A Wilmer Alabama Maternity Session

A little old house sits at the end of the drive on the land her grandparents own. Cassie’s grandparents purchased it years ago from her great-grandfather. But the house was her great-great-grandmother’s before that. If you’ve lost count of how many generations that is, so have I!

I remember when my aunt and uncle lived in this house when they were newlyweds. It’s the place they called home when they brought both their children home from the hospital. I was 10 years old when Cassie was born and I remember Aunt Gina and Uncle Stan preparing the tiny nursery ahead of her arrival. I remember all of us older cousins being so excited to meet the new baby! Memories like that are what make this session so extra special.

I hadn’t been to the old house since my aunt and uncle moved out of it years ago. While Cassie and Will have definitely done some updating since they moved in, the bones are still the same. I got such a sense of deja vu as I stepped onto the front porch. How exciting that the next generation will also call this little house home!

Cassie has been part of my photography journey since the very beginning. She patiently posed for me when I was first learning how to use a camera. When I started my business, her high school senior portrait shoot was one of my first “official” sessions and in 2017 I photographed her wedding. So many memories documented and I think this is the happiest one of them all!

The day of this session we had the most beautiful weather and golden light! I had been wanting to shoot a roll of film I’d been hoarding for a while, but was just waiting for the right time to use it. Always up for a creative adventure, Cassie was once again patient with me while I reacquainted myself with my film camera. Fingers crossed at least a few of the frames turned out! I’m shipping them off to the lab this week, so we will just have to wait and see!

I know Cassie and Will are going to be wonderful parents and I am so excited to meet their baby girl when she arrives later this summer!

A Spring Hill College Family Session

Things are far from back to normal around here, but after so much time of staying home, I’m thankful for the normalcy of a portrait session! I still think it’s important to be vigilant when it comes to the coronavirus pandemic and practice social distancing is definitely top of mind for me. However, that is something that can easily be done during an outdoor portrait session. After so much time away from my camera, it has been a joy to get back to photographing my sweet clients!

I always look forward to photographing the Wolf family! They have been clients for the past few years and it has been so fun to see their family grow. The last time they were in front of my camera, their youngest was just a newborn. It is so crazy how fast the last year has flow by! Little Lucy recently celebrated her first birthday, so that meant it was time for an updated family photo. Not only is Lucy walking now, she is fully capable of keeping up with her older siblings. I loved watching her chase after Mary Helen and Gus during the session. She was keeping up and those two are fast!

Mary Helen and Gus seem so grown up since our last shoot together. These two are a bundle of energy and I love their big personalities. They love to play games and taking “silly” pictures is something that they really get excited about. When I showed them one of their “silly” photos on the back of my camera, they squealed with delight. It was the cutest thing ever! They also love talking and told me all about how they love riding their bikes and that they camped out in their backyard one night. “Everything with them is an adventure,” says their mom, Chelsea.

I can hardly believe we’re already headed into the end of May and that the summer season is just around the corner. Yes, things are still far from normal around here, but my love of documenting special moments and preserving memories has not changed! Enjoy!

McGill-Toolen Catholic Senior Portraits

I will always remember my senior year of high school for many reasons, both happy and sad. I remember all the fun festivities, celebrating with friends, and nerves about final exams. In August 2001, we had no idea what was coming on the eleventh day of that September. Ironically, that is the year that many of the class of 2020 seniors were born. The events surrounding the 9/11 terror attacks stand out in my mind and I’m sure that the class of 2020 seniors will remember the coronavirus pandemic in a similar way. It’s left it’s mark in a way we never imagined, abruptly ending their senior year.

Despite missing out on many of the traditional celebrations, the senior year is still something to celebrate! I was so excited when my first session after the government shutdown was one for high school senior portraits. These sessions are always so much fun! I love getting to hear where the seniors are heading to college and what they hope to study. It reminds me of how I felt at their age, which seems like yesterday and so long ago at the same time!

