It was a pleasure to meet Baby Aubrey this week. She was following suit with the last few newborns I've photographed by being wide awake for most of her session. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, as I was able to capture some shots of her stunning blue eyes. As you can see by her last pictures, this sweet girl was eventually ready for a nap.
Isaac Josiah - Cranberry Twp. Newborn Photography
Since it is still the Christmas season, I wanted to share this session and highlight the warmth and love I felt from this family. I formerly worked for the March of Dimes for over seven years, and I still maintain a relationship with the foundation today. Their mission is to fund research to prevent pre-term birth, birth defects and infant mortality, so I am happy to still support them by donating my services to some of the families who have unfortunately dealt with birth complications.
This family of all boys was fun, crazy and happy, but they are sadly missing a brother. In tribute to him, they are active volunteers with the March of Dimes. Their aunt is a board member, and their entire family fundraises and walks in the March for Babies every spring. This coming year, they'll have a special addition to their team in Baby Isaac (pictured above) who was recently born happy and healthy.
What was most note-worthy about this family was their positivity and strength. Their mother and grandmother were both so grateful to have the session and be able to keep their son/grandson's memory alive through their work with the March of Dimes. Rather than focus on the sadness of their loss, they commented on how blessed they feel to have three healthy boys to look after. Their attitude was most admirable and called to mind a line from a classic Christmas movie for me....
"When I'm worried and I can't sleep, I count my blessings instead of sheep, and I fall asleep counting my blessings." - White Christmas
Charlotte Mary - Cranberry Twp. Newborn Photography
It was a pleasure to meet another Baby Charlotte today! She was so adorable and wide awake for her entire session (except for that 5 seconds I captured of her snoozing at the end). She was so strong holding her head up and looking all around. This little girl didn't want to miss a thing! She and her mama were a joy to spend time with today.
Ana Guadalupe - Cranberry Twp. Newborn Photography
I simply cannot get enough of these precious images of Baby Ana!
She came into this world on Halloween as a perfect autumnal princess, which inspired me to surround her with warm, golden fall leaves for some artistic shots. She also took a few holiday shots during her session for potential Christmas cards. She was a tiny little doll at just 1 week old. I had the pleasure of meeting her parents at their Maternity Session in early October, so I had been anxiously awaiting her arrival!
So nice to finally meet you, Miss Ana!
The S Family - Cranberry Twp. Family Portrait Photography
After a foliage delay and a rain delay, the Sevin family finally got a chance to have their Fall Family Portrait session complete with sunshine and beautiful fall colors. Their family chose an absolutely gorgeous location for their session that was only a few steps from their home. The kids were so well behaved, and baby Tommy was a little trooper. It was so fun to capture some candid moments with the family admiring their new addition.
Fall is definitely my favorite time to take outdoor photos, and Family Portrait sessions are beginning to feel like my favorite session to shoot.
Weston Leigh - Cranberry Twp. Newborn Photography
Weston was such a sweetheart for his newborn session. After booking with me, his mama realized that we're neighbors (small world), so he and his siblings arrived from their home down the street in a great mood and cooperated very well. Big sister Audrey was outgoing and proud to show off her new baby brother, while new big brother Wyatt was quiet and well-behaved. I love this sibling shot showing Wyatt checking out the new little guy.
Weston (and his fabulous head of hair) ended the session with the perfect little newborn smile. I always say that when babies smile in their sleep, it means the angels are talking to them.
God bless this little man and his family!
Vinny is Two! - Birthday Session in Cranberry Twp.
"Oh Two-dles!"
I can't believe my baby boy is 2! I'm filled with mixed mommy emotions. Part of me is so sad to see the little baby fading away (although, the chubby cheeks haven't gone anywhere), and part of me is excited to finally be able to interact more with him, take him places like amusement parks and museums, and carry on little conversations with the little person I created. Motherhood truly is such a powerful thing. Everyone tells you it changes you, but until you experience it yourself, you don't fully understand just how much.
Vinny's 2nd birthday party was Mickey Mouse Clubhouse themed, so I wanted his pictures to reflect that. I also wanted to capture him playing with his three favorite things at the moment; Mickey, trains, and books. Someday I will look back on his annual birthday pictures and be able to remember exactly what he was into. I encourage all parents to bring a few items with them for their toddler's birthday pictures, whether it be to make them smile or simply just for them to hold, it'll be a good token to jog your memory when looking through the pictures many years from now.
In my photography experience so far, I can surely say that 2-year-olds are the most challenging subjects! When they're younger than two, they're a little easier to pose, when they're older than two, they start to understand and follow directions (to an extent), but when they're wild and crazy two, you just have to keep snappin' away and hope for a smile. Luckily, being that Vin is my own, I had an idea of what songs and antics make him laugh.
He's my little buddy, and I'm so happy to have these sweet shots of him.
Happy 2nd Birthday, Vinny! I love you more than you'll ever know!
Miss Ava - Child Head Shots, Cranberry Twp.
I spent my childhood competing in dance competitions, auditioning for local musicals, and fantasizing about becoming the next Sutton Foster, so I totally identify with the need for some head shots! Miss Ava is competing in the "photogenic" competition at Star Systems National Dance Championship next month, and I was happy to help her and her mom get some quick head shots together.
I have been asked to take head shots a few times now, so I am officially adding it to my list of services. You can read more about it on the "Pricing" page of the website.
Ava was a breeze to photograph - she's a natural in front of the camera! I can't wait to hear how the competition goes!
Oh, and for the record...now that I'm grown up I'm still a Sutton Foster fan! Have you seen the show "Younger" on TVLand!?
Mr. Liam - Family Mini Session in Cranberry Twp.
After a week of non-stop rainy days, we lucked out with a beautiful Mother's Day weekend for Liam's Family Mini Session with his mommy and daddy. I had heard that little Liam is a perfect gentleman with the cutest smile, and he certainly lived up to his reputation. The two-year-old was sweet and well-behaved with no tantrums, even though he came straight from his first ever soccer practice! He was pleasantly smiling and playing with his parents for his photo shoot, earning his reward of fruit snacks in the end. It was a pleasure meeting you, Liam! Congratulations, Mommy and Daddy on such a sweet, little guy!