Tag Archive for: portraits

Pittsburgh Family Portraits at Hartwood Acres

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Now that it’s finally feeling like fall in Pittsburgh, this July family session feels so far away. It was a very warm day and this family was celebrating their daughter’s first birthday. We headed to Hartwood Acres Mansion for the lovely garden and just look at this little peanut!

sweet girl in the garden

Here’s the whole family in the garden.

family portrait in the garden

Sometimes it’s tricky getting kiddos to stay in one place, so we played a game with this cutie pie. He was hiding my toy dog to see if we could find it. There’s just something about sneaky little boys! I have two of them at home and I just love seeing them delight in trying to trick me!

sneaky big brother

This mansion is such a lovely setting from any angle, but this courtyard at the back of the mansion happens to be my favorite.

family portrait by the mansion

We stopped for some mother/daughter and father/son portraits too. It’s just so special seeing the relationships they have.

mother and daughter

father and son

And here’s one last image from the session that I’ve made a habit to photograph in all of my sessions. These are the two who started it all!

husband and wife

It’s a blessing to photograph family portraits. If you, or someone you know is looking for a photographer, I’d love to hear from you! Get in touch by clicking here.

Pittsburgh Children’s Photography: Ages and Stages—Photoshoots for Two-Year Olds

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As a photographer and mom, I’ve paid close attention to how kids respond to photoshoots at various ages and I think it’s safe to say that with any little one who has recently found the freedom of crawling/walking/climbing, you can expect a fast-paced, action-filled session! While I’m pretty sure this little one didn’t remember me from her first birthday photos, she warmed up to me very quickly and playful initiated a game of catch me if you can!

playing catch me if you can

This is her tugging on my shirt. I have to admit, I really enjoyed the sweet antics of this charming little girl!

two-year old girl

And moments like these when a little one shows the glee of being with mom and dad just warm my heart!

giggles with daddy

Notice the mommy and me matching boots!

squeezes with mommy

For a change of pace, we slowed things down by reading a book under a tree.

reading a story under a tree

This family was all smiles the whole session long! This family portrait was one of the last ones from the session and one of the favorites!

Cranberry-family-photography_44

If you’re looking for a family or children’s photographer, I’d love to hear from you! Please contact me here for more information.

Pittsburgh Newborn Photography: Let Your Home Set the Tone

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I don’t think it occurred to me when I photographed this newborn session, that this home and the family’s wardrobe had a wonderfully consistent color palette. I did remember thinking I wish this family could come and decorate my home! But when I got to work on editing their images, I started noticing a lovely tone that makes their images look like a cohesive set, regardless of which room the family was photographed in. We started in their living room.

snuggles on the couch

baby checking out the camera

This sweet baby was awake most of the session and very curious about the camera!

baby in a basket

sweet feet

With a Very Hungry Caterpillar-inspired nursery, this lemon print swaddle was perfect!

baby swaddled in a lemon print

I really love seeing babies peek back at my camera through their cribs!

peeking through the crib

And seeing them in their parents arms is even better – so peaceful!

resting in daddy's arms

Here’s a wide angle shot of the nursery. Well done, mom and dad!

mama and baby in the nursery

Being able to photograph babies in their parent’s arms is one of the reasons I love the lifestyle approach to photography. For three reasons: the baby is so content, it’s natural, and mom and dad are part of the picture!

parents admiring their baby

And I can’t get enough of tiny baby feet.

tiny toes

If you, or someone you know is looking for a newborn photographer, please get in touch. I’d love to hear from you!

Cranberry Family Portraits: Into the Woods

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When I was a young girl, I loved playing with my sister in the woods. It was always an adventure exploring new spots in the lovely woods at the edge of our backyard. I guess I still do, because when my clients are open to suggestions for locations, this spot is often on my list.

family portrait in the woods

I love that it easily accessible and so family-friendly with paved walkways!

family walking through Cranberry Woods

These little cuties really enjoyed my assistant, Miss Kitty, and they actually laughed when I made her meow! Sometimes it’s just crickets, but it was easy getting these two to smile!

family portrait

It’s plain to see how these kiddos are loved.

father and daughter

mother and son

This dad read a favorite book. What a precious scene!?!

daddy reads a book

And we took a few moments to photograph just the two of them, because your last portrait as a couple should not be from your wedding day! And I plan to do the same when my own family is photographed next month.

just husband and wife

Pittsburgh Family Portraits for Foster and Adoptive Families

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This is my second family portrait session with this beautiful family—they are in different phases of foster-to-adopt with their daughters. If you have an interest in fostering or adopting a child, I highly recommend you check out the post from their previous session. I thought about not blogging this session because this post will be limited to images that don’t show the girls’ faces (for their protection), but there’s so much good here (and I’m not talking about the photography!) that I couldn’t skip this opportunity to share a bit about this family’s story.

siblings hand-in-hand

The love they have for these children is so touching. Of course these darling children are lovable—and they will be loved as if they were biological, but what gets me is the risk families take in opening their hearts and homes to lovingly fill a gap in a child’s life, all without the guarantee of knowing that they’d be able to stay. That’s the thing about love, there’s always a risk. And true love isn’t about what you’ll receive in return, but the bravery and sacrifice that comes from the heart.

duck watching

This is their oldest and I was blessed to be able to photograph his adoption last year.

relaxing in the shade

If you, or someone you know is fostering to adopt, I’d love to hear from you! I’m planning a day of sessions for families who are opening their hearts and homes and would love to include you!