Tag Archive for: Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh Family Portraits: Keeping Sessions Stress-Free At Home

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This early morning family portrait session didn’t involve getting everyone out of the house on time, getting stuck in traffic, or irritated kiddos. It was peaceful and pleasant as in-home sessions should be. When I got there, the kids were well rested and just finishing up breakfast. Now, I should note that I’m a morning person and I’ve seen how morning sessions can really benefit families who are inclined to be up early anyway, but if that’s not you, an early evening session may be best for your family—because when photographing in natural light outdoors, you really want the best light at the beginning or end of the day. My only caveat to this schedule is photographing newborns indoors which can be done most any time of day. Ok, back to this sweet family!

front porch family portrait

This family just moved in to thier new home and the yard offered lots of variety without the need for going to a park.

mama and baby

Seeing little ones tossed in the air by their daddies never gets old, just look at how she’s smiling!

fun with daddy

I enjoy seeing loved ones cheek to cheek, and when we get cheek to cheek with a loved one, our faces tend to light up and you can just feel the love!

cheek to cheek

Swings are another favorite and natural photo op for littles!

on the swing

Isn’t it cute how this sweetie is admiring her big sister?

sisters

And then she turns to the camera and cuteness overload! What a fun session!

cuteness overload

If you’re interested in having your family photographed, please get in touch here—I’d love to hear from you!

Pittsburgh Newborn Photography: Keep It Simple with an At-Home Session

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The first few weeks after bringing baby home come with a huge adjustment—it’s a wonderful, yet sleep-deprived time, marking the beginning of that precious one’s life and the beginning of a family’s story. Being a handful of years beyond that time, I can look back and say that I’m glad I hired a photographer to capture my sons as newborns and that I could be in the photos! We had both photo shoots done at our home and I remember feeling relieved that we didn’t have to go anywhere, because that took so much energy! And since we’ve moved, our photos in our old home are that much more meaningful to us now. Here’s a newborn session from earlier this summer and as I talked with this mama, she mentioned that she hadn’t heard of in-home newborn sessions before and was so glad to be able to schedule one for her baby.

mama and baby on the couch

Their loft had lovely light and this baby was so content.

baby close-up

It’s so nice to see this dad’s feelings for his son.

father and son

We headed to the rooftop terrace in their building for a family portrait with a view!

First family portrait

This baby boy seemed to like the sounds and fresh air and how sweet to see this mom and dad enjoying this moment!

baby snuggles with mom and dad

If you’d like to plan for a newborn session in your home, I’d love to hear from you. Please contact me here.

Pittsburgh Family Portraits: Keeping It Authentic with a Casual Look

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When we first talked about what this mom had in mind for her family portraits, she mentioned almost apologetically, that they’d like to keep their look casual to reflect how they dress on a regular basis. And I said, “of course, please do!” because that is one of the things I love about being a lifestyle photographer—there’s no need to be anything but yourself, no pressure, no pretense.

dad, mom, and daughter sharing some laughs

While this family chose to represent their day-to-day look, they carefully chose their wardrobe with complimenting shades and a fun dress to highlight their daughter who just celebrated her first birthday.

pittsburgh children's portrait

We met at one of my favorite spots by the lake at North Park. It’s a great location for families with little ones, because there’s a decent variety of scenery within a short distance.

mother and daughter

walking hand-in-hand

No family portrait session with little ones is complete without dad tossing a kiddo in the air!

dad tossing his daughter in the air

Lately, I’ve had some wonderful luck with a dog walking behind me at just the right time. This was one of those times!

mommy and daughter portrait

Yay! This big girl even clapped on que. I think she enjoyed her first birthday photo shoot.

sitting on a park bench

If you would like to schedule a session, please contact me via this form – I’d love to hear from you!

Pittsburgh Family Portraits: Sessions in the City Are Fun!

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This family’s baby girl just turned one and so the time was right for an updated family portrait! We headed to the city for a change of pace and found some unexpected fun, like fountains and gardens, the train station, and an excellent opportunity to encourage these sweet kiddos with a treat of ice cream after the session was over: Millie’s Market Square Scoop Shop The next time I’m downtown, I want to check this place out, it was hopin’!

Anyway, we had lovely sceenery, happy children and fun times!

family portrait by the fountain

Part of the fun of downtown sessions is walking between locations. And I can’t get enough of seeing families walking together hand-in-hand.

walking through the park

Or silly moments! While this sweet girl is all giggles, big brother is busy styling dad’s hair!

giggles with mom and dad

When you’re one, it’s exciting to sit in a big chair, and mama is close-by to supervise!

birthday girl with her mama

Here’s a close-up of the birthday girl – look at those eyes!

birthday girl close-up

Big brother was excited to go to the train station. And to be sure that he felt special too, we stopped to get some portraits of just him with mom and dad too!

at the old train station

mama and big brother

dad and son

If you’d like to schedule a session in the big city, I’d love to talk with you! Please use this form to get in touch, thanks!

Pittsburgh Maternity and Newborn Photography: Being a Part of Our Child’s Story in Pictures

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Compared to the number of newborn sessions I photograph, I don’t get to capture many maternity sessions. I have no sure way of knowing why that’s the case, other than to remember my own feelings about being photographed when pregnant. Also, let me just say, these are my feelings and in no way, reflect on this radiant couple. I adored photographing their maternity and newborn sessions and am using their images to make a point – this special time in their lives is so fleeting and how wonderful that they can look back on it through these photos!

expecting parents on a walk through the woods

maternity portrait

I suspect it’s two things: the first and most likely is that many women don’t feel particularly beautiful in their last trimester of pregnancy; and secondly, all of their energy is focused on getting ready for their baby. I understand. But it is truly one of the most remarkable times in a woman’s life!

soon-to-be-mom and dad

getting ready for their baby

And I’m not writing to try and sell more maternity sessions, but I want to encourage moms to be photographed with their children all throughout their lives. I feel sad when I get contacted about a newborn session and the mom doesn’t want to be in the photos. What a loss! Of course, it’s wonderful to capture that sweet baby at just a few days or weeks old, but such a big part of that baby’s story is missing if parents aren’t included in the photos.

first family portrait

When I look back at photo albums my mom put together, one of my favorite things is seeing what my mom and dad looked like as I was growing up. And look at this dad – he’s baby-wearing and in front of their greenhouse full of lovely fruits and vegetables! It’s all a part of telling their story.

dad wearing his baby

And when I look back at my son’s newborn sessions, I’m glad that I was a part of the photos too. Because, gosh darn it, I was doing the amazingly incredible hard work of being mama and I’m proud of that!

mama and her baby

I’m so glad when I get the opportunity to photograph this special time in other family’s lives. What a blessing!

baby sleeping in mama's arms