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I specialize in bonding photographs -- that is, photographs of mams and their children bonding with each other. Sometimes that looks calm and quiet, and sometimes that looks rather rowdy and chaotic. There's no "right way" to bond, no "right way" to look when you're bonding. So you're thinking of coming in for a session -- what might it feel like to have all of your children in the studio with you? Let's be honest: a little chaotic? A little loud? And that's ok. Even if the session doesn't go the way you imagine. The most you can do is get your sweet ones here, in front of the camera, and play. It will be just what it should be: an honest reflection of your love and theirs.  I love this session because it really shows how kind of chaotic and "messy" the shoot was -- there were no boring "cheese!" moments. It was wall-to-wall play. And the photos capture something much more interesting and authentic. The love is absolutely there, but so is the chaos. Just like in "real life".  This session, below, is a completely different vibe. Much quieter and calmer, but the feeling of their family, the way they work together, play together, exist together, comes through so beautifully and so clearly.    There's something to be said for doing a session with just one of your children -- your newborn; your last baby; or maybe you're focusing on breastfeeding. But there's also something to be said for piling them all in, bringing the whole crew, and just letting go of order and predictability. Because this is parenting. The beauty is in the disorder.    
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I see you. You're interested in capturing the early days of your baby's life. These days are precious, and each one feels so monumental. Your baby is changing in front of your eyes. Gaining head control, eye contact, and maybe even giving you a few longer stretches of sleep.  You want photographs of this time -- someone should capture this amazing moment in your lives -- but maybe you don't feel your best. Your most adorable. Maybe you don't feel like yourself very much right now. And much of the newborn photography industry is predicated on the idea that moms shouldn't be in the photograph. In a lot of ways, the baby is really centered in Newborn World. But I firmly disagree with that concept. Just like in the rest of my work, I want you in there. With your child. I want to show you what your love looks like. Even what it feels like. I want you to be able to relive this time together by looking back at the photographs of you and your brand new sweetie together.
This baby was 4 months old when his mama brought him into the studio. Having a newborn is a complicated phenomenon. The sleep deprivation. The changes in our bodies. The hormones. The way our bodies and brains shift to make mental space and begin to bond with the tiny mammal that just joined the family. I have two children, 7 years apart, and I felt like a first time mom after both births. They were extremely different births, and therefore wildly different postpartum experiences. But after neither birth did I feel like throwing my body in front of a camera. Both times I felt protective of my body, and my baby. I wanted space to heal and bond. When you get typical newborn photographs, the photographer often requires that the baby be young enough to put to sleep easily. The newborn is meant to look a certain way (and most importantly, the baby's eyes are meant to be closed). I do not fall into that camp as a newborn photographer. I consider the full "fourth trimester" -- the four months after birth -- to be newborn, and all of it is worth capturing. These are seminal months of motherhood, and it still feels new and incredibly meaningful long after the first few days. I don't limit newborn sessions to those first ten days of life. And part of that is because I want you in the photographs too. The photos are meant to tell a story about your love for your baby. And that story isn’t necessarily a simple one.  This sweet girl was 3 months old during our session. You don't have to rush into the studio right away. Take your time. Bond with your baby. Let your body come back together. You don’t have to get photos with her in the first few days for those photographs to capture her early days. The older a newborn gets, the more she’ll open her eyes, so the photographs can change a great deal in those first few months. But a babe looking at the camera is not my goal. I focus, as I do in all Bonding Sessions, on the bond between mom and baby. How Mama feels holding her baby. The emotional connection. And much of that is in the mama’s face, not the baby’s. 
The babe below was just a few weeks old when we did our session.  This sweet babe was 4 months old when he came into the studio with his mama.
  This sweet family came in when the youngest was a couple of months old, and his older sister was 5 years old.    |
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