Category: Portrait

It’s that time of year where the mothers of high school senior boys everywhere force them to clean up and dress up to have their photographs taken.

Like most guys, Christian was not excited about having to shed his usual Under Amour sweatshirt for a shirt and tie. But, because he’s a good kid, he did it for his mother without too much complaining. 😉

More images to come!

I had the honor of meeting Baby Claire and photographing her very first portrait session!

This little peanut was only 5 pounds, 2 ounces when she was born, but she had an amazing full head of dark hair. Her mother could have started styling it with barrettes and clips right away!

I have photographed her parents, Jessica and Ryan, in the past. I had a blast when I did their engagement session, as I really got to know them and their personalities. I’m pretty sure they were the first people to tell me to watch the TV show “Dr. Who.”

I then had the pleasure of photographing their wedding. There were so many beautiful and fun details organized into that day! It was classic, with a little quirky- I loved it.

I also love that they asked me to photograph Jessica’s pregnancy session, which we kept simple and sweet.

And now, I get the happy privilege of introducing their daughter, Claire. I did a studio set-up in their home so they didn’t even have to take their new two-week-old baby out of the house. (This is such a benefit to new parents–one less thing to worry about when I go to them!) I did some of her alone, her with each parent, and then all three of them together as a new happy little family.

Enjoy!

Coordinating five kids, plus parents, for a family photography session takes time and work. Autumn did a great job pulling colors that worked together for everyone. We had great weather on the day of the session, which was helpful since we were using a local park for the location. That just left getting all the kids together, cooperating, looking at the camera and smiling–all at the same time. As any parent knows, that’s not a small feat. And we did it!

For years, I’ve meant to take my kids to Pope Farm Park in Middleton, Wisconsin when the sunflowers were in full bloom. I have done client sessions there, both with sunflowers and at other times, and we have taken the kids there to geocache (it’s kinda like “Pre-Pokemon Go”). But, for whatever reason, it always slipped my mind when it was time to get my own kids there for photos with the fields of sunflowers in the background.

Finally, this year I decided I was going to do it.

But, oh my gosh! I was shocked at how many other people were there! Pope Farm is usually a quiet park that most people don’t even know about. It doesn’t have a playground and is mainly fields and trails. The day we went, they even had event parking in the grass and police directing traffic– just so people could look at sunflowers!

We took a few photographs, but the park was too full of people to really enjoy. We decided to wait a week. The sunflowers were past their peak, but the park was back to its quiet, peaceful self. And, I finally got images of my kids together.

Dodi and Josh were our wedding clients, so I was happy that they asked me to photograph their first official portrait session as a little family of four. I have to admit, though: it doesn’t feel like their wedding happened as long ago as they said. Ten years certainly goes faster than you think!

Of course, when I do family sessions, I always want to get photos of the kids separately and together. Sophie warmed up to me right away. She even had the front door wide open to let me in before I was even all the way up the sidewalk.  And she especially loved showing off for me in the photos–I’m sure it helped that this was a location session that I did at their home, so she was very comfortable meeting me. The at-home session was great for Liam, too, since it allowed Dodi and Josh to let him nap right up until we started the photos. And it made grabbing him a bottle later super easy.

“It is always the simple that produces the marvelous.” ~Amelia Barr

Trends in baby photography come and go, just like trends in clothing and design. But my favorite way to photograph little ones is by keeping it simple. A clean, uncluttered background with a classic approach creates a timeless portrait that will never go out of style.

When Chelsey and Eric, very sweet past wedding clients, asked me to capture their new family together, I was excited that Baby Ellie was just big enough to sit up on her own. That meant that I could work with her to get natural, happy smiles and I’d be able to get some great shots that showed off her new skill.

We did the whole session on location at Chelsey and Eric’s home, where I used my backgrounds and lighting for a “studio set-up”. I think this works great for parents because getting ready for a portrait session can be stressful enough. It’s nice to not have the extra pressure of packing a baby into a car and hoping she’ll still be in a good mood when they get where they are going. Ellie was able to be in the comfort of familiar surroundings throughout the entire session, which makes it easier for everyone.

The wonderful thing about keeping baby portraits simple is that the focus stays on your sweet baby’s smile and big eyes. The photographs don’t have to be about flowery props or fanciful imagery to be beautiful. If we add things in, I like to include sentimental things, like maybe a stuffed animal that they got when they were born or a favorite blanket that they always cuddle. That way, the “props” have added meaning.

I was thrilled to capture the family session for Chelsey and Eric. It means a lot to me that I can preserve important milestones and different stages for clients beyond their wedding day. And it makes it fun when they have a baby as sweet was little Ellie was!