I just love these kids! They are always fun to photograph, and I was honored to be asked to capture such an important time in their lives. It is so special to receive the sacrament of Holy Communion for the first time, and even more special to get to do it along side your best friend - your sibling!
God bless, Joseph & Amelia!
Baby Junyi and his family visited me in May. This boy is so loved. He is surrounded by two caring parents, a proud big sister, and his sweet Nainai - which I learned is “grandma” in Mandarin Chinese.
This little man loved being wrapped and slept soundly. We ended the session with a shot of his little feet which will soon undergo treatment. This sweetheart has some challenges in front of him, but he will most certainly be successful with the love and support of his dear family.
Welcome to the world, Junyi! It was a pleasure meeting you!
I was so happy to visit Joseph’s nursery for his in-home newborn session. I remembered just two years earlier when I was there to photograph his sister, and the room looked totally different. His mommy and daddy did a great job transforming the space to an adorable baby golf theme featuring olive green and natural wood tones. The family wore the perfect colors to compliment their surroundings, and big sis Olivia was all smiles!
Olivia, who just turned two a day before her brother was born, was so attentive, and even shared some of her play food with her new baby brother. Such a kind sissy!
We ended the session with some shots of just Joseph in his crib and snuggled in a basket. He slept soundly, and even gave me a few little smiles. He is such a sweet little guy, and I can tell he is already so loved. Welcome to the world, Joseph!
Oh sweet Baby Nora! This adorable baby girl really fought us on the sleep, but we did manage to get a few “long blinks” here and there. I, personally, love the shot of her looking straight into the camera. What a doll!
Her beautiful name, Nora, is a derivative of her mother’s name, and has been repeated throughout her family tree. That is so special!
I also adore her little, pink newborn tootsies. I can tell she is so very loved by her Mommy and Daddy, and she knows she’s safe in their arms. Welcome to the world, Nora!
It was a joy to have Sophie in the studio for her First Birthday Session! She was so pleasant and cooperative. We started her session off in front of the Flower Wall, which perfectly matches the colors in her nursery at home.
We then celebrated her “Berry First Birthday” with a cake smash! We couldn’t help but smile at her little tongue peeking out. Someone must be cutting a tooth!
She really worked her cake smash, and even smooshed her little tootsies in there. Happy 1st Birthday, Sophie! You’re as sweet as strawberries!
I had a blast working with this Mommy-and-Daddy-to-be! We started our session at The Meadows to pay homage to Mommy’s favorite pregnancy treat. The staff were so accommodating to let us come in first thing in the morning to use their space. Mom and Dad enjoyed pink and blue Italian Ice to showcase their boy/girl twins, and of course, got a double scoop cone for double the baby joy!
We then met up at sunset in Cranberry Woods for some beautiful shots among the trees on the nature trail. These two were so much fun, and had each other (and me!) laughing the whole time. What lucky babies to be born to such sweet parents.
Daddy wore his "dad shoes”, which they had used as part of their pregnancy announcement. I found this to be such a fun and sweet touch. Can’t wait to see this couple again in another month when those dad shoes are official!
When Grace’s mommy reached out to schedule her session, Grace was already older than the prime Newborn Session window of 5-10 days old. We were nervous that she might not stay asleep, but this precious angel proved us wrong. Not only did she sleep soundly, but she gave the sweetest smiles, and let us pose her, too!
I always take into consideration any preferences the parents have for their baby’s session, so for Grace’s we went with simple and neutral. I love the way these turned out! Capturing the tiny details in black and white is one of my favorite ways to photograph a baby. Her adorable, perfect nose, sweet fingers and toes, peach fuzz on the back of her ears, the newborn stretchies, and - my favorite - the swirl in her hair.
This sweetheart was alert for the end of her session, and looked right at me with her big, beautiful eyes. God bless you, Grace! It was a pleasure working with you and your mommy.
It’s The Great Bambino! Little Teddy is turning one soon, and came to the studio for a baseball-themed First Birthday Session. He is adorable, and knocked it out of the park!
Teddy’s mommy, originally from Long Island, NY, had him dressed in the absolute cutest lil’ Yankees jersey, personalized with name and age.
I love all things vintage, so I leaned in to the classic baseball props, decorating with antique baseballs, a mitt, Mickey Mantle kids bat (all courtesy of my parents basement), popcorn, and classic Coca-Cola bottles. My studio is conveniently located next to an antique store, so I was able to find the vintage Coca-Cola crates! That store is quickly becoming my happy place. I could spend hours perusing the rooms.
Thanks for stopping by the studio, Ted! You are the cutest lil’ slugger. Happy 1st Birthday!
This is 4! Miss Piper is always a dream to have in the studio. Not only is she as cute as can be, but she is sweet, kind, and follows direction so well! For her session, I pulled out the pretty blue details of her dress, by adding some flowers and sweet little chair to the simple set-up.
As an added bonus, Piper and I are both big Wicked fans, so having the soundtrack playing helped bring on all the smiles!
Thanks for coming by the studio, Piper!
I first met up with Sebastian in the Fall for a few quick and easy yearbook portraits, with plans on reconvening in the Spring for a more extensive session in warmer weather. Well, we got the beautiful day, but not the warm temperatures. That’s okay! Sebastian was a pro, and toughed it out.
The Mars Railroad is a great location to get many different industrial backgrounds in a small area. The historical site has the old train station, a historic red caboose, and of course, the tracks!
We also took some neutral portraits in front of the garage. These images make a great addition to Sebastian’s senior gallery, which already included some great shots of him in North Park.
