Pittsburgh Newborn Session – Shadyside

/by

This Shadyside newborn session happened last fall and I still have warm and fuzzy feelings about it! When Nicole contacted me she was looking to capture mostly family photos and I definitely get that. I want to see the whole family too—as moms we’re not often photographed and it’s important to me to be able to see myself with my kids when I look back. Just look at this adorable little family and the cute baby with his head slumped to the side. He really steals the show!

velez-10-2016-005

Here’s a close-up of him so you can relish the cuteness.

baby boy

I remember when my youngest son was born, just how much I wanted a photo of my two boys together, even though my oldest was two and a half and not yet feeling so great about becoming a big brother. And I see this desire in other moms too. We won’t let our toddlers hold the baby without the support of an adult, but we must find a way to capture just the two of them together! And a cozy corner of a couch or lying side-by-side are my safest bets to accomplish this. This big brother was having tons of fun with his baby brother snuggling into him. And I love how this sweet baby looks over at him!

Siblings

Being photographed with a baby is not easy, but this mama is rocking it!

family of four

And we had to capture this little guy’s cuteness! He is going to be such a great big brother!

boy at window portrait

My favorite shot from the session – everyone is happy and the boys couldn’t be any cuter!

family with two boys

Blessings to you, sweet family!

Family and Children’s Portraits at Highland Park

/by

Highland Park has been a long-time favorite of mine for photo shoot locations, so when I was contacted by this precious family about doing a session there, it was a match made in Heaven. Their little ones are all charmers and even though it was a chilly morning in October, they were such troopers throughout the whole session!

family portrait at Pittsburgh park

We had originally scheduled for a date in September, but had to postpone due to the rain. I’m so glad the flowers were still in bloom, because I love this shot of mama and her baby girl.

pittsburgh-portraits-006

And here’s a proud papa and his little gents.

pittsburgh-portraits-037

And of course, we switched it up and got father/daughter and mother/sons shots too!

pittsburgh-portraits-025

pittsburgh-portraits-038

And now for some close-up goodness. Each one of them melts my heart!

boy portrait

toddler portrait

pittsburgh-portraits-017

These kiddos are so happy! What a great way to start the day!

South Park—Pittsburgh Winter Portrait Session

/by

Last week, I found unexpected joy in photographing Gabi and David at South Park. They’ve been married for a few years and wanted some updated photos, but I was surprised when they were looking to schedule an outdoor session in December. They love the outdoors and a studio session was not what they were looking for, so we scheduled and hoped for no rain.

couple kissing portrait

I was worried about them being cold and miserable spending an hour outside in 40 degree weather (I tend to hibernate like a bear during the winter), but they didn’t seem to mind the cold and actually had fun with it! Maybe I should shake up my habits and get outside more during the winter?!

Winter-portrait-couple

I had so much fun photographing this session and realized how silly I was to suggest waiting until spring. I was thinking that everything is cold and grey during the winter and that they probably wouldn’t like it if their noses and cheeks were rosy in the photos. But can anyone deny their charm in these photos?

couple kissing at South Park

The first three images in this post are in color, and I’m so pleased that the scenery at South Park offered lots of beauty and Gabi did a great job coordinating their wardrobe to compliment the winter hues. But some of my favorites form this session are black and whites.

Winter portrait photography

These two started out a little shy—it takes a while to get fully comfortable with a camera pointed at you. But as they warmed up, the flirtation was so much fun to capture!

South Park Pittsburgh

I will never tire of this set-up: updside down on the ground. Everyone looks stunning in it and the light is just right on an overcast day.

Upside down on the ground

Gabi and David, thank you so much for the opportunity to document this chapter in your journey. And for opening my eyes to the joy of photographing portraits outdoors in the cold! Blessings to you!

Three Generations Family Portrait

/by

A good friend of mine wanted to plan a photoshoot as a gift for her mom’s birthday. We had a beautiful fall day and four little ones ages 2 and under. This sweet family has really grown in the last few years!

family-portrait-2016-10-007

We met in her parent’s backyard in Beaver County and stood in the shade of the setting sun.

family-portrait-2016-10-028

Before the shoot we talked about the groupings of portraits for the whole family, individual families and some candids of the kids, because while it would be great to capture everyone smiling at the same time, it was not likely with a group this big and children so small.

family-portrait-2016-10-030

I know the stress of wanting to get your children to smile for their photos. And I feel it keenly because my sons are some tough subjects to photograph being that they’re little boys who are constantly on the move.

family-portrait-2016-10-008

This photoshoot didn’t produce that one shot with everyone smiling, but there are a few where everyone is looking at the camera. We’re documenting that day with the kids at those given ages and as moms and dads, we can recall when our child bumped his head fifteen minutes before the shoot or how our toddler would not budge on smiling for the camera. I remember my parents and grandparents reminiscing over the challenges of photographing me and my sister and cousins when we were little. It sweetens the memory and we have a lot more to talk about than perfect smiles on cue.

family-portrait-2016-10-013

Aren’t these two above adorable? They were playing with sticks and I just really liked this moment as they were looking off to the side at their parents.

family-portrait-2016-10-009

Such a sweet mama and baby!

For parents wanting to know how to coax some smiles out of their kids, I suggest three things: limiting the chaos behind the camera (for anyone not being photographed in the current shot, it’s best to be out of sight and not calling for the kids to smile – only one designated person should do that—which brings me to my next suggestion), having one dedicated person located at the side of your photographer to make funny faces and encourage the kids (although not necessary, your photographer can do this on his/her own as well), and lastly treats! I use candy with my kids. I figure that a photo shoot is an important enough event that having a little positive reinforcement to get my kids to cooperate is never bad. I even give them candy throughout the shoot. I don’t mind seeing my boys’ with lollipops in their photos. When my second son was born, I gave my oldest Smarties to chew on while our photographer did our newborn/family photos. You couldn’t see the Smarties, but you could see his smile! And that’s saying something even just a week after the huge adjustment of becoming a big brother! He’s probably smiling mostly because he was happily crunching on candy and I was happy to give him that reward for his cooperation.

Backyard Family Portraits

/by

This summer, I’ve had the pleasure of photographing several families in their backyards and it’s been so much fun to capture the sweetness in a space that is special to the family. It leaves me with two thoughts: I hope more families will opt to be photographed in their backyards. And it makes me want to work on my own backyard so that my family can do the same! With beautiful morning light and an adorable family, this latest session was a real treat!

Pittsbugh-family-portrait

I should mention that these cutie pies are smiling in unison at their grandma and grandpa who were ever so helpful at coaxing some smiles.

Pittsburgh-childrens-photography

And while I say that this session inspired me to want to work on my own backyard, I should also point out that you don’t have to have a perfectly manicured lawn or landscaping for a great space for portraits. Although, this yard had some spectacular spots for photos!

Backyard-portrait

Childrens-portrait

These two in this treehouse. Goodness!

Family-photography

And this little guy’s mama knew that he’d need a blanket for photos on the grass because he was ready to eat it the moment they laid him down. I’m not sure if he was excited about the grass or all of the hullabaloo behind the camera! Just kidding, it was his family, of course!

On-location-baby-photography