Martina contacted me a couple of months before baby Sophia was due, letting me know that she wanted to schedule a newborn session. We scheduled her on the calendar tentatively since Sophia had a scheduled birthdate. Babies sometimes arrive earlier than their scheduled c-section or induction, so any dates we place on the calendar for a client are not set in stone. We'll adjust them if necessary!
When the family arrived at the studio for their newborn session, they brought along Grandma and Grandpa who were visiting from their home country of Germany. It was pretty neat to hear German being spoken in the studio. We've had so many clients from all over the world in the last year: Australia, England, France, China, Malaysia, Korea, Nigeria, and now Germany. I wonder what other countries clients will be from this year?! Big sister Celina and dad Felix were also on hand. The family chose to dress Celina in one of the studio dresses for little girls, and Martina chose a champagne pink dress for herself. We started with the family images first so that Celina wouldn't have to be cooped up in the studio for the entire session. Celina was not interested in holding her sister or being next to her. This is absolutely normal for toddlers! I will not force a child to do something they don't want to do, so we just work around your child's comfort level. Your baby's safety is my paramount consideration. Placing a toddler who doesn't want to participate next to a baby is a recipe for injury, so I simply won't do that. In Celina's case she preferred to interact with her baby sister while being held by her daddy. My goal is for children to feel safe and secure during their sessions in the studio, and often that's in the arms of a parent. Sometimes a child will warm up to me later and be willing to take some solo images with baby, but sometimes not.
When Celina was finished with her part, her grandparents took her down the street to play at a playground. Siblings coming to sessions are always welcomed! If it is possible for the family to do so, we usually arrange for siblings to arrive later after the baby's solo portraits have been finished. Sometimes that just isn't doable for families, so we work around what can be managed and is easiest for families!
After Celina departed, we finished up with parent images. Martina and Felix were so sweet to each other, loving and enjoying each other and their new daughter. Sophia fell into a very deep sleep during this part of the session so when we finished, I quickly wrapped her back up and took some more baby only portrait images (the last images you see in this post on the rug) in the newborn shooting room.
*this session was photographed before the installation of the new white studio flooring
If you're pregnant and looking for a newborn or maternity photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Be sure to view this short 1.5 minute film to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!
Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and birth photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.