Sweet Nora - I cannot believe you are already a one year old! I had the wonderful pleasure of photographing Nora's newborn session so when Mom emailed me about her first birthday session, I could not believe it was time! Whenever my newborn client families contact me about setting up their first birthday photos, I am always so shocked that it has been a year - that time just flies by so fast and it always surprises me! Having a fall birthday, Mom knew she wanted to choose a location that provided a beautiful fall backdrop, which Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve never disappoints!

With young children, I find that it's best to start with family photos as it gives the baby a chance to warm up to me being around them in the comfort of their parent's care. So we started with family photos, sitting on a vintage quilt, snuggling together and loving on their little baby girl. We then moved down into the park near a large field full of goldenrods, which always photograph beautifully for fall photos. I captured some images of each parent with Nora, playing and cuddling together. Then after some time getting comfortable with me and the camera, we had Nora sit by herself in the field. Mom and Dad stood behind me, getting Nora's attention and helping make her laugh. She had the best smiles and reactions to Mom and Dad's antics! 

Nora was very warmed up and comfortable at this point, so she had a quick outfit change and we moved up to a stone path for some photos with her wooden 1 and balloons for her first birthday themed images. She loved crawling around, playing with the props and giggling at her parents! Next, she had another quick outfit change and we set up for her cake smash. Mom brought along the cake, balloons and a birthday banner which we were able to incorporate into the photos in the field. After Mom helped her get started with the cake, Nora had no problem eating the icing and playing with the cake! The facial expressions she made as she enjoyed each bite was the absolute best! She truly enjoyed her birthday cake and it really came through in her photos! What a fun, outdoor first birthday session!

Oh, the Abel family - how much I love to photograph this gorgeous family! Mom and Dad are so much fun and the girls make me a laugh throughout each session! I last saw the family for baby sister Maggie's newborn session so when Mom contacted me to photograph their family, I was excited to see them again now that Maggie was a young toddler! The family decided on Hartwood Acres Mansion for their photos and we ended up having a stunning sunset evening for their session. We started our session near the mansion, which always provides a gorgeous backdrop for photos. The mansion itself is beautiful, but I also love using the steps and walls around the grounds as they offer a different perspective of the mansion along with beautiful landscaping for interesting texture to the photos. With three young daughters, I encouraged the family to play and interact with the girls in order to get those true smiles, laughs and genuine connection within the family. But when photographing the girls or mom with her daughters, Dad was THE BEST at making silly noises or faces to get amazing reactions from each of his girls! We were able to capture the biggest and best smiles from the girls! After spending some time at the mansion, we went over to a large field nearby for some photos of the family sitting and snuggling together - which immediately resulted in a tickle party! You can almost hear the laughs when looking at their photos!

From here, we moved over into the garden when where I then took some individual photos of the girls among the beautiful flowers. I often encourage older children to participate in how they want their photos to look - by selecting a flower patch or spot they would like to use, how they would like to pose or getting them to interact with me by playing silly games. I find that children are often more engaged and invested in having their photos taken when they are given choices and a change to participate. And we often get some of the best photos during this part of the session! We ended up with one last family photo in the garden, at which point the girls were tired and super silly, but I love how silly and genuine each family looks in these photos. It truly captured each personality as well as their time together as a family!

Oh, sweet baby Violet - you are so incredibly loved!! I was contacted by mom, Kimber, who is a fellow photographer to capture newborn photos of her second daughter Violet. She also wanted to prioritize photos of her oldest daughter, Mila, and the girls together. Mila was a total ham during the session and gave the BEST facial expressions! She was so much fun and didn't stray too far too from her new baby sister so we were able to get some really adorable images of the two girls together. 

Violet was such a great little sleeper during her posed newborn images and we were able to move through a variety of poses and set ups. Mom mentioned that she would like to use neutral tones in the session with touches of teal and purple to go along with her name, Violet. Within my newborn questionnaire, I ask about the colors the family would like to use but also any colors they would like to avoid in the session. Kimber answered that they were not big fans of the color pink, so she knew she did not want to use any pink tones. It is super helpful when families complete this questionnaire and let me know exactly what colors they prefer and not like as well as any ideas they have for their session. Each newborn session is customized based on that individual family and their preferences, so the more information on what they like or do not like, is most helpful in selecting which newborn props I bring with me to the session. Once I arrived with all of my blankets, wraps, headbands and posing bowls, Mom and I worked together to decide which props would be used during the posed photos. Even Mila helped us choose headbands and wraps. This allowed the session to be completely customized for the Lee family! 

