Esra is One! - First Birthday Session

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.

Ally is One! - First Birthday Session

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!

Lena is One! - First Birthday Session

These sweet sisters were so precious for Lena’s First Birthday Session. It’s not the traditional norm, but I love a blue theme for baby girls! Big Sister Sia even jumped in at the end to help Lena smash her cake. I was so so happy I captured that moment when Lena noticed her sister had just taken a big bite. So funny!

Happy 1st Birthday, Lena!

Cora - Newborn Session

Baby Cora is so loved! I started her session with family and sibling pictures, giving everyone a chance to love on this precious little pink bundle. What a lucky little girl to have two big brothers to love and protect her.

We then moved on to her individual portraits, using both purples and neutrals. She was unwrapped to showcase her perfect little fingers and toes at the very end of her session. What a sweet little angel. Welcome to the world, Cora!

Avyanna - Newborn Session

What a beauty! Avyanna was a perfect angel baby for her session at the studio. She was so sweet and snuggly, and even gave me a few subtle smiles - and just look at those gorgeous lashes! I can tell she is so very loved by her parents. Welcome to the world, sweet girl!

Vera - Newborn Session

I was delighted to have my new niece Vera visit the studio. Her mommy and I are both fans of non-traditional “girl” colors, so it was a no-brainer for me to go with yellows and white for her session. The colors lent themselves perfectly to the flower of late summer - the sunflower - and the most petite, sweet flower that pairs perfectly with a newborn - baby’s breath.

Our sweet girl slept perfectly, and Big Brother Leo did a great job too!

She gave us peaceful, sweet, and smiley! Love this little one so much already!

The F Family - Maternity Session

To say I’m excited for this baby is an understatement. My beautiful sister-in-law was glowing in the summer sunlight at almost full-term! She was such a trooper battling the heat for our session, and looked so gorgeous.

My nephew Leo did not disappoint with his facial expression. He is so excited for his little sister, whom he lovingly calls “Pillow,” because Mommy has a pillow under her shirt, of course.

That feeling of expecting the second child is a tricky one for mommies. We have such strong bonds with the first-born who made us a mother, it seems almost impossible to love another little one just as much. But the love never fails to multiply.

…and the first baby will always be your baby, even if they’re not the baby of the family anymore.

Leo is so excited to welcome Baby Sis, as are Mommy and Daddy (and all of us!).

We’re ready for ya, Pillow!

Liliana - Newborn Session

When Liliana’s mommy told me Baby Girl was 6 weeks new, I wasn’t expecting to get many sleepy images, but Baby Lili surprised me by giving the perfect combination of sleepy, smiley, and peacefully awake. The angels must have been singing to her in her sleep.

She snuggled sweetly with Mom and Dad, and her big brother Caleb.

We ended her session with a warm, cozy, feminine color palette. I love the sweet close-ups of her pink toes. Her little feet make the perfect heart. Welcome to the world, angel girl!

Raleigh - Newborn Session

Every session I do kind of takes on a life of it’s own. Raleigh’s session ended up focusing in on family. We got some wonderful family portraits, as well as capturing the bond between each family member and their new addition.

Mommy and Daddy each got to cuddle with sweet baby girl, and proud big brother got his moments with her too.

My personal favorite shots were the close-ups of the entire family admiring Raleigh and holding her close. I always give my Newborn Session clients both color and black & white shots, but close-ups of sweet details always lend themselves to simple black & white.

After Raleigh got comfortable and swaddled tightly, she settled in to her individual styled shots. Her mommy wanted a dusty rose color with wildflowers to match the colors and details of Raleigh’s nursery. I love this color scheme and the feminine details of lace and dried flowers.

I enjoyed having Raleigh and her family in the studio, and hope to see her again as she grows. Welcome to the world, Raleigh!

Olivia is One! - First Birthday Session

Olivia was ONE-derful to have in the studio! I so enjoyed her personality and adorable facial expressions. She is so smart too, taking instruction like a seasoned pro. For her First Birthday session, her mommy wanted something clean and simple. I complimented her precious tulle gown with some muted gold balloons. We also took a few shots on “Lamby,” her favorite rocking horse…er, lamb…from home. What a perfect prop! Lamby brought some big smiles! It’s always a great idea to bring a favorite toy from home, especially if it compliments the color scheme.

I just happened to have the flower wall in the studio at the time of Olivia’s session, so we took a few shots in front of the purple flowers, as well. Olivia changed into the cutest lace romper and pearls - perfect for the old-time elegance of the purple and mauve roses.

Thanks for visiting me, Olivia! Happy 1st Birthday!

Amelia is One! - First Birthday Session

I was so honored to do Amelia’s session, as she had traveled all the way from North Carolina for it! Six and a half years ago, I did her big sister’s first birthday photos when the family lived here in the Pittsburgh area. They had since moved, but knew they’d be home visiting family, so reached out to see if I could do their newest addition’s photos, as well.

When I heard Amelia would be wearing a sweet, simple rose colored dress, I immediately pictured it against a vintage wood background, and added some simple classic touches as props. Technically, Amelia turned one a few months ago, so we didn’t want these images to scream birthday as much as just highlighting her one-year-old self. Classic and sweet.

