 This adorable girl already has celebrity status with her family. (And she doesn’t even know it!) You know this is true when you have absolutely precious hand-knit outfits from one grandmother, and the other grandmother FaceTimes the newborn session because she isn’t able to come state-side for another week or so. Add a mom and dad who happily put up with what can only be called sweltering temperatures with a smile, and a cousin who drove several hours just to meet her - the love was overflowing! I seriously cannot get over the outfits that we got to dress her up in. Each one was its own little sleep sack, which suited Caroline just fine. Becca described her as a “bundle bug” (which it definitely one of my favorite new words) and she hit that nail right on the head. As long as Caroline was warm, she was happy! On top of warm, those outfits were squeal-worthy cute. I didn’t think it was possible, but they somehow made Caroline even more darling! From hungry caterpillar to baby Yoda, my camera could not get enough. (My husband is a pretty serious Star Wars fan. Looking back on these pictures just confirms the need for me to buy little Yoda ears when we have one of our own!)
Her doting grandmothers aren’t Caroline’s only fans. Put this photographer high on the list! Speaking from my experiences the stories of many other photographers, across several different genres of photography, I think it is safe to say that newborns are some of the trickiest clients in the industry. I walk into sessions understanding that I am now working with a human who cannot be consoled if something is not to their liking. If they aren’t happy with something, you change it. Too cold? Turn up the heat! Bring on the blankets! Slightly hungry? Everyone stop! Eat for as long they needs! But Caroline? She made it seem like I’m writing lies here. This had to be one of the easiest newborn shoot I have ever had. When I walked through the door she had just finished eating, which is always a good start. When you have a full tummy, you tend to be a bit more tolerant of someone wrapping you up and shifting your head and hands around over and over. Even with a full belly and a cuddly blanket, most newborns don’t like being moved once they’ve found that sweet spot. Again, Caroline deferred from the ordinary. Through several positions and scenery changes, that sweet little girl slept on. She even let us scrunch her up and put her in a basket without so much as a whine! If you can't tell from how much I am blabbering on, this is a really big deal in the world of newborn photography! So here's to you, Caroline! With all the personal touches in this shoot (note the penguins - Mom’s favorite!) and such a relaxed session, it is no surprise I ended up loving every photo I took. It was difficult to narrow it down the few that I got to share here! The Wheelers are just so sweet, and clearly over the moon to have welcomed this tiny person into their lives. I’m honored I got to document such an exciting time for them. Caroline is such a sweet and content girl who is loved by so many!
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 This family right here! I feel such a strong connection to them. I started taking pictures for their family when their first born, Charlotte, was less than two weeks old. Ever since then, I’ve pretty much been capturing family portraits for them about twice a year, with a few extra thrown in here and there! You can’t not get close when you get to see each other that often! All of our shoots have been full of smiles and happiness, but as I went through this one, I was simply taken aback by the genuine joy pouring out of each photo. You wouldn’t know it from the beautiful images the Everetts take each and every time, but they have had their fair share of difficulties. Between hospital visits for Charlotte when she was just a baby and several losses before finally getting to meet Cole, there has been a lot of heartbreak behind the smiles. They have always been just incredible at finding the happiness in their lives and celebrating the things they have. If they didn’t, I don’t think they would have had so many successful sessions. But like I said, this shoot just felt different. As I went through their gallery and looked at four faces beaming back at me, I felt content. There is nothing this family deserves more than health and happiness, and here they were, finally celebrating both in their lives. Even if that celebration only lasted twenty(!) minutes! You heard that right...this session took less than a half hour. Every time I raised the camera to my face, I saw everyone in the frame smiling and laughing back. Charlotte is a pro by now - she knows who I am and she’s familiar with Ro-Ro, the dinosaur that sits on top of my camera (and was named by none other than the Cook twins several years ago!) It would appear that Cole is going to follow right in her footsteps. I was a bit nervous when I arrived because he had clearly just woken up from a nap (and who wants to do anything after taking a nap??) But that camera must have been magic. As soon as I started snapping photos, he was nothing but smiles. And, um, can we please take a minute to talk about those rolls on baby Cole? Seeing as we had some extra time after photos were over, I admit to spending a couple of extra minutes snuggling up with that cuteness! All while Charlotte gave me the rundown on “her baby” and explained his favorite toys to me. It was less like a photo shoot and more like I had just come to hang out and happened to bring my camera. I’m sure Amanda would disagree seeing as she was the one who had to get everyone picture ready before I arrived! This family is such a strong one. They have been through the trenches and have emerged on the other side with a beautiful family that is full of love. That love got them through the darkness, it held them together, and now they get to celebrate it as a family of four. Thank you to the Everetts for letting me document your journey as a family. I can’t wait to continue for years to come! 
