One of my favorite portraits during a newborn session is a close-up with baby’s eyes wide-open and gazing into the camera. And this sweet girl was ready for her close-up!

I met this family at their home in Cranberry and one natural spot for a family portrait is on the couch where families tend to gravitate when spending time together. And this precious little one was wide-awake as she studied her adoring family.

I love seeing kisses from big brother or sisters. And this little guy seemed to genuinely want to give his little sister kisses.

All smiles here, minus baby girl, who just drifted off into sleep.

I’m also a fan of portraits of mamas with their babies. When my littles were newborns, I remember wanting to take selfies with my babies all of the time! I think it must be the excitement of finally getting to hold our babies in our arms after anticipating their arrival for 9 months.

And here’s a full-length capture of this little sweetheart. And I just want to point out that her skin isn’t retouched. When I made the shift to capture my clients more naturally, I made a conscious decision to stop retouching skin. After looking at some of my first son’s newborn portraits and regretting how I smoothed over the sweet imperfections in his skin, I was careful not to make the same mistake with my second son. And since then, I’ve shifted my business goals for creating flawless portraits to capturing genuine images with good lighting and an emphasis on natural beauty.