personalized to each family. When Baby Mabel's mom contacted me about a newborn session, she said that wanted to primarily focus on lifestyle images of her new family and baby girl. But she also wanted a few posed photos. Each family is so different and they each have their own preferences. So it's really important to fully understand what the parents have in mind for their photos so I can provide a custom session, just for them! 

When I arrived to their home, I was greeted by their super friends pup who they wanted to include in a few of their photos. We started with some family photos downstairs and included their dog, who eagerly joined in on the family fun! Afterwards, we headed upstairs to get some photos in the nursery and their bedroom, which had really beautiful light! And Mabel's nursery was decorated so cute, I was excited to use the space as a backdrop! We made sure to capture some really snuggly images and I love how proud and beaming both Mom and Dad looked while staring into the beautiful face of their new daughter. I was even able to snap a few photos of their fur baby checking in on Mabel in her crib! 

For Mabel's posed photos, we focused on simple, light and airy setups. Mom helped narrow down the choices for her colors and headbands, which ended up looking beautiful on Mabel's skin tone and jet-black hair color! She was so snuggly and easily slept through her session which gave me the chance to photograph her in a few different poses. She was the perfect little model for her first photo session! 

It's always really exciting for me to work with repeat families and watch their family grow over the years. I feel so honored that families will have me come back and capture the special moments in their life, like welcoming the newest addition to their family! I met this adorable family for a fall mini session a few years ago and was really excited to hear from mom after the birth of their sweet baby girl. They wanted to book a lifestyle newborn session to capture the sweet moments between big brother, big sister and their new little baby. 

It had been over a year since I saw them, but as soon as I walked into the door, I felt so welcome and big brother gave me a huge hug! They are just the sweetest!! We started with some photos of the siblings together and then let the older kids take a break while I captured some photos of the baby. I find it is usually easier to start with photos of the baby with the older siblings, especially if they are younger. Young children tend to lose interest and excitement, so we get those cute, snuggly pictures first and then let them go take a break and play. Then if they want to come back and take some more with their baby brother or sister, we can do that! So we posed baby sister with each of the older kids and I just love the proud expressions they both have while holding their baby sister! They are both going to be such amazing older siblings!

Happy 1st Birthday sweet Luca!! I first met Luca and his parents this past summer for his 6 month sitter photo session. I fell in love with this little guy immediately - his smile is just the cutest!! And his parents are just the sweetest people, I was really excited when mom booked Luca's first birthday session with me!

Having winter birthdays in Pittsburgh can be hard for setting up a cake smash. Because I choose to travel to client's homes or other public locations, sometimes we need to get creative on where we do an indoor cake smash photo session. Luckily, the family belongs to a local country club and were given permission to do Luca's photos in their clubhouse. It really lucked out because it was snowy and freezing cold that morning, so there was no way we could attempt an outdoor session with little Luca. The room Mom chose was bright and full of big, beautiful windows so I first captured some photos of Luca walking around the room. His little bowtie outfit was simply adorable and perfect for a little man's birthday photos! Mom and I then set up for the cake smash some some of the props Mom brought with her. Luca was a little hesitant about the cake at first, but once he realized what the cake was, he dove in for the icing! Of course he was covered in icing by the end and absolutely adorable!!

Meet Baby Luca...he is the first baby for this sweet family and so stinkin' adorable! I met them at their home on a cold, snowy day and loved spending my morning with Luca and his parents. Mom and Dad wanted to take some family photos in his nursery, plus some lifestyle photos of Luca in his crib. He had the most adorable little nursery with a nautical theme! I love taking photos of newborn babies in their crib. They are just so tiny and look so cute in this big bed. It's amazing that one day, sooner than they think, Luca will be jumping up and down in that crib and calling out to them in the morning, ready to start the day! 

After their family photos, we moved on to his posed photos. Mom's only request was to use a custom hat she purchased for his photos. It was an adorable, hand made hat from Ireland! He slept so well for his posed photos and we were able to capture several little set ups and poses. He was a rock star in his session! I especially loved photographing his little details - fingers, toes, lips and his full head of hair! It always amazes me how quickly babies grow and change so those tiny little fingernails will never be that tiny again, so it's so sweet to look back on those amazing details! 

Meet the sweetest new addition to the Faust Family!! I first met this family in the fall for big brother Charlie's 2nd birthday and family photo session. When I first met them this past fall, Charlie was a bit slow to warm up to me but by the end of the session, he was running around, playing in the leaves, and checking out his photos on the back of my camera. When I came back for their newborn session, he was pretty much ready to go! After a snack and episode of Elmo while I was setting up and wrapping baby sister, he was ready for family photos! And then it was time for him to hold her for their sibling pose. With toddlers, we have to be extra careful because they're not always aware of their space and may jump up all of the sudden, moving the baby quickly out of the way. But Charlie was not like that at all! He was super careful with her and did really well lying there to get his picture taken. He's already such a good big brother!! 

After family photos, Mom and I headed upstairs to set up for the newborn posed photos. She was definitely a fan of being wrapped and was easily more settled if I had her wrapped up for the different poses. So, we made sure to keep her wrapped up and contained but could get a bit of variety out of the set ups. I absolutely loved using the purple lace backdrop with her and I think it's a beautiful compliment for her gorgeous skin tone and dark hair!