Tag Archive for: on-location

Fresh Newborn Session: Baby Graham

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Is there anything more special than those first few weeks home from the hospital with your new baby? I really can’t think of anything that beats it. And it’s such an honor to be able to document this special, tender time for parents and their bundle of joy!

Pittsburgh-newborn-session

baby-photography

I first had the pleasure of photographing Corey and Jeff for their engagement session (back when I was shooting weddings). So it was a real treat to meet baby Graham, who was a little angel during the two-hour session. Look at that adorable face!

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And here’s one of their first family portraits by the French doors in their dining room. What a sweet family!

first-family-portrait

I love photographing newborns, so if you or someone you know is looking for a newborn photographer, please check out my site and get in touch. Thanks!

In-Home Maternity Session: Janelle and Andre

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I mentioned photographing Janelle and Andre’s engagement session in a previous post about Janelle and Andre’s newborn session. I’m a bit out of order with this post because this session took place during the holidays at their home in Point Breeze, just two weeks before baby Lucas was born! I know they had a lot going on amidst the holiday hustle and bustle, but Andre was intent on making this session happen. He loved Janelle’s baby belly and wanted to be sure they’d have images to remember it by. Isn’t that sweet?

husband and wife maternity portrait

Let Your Love Show
In my post about baby Lucas, I recalled loving photographing Janelle and Andre’s engagement session. They’re just so comfortable with each other. So it’s easy to capture that natural emotion because they’re not afraid to be affectionate in front of the camera. Take this next shot as an example.

mom- and dad-to-be

Bedrooms Are a Great Place for Maternity Sessions
We did most of these shots in a bedroom upstairs. And I wanted to show a bit of the gorgeous trees outside their window, so I mixed in some light with the natural light in the room.

proud parents

Gosh, they’re so cute.

husband kissing expecting wife

Belly Shots
Pregnant bellies are beautiful and these images are a great way to show children where they came from and that they were loved even before they were born.

pregnancy photography

dad kissing the baby belly

Getting Ready for the Baby
 When you’re expecting your first, there’s no doubt you’re going to accumulate lots of sweet details for your baby. Here are just a few items that are special to Andre and Janelle. They might not be able to hold onto the items themselves over the years, but a photo is a great way to hold on to these sweet sentiments.

baby shoes with mama and daddy

baby bear hat and booties

It’s easy to see, this baby is loved like crazy.

If you’re looking for a maternity or newborn photographer, let me know. I’d love to hear from you!

Custom Newborn Photography

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Having a baby is one of the most wonderful events we can experience in this life. I remember feeling like my life had really just begun when I first held my son in my arms. I also remember feeling a lot of pressure to make sure I captured all of the wonderful details of my newborn son and how exhausted I felt. And it all happens so quickly, so it’s really important to have a plan in place before your baby arrives so that you can be sure to capture this special time in your family. And once you do have your newborn session booked, it is a major weight off of your shoulders, which is a particular relief by the time you get to that third trimester!  If you’re expecting or in the process of adopting and looking for a photographer, check out some of my recent posts to see what custom newborn photography by Captivating Imagery is all about.

Newborn Sessions in the Convenience of Your Own Home

father and newborn son portrait

Capturing Relationships and the Essence of Everyday Life

newborn portrait with parents
Revealing Personality Through Lifestyle Photography

baby close-up
First Family Portraits to Treasure Forever
first family portrait

 

Hiring a photographer to capture your baby’s first year is one of the best investments you can make. As time goes by, your photos will become more and more precious to you and your family.

Check out this video below to get a glimpse at a custom newborn session from start to finish:


During the post-session consultation, I like to introduce clients to some of the products I recommend for preserving their memories, like framed prints, custom-designed albums, and image boxes.

image box from a newborn session

Image boxes are a great way to display your favorite images, especially when you’re low on wall space. And they’re perfect for holding images from multiple sessions, like the newborn session, sit-up session, and baby’s first birthday. I’ll be sharing more products that are available for custom newborn photography in the coming months.

If you’re interested in booking a session with me, please check out my contact page and give me a call or send me an email. In order to ensure my clients have the best service possible, I limit the number of sessions I accept each month, so it’s best to contact me during your second trimester.

Lifestyle Newborn Session: Baby Zayn

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Now that I have a little one of my own, my response to a friend or a loved one who’s having a baby is extra spirited. I can finally relate on a personal level, and I’m thrilled to find out about someone else’s joy and all of the fun things ahead as they expect their little one. So when my friend Annie told me she was pregnant with baby Zayn, I did a happy dance, or two, or three. Sometimes I just can’t contain myself and this was one of those times.

Bright-eyed Baby
Here’s one of my favorite shots from their on-location session at their home in Wexford, Pa. Look at those eyes! I’d just love to know what he’s thinking!

baby close-up

First Family Portraits
The baby’s first family portraits is one of my favorite parts of the session. Because that’s where you get to see the love. Sometimes the portraits are formal with everyone looking at the camera and sometimes they’re informal with a focus on relationships and emotions.

lifestyle newborn session

Mixing Natural and Studio Lighting
In my previous post, I mentioned the need for adding lighting to already existing natural light as a family portrait gets larger. Here’s a great example of just that. We started with natural light and I overexposed so that there is adequate light on their faces.

natural light family portrait

This was a cloudy afternoon in December and the sun was setting fast. So it was time to start mixing in some studio lighting, especially since we added in Annie’s parents and I’d need to increase the depth of field to make sure that everyone is in focus. So here’s a shot with some mixed lighting. I still wanted to keep the feel of this shot light and airy, so I made the most of the light coming in from the window and added some studio light to illuminate their faces. This might be too much info if you’re not interested in photography, but I think it’s worth mentioning because my clients sometimes ask why I use extra light in some shots but not in others.

family portrait with mixed lighting

The Lifestyle Approach: Keeping It Natural
Here are a few more natural light images since I’m partial to lifestyle photography and keeping things natural.

babe in arms

baby toes

Are you pregnant or adopting and looking for a newborn photographer? If so, please check out this post with an overview of custom newborn photography.

In-Home Newborn Portraits: Baby Tyler

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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.

Pittsburgh newborn photo

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!

baby dressed as an apple

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.

baby's first family portrait

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.

father and son newborn photo

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.