Welcome to the world, little Maddie!! She's joining big brother, Mason, to the super sweet Osborne family! I have gotten to know mama, Tess, through our local gym where she is an instructor and fitness trainer. Even throughout her pregnancy, she was running circles around us in her fitness classes, which did not surprise me at all!! I was really excited when she asked that I photograph their newborn session and knew that we would be able to capture some adorable photos of her growing family!

Once I arrived, big brother Mason was super playful and ready to snuggle with his parents. He was not so sure about snuggling with his baby sister just yet, so we focused on letting him play and giggle with his parents to photograph those true interactions as a family. Toddlers are predictably unpredictable, especially when it comes to taking photos, so I always follow their lead and not push too much in trying to get them to 'perform' for the camera. This often leads to more cooperative behavior and fun photos! We also gave him plenty of time to play and take a break, which is super important with young children!

After photographing some family photos and some lifestyle images of each family member with baby Maddie, we moved on to capturing her individual posed newborn photos. Mom had expressed interest in using pinks and neutral tones throughout the session as well as some floral details. We also selected some great texture pieces including lace, faux fur blankets and knit wraps. The color choices and textures we used provided a variety of posing options but a cohesive look to their final gallery. I love using different wraps, headbands and blankets in different ways in different poses because it really helps tie all of the photos together in the end! 

Riley and her mama - two peas in a pod! When mama, Melissa, contacted me to photograph a Mama & Me session for her daughter Riley, I was so excited! I photographed Riley for her Fresh 48 then her in-home newborn session so I was excited to see her again. It is always so much fun to see children again after photographing their newborn sessions - they grow so much and I love to see the little humans that they are growing up to be! Riley is a spunky, funny little girl who just loved to run around Mellon Park, play games with her mama and smell all of the gorgeous flowers around the garden. 

When I photograph toddlers, I always wear my running shoes - and Riley was no exception! She loved to run around, climb and explore the garden which made her session so much fun! We were able to capture those adorable giggles, big smiles and peek-a-boo games, plus LOTS of snuggles with her mama!! A perfect, summer day to explore the Mellon Park Walled Garden!

Meet sweet baby Owen! First born baby for the Lewis family and to say that they are already in love is a true understatement! Mom and Dad just gushed all over their sweet little baby throughout the entire newborn session and I loved watching how they interacted with their new baby. I always feel so honored to capture these moments for family - it's such a special time for a growing family!

Mom and Dad decorated Owen's nursery in an adorable animal theme, complete with absolutely beautiful watercolor prints of animals. His room was the perfect space to grow into, complete with a full shelf of books (I'm a HUGE fan of books with babies!!) He was so snuggly and comfy during his photos and he fell asleep easily in his mama's arms. We were even able to capture some images of him snuggled in his crib. I love photographing babies in their cribs, even when they are not using it yet, because the baby juts looks so tiny in the crib and they are only so small for so long! 

After we finished up photos of Owen with his parents, we moved on to his individual posed newborn photos. Mom requested to use neutral tones and dark green with fur textures for his posed photos. She also had a moses basket that she wanted incorporated in his session, including an adorable lion muslin swaddle blanket. Owen loved to be swaddled and warm, so we made sure to keep him wrapped during the session. And he gave me the biggest smile while posed on a little sweater knit pillow! He is just the cutest little guy and I feel so lucky to have had the chance to photograph little Owen and his proud parents!

Meet the beautiful Ackenbom family! When dad contacted me to book a portrait session for his family, he shared that after the arrival of their second son, they did not have a chance to get family photos done and wanted to capture their newly expanded family. Their son was already 6 months 'and getting older by the day' so they were ready to book a session as quickly as possible! We were able to schedule our session for a gorgeous August evening and chose a perfect location in North Park - a favorite spot for portrait sessions! The family was super casual and prioritized capturing their family together, relaxed and having fun playing in the field.

Little Sidney was not quite ready to show off his smile when we got started, but big brother Stokely was ready for his photos! He had a gorgeous smile and was ready to show it off right away! When Sidney needed a quick break, I took Stokely aside for some individual photos in the field. The sunset light looked so beautiful in the trees behind him and he was so fun and easy to talk to, we were able to capture some truly gorgeous expressions! Next, we focused our attention back to Sidney who was ready for his close up. He was sitting up well on his own at this point, so we put him in a shallow white bowl for some stability while sitting in the field. He wasn't quite sure what to think about this set up but his big beautiful eyes and serious expression sure provided some perfect portraits!

After getting a few individual photos of the boys, I then pulled each parent aside for some photos with their children. Dad showered Sidney with chubby cheek kisses and Stokely with rib tickles while Mom snuggled in with her boys, providing loving cuddles while sitting on a quilt. While I always focus on the family together as a whole during the sessions, I love to also get individual photos of each parent with their kids. I hope that it is something that the child can look back on years from now and cherish how special they are to their parent. And their own special relationship always shows through in these photos, which is super fun to photograph!

