Boy is this little babe a cutie! I am just getting caught up on some blogging from last year when I had the pleasure of photographing baby Tyler and his first family portrait. This on-location session took place in Cranberry, Pa., in the family’s living room. During our pre-session consultation, Tyler’s mom, Lisa, and I discussed the best location for shooting this session, and when I heard about the French doors in their living room, I knew we’d have plenty of natural light in the afternoon.

Thoughtful Details Made by Grandma
It was important to Lisa to incorporate some of the handmade items her mother had knitted for her new grandson. So we laid the blanket on the giant bean bag that I use for posing and dressed Tyler in his matching hat and sweater. I know I’ve mentioned before how I love to incorporate some of the baby’s blankets and accessories, but I can only imagine how Tyler’s grandma loves having this photo with her grandson dressed in the clothes she took so much time to knit for him.

Getting Newborns to Smile
If I knew how to make newborn babies smile, I’d be a lucky lady. But when it spontaneously happens in front of my camera, you can bet I’ll be clicking away. I think it was Lisa’s voice that made him smile like this. But I consider this a special treat, because a smile by a newborn is a rarity!

Telling Your Story in Natural Light (When Possible…)
I always come to my sessions equipped with studio strobes and other lighting gear, but when there is gorgeous natural light like this, I go for it because it’s the most beautiful light if you ask me. If this family were any bigger, I’d need to add more light with studio strobes to ensure the right depth of focus so that everyone’s eyes are sharp. So I’d never define myself as a natural light photographer solely, because there are certain situations that really call for additional lighting and I think that’s one of the things that separates professional photographers from amateurs.

Lifestyle Portraits Can Be The Most Meaningful
This image of Tyler with his dad is one of my favorites from the session. I knew it was important to capture as this was one of the images Lisa had mentioned wanting during our pre-session consultation and we went about it in a few different ways as far as posing and lighting goes. But this image is the most natural and I think it really shows the bond of father and son.

If you or someone you know is looking for meaningful newborn photography, here’s another post that gives a great overview of custom newborn photography by Captivating Imagery.