Tag Archive for: Pittsburgh

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!

Pittsburgh Family Portrait: Sometimes the Best Location is Right at Home

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I’m a huge fan of backyard portraits especially for families with young children. It’s less pressure on the whole family and it captures a place where the family has spent most of their time together. And in the particular case of this session, when it started to sprinkle, we didn’t need to reschedule and just moved inside until the rain stopped. Plus this bubbly little girl was so proud to show off her bedroom!

lifestyle family portrait

Just love seeing families walking together holding hands.

walking through the backyard

Big smiles coming from this little man on his swing.

riding on his swing

Love how her personality is just beaming here.

big sister close-up

Piggy back and high-fives!

piggy back high fives

What a sweet, unscripted moment.

kisses for daddy

And here’s the whole family sitting so nicely with their dog! And that’s one more reason why portraits sessions at home are awesome because it’s easy to just add in the family pet.

family portrait with their dog

The giggles in this image were provided by their daddy, who would run up and tickle them and then run behind me. Sometimes as a parent of young children, you end up with a workout during a family portrait session.

giggling at daddy

This should be a must-have in all family portrait sessions, because it all starts here.

husband and wife

And this big sister really had her heart set on being photographed on mommy and daddy’s bed. It was a silly and fun way to end a great session!

upstairs on mom and dad's bed

Pittsburgh Newborn Sessions: Why Scheduling at One-Month Old is Not Too Late

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I got an email from this mama inquiring about a newborn session for her one-month old daughter. And the timing was perfect—I had an opening the next week. While there are a lot of recommendations out there for photographing newborns before they are two weeks old, I think this particular session goes to show the benefits of scheduling beyond those first few weeks.

bright-eyed baby

Just the way she holds her head up and makes eye contact is so amazing! Babies learn and grow so quickly and it’s so neat to see how this baby girl is starting to interact with the world around her.

baby smile

She’s looking into her daddy’s face and really studying him.

looking at her daddy

kisses from daddy

Love the lighting in this nursery.

mom and dad looking at their baby

And how baby girl is looking up at her parents!

baby looking up at mom

One last image before wrapping up this post, this view from the top of their stairs caught my eye as we were going back downstairs, this window light was irresistible so we stopped for a quick portrait.

a new family from above

With a lifestyle approach to this session, there’s no pressure for tedious posing or outfit changes, and it’s ok if the baby is sleeping or awake. So it’s a much less stressful approach for the baby and parents! When I left their home, this dad mentioned that he had fun and was relieved that it went so smoothly. And the mom said she couldn’t imagine trying to pose a baby and was so glad for the lifestyle approach. With a pleasant experience and a natural feel to the photos, I wholeheartedly feel that lifestyle photography is the way to go.

Pittsburgh Newborn Session: Baby Snuggles and Sibling Troubles

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I know full-well the struggles families face when welcoming a new baby home. I am a first born and have been told how much it rocked my world when my little sister came along and I’ve been able to witness it all over again with my oldest son as well. It’s really tough for some kids and when it’s tough for a kiddo, mom and dad are feeling it too. We have this crazy mix of emotions wanting to love on the new baby and protect our big kids from feeling left out. I’m sharing all of this personal experience because this darling family had a big sister who had mixed emotions about her baby brother’s arrival like so many of the older siblings I’ve photographed during newborn sessions. I guess you could say, a photo shoot has a way of bringing it all out and I’m sensitive to that.

baby snuggles

I have a few things I like to do to help older kids feel special. First, I like to say hello and build a little rapport. And if they’re willing, I take a moment to photograph big sibs all by themselves or with a parent so that they don’t feel like it’s only about the baby. Then I ask them to kiss the baby and give them a lot of praise for being a good sibling.

big sister kissing the baby

big sister giggles

And on this particular session, the big sister wanted to wear mommy’s lip gloss and her mama approved, so we captured this sweet and funny moment. Luckily, mama had make-up wipes on hand!

wearing mommy's lip gloss

Now that we could check off this very important family portrait, I could shift my focus to this sweet baby boy.

dad and son

mama and baby

Really love the sweet simplicity of this bright-eyed boy on his mom and dad’s bed. Congrats to this precious family!

baby on mom and dad's bed

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!