 
  Sometimes things just have a way of working out. Last September, Kristin reached out to me about fall photos. We were having trouble finding an open weekend date and were going back and forth about weeknight options (an increasingly difficult prospect as the days get shorter and shorter) when I had a client cancel. It was fate! We booked and started discussing details. The day before the shoot, fever hit. The back to school bug bit and we were out of luck. You can imagine how excited I was in April when Kristin reached out about spring photos! It was finally going to happen. You can also imagine my angst as weekend after weekend in May produced downpour after downpour. Were we going to work so hard to get these photos, only to be thwarted again? Spoiler alert - we were not thwarted! We got our session and lots of great shots to boot! Somehow, the morning of the Forbes’ session dawned, if not sunny, well, at least not rainy! There were clouds in the sky, but they weren’t heavy and they had breaks in them. We could work with this! Later that day it got pretty sunny and hot actually, so we got them done at the perfect time. As a quick aside, special kudos to Kristin and David for getting themselves and two kiddos under the age of five looking good and out of the house by 8 am! They also came loaded with lots of fantastic ideas for our shoot together which made me even happier we had finally made it happen. We recreated a favorite wedding photo of theirs in the exact same spot it was taken four years ago. We took their annual family shot using their photo from last year. And we got some photos of the girls in their rocking chairs - handmade by their grandfather! Personal touches are my very favorite part of family sessions. These are photographs and memories that are going to be treasured and handed down to future generations.
Everyone was in such great spirits, even if it was a little sticky. Again, in comparison with the torrential rain we had been dealing with all month, I was OK with a little bit of humidity. But when you’re a year old, it can be pretty darn uncomfortable and smiling for the camera is the last thing on your mind! It didn’t seem to matter to these two super stars, both of the girls gave me lots of happy, giggly moments to snag. In addition to all of their adorable ideas and family moments, I also just loved the wide shots of them on the bridge towards the end of the shoot. I tend to shoot close the majority of the time, but when you’re standing across the water from your subject it’s a little difficult to get in real close. When I saw those images in the gallery I was just tickled with them. I love the bridge and lamp posts and a family just enjoying the day (and the ducks!). It truly captured the relaxed and happy atmosphere that the Forbes family brought with them! 
 
 Ask a central Marylander how they are today, and I guarantee you, somewhere in the first few sentences, you’ll hear the word “hot”. It is hot here right now. We may get all four seasons, but they sometimes get thrown at us randomly. Right now we’ve skipped right to mid-summer meltdown temperatures. The AC units are clicking on, the cars are baking, and the pools are hoppin’. While a lot of people might bemoan the soaring temperatures, it’s never been something I’ve minded too much. Our cold winters do me in a lot more than our hot summers, so when I feel the make-up dripping off of my face, I try to remember that. At least it isn’t cold. Of course I still struggle like everyone else when it feels like an oven outside, but in the end, I would choose heat. It isn’t my worst enemy. In fact, I find heat to be downright useful sometimes. And one of those times, is during newborn sessions.
If you’ve ever booked a newborn session, especially if you’ve booked one with me, you’ll probably have heard that you should turn the heat up in your home before the photographer arrives. If your session was in a studio, you likely noticed that it was pretty toasty when you walked in. There is a reason for this! And no, that reason is not to make you feel sweaty and uncomfortable in what is likely already an anxiety-ridden situation. A baby spends ten (Yes, ten months. It’s time to stop pretending a pregnancy only lasts nine!) months curled up inside what is basically a small apartment kept at a fairly consistent 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Even if your baby was premature, they still started their life in the warmest, softest, happiest place imaginable. It may not have been a very peaceful time for you, but those months of pregnancy were pure heaven for your baby. Then all of a sudden, it ends. Your baby goes from floating in a warm ocean to a cold, loud, bright world. No wonder they come out crying. That’s pretty harsh! Then, a big, bad photographer comes waltzing in and demands that they sleep and squish and pose for them. 