I am so excited to welcome little Alana to the blog!! I have had the pleasure of photographing the Pristow family after the arrival of their first daughter, Emilia. So when mom, Erica, contacted me about scheduling Alana's first birthday session, I couldn't wait to see them again! Getting to see my client families each year is truly one of my favorite parts of the job - it is so much fun to see how their children grow and develop over the years! Fortunately the family lives in a neighborhood with a beautiful common space with a pond, trees and a small garden. So in order to keep the girl's close to home for their sunset session, we met at the pond area which also happens to capture truly beautiful golden sunset light. 

We started with their family photos both posed and candid images. I like to set my families up in a general pose and then give them ideas on how to interact with each other to capture genuine moments and reactions. I am not always a fan of stiff poses where the families are looking directly at the camera but prefer those candid moments. I absolutely LOVE the families snuggle close, have tickle fights, give their kids lots of kisses and laugh throughout the session. Having your photos taken should be fun and easy and I really try to accomplish this during each of my sessions. 

The Pristow family is one of those families that just jump right in and enjoy this time with their girls. They play, laugh and know the best way to get smiles from their girls. It's always a blast to see this beautiful family and their girls are so much fun to photograph! After we finished up with some family photos around the park grounds, including some photos of the sisters together, it was time for some individual photos of Alana to celebrate her first birthday. Mom had brought another outfit for Alana so after a quick outfit change, we set her up on a little blanket for her cake smash! Alana dove right into the little cupcake and enjoyed all of the delicious icing and sprinkles! What a fun way to celebrate a huge milestone!! 

What a beautiful day for summer sessions! When I had originally contacted the owner of Pisarcik Flower Farm, we had scheduled my spring Mama & Me minis on their farm. But then COVID19 happened and the world shut down so those plans had to be placed on hold. Once our businesses were allowed to start back up and running again, a new date was set for family summer mini sessions and I am so excited with how the day turned out! It was a gorgeous day in July, with just a slight impending storm at the end of the day, but it was a day full of families, laughter and catching up! Each of the families that had signed up for a session were previous clients. I was absolutely thrilled to catch up with each of them, see how they were coping through the craziness of our new 'Covid world' but also see how much their children and families had grown. Some had new babies I was able to meet for the first time, children I had not seen since their newborn photos or older children starting school for the first time in the next few weeks! It was so much fun seeing all of these families again and it definitely brought back a sense of normalcy! 

The owners of the flower farm gave us free rein to use the greenhouses and space around their farm, which was so generous and amazing of them to do. This gave myself and each family an opportunity to walk around the property, explore their beautiful floral nursery and capture beautiful images among the flowers! Each child walked around with wide eyes and excited enthusiasm as they smelled each flower and gently touched every plant. The laughs, smiles and wonderment we captured was amazing and I am truly grateful for Pisarcik Flower Farm for letting us use their gorgeous property! It was the perfect backdrop for these summer sessions!

Oh, sweet Avelin - how wonderful to meet you and your beautiful family! When mom, Noona, contacted me about a newborn session for her baby girl, Avelin had already arrived. She was just over 4 weeks old when we were able to schedule her session and absolutely gorgeous! When I arrived to their home, we began the session with family photos in Avelin's nursery. Her parents created a beautiful space for their baby girl, complete with vintage floral prints and shabby chic details. The light fixture was absolutely stunning! Big brother Elliot was very excited and was more than happy to snuggle up with his mama, daddy and baby sister. Elliot was so sweet with little Avie and I loved how gentle he was as he cuddled up with her and held her hands. After taking some family photos and individual photos of Avie with her mom, dad and big brother, I then took some lifestyle images of Avelin in her nursery. She was awake by this time so I was able to capture some images of her in her crib while she was more alert and interactive. 

After a quick feeding and snuggle time with mama, we were ready to set up for Avelin's posed newborn photos. Noona shared that she wanted to use neutral tones and various shades of pinks in the set ups, which would coordinate with her nursery decor. She also had a white and pink floral wrap and headband that she wanted to use so we started with Avelin wrapped in the swaddle lying on a soft fur blanket. This is where I captured a beautiful little smile as she settled into the wrap and furry blanket. Little Avelin appeared to be most comfortable when she was swaddled and cozy, so we kept her wrapped or covered throughout the session. Her full head of thick, dark hair stood out and looked beautiful against the neutral and light colored blankets we selected for her photos. And I loved how her little toes and fingers showed with each wrap, displaying those tiny little features and details that we love so much about newborns. I thoroughly enjoyed photographing sweet Avelin and getting to know her kind, friendly and funny family!