Sebastian is planning to study radiology in the Fall after his graduation from Ambridge. I wish him all the best!
Isla’s parents chose the perfect “Sweet One” theme for her First Birthday Session, because this little girl is so, so sweet. She started her session very quiet and shy, but soon loosened up giving me some adorable little grins as she explored her set-up and played with the sprinkle confetti.
I always love to capture a few close-ups of the sweet little one-year-old face, and I adore portraits in black and white. It really highlights the little features, which in Isla’s case, included her adorable little teeth and gorgeous lashes.
We ended her session with a cake smash. She was hesitant at first, but then started to neatly eat her cake. Such a happy little “sweet one”. Thanks for coming to see me, Isla! I wish you the best first birthday!
Sometimes I love just doing a sweet and simple portrait session, and letting the little one’s personality be the theme. For this mini session, I incorporated Noelle’s favorite colors - pink and purple - and let her run the show. I focused in on her sweet little face, let her hold her toy car keys, and hug her stuffy, because ultimately…this is two!
My goal for these milestone birthday sessions is always to capture exactly who your child is at that moment in time. So you can look back on these images, and be transported to them at that age. This quick and easy session did just that, and I hope these will be treasured for years to come.
Happy 2nd Birthday, Sweet Noelle!
It was so wonderful to see Lucy and her sweet parents again! She was such a precious newborn, and has blossomed into the sweetest little almost-one-year-old! Full of personality! I am loving the chunky cable name sweaters that are becoming a trend this year. I think they pair perfectly with a simple, neutral background to really highlight the little person wearing them.
We then did some shots in her pretty, light pink birthday dress while having a tea party with a few friends she brought along. Her birthday party theme is a tea party, so I, of course, had to work it into her session. She was making us laugh while using her teapot spout as a straw!
She gave us lots of big smiles, showing off her six little teeth.
Then it was time to bring out the treat she had been waiting for - her smash cake! She went straight for it, and kept shoveling handfuls of cake into her mouth. So cute and silly! I just adore this little sweetheart, and hope to work with her again in the future. Wishing you a very Happy 1st Birthday!
I got to visit with Cash on his exact half-birthday to document this sweet phase in his life. Newborn Sessions are precious, and First Birthday Sessions are a blast, but don’t sleep on the mid-year sessions. I love this time because baby is alert and full of personality, but not yet mobile, so they are usually a fun and easy session. Plus, the mid-year months are just so cute! Check out his big blue eyes and his sweet dimple!
These sessions can be done any time around that half birthday mark, and as always, I welcome family to jump in a few! Cash looked so happy with his pretty mommy! I love the little side glance he gave her. Baby boys love their mamas!
Happy Half, Cash!
When you are born on Valentine’s Day, there is really only one theme choice for your First Birthday Session - and it’s the perfect theme for Miss Esra, because this baby girl is pure love!
She has so much personality, and was definitely giving off the little sissy vibes - big smiles, carefree, and a lot of fun!
I always include family pictures with all my milestone sessions, so Mommy, Daddy, and Big Sis were there to jump in a few.
We ended Esra’s session with a cake smash and a milk bath. This was so much fun! Happy 1st Birthday to you, Essie! It was a blast celebrating your first year with you.
Sweet Baby Riaan may have had a tough start to his life, but he’s now home with his loving family, all snuggled and warm.
The holidays may be over, but this darling boy is still enjoying all things cozy. We started with some basket wraps for his individual shots, and then took a few of his precious tootsies - some of the cutest little feet! I also just love his long lashes. Such a handsome little guy.
His parents are so sweet, and were just radiating love and peace. As someone who used to work with pre-term babies in my previous career, I felt such relief for them to have their baby home after such uncertainty. They shared with me that they also recently moved during the days following Riaan’s birth, but they got through those stressful times with the unwavering support of family.
It takes a village, and Riaan is one blessed baby to be born into this one.
It took sweet little Ally a minute to warm up to me, but honestly, when you’re this cute - it doesn’t matter if you smile or are serious. She’s gorgeous any way you get her! Just look at those adorable cheeks!
Once she got a little more comfy in her adorable birthday romper, her smiles were a bit more forthcoming. She is a doll, and it was such a pleasure to document her First Birthday milestone! Happy Birthday, Sweetie!
Before the busyness of Holiday Sessions began, I had the pleasure of photographing sweet Everleigh and her family. This baby girl is so blessed. Not only does she have the kindest parents, but her big brother Reyden was absolutely born for this role. He is so in love with his baby sister.
What a perfect, precious little lady. Welcome to the world, sweet Everleigh!
In the midst of the busy holiday picture season, birthdays and newborns are still happening! What a pleasure it was to meet darling Percy! He came to the studio bringing smiles, and the sweetest little wardrobe changes. I love this handmade name sweater that was gifted to his mama when he was born!
He then changed into a sweet neutral shirt - I just love a baby boy in a collar! Too cute!
We then finished our time together with overalls and a cake smash. Classic denim overalls are timeless, and always a great choice for a baby photo session. Thanks for coming to see me, Percy! You’re adorable!
It was such a pleasure to capture images of the love this extended family has for one another. After 15 years of living states apart, they are now all back in Pittsburgh, and so thrilled to watch the grandkids grow up together.
It drizzled on and off all day, but after rearranging our plans, we met at the North Park boathouse for a beautiful session celebrating togetherness.
The woman at the centerpiece of their family - their sweet Grammy - was so happy to have these beautiful grands all together.
Getting family photographs is so important, not only to capture the here and now, but also to preserve memories for the future. I hope these images always remind them of their mother-daughter bond, and bring joy for generations to come.
