Tag Archive for: portrait

Pittsburgh Family Portraits: Downtown Makes a Great Setting

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I recently photographed a family of seven in downtown Pittsburgh, an unlikely setting for any children’s portrait unless the city happens to be home, but this brave family with five kids was up for the challenge and let me say, they have my awe and respect! We started walking through the Cultural District and walking shots like this one are one of my favorite ways to keep a photo shoot moving so that the kids don’t get bored.

walking through the city

We came across this alley with an overhead lighting feature which made for a fun design element in this family portrait.

alley family portrait

There are a lot of nice spots for portraits downtown and I’ve learned many of them by photographing weddings. However, just recently, some of the parklets have started to close on weekends, so there are fewer options with greenery these days.

portrait at the train station

family walking

After all of our walking, the kids were getting tired, but I still like this shot of the family by the bridge. The facial expressions on the kids are comical – it’s not a portrait I’d hang on the wall, but it will be fun for this family to look back on someday!

on the bridge

As we headed back to our parking garage, we stopped for one last shot with mom and dad. Well done, mom and dad!

husband and wife

Cranberry Family Portraits: First Birthdays and Celebrating Milestones

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A first birthday is a great time to schedule a portrait session. Our babies learn and grow so much over the first year, so there is so much to celebrate! And while you’re at it, it’s a great opportunity to update your family portrait, which is exactly what this sweet family did. I’ll start of with this photo of the big and little sister – how precious to have a photograph of these two to look back on?

sisters

Bubbles are a favorite activity for little ones during sessions and this big sister was pleased to help with the bubble-making!

blowing bubbles

Little ones learning to walk is pretty high up there in my list of favorite things to photograph. So proud!

big girl walking!

And Cranberry Woods has these amazing paths through the woods that make for great and safe walking shots. No roots to trip on!

family walking holding hands

We stepped a little farther into the woods for this family portrait.

family portrait

This mama wanted to document her daughter’s first taste of cake and even made the cake herself! Very impressive!

first birthday

While this little sweetie was timid, she definitely enjoyed her cake!

cake smash

Pittsburgh Newborn Sessions: Keeping Baby’s Wardrobe Simple

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I love photographing babies simply swaddled or dressed in a basic onsie. It’s funny how when a parent is getting ready for their baby to arrive, it’s so much fun to shop for their clothes and get all of the warm, fuzzy feelings that go with anticipating our baby wearing them. So when I suggest dressing a baby simply for my sessions, I know that’s hard to do as a parent. We are so excited for our baby to be photographed and there are so many outfits to choose from, but I think this recent session illustrates how lovely and timeless a simple swaddle or onsie can be.

baby sleeping on a moose

One of the benefits of dressing a baby simply is that you don’t have to do an outfit change, which irritates most babies and by going with a soft onsie or swaddle, the baby is comfortable and more likely happy. This little guy sure way.

sleeping in his mama's arms

Even their dog was super relaxed!

family dog meets baby

They had great window light on the landing of their stairs, so we made a quick stop on our way up to the nursery.

mom and dad admiring their baby boy

so snuggly!

More great window light in the nursery too! Just love these images of mama with her baby.

mama and baby

kisses from mommy

And dad gets a turn too.

daddy kisses too!

When you’re a baby, yawning is adorable.

big yawn, sleepy baby

This might be one of my favorite shots of the session. Just look how this little sweetie is studying his dad!

checking out his daddy

This last one pretty much sums up how meaningful this time can be. Two adoring parents and a brand new baby, what a great start to this family’s story!

sweet family

Lifestyle Sessions: A Great Choice for Young Families

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I’ve been blessed to photograph this two-year old sweetheart since he was 4-months old and it has been a treat to photograph his family over the last two years. I love their desire to document their little guy’s development and that they’re not coming to the session with an expectation that he’ll want to sit and pose. Because when you’re two, you’re always on the move, unless your napping that is. I’ve learned with my own sons that it’s best to try and capture the moment rather than try to force a vision and I’m seeing more families opt for less stress and go for a lifestyle approach. I think you’ll see, it’s more authentic and so rewarding to get shots that show our child’s personality.

boy swinging at Avonworth Community Park

We met at Avonworth Community Park off of Camp Horne Road. It has a great playground for little ones to explore.

on the playground

This little cutie loved the swings, so we spent a good bit of our time capturing him swinging with his parents taking turns pushing.

on the swings

mommy pushing son on swings

And then he wanted his friend Mickey to swing too!

letting kids play during portrait sessions

He also liked this tree which had perfectly low branches for climbing.

climbing on trees with dad

While lifestyle photography aims at capturing moments, getting a family portrait is definitely on my mental checklist. It may not be posed and depending on the situation, I might have a stuffed Mickey Mouse on my head! It worked.

lifestyle family portrait

sweet in-between moments

close up of mom, dad and son

What a great way to start the morning!

Pittsburgh Newborn Session: Knowing When to Reschedule

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I have been waiting to photograph this session since before my friend was pregnant—I just knew she’d be a good mom and was so excited when she shared her news with me! Well, the session was just as delightful as I had anticipated. Actually better, thanks to this mama trusting her gut instinct!

mom singing to baby

This little sweetheart has been having tummy issues and just wasn’t feeling good, so her mommy new it would be best to reschedule. And thankfully with the prayers and support of her friends and the wisdom of her doctor, this sweet baby is feeling so much better! Her mom said she was uncomfortable most of the time, so for her baby to go from being mostly unhappy to only crying when she needed something was a huge blessing!

kisses for baby

I just love the personality of this sweet girl at just over two months!

baby looking at mommy and daddy

She even smiles for her first family portrait! Disclaimer: this is not the norm for any newborn, but being slightly older helps!

Pittsburgh-newborn-portraits-003

After a few portraits by the light of the front door and some of them on the couch, we moved to mom and dad’s bedroom which had lots of lovely natural light. Isn’t this a sweet scene? Watching your baby sleep is such a joy!

watching baby sleep

And I like this image too because while it could seem like it should be an out-take, my friend is looking at her husband to see his reaction. It was a moment where I feel like she was thinking, “should I pinch myself? Is this real?” I should ask her if that was what she was thinking, but I think that’s part of a natural response to becoming a parent.

mom looking at dad's reaction

We moved this little sweetie three times during her nap and she would rouse each time, but her mama had all of the soothing tricks down and could easily help her baby fall back asleep.

working her mommy magic to help her baby fall asleep

When they were pregnant, they chose not to find out the baby’s gender and decorated the nursery with an outer space theme. What a beautiful and creative idea to inspire their little girl as she explores her world!

mom and baby in nursery

My friend has many talents and this planetary mobile is one of her many inspiring creations!

outer space themed nursery