Anna Bailey has such a joyful personality! She is actually related to my cousin by marriage, so this was not our first time meeting. I love that she and her mom were game for strolling around downtown Mobile with me as I hunted out good portrait spots. Because they were so laid back and easy-going I was able to find two new spots I’d never used before and squeeze in some tried and true favorites.

Next year Anna Bailey is heading off to Southern Mississippi for college, with plans to major in nursing. Even though her senior year didn’t end as she envisioned it, she is still looking forward to her graduation ceremony. It has been moved to an outdoor venue which will allow for social distancing. How amazing is that?!

Congratulations to all the Class of 2020 graduates – both high school and college! It’s certain that you’ll always remember your senior year and the events that altered it. I hope that you’re still able to celebrate your achievements with joy!

A Guide for Moms-to-Be

My past brides inspired me to write a series of posts on newborn photography. While I have photographed newborns throughout my years in business, I would not consider newborn photography to be my specialty. My schedule largely revolves around weddings and engagements, which makes it difficult to plan time for newborn arrivals. The schedule of photographing newborns is totally different from that of photographing weddings. Wedding work is predictable down to the date, while newborn photography scheduling has to be somewhat flexible.

My friends Danielle Parker Photography and Hannah Stinson Photography are crazy talented when it comes to capturing all that squishy newborn cuteness. They are my go-to recommendations when it comes to helping my past brides find a newborn photographer. In chatting with past clients who are now expecting their first babies, I came to the realization that many didn’t know what types of options were available for newborn photography. With Hannah’s and Danielle’s help, I put together this series of posts breaking down all the options for moms-to-be!

For today’s post, I sat down with Hannah Stinson Photography to chat all about the studio experience. If you missed the first post in this series that gives an overview of newborn photography options, you can check that out here. If you’re interested in having an in-home newborn session, or are looking for options for birth photography, check out post two in this series. All images in this post are courtesy of Hannah Stinson Photography.

 

Meet Hannah

I’ve long-admired Hannah’s beautiful photography, but believe it or not, we only just met in person for the first time last week! Hannah’s studio is less than 10 minutes from my home. We have mutual friends and have even been at the same events before. Yet, we’ve never been introduced. In this big, small town that seems crazy. I love that this series on newborn photography gave us an excuse to finally “officially” meet, even though we’ve known each other via social media for a few years.

Hannah is originally from Auburn, AL – “War Eagle,” she exclaims! After graduating from college and marrying her best friend, she moved to Mobile. Eight years ago she started her photography business, but she says she’s had a love of photography as long as she can remember. From the very beginning of her business journey, Hannah knew she wanted to specialize in children and family portraits, with an emphasis on newborns.

“I have two boys of my own and being able to look back on pictures I’ve taken of those little chubby cheeks and baby teeth smiles is one of my greatest joys,” she says. The ability to extend that gift to others, she says, is truly the reason she loves her job so much. Hannah’s studio is located in the heart of Mobile and there she is able to capture timeless portraits that families can treasure for generations.

The Studio Experience

Hannah says her goal is to make every newborn session as calm and relaxing as possible. At her studio, you’ll find the environment very clean and tidy, quiet with a little white noise playing. You can expect it to be a bit on the warm side too because warm babies equal happy babies. A sitting area offers parents a place to relax with coffee, drinks and snacks provided. If older siblings are present, Hannah has a toy area to keep them occupied as well. She says it’s not uncommon for dads to sneak in a nap while their little one is being photographed!

 

What to Bring to the Studio

When it comes to posing, props and wraps, Hannah is well prepared. She says her large collection of props and wraps will suit many tastes and styles (read, borderline hoarder…she laughs!). Clients aren’t required to bring anything for their little one unless they want to. Hannah says she discusses color preferences with her clients ahead of the session. She typically selects three or so blankets and coordinating wraps, outfits and hats/headbands before her clients arrive.

