Tag Archive for: lifestyle

Family Portraits and Overcast Skies—These are a few of my favorite things!

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I love shooting in overcast skies, especially family portraits, oh and I love The Sound of Music too. I keep finding myself using lyrics from that show in blog posts. But overcast skies are where it’s at—even lighting on everyone which is super helpful in keeping up with little ones on the move, because I don’t have to put much thought into adjusting for changing light. Because of this, I don’t think I could ever move away from Pittsburgh’s overcast climate! While we have a lot of cloudy days here, you can’t count on the weather. So whenever those cloudy days coincide with my sessions, I count it as a blessing!

family portrait in the woods

brother and sister on a tree stump

The sun had started setting and the skies started to clear, so it was the perfect timing for a portrait backlit by sunset.

family portrait at sunset

I love seeing kids be kids and breaking up the posed shots with fun action shots can be so good for keeping kids interested!

kids blowing bubbles

little girl portrait

big brother portrait

We were on a mission to get some more fall foliage in before the sun set completely. I love how this little one is pulling her family along as a fearless leader!

walking family holding hands

We made it in time to capture a few shots before the sun went down.

family and fall foliage

I really like this one of the four of them on the blanket. What a handsome family they are!

family on blanket

Cranberry Family Portraits: On-Location with Little Ones

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I know this sweet family from church and was blessed to be able to make some portraits of them this fall. It’s great to get outside for family portraits, especially with little ones because they aren’t confined to the limits of a studio (i.e. – sitting still so that the light is right and the tripod doesn’t need to be adjusted…as a mom of two young boys, I am a firm believer in the least restrictive environment!). Although I will say, it’s a workout for parents to keep their little ones close and engaged. But the results are so worth it!

family portrait in Cranberry

I just love the sweet and pure faces from little ones this small.

little boy close-up

We were shooting right into the sunset on a particularly sunny day for Pittsburgh!

family at sunset in tall grasses

I love walking shots, and for little ones it’s easiest sometimes to put them up on a parent’s shoulders.

family walking through the park

And I love this moment where this sweetheart pauses just long enough for her close-up.

little girl close-up

And this happens at almost every session with toddlers. Dads love to turn their kids upside down and the kids love it too!

lifestyle portrait with little boy

Here’s our fearless leader leading the way!

family walking across the bridge

And this is probably my favorite shot of the whole family. So blessed!

family portrait in the woods

Pittsburgh Newborn Sessions: Let’s Start at the Very Beginning

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A very good place to start! This session took place when this wee one was just 7 days old. And she was awake for almost the whole hour and was so content! We started in this family’s gorgeous foyer. It had ample window light and lots of room so that I could back up and use my favorite lens.

kisses and snuggles

mom, dad, and baby

It’s so sweet to see parents swoon with delight when their baby yawns.

yawning baby

This might be my favorite shot of the session. I love seeing their faces so close together—the loving kiss of a mother and her baby so contented in her arms.

mommy kissing baby

We moved out to their front porch on this unusually cool day in August. Just look at that sweet pouty face.

on the front porch swing

I love how the light highlights her features while she rests in her daddy’s hands.

baby close-up in black and white

And this lovely nursery is going to be home to some wonderful memories!

in the nursery

At just seven days old, it’s hard to stay awake long. So this sweet slumber is a perfect conclusion to our session.

in mama's arms

Congratulations and blessings to this sweet family!

Family Lifestyle Portraiture: Document Your Family On a Fun Outing

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My family spent the 4th of July at Moraine State Park and Lakeview Beach and it’s been a while since I’ve photographed my boys, so remembering to bring my camera was just as important as remembering to pack the picnic basket!

On the lake at Moraine State Park

We rented a pontoon boat on Lake Arthur and had a terrific time cruising around the lake.

Taking in the sights at Lake Arthur

I love this mischievous smile.

Love it when he smiles like he's about to be mischevious

Our nephew came along with us and is so good with our boys. And they adore him!

my nephew hugging my littlest

Then we headed to Lakeview Beach for some swimming, because when you’re little, you can’t go on a boat and not swim in the water! That would be a terrible tease.

Getting acquainted with the lake

With nap time looming, this little guy was primed for a solid afternoon nap. Lots of fun and sun will wear a little guy out!

Giggles before nap time

I love capturing days like this and hope to do more of that on our upcoming vacation. I have over a year’s worth of photos like this to print and I’m going to make that happen this winter. It’s funny that I’ve gotten so far behind in filling our albums with 4×6 prints, because I’m slightly neurotic about being able to go back and look at these moments. And if you’re someone who hasn’t made regular prints of your family, I urge you that it’s never to late to start and if you’re overwhelmed, just back up your current digital files and start making batches of prints from your new captures each month. With digital photography, we’ll have a lot less to look back on and pass down to our families if we’re not diligent about backing up and printing these precious memories!

Pittsburgh Newborn: Finding Natural Light in the Home

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When possible, I love to use natural lighting for newborn sessions. When I first spoke with this mama, she was concerned about whether her home had enough natural light and I assured her that I’d do a quick walk-through to find some of the best spaces and bring supplemental lighting as back-up. But look at this first portrait of her and sweet baby by the window. So glad I didn’t need to get out my strobes until later!

mama and her baby at the window

Sometimes siblings of newborns are in a tender state as they adjust to life with a baby. For that reason, I love taking some time to make them feel special too.

dad and big sister

We still haven’t left their bedroom as it has lots of soft light and the bed is a perfect place to photograph the whole family.

family portrait on the bed

Just love how babies gaze at their parents and this little guy seemed to be very aware of his surroundings.

father and son

I’m not bashful about admitting how I love this arrangement for the parents and baby. My husband and I spent a lot of time on the couch, just checking out our little baby boys, so it comes naturally to suggest this.

baby looking up at his parents

And for a close-up of just the little guy, we snuggled him up in this blanket and placed the basket on the landing of the steps that was washed in bright window light. This baby boy was so close to falling asleep!

snuggly baby boy

Blessings to this sweet baby and his family!