Capturing the Magic and Wonder of Childhood
I first met this lovely family a little over two years ago for their maternity photo session, and then shortly thereafter had the honor of shooting an at-home newborn session for their first baby.
This week I got to return for baby #2. It is such a joy and a privilege to be able to capture a newborn session and then to be able to return a couple years later and see that newborn growing into the BEST big sister. Congratulations to this new family of four.
We had to reschedule this maternity portrait session a few times because of the weather, but it turned out absolutely perfect in the end. It was a perfectly warm January day for this beautiful couple to celebrate the coming of their first baby. It is such a privilege to be a part of honoring this special time for new parents. I so enjoyed getting to know this couple during our time together.
I get a lot of questions about making a winter session work. I think winter photo sessions in Middle Tennessee are lovely. The key is flexibility. I am very flexible this time of year, so I leave it up to clients to decide what weather they can tolerate. Some kids are happy playing in the cold, and others are less tolerant. Portraits with everyone bundled up are adorable, especially if you put some thought into the coats, hats, and scarves.
But the good thing about Tennessee weather is that if the cold wasn’t what you imagined, we can probably just wait a few days and the weather will change dramatically. And you will end up with what we have here….a 70-degree day in January.
Looking for a photographer in Spring Hill, Franklin, and Columbia in Middle Tennessee? I photograph families at all stages, from newborns to seniors. See my website for more information or book a session from my online calendar. I would love it if you considered following me on Facebook and/or Instagram.
Last week I got to go visit my brother and his family in Boone for an early Thanksgiving. My nieces are 5 years old and 3 months old and they are just perfect in every way.
They live a mere minutes away from the Blue Ridge Parkway, so we took a brief excursion to get a few pictures. Oh, what I wouldn’t give to have that kind of photo location available to me on a daily basis.
I hope you all had a beautiful holiday.
Looking for a photographer in Spring Hill, Franklin, and Columbia in Middle Tennessee? I photograph families at all stages, from newborns to seniors. See my website for more information or book a session from my online calendar. I would love it if you considered following me on Facebook and/or Instagram.
I loved shooting maternity photos for this beautiful couple who is awaiting the arrival of their first baby. That time in my own life seems both millions of years ago and just like yesterday all at the same time. Being pregnant is such a magical time that doesn’t really compare to anything else. How lucky I am to be able to experience a little of that magic through my clients.
Maternity photos are a great way for me to get the chance to know a couple before baby arrives. I’ll be photographing lifestyle newborn portraits for this sweet family soon and I cannot wait to meet their new little one.
I am a photographer serving families in Spring Hill, Franklin, and Columbia in Middle Tennessee. I photograph families at all stages, from newborns to seniors. See my website for more information or to book a session from my online calendar. I would love it if you would consider following me on Facebook and/or Instagram.
I’m not sure there is anything more magical than the first few weeks at home with your newborn baby.
I first met this lovely Spring Hill family a little over two years ago at big sister Scarlett’s newborn session. I was excited when Mikaela contacted me to tell me that she was pregnant again and wanted to schedule a second newborn portrait session.
It is so much fun to get to come back to a family and again witness such a beautiful time in their lives. I loved seeing baby Scarlett, now 2 1/ 2, doting over her new baby brother. I was able to see what used to be her nursery, recently turned over to baby brother. And she showed me her new big girl room and all her toys.
It’s a different vibe to the house the second time around when I get to photograph repeat newborn sessions. Mom and dad are no longer newbies, but seasoned parents who know better what to expect from both parenthood, and the photo session. And then there is an energetic giggling big sibling there to liven things up…one of my favorite parts.
I feel fortunate to have a job that lets me be a small part of such special memories for a family. I know every time I leave a newborn session, I end up reminiscing about when my girls were that age, and what a magical time it was. I know it was tough too. I haven’t forgotten that completely, but it was also so special. I’m glad that I can create a little something to help them remember that time, which is so fleeting.