Before the session begins, she goes through these options with her clients and they select what they like. Hannah encourages her clients to let her know if there is something she’s pulled out that they don’t like, or if they would prefer another color/style of prop. “Above all, I want them to love their images and a big part of that is making sure all props used for the portraits align with what they’d like to see hung in their home,” she says.

 

Parents + Siblings

Parents and siblings are welcome to participate in the session as well. Hannah says she knows from experience that the first couple of weeks with a new baby can be hard and post delivery moms aren’t always feeling camera ready. But, she says, “there is no better scale to really get an idea of just how little your new addition is/was than holding them in your arms.” This is why she highly encourages new parents to be in a few of the portraits.

Why a Studio Session Might Be for You

If you’d prefer to not have someone come to your home for a portrait session, then visiting a studio like Hannah’s is a great option for newborn portraits. With space for both posed portraits of the family and newborn, you can relax in a comfortable environment while Hannah works her magic. An added benefit is that there is no pressure on the new parents to clean their home.

Hannah only holds newborn sessions in her studio. This way, all her clients have access to her extensive prop collection. “I have a feeling my clients would think I was moving in with them if I tried to bring everything with me to an in-home session,” she laughs.

Milestones

If you want to document your baby’s first year beyond the newborn session, then you may want to ask your newborn photographer if they offer milestone sessions. These sessions are designed to capture baby’s first year. Most milestone packages begin with either the maternity session, or the newborn session. Hannah offers a “Grow With Me” milestone session plan for her clients. Just like working with your wedding photographer for your engagement, bridal and wedding day portraits, it’s nice to build a relationship with a photographer you’ll want to work with throughout your baby’s first year.

Hannah says milestone sessions are a great way to document how quickly your little one changes, as well as capturing all those big milestones like sitting up, crawling and walking/standing on their own.

 

Don’t miss Part One and Part Two of this series!

 

 

A Guide for Expecting Moms

My past brides inspired me to write a series of posts on newborn photography. While I have photographed newborns throughout my years in business, I would not consider newborn photography to be my specialty. My schedule largely revolves around weddings and engagements, which makes it difficult to plan time for newborn arrivals. The schedule of photographing newborns is totally different from that of photographing weddings. Wedding work is predictable down to the date, while newborn photography scheduling has to be somewhat flexible.

My friends Danielle Parker Photography and Hannah Stinson Photography are crazy talented when it comes to capturing all that squishy newborn cuteness. They are my go-to recommendations when it comes to helping my past brides find a newborn photographer. In chatting with past clients who are now expecting their first babies, I came to the realization that many didn’t know what types of options were available for newborn photography. With Hannah’s and Danielle’s help, I put together this series of posts breaking down all the options for moms-to-be!

Today’s post will look at options that Danielle Parker Photography offers for newborns, including birth, Fresh 48, and in-home portrait options. If you missed the first post in this series that gives an overview of newborn photography options, you can check that out here. All images in this post are courtesy of Danielle Parker Photography.

 

Meet Danielle

Danielle and I have known each other since high school. We lost touch during our college years, but photography made our paths cross again. I still remember the first time I saw one of Danielle’s photographs. I commented on it and was surprised when her reply said she knew me! We are both members of a photography community, but I only knew her by her married last name there. We have both been in business for about the same number of years. It has been fun to reconnect with her over the past several years over our mutual love of photography!

Danielle says she’s had a love of and appreciation for photography for as long as she can remember. Her journey to newborn photography began with the birth of her twins nine years ago. After battling with infertility for several years, Danielle feared she would never become a mother. When she finally did become pregnant, she was overcome with the desire to document everything about her babies. She says that’s when she knew she’d found her calling and her focus for photography. “My struggles with infertility gave me a greater appreciation for new life and just how fleeting those early moments really are,” she says. “I feel blessed to capture the uniquely beautiful details of this brief and special time for others.”

