Tag Archive for: session

Pittsburgh Newborn Session: Photos with a Full Belly

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This little sweetheart was just two weeks old when I got to photograph him and his is darling parents. And he started out the session a little fussy – his mama had an unplanned guest visit the hour before the session and she didn’t get the time to feed him beforehand like she had planned. And I can really identify with her, not wanting to turn someone away and hoping that everything would work out. Well, this little sweetie just wasn’t having it, so she took a break to feed him and what a turnaround once he had a full belly! He was so content and it was a breeze documenting this angel and his sweet family.

brand new baby

bright eyes

Look at how content this little guy is.

what I like to call a baby sandwich

father and son

mama and baby

This one of my favorite ways to photograph a baby. I love seeing babies in their mother’s arms, they’re happy that way and what a beautiful representation of this special time.

babe in arms

family portrait on the bed

Just look at those bright eyes! And this little guy is so content, he doesn’t even fuss at being in his crib.

newborn portrait in crib

I also love the simplicity of swaddling a baby.

baby swaddled

And then there are these sweet baby feet! My baby fix has been met and I’m excited for all that’s ahead for this sweet family!

baby feet!

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 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.

Family Lifestyle Portraiture: Document Your Family On a Fun Outing

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My family spent the 4th of July at Moraine State Park and Lakeview Beach and it’s been a while since I’ve photographed my boys, so remembering to bring my camera was just as important as remembering to pack the picnic basket!

On the lake at Moraine State Park

We rented a pontoon boat on Lake Arthur and had a terrific time cruising around the lake.

Taking in the sights at Lake Arthur

I love this mischievous smile.

Love it when he smiles like he's about to be mischevious

Our nephew came along with us and is so good with our boys. And they adore him!

my nephew hugging my littlest

Then we headed to Lakeview Beach for some swimming, because when you’re little, you can’t go on a boat and not swim in the water! That would be a terrible tease.

Getting acquainted with the lake

With nap time looming, this little guy was primed for a solid afternoon nap. Lots of fun and sun will wear a little guy out!

Giggles before nap time

I love capturing days like this and hope to do more of that on our upcoming vacation. I have over a year’s worth of photos like this to print and I’m going to make that happen this winter. It’s funny that I’ve gotten so far behind in filling our albums with 4×6 prints, because I’m slightly neurotic about being able to go back and look at these moments. And if you’re someone who hasn’t made regular prints of your family, I urge you that it’s never to late to start and if you’re overwhelmed, just back up your current digital files and start making batches of prints from your new captures each month. With digital photography, we’ll have a lot less to look back on and pass down to our families if we’re not diligent about backing up and printing these precious memories!

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!