And as a bonus, I got to spend a morning hanging out with two pretty awesome little humans. ❤️
When I first took the leap to being a professional photography, I honestly dreaded newborn sessions. I felt like I had found my style and my passion in family photography, especially with young children. I prided myself on capturing real, candid moments. I loved directly families into the beautiful light, and capturing what unfolded between them.
Most newborn photography I had seen at that time was so different than what I loved to do. It was beautiful, but very posed, with lots of bean bags, and props. I thought that’s what I had to do too…that that’s what it meant to photograph a newborn.
Thankfully, I started educating myself and following lots of other photographers and found that there is definitely more than one style of newborn photography, and I could absolutely bring what I loved about family photography into a newborn session. Step one was dropping any expectations of forced posing (especially when there are big siblings involved) and to focus on capturing that connection between family members, which is what I love to do.
And what other amazing time to capture that beautiful love and connection than during baby’s first days at home? It is seriously such a magical time that goes by amazingly fast, like a dream. What an honor to be able to freeze time in a sense in those early moments that define a family. It is so special for me to be brought into these moments of my clients lives, and to see their family grow. I was there for the birth of both of these beautiful children and I can’t tell you what it means to me to have a job that allows me to be part of something like that.
My favorite newborn sessions are when there is a big brother or sister involved. This brings a sort of beautiful chaos to the session that I actually love so much. One piece of advice I had read when I began to study lifestyle newborn photography was to go with the flow, and to just get them all in the frame and see what happens.
You can see both of those concepts in action in these photos. It’s generally impossible to get a 15 month old to pose for anything. But just like in a family session, we go with the flow and find things she likes to do to keep her happy and occupied I capture these moments between the family. (Notice the sprinkles on baby brothers belly to capture her interest? LOL)
These are the type of images that mean the most to me as a mother, so I hope that I am able to capture images that are meaningful to my clients.
Gah, I don’t want to leave this baby. Can she just come home and live with me? (Her mommy says no.)
I’m so glad I was able to spend Thanksgiving with her though. We have so much to be thankful for this year. My brother and his amazing wife are just wonderful parents to this sweet girl, and she has her big canine sister Barley looking out for her. My girls are just head over heels for their new cousin, and I couldn’t help including a few pictures of them with her at the end of this post.
I could take photos of her all day long. Also, I just love her nursery. Deb did such an awesome job decorating it.
This definitely ranked as one of the most awesome nights of my life. My baby brother and his amazing wife asked me to photograph the birth of their daughter. Every single birth I have witnessed is a gift, but this one was especially meaningful to me. To be able to capture my niece entering this world was truly beautiful.
I am so proud of my brother, and so happy that he has found such an amazing wife. She was a rockstar during delivery.
Deborah planned to be induced on Saturday, but on Tuesday afternoon, I received a call from her. She said that her blood pressure was up a little, and that the doctors had decided to admit her to the hospital and go ahead and induce labor. So I threw some things in a bag and jumped in the car to make the six hour drive to Columbus, nervous the entire time that I might miss it.
As I got closer to Columbus, I heard from Tim that they did not plan to put Deborah on Pitocin until about midnight, which thankfully meant I likely had plenty of time to make it to the hospital. When I arrived around 9 p.m., Deborah had begun to have really strong contractions that were progressing nicely. She ended up not having to have Pitocin at all. Around 2 a.m., the nurse said that she was ready and called for the doctor. Deborah did an amazing job, and brought Laurel into the world at 2:37 a.m.
They had chosen not to find out the baby’s sex before delivery, so up until that moment, I didn’t know if I would have a niece or nephew. It was really awesome when the doctor held out the baby for Tim to see and then announce that it was a girl. She weighed 6lbs 14oz and was 20” long, and is absolutely perfect.
I am so thrilled to be an aunt and cannot wait to spoil that little girl rotten. I know that Tim & Deb are going to be amazing parents to that sweet girl and she is very blessed to have them as parents.
