What to expect at your Newborn Session

Newborn sessions are by far some of my favorite sessions.  I think it might be because I don't have to act like a crazy person behind the camera in order to get everyone to look at me and smile.  Or maybe it's because I get to cuddle with the adorable newborns.  Either way, they are so much fun for me!

As a mom of a new baby, there are so many things that you are trying to get used to.  There's lots of stress, hundreds of questions, and almost no sleep.  So, when it comes to the photography session with your precious little bundle, I want to be able to take all that additional stress away that you may feel not knowing what to expect during your shoot.

 With a new baby, everything is new! It takes time to get into a rhythm with your little angel, and predicting when nap time will happen is generally difficult. However, if you can manage to have baby fed and changed before the shoot, this will increase chances of sleep! If you have any outfits or props you would like to include, please have them available and I will try to work them into your session.

Do what you can to keep your little one awake as much as possible a couple of hours before your session. This will hopefully insure that your little bundle will be super sleepy and posable during your session. 

Please dress your little cutie in comfortable, loose clothing that is easily removed. Also, do not diaper too tightly to reduce the possibility of red marks on baby’s skin.   

 The golden rule of newborn photography: babies are unpredictable! At just a few days old, a regular feeding, sleeping and potty schedule is out of the question. I understand this, and as a result recommend at least 3 hours be blocked out for your newborn session. Although I do have  my bag of tricks to make the process efficient and fun for everyone, it really all comes down to how baby is feeling.

When I come to your home for your session, the best room to use is usually the one with the most light. This could be the living room, the master  bedroom, or sometimes even the kitchen! Don’t worry, you won’t see the dishwasher in any of  your final images.

Here are a few more things to be prepared for:

-  Babies like to be warm, and I usually have a space heater running the entire session. (My rule of thumb: if I’m not sweating, it’s probably not warm enough for your baby.)

-  I find that the quieter the room, the better the session. Loud noises can startle and awaken your sleeping baby (but, you already know that).

-  I usually get pooped on, peed on, and/or spit-up on at least once each session, so don’t feel bad when it happens at yours.

-  Most importantly, relax and enjoy this special time as we capture some beautiful images of your precious little one.

Within a day of your session I will post a sneak peak to my Facebook page. Keep a look out for it!

It can take me up to 2 weeks to edit and perfect all the photos from your session.  I know you will be anxious to see all the photos, but newborn editing takes time. 

Of course, if you have any questions at all about your session, don't hesitate to ask!

Hart Family

Arizona during the summer is H.O,T!  Let's just put that out there if anyone hasn't already noticed.  This adorable family was willing to brave the heat for their session, and I'm glad they did!  Their photos turned out great!  In between lots of water breaks (and plenty of Mentos...), we got some great shots.  And their little girls were such troopers!

Little girls just love to twirl! 

Aren't these girls absolutely precious!?  They are about 14 months apart, and couldn't be more different from one another.  However, both of them were lucky enough to get those gorgeous blue eyes!  That's not an editing trick, their eyes are completely 100% natural.  Simply gorgeous.

And, aren't their dresses so fun and girly.  The mom is a LulaRoe consultant, so they have plenty of cute (and very comfortable) dresses to choose from.  All three of the ladies are wearing dresses from that line.  I liked their dresses so much from this session that I had to buy one for me and my own daughter!  Seriously, you need to check-out LulaRoe!  I'm totally in love.

Bove Family

Let's be honest, being pregnant is not a walk in the park.  Many women don't even want to step outside in anything more then a pair of sweat pants and an old t-shirt, let alone get their picture taken.   But this momma and her adorable family rocked it!  

  

I just have to say, I am completely obsessed with the images from this session.  The mom is absolutely glowing, and their two little girls are so cute!

Seriously, can it get any cuter?!

Kaia Senior Session

Perfection.  If I could use only one word to describe my most recent senior session, that would have to be it!  Perfection.  Absolute Perfection!  The lighting was heaven, the subject was a natural, and the color dress that she chose was gorgeous.  It's sessions like these that help re-enforce why I love what I do!

Let me introduce you to Kaia.  She is a sweet, down-to-earth, country girl, with such a fun personality!  Getting her to laugh was so easy, and she was an absolute natural in front of the camera.  It made for a very fun and laid back session!

Congratulations on your graduation Kaia!  Class of 2015!

Not many girls can pull off Aviator's, but she looks nothing short of stunning!

Mister I turns one

I have found that when it comes to taking pictures of my own kids, I seriously struggle!  As a photographer I don't know if that is a good thing to admit, but there you have it.  They usually give me this look that obviously says "Please mom, not the camera again."  Is that a normal thing, or is it because I seem to have the camera in their faces all. the. time?  I can get them to giggle and sit still, but the moment I raise the camera, they're running for the hills!  Talk about frustrating.  Sometimes though, the stars align, and they decide to sneak in a smile or two.

My little guy recently turned 1, and since he isn't quite walking yet, he was easy to contain and I was able to get some super cute shots!  This boy melts my heart.

And because 1 year old's only have an attention span of about 7.39 minutes, I wanted to get some pictures of him in his "natural habitat."  This little guy loves to crawl around, and he is super fast too!

Happy Birthday Isaac!

Itri Family

Having a best friend is awesome!  Let me just put that out there.  What is even more awesome is when yours and your best friends kids are almost the exact age and gender (yay instant playmates!).  Then, add in that your husbands get along great, and you have a perfect tri-fecta.  If we didn't live in different states, we would probably have almost daily play dates.  But, since that isn't possible, we decided to have a week long vacation together instead! 

The beautiful Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas.  Too bad we didn't stay here, we just took advantage of some wonderful photo locations.

In between the great food and the awesome (family friendly) shows, I was able to take some family pictures for my beautiful friend and her family.  These people make me so happy!

I don't know why, but this picture is awesome to me.  Sorry Megan :)

Aren't they gorgeous?!  They were sure easy to photograph.