So how do we get your baby to do what we want? We give them heat. Glorious heat. We make them feel just a little more at home by turning up the temperature. While all the adults in the room attempt to ignore the sweat they can feel collecting on their forehead, our little subject feels snuggled and safe. This leads to sleepy babies which leads to adorable poses, and sometimes adorable nakedness. (A Nelly tune is coming to mind here!) This isn't to say that heat automatically results in a sleeping baby. But it definitely helps. Warm newborns also tend to be more content when they are awake, so if you're looking for some bright eyed shots, it still isn't a bad idea to bring on the warmth.
 If it’s winter when you are getting your newborn photos done, crank up that heat! If it’s summer time, turn the thermostat up way higher than you usually would do so it doesn’t turn on as often. Even then I still bring a space heater with me to every shoot, just in case. Like I say to every client, if we aren’t sweating, it isn’t hot enough!
  If you are a Maryland photographer, the month of May was a tough one for you. It rained. A lot. All month long. We saw a few glimpses of sunshine here and there, but the skies would quickly cloud back over and the rain would fall again. You can imagine then, how excited I was to wake up the morning of the Batt’s family session and see broken clouds instead of rain. And how that excitement turned to ecstasy at the sight of the sun poking through when we were strolling to our location. It just felt so good to see those rays of light! Naturally, by 4:00 that afternoon, the clouds had returned once more and the rain was coming down harder than ever, but that is a different story for a different day. For the hour we spent at Rockburn Park, we had sun! We also had smiles. Lots and lots of smiles! I can only imagine how difficult it is to organize a family of 5 for a family shoot. First you have to find a date that works for everyone’s increasingly busy schedules. Then you have to figure out what everyone is going to wear. Five coordinating outfits?? There has to be a medal for that. Then, the day of, you have to make sure everyone is in their very best moods just so you have a small chance of getting five smiles all at the same time in just one single frame. I’m exhausted just thinking about it. And yet, this family pulled it off effortlessly. Kathleen and Tim were so relaxed and their kids followed suit. It never fails! Relaxed parents = relaxed children. We gave everyone the time they needed to play and acclimate, and it ended up in some drop dead gorgeous photos. All of this with a party hangover! Grayson had just had his birthday party the day before. I don’t know about you, but the day after any large social gathering, I prefer leggings and fast food all day long. I am super impressed that all five of these incredible people got up, got dressed, and smiled big like it was no big deal! That is some serious willpower. I loved seeing this family again. The last time was a couple of years ago, and the boys’ personalities have really come through. It’s wonderful seeing how much they’ve grown and who they are becoming. I mean, when I took photos of them last Wyatt was just about McKinley’s age. Who, by the way, is just the sweetest little thing. I’m so happy I got to meet her and take photos of that beautiful smile. And the boys just love her. I pretty much melted when, on two separate occasions, both Grayson and Wyatt cuddled up to McKinley for a quiet moment. They are such good big brothers! The Batts remind me so much of my family, with my two siblings. Lots of adventures and so much joy. I’m sure life is crazy, but with these five, there must be a lot of fun mixed in!
 
 The other day, I sat down with my Mom for a cup of tea and she asked me how I was doing. I said “I’m good. Just tired.” Then I made fun of myself a bit. I laughed at my answer because it’s just me and my husband right now. No kids, no pets...well except for Shane the goldfish. I predicted that in a few years, I’ll look back at 29 year-old, childless me and laugh bitterly at my “tired”. Sometimes I can’t imagine how tired I will be once kiddos come along. I have plenty of friends who have had kids and I know their life is always on the go and lacking in sleep. That made me think...how did my mom do it? So I asked her. She told me it was hard. Raising kids is hard. But it’s a different kind of hard these days. She said things may seem easier, but they are also more complicated. We may have things like Keurigs for baby formula and diaper genies, but we also have...the internet. The internet is a beautiful place where you can find a list of 60 ten-minute meals and several expert opinions on how to ease your baby’s colic and a GIF that perfectly encapsulates how you can love and hate your child at the same time. It is also the source of Pinterest parties, news stories about child abductions, and, of course, mommy guilt. The sancti-mommies are out there just waiting for you to make a wrong move so they can remind you how superior they are. It makes you doubt your every move, even when it isn’t being posted online for scrutiny. I see this guilt written all over the faces of my clients during our family sessions. I hear it in the apologies that are issued every few minutes. And something parents seem to feel extremely guilty over is bribery. Sometimes, a three year old doesn’t feel like smiling for every single photo. Sometimes (a lot of times) a big brother would rather be playing with that cool stick he found than hold hands with his baby sister. Sometimes, treats get kids to stop acting like...well...kids, and cooperate. And parents feel like they have to apologize for this!
