Why I love Lifestyle Sessions

The days, weeks and seriously, the first few months following the birth of a child are such an incredible blur. Sleepless nights, endless feedings, and most often, living minute by minute as you try to figure out a tiny human. It's hard, it's taxing and time consuming and it's wonderful. It's also really hard sometimes to remember.

​I wish I could bottle up those moments. I long to remember the smell, the soft newborn skin and those little noises that only a fresh baby makes. It all swiftly passes by and more often than not, it's a haze for a mommy and daddy.

​All of these reasons are the very purpose and drive behind my newborn lifestyle sessions. It's so easy to forget those first moments as a family and of life with a new addition. I love to bottle up those emotions and freeze them.

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I get contacted quite a bit asking how I photograph newborn sessions and typically clients are looking for newborn photography that includes perfectly placed babies (I'm sure  you know of the images I am talking about- perfect sleeping babies, with perfectly smooth skin, wrapped in gauze) While I don't think there is anything wrong with a newborn session that looks like that, it isn't my passion. It's not my style. It's not me.

​I'm not sure if you've ever experienced a session like that but I've heard they can take hours and patience beyond measure to even get one shot. Newborn photographers, I salute you. 

​This is what I love...

 I adore a squishy baby that is just BEING. I love a natural environment with natural lighting. I love the fact that mom and dad can pick baby up to soothe or feed AND I am ready to photograph that interaction. I love newborn lifestyle sessions and sometimes, if you're patient, a photo like this just happens

When I first started out in newborn and family sessions I tried very hard to be the photographer that I thought clients wanted. I was so wrapped up in following what so many others were doing and I wasn't enjoying it. I felt stressed and pressured during sessions. When I finally let go and began just letting the baby be free, to let siblings just be and to let parents pick up their baby and interact, I felt like I struck gold. I would pour through images following sessions and fall in love with documenting precious first family moments.

​If you're just starting out in photography OR you're a parent trying to figure out how to wrangle your kids for pictures please take this one piece of advice- Let it go. Let go of the control and just let your kids be, prompt them and encourage them but try not to force moments to happen. I guarantee that they will happen and be genuine if you let kids take the lead.