When I photographed Big Sister all those years ago, she was in this exact galvanized tub, but with a light pink dress, so we wanted to try to capture the same look for Amelia, but with a different shade.

I also knew that I had done some O - N - E shots with her big sis, so I pulled those letters out to be used, as well. Mommy and Daddy can look back on the girls’ first year with similar images to compare or display in their home.

We ended by pulling away the props, and getting some simple shots of Amelia clapping and playing. I love it how all babies seem to love, “so big!!!”

Happy 1st Birthday, Sweet Girl!

Emma is One! - First Birthday Session

Emma is one of my “First Year Special” babies, meaning her parents purchased a package including Newborn, Baby Portrait, and First Birthday sessions. This means that I had the absolute pleasure of capturing her cuteness at different stages throughout her first year.

For her First Birthday Session, her parents chose the theme “Lucky One” since she was born the day before St. Patrick’s Day! They requested pastel rainbow colors inspired by the marshmallow shapes in Lucky Charms cereal, which were used as decor at her first birthday party.

Besides bringing along her Lucky Charms, Emma brought along an array of expressions, her sweet cheeks, and an appetite for birthday cake! Once this cutie got started on her smash cake, she really enjoyed herself. I loved seeing her again, and wish her all the luck and birthday wishes!

Sadie is One! - First Birthday Session

This little sweetie is turning the Sweet ONE! Sadie has had quite the first year, becoming a big sister shortly before her first birthday! Her family is planning to celebrate her next month with a candy themed party, so for her session, I decorated the set-up with bright, playful colors, and classic sweets; lollipop, gumballs, gumdrops, and of course - cake!

She is as sweet as her onesie says she is - Miss Sadie was smiley for all her pictures, and really enjoyed her cake. Happy 1st Birthday, Sugar!

Lucy - Newborn Session

It was such a pleasure to meet adorable Lucy and her sweet parents. They came to the studio for a custom newborn session to capture this special time in their lives. We started out with some basket poses with Miss Lucy featuring pearls and lace. I love the dusty rose color, as well. It’s giving classic, vintage beauty, which nicely complimented the warm tones of the props.

We then moved on to family pictures. It was Lucy’s mama’s idea to contrast with the light blue and pink, and I think it looks great! Makes Baby Girl pop as she’s being snuggled by her parents. I was so excited to catch a little smile, too!

We ended our session with a Spring-y basket look, and a sweet tulle diaper cover that Lucy’s mama brought along. She looked like a tiny dancer in her daddy’s arms. Welcome to the world, Lucy!

Esra - Newborn Session

Precious Esra joins big sister Nelle and fur sister Maisie, keeping the femininity strong in their household! For Esra’s session, we first wrapped her in blue to match her nursery. Mommy & Daddy didn’t know if they were having a boy or another girl, so they went with the gender-neutral theme of stars and moons. They were also inspired by the beautiful Psalm 147:4 “He determines the number of stars and calls them each by name.”

I absolutely love the oversized cable-knit sweater trend that is happening for newborns right now. Esra looked so snuggly matching with Big Sis.

We ended the session by recreating a favorite purple look from her Big Sister’s session two and a half years ago. The girls looked nearly identical at birth, so we had to get some of the same shots for Mommy to compare and treasure.

I can’t wait to see Esra again in several months for her mid-year session! Welcome to our planet, sweet little star!

Daphne is One! - First Birthday Session

Daphne is one of my First Year Special babies, meaning her parents purchased a package to capture her as a newborn, sitter, and one-year-old. I love working with her family - she is the fourth child I’ve photographed for them - so this session was a real treat.

Daphne was born on Valentine’s Day, so her color scheme was inspired by the pastels of conversation hearts - which is also the theme for her First Birthday party. She was such an angel in the studio, giving me smiles as sweet as vday candy. I was fortunate to have her big sisters present to help coax the smiles, as well as the assistance of Daphne’s favorite songs from Wicked (a girl after my own heart).

Happy 1st Birthday, Little Valentine!

Emma - Baby Session

While Miss Emma was in the studio for her holiday pictures, we also did her mid-year photos! This little bundle sat so pretty for me, looking absolutely adorable with a simple pop of purple color along with her creamy color scheme. Of course I had to capture the detail of those little feetsies.

Taytum is One! - First Birthday Session

I am always thrilled when a client books a “First Year Special” with me. This provides them three sessions for the approximate price of two. They can use these sessions whenever they’d like, but most use them for newborn, baby (around 6 months), and first birthday portraits. It’s a great way to document the ever-changing first year of life.

I’ve worked with the M family many times before, and loved to see them again this past year with the birth of their 3rd child Miss Taytum! For Taytum’s First Birthday session we did a warm, feminine color palette that also complimented the time of year (late Fall). This baby doll was a joy to work with, and I’m happy to know I will see her and her beautiful family again in the future.

Sutton - Newborn Session

Before the holidays, I had the chance to photograph beautiful Sutton in the studio. She was comfy and cozy throughout her session, making my job a breeze as she slept soundly. I keep my studio warm with a space heater, and have all the wraps at an arms reach to keep the session flowing and comfortable. I also have a changing table for easy changes, and always discuss color preferences with the parents prior to the session day, so the experience is as seamless as possible, and the customers receive the images they imagined.