Let’s start with this: It is true that bribery does not have seem to have a long-term positive impact on child behavior. But we’re not talking about a long term thing here! We’re talking about a photoshoot! I have yet to meet a client that books a weekly session with me. (Any takers??) The things we do at our shoots are not being repeated on a regular basis. We just need an hour, sometimes less, of good behavior to get the photos we want. If a special treat is going to get those results, then we will take advantage! In addition to that logic, there is also the fact that most people aren’t actually bribing their kids. When you offer your kid a donut for good photoshoot behavior or an M&M if they smile one more time and then you give it to them after they do it, you aren’t actually bribing them! That is technically called reinforcement, and that does have a positive impact on behavior! Take it from someone with two degrees in education. :)
I know the guilt is real. I know the internet makes you feel like a bad parent on a regular basis. So let me take this one off your shoulders. If you give your kid candy on a Saturday afternoon so that you can get that one shot you’ll frame and put over your fireplace, it is OK! I promise. Your kid is not going to grow up to be a bully just because he had an extra pack of fruit snacks. She is not going to suddenly stop sharing with her best friend at school because you reminded her of the hot chocolate that was waiting after a chilly morning shoot. Your kids love you and they will love these photos just as much as you one day. You are a good dad. You are a good mom. You are doing an incredible job and your kids are going to grow up to be incredible people. Go you! And go bribery!
   Oh my goodness! Where do I even begin with this adorable session? Maybe with the loving older brother? Or the beautiful baby girl? Or the amazing set of headbands I can’t stop thinking about? How about just all of it? Ayla is such a precious little one and she is obviously adored by her family already. I don’t blame them! Within a few minutes of being at their house I had fallen for her too. She is so snuggly and sweet. I’m going to have to go back just for some no-camera cuddles. When I first arrived, big brother Aidan informed me that he would be down to take “just two photos” for me. I told his mama we would just start with Ayla and see how he felt in a little while. I was hoping that I might be able to convince him to sit for just a few more than that. Turns out, I didn’t have to do any convincing! As soon as we brought Ayla into the room, Aidan’s entire attitude turned around. He wanted to be in “100 pictures” once his little sister was there! Even after he was done, he stood close by to watch. He had lots of amazing questions about the photography equipment and why we wanted little Ayla to go to sleep. Which, by the way, was quite a challenge! I took lots of shots of Ayla alert and awake - she was perfectly happy just to hang out. About 17 yawns later, though, we thought things might be a little easier if she drifted off. She was not having it! Swaddles, white noise, heartbeat, gentle strokes, mommy cuddles...we pulled out all the stops! And eventually, she couldn’t resist resting her little eyes. I can understand why she was hesitant. We were all having such a good time, and I have some serious FOMO. I wouldn’t have wanted to miss out on all the fun! With Ayla sleeping peacefully, we were able to try on a few of the outfits and props that Shayna had for her. I mentioned in my previous post that I love all the pretty things that come with a girly newborn session. This one was no exception! Pinks and purples and flowers… just all things girly. And don’t even get me started on that sparkly headband. It truly made her look like a princess. I have about a million photos of it! Top it off with a pink tutu and I’m in girl heaven. I have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot of tutus and sparkles on this lady. It surely suits her! We all had such a lovely morning together. With the crazy weather lately, it was nice to have a shoot where we didn’t have to worry. I set up in front of their front bay window, and we got to watch as the rain came and went, as the wind picked up speed, and the sun popped in and out from behind the clouds. We got to just relax and watch it all go by. I couldn’t have asked for anything better!
  
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Welcome to the Blog!This is where I'll document it all. Where I'll use words to try and convey just how special it is to do this job and live this life. Enjoy scrolling through!
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