Sure, you can take great photos of your baby/child! Especially since most, if not all, parents have DSLR cameras these days. But I’d like to believe that there is still great reason to commission a professional photographer to do it for you.  In addition to being able to have family photos, photographers are also artists with their own creative vision. So above all, a photographer will document moments for you through his/her own eyes, will notice things, connections, emotion that you may not see – or have not been able to see from another’s point of view. As proof, even though I’m a photographer and can take photos of my family, I still hire a professional photographer every year to do it for me :)

I was so happy when I read this piece about Blueberry Sky Photography.  It brightened my day and made me feel wonderful!

…and everything nice! That’s what little girls are made of.  Especially this little girl! At three months old, she is just as cute as a button and tolerated tummy time like a little champ! She’s got the rosiest cheeks, pinkest pout….and big, beautiful, curious eyes.

and her complexion is just flawless. Isn’t she pretty?

…and here she is getting some snuggle time in with mommy. There’s nothing better than mommy love :)

And while little miss is sweet and delicate…..this little man is rambunctious and full of energy! He’s got beautiful eyes and an amazingly contagious laugh! I absolutely adore being around preschoolers….their energy, their honesty, their pure and uncensored ways make me smile…and more often than not, make me roll on the floor laughing!

Didn’t the New Year just start? I cannot believe how fast January and February have come and gone! So far, 2010 has been fabulous. My son turned two years old this month…..and I’ve had so many wonderful photo sessions and met some amazing families! I definitely feel blessed for all of the wonderful things going on in my life. March is on the way and I am looking forward to all of the Spring newborns I’ll be photographing! I have only one more opening left for a March photo session – just a little update I wanted to share :) And here are some images of Nathan, such a cutie – because it’s no fun to post without a photo!

…so, so, so wrong if I didn’t blog more images of this sweet boy. Not only is he just gorgeous at 7 months, but he’s a fantastic baby model. Those eyes, those lashes, and that pinchable baby chub is theee best!

He’s also got the cutest smile and jolly little laugh! I loooove babies at this age. Such a perfect time for a photo session. Seven months has got to be one of my faves!

I love these….the mountainy goodness in the background makes to happy :)

As the sun rose just behind the mountains, the morning dew and crisp breeze just overwhelmed my senses.  And then, when I saw this image in  my viewfinder, I let out a big sigh. I thought it was an indescribable moment I was capturing…the love, the feel, the surroundings, it was really breathtaking.

The entire photo session was awesome. I loved it! LOOOVED it!

…and he brought a sweet, sweet surprise! This beautiful newborn was a perfect little model for our photo session – he slept like a champ and didn’t mind any of these poses at all! And my oh my, just look at how adorable he is!

I’d have to say, these are some of my favorite family and newborn images to date. He curled so beautifully in his parents arms – when I saw this image even before I pressed the shutter button, I was smiling HUGE because I just knew the resulting images were going to make me a happy camper. So content, so lovely. And look at mommy, she is just glowing.

And yes folks, we have a smiler! Newborn babies give me smiles sometimes during photo sessions, but this sweetie was just full of them – sleep smiles galore! I always encourage parents to have their newborn sessions within the first 10 days of birth because they’re still itty bitty–which allows me to fit them in little spaces….like a bookshelf :) Don ‘t worry – safety is always first – we had daddy as a spotter…and me very close, as well as mommy just a few steps away–and baby was curled up on a nice soft blanket :) What I love most about the shot below is the tree…which was from mommy’s baby shower…it has notes hanging from it with well wishes for baby boy :)

This was an absolutely fabulous newborn session! I’ll definitely be sharing more!

For a year, I’ve been trying to gain acceptance to an amazing foundation called Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep. They provide free photography to families dealing with the terrible tragedy of losing a baby. I learned today that I have been accepted and will be volunteering for Los Angeles hospitals. It’s such an honor. I am humbled. I am even more appreciative for all that I have.  I am inspired by the stength of these families.

Learn more about this awesome foundation, it’ll be worth the read – I promise.

Timing is everything when planning for a photo session. The first two weeks of life for a newborn session is always a winner, and then at 3 months when babies have developed head/neck control (and at which time they’re likely out of the newborn stage and into the giggly baby stage). But between 6-10 weeks, it can be tricky because they’re not sleepy newborns, but also not yet at the point where they can hold their heads up on their own – so sometimes they’re a bit uncomfortable during sessions. BUT, this sweet baby boy at 6 weeks was such a pleasure to photograph, he was content, easy going, and just adorable!

His house was also full of wonderful natural light…and if that wasn’t already enough to make me grin from ear to ear – his mommy had so many cute, colorful, bold outfits and blankets ready for the photo session – I was just like a kid in a candy store checking out all the fun stuff!

And, the absolute sweetest thing was watching his big cousin interact with him during the photo session.  She was so loving and gentle – you could clearly see how much she enjoyed his company – and the feeling seemed mutual, as he slept right in her arms :)

Of course, preschoolers (around 4 years old) are usually pretty stoked about the idea of being photographed with a baby….BUT, for a toddler (around 2 years old) it’s no surprise that trying to photograph them with a baby may not be as easy – so when I was able to get this shot (a little game of peekaboo did the trick), I was so excited! How cute are they?!

And of course, baby with his adoring mother. So sweet – these moments. Fleeting moments.
How our babies grow up so fast….

And for the last image from this photo session – my favorite of big cousin with her new little baby buddy. Baby boy is cute as can be, and she is just GORGEOUS!

A family of troopers! Dad carried a heavy chair two football fields up a hill. Grandma pushed a stroller full of stuff up that same hill…and mom carried a bunch of bags up too! It was definitely a tough walk – but wow! What a perfect location for a photo session! The morning sun was just peeking over the hill….the air was cool and crisp….and the mountainy-air was absolutely delightful. This is definitely a family always ready to seize the moment – no hesitation at all to walk around in the dirt and take a journey up a rugged hill!

When I photographed little man at four months, he was already sitting up on his own – so I just knew that at our next photo session, he’d be crawling all over! My prediction was correct, now he’s 7 months and not only is he crawling, but he’s pulling himself up to stand, and taking steps when he’s holding his mommy and daddy’s hands! He’s definitely going to be walking running when I see him again in a few months!

….baby boy is also quite the little trooper himself. Turns out his first tooth was just about to cut on the day of our photo session- so he wasn’t feeling all that great – but despite it all, he was happy, sweet, and just a joy to be around. How adorable is he here????

I had such a wonderful time photographing this sweetie again…and hanging out with his awesome parents and amazing grandma (who was a huge, huge support and help!) More to come!!!

Oh my oh my! I had an absolute blast at this photo session. As you can see below – this adorable family was full of love…full of life…and full of color! Mom has some amazing taste – the little outfits for baby boy were a photographer’s dream!

I know, I know, this little 9 month old is soooo cute. And check out the uberly sweet shoes — knitted :) So, our little model had many looks for this photo session — the next two images show his *sweet/shy/who are you photographer-lady* look:

and here is my favorite look – quite pensive. I do love smily giggly photos, but there’s something I just really love about facial expressions like the one below. Big, beautiful, curious eyes – just taking everything in – all that this world has to offer…

….mixed in with some big smiles – It’s a perfect balance!

I really, really enjoyed this photo session. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – I just love babies at this age – between 7-10 months is so much fun…and it really is the perfect age to photograph babies. More to come!!! I’m so excited to finish this gallery :)