 

Birth & Fresh 48 Sessions

Unless you’re having an in-home birth, both birth and Fresh 48 sessions take place in the hospital. Danielle’s birth sessions capture the details of your surroundings and the emotions you feel during the final hours of your little one’s long awaited arrival, as well as the excitement and joy immediately following your baby’s birth. Just like you hire a wedding photographer to document the joy of your wedding day, hiring a birth photographer is part of documenting the next chapter of your love story. It’s important to feel comfortable with the person who will be part of this very special day of your life. Danielle recommends a pre-delivery meeting with both mom and dad so that she can get to know them a bit beforehand.

From her own experience as a mom, Danielle says it’s difficult to remember all the details of giving birth. She loves capturing it all, from the easily overlooked details, to the big moments. For a birth session, your photographer is essentially “on call” based on your due date. This is why birth photographers typically take on only a handful of birth clients within a given time frame.

Fresh 48 sessions take place while you and your baby are still in the hospital. Danielle says that she knows from experience that those first few days go by in a blur. “Despite the long hours of staring at your baby in your arms, cradled by your partner, or sleeping in the plastic bassinet, it’s all too easy to lose the clarity of those memories,” she says. Fresh 48 sessions are design to capture how fresh and new your little one is, as well as the family’s love and joy in a natural, documentary way.

If you’re interested in birth or a Fresh 48 session, don’t delay in booking a photographer. You’ll want to get on their calendar early enough so that they can be on-call during the final weeks of your pregnancy.

In-Home Sessions: Lifestyle vs Posed

Danielle offers both lifestyle and posed options for in-home sessions. If you’re unsure of the difference between these two options, be sure to check out part one of this series. Danielle says her sessions typically include a mix of posed portraits of the baby, as well as lifestyle family images. If you’d prefer to have your baby photographed in the comfort of your own home, then an in-home session is going to be the ideal option for you. Ideally, posed newborn sessions take place within the first two weeks of a baby’s life. This is when they’re still in a sleepy stage and before they discover their surroundings too much.

How in the world do you pose a baby? This is probably the most frequent question I hear when talking about newborn photography and it’s important to know that posing newborns is definitely a talent and a skill. Photographers who specialize in newborn photography are well aware of what poses are safe for your baby. Additionally, posing can be done in a way that is organic and natural. There are various styles when it comes to newborn posing, so be sure to check out the portfolio of any photographer you’re considering for your newborn portraits to make sure their style matches your vision for your portraits. As with wedding photography, each newborn photographer will have their own unique style.

Danielle says she prefers to use simple, natural poses for her baby portraits. Neutral backdrops and wraps give the images a timeless feel. Who doesn’t love a portrait like this?!

Preparing for an In-Home Session

Danielle says preparation for an in-home session is easier than you may think. She emphasizes that she knows from experience that things aren’t always perfectly “put together” around the house after bringing baby home. It’s easy to put pressure on yourself to have the house presentable, but it’s truly not something to stress about. Danielle says if something needs to be moved during the session, she’ll gently move it out of the way and then put it back when she’s done. She also says that she doesn’t need a great deal of space, or even a huge amount of natural light. “Some of my favorite images have been taken in a small room with only one window, when the sky was overcast,” she says.

The real beauty of in-home sessions is capturing the “realness” of what belongs to the family, the environment that is unique to them.

 

Milestones

If you want to document your baby’s first year beyond the newborn session, then you may want to ask your newborn photographer if they offer milestone sessions. These sessions are designed to capture baby’s first year. Most milestone packages begin with either the maternity session, or the newborn session. Danielle offers a “Grow With Me” milestone session plan for her clients. Just like working with your wedding photographer for your engagement, bridal and wedding day portraits, it’s nice to build a relationship with a photographer you’ll want to work with throughout your baby’s first year.

Have questions about in-home newborn sessions? Leave us a comment and we’ll do our best to answer them! Special thanks to my friend Danielle for helping me put this post together!

Next week, I’m wrapping up this series on newborn photography with a closer look at studio session options from Hannah Stinson Photography!