I last worked with Saidie, Daniel, and big sister Zoe for their family maternity session at the gardens location. You can view those images by clicking here. I was SO excited to hear from Saidie that baby Lucia had arrived! When Lucia was born, she was a little itty bitty thing at just over 5 pounds. Her session was scheduled for when she was almost three weeks old because of her weight and to give Zoe a little bit of time to acclimate and adjust. You just never know how your older children will react to having a new baby in the house. I’ve found that the majority of kids in the 18 month through late 2’s range need some time, so I tend to schedule those sessions around the 2-3 week mark. It also gives mom and dad some time to adjust to having another member of the family too! :) The way that I work with and photograph newborns does NOT require them to be under 10 days old like many other photographers. So if you’ve heard that before, ignore it when it comes to me. It’s just not the case here! And if you’re reading this while holding your three week old newborn, regretting not booking a newborn session, and thinking you missed the window….think again. Give us a call and we’ll see if we can fit you in on the schedule!
Saidie and Lucia arrived at the studio on the morning of their session, and I got started photographing just Lucia while Saidie took some time for herself to relax. She already knew exactly which dress she wanted to wear because of her maternity fitting, so her dress was already steamed and ready for her.
Lucia was wide awake when I took her out of her carseat, but very calm. I immediately wrapped her up to take advantage of her alertness as photographs of newborns with eyes open and looking at the camera can be difficult (and sometimes impossible!) to get. I’d estimate that about half of my newborn clients are asleep for their entire session and won’t open their eyes, or are angry when awake, which doesn’t make for a good open eye portrait. Lucia didn’t want to sleep at all, so when Daniel arrived with Zoe, we moved right into the family and parent portraits. Zoe was interested in her baby sister and we played a few games to encourage natural and gentle interaction with her. I always hear from parents at how amazed they are by some of the techniques that I use to get images… the truth is, they’re pretty easy as long as the older child is interested in playing that particular game. If they’re not, we pivot to something else. We’ll eventually find something to engage them!
As we were finishing up with family photos, Lucia fell asleep, so I was able to get some family images with her both awake and asleep. Zoe and Daniel left to head back home, and I photographed Lucia’s solo portraits. Usually it’s the other way around, but babies run the show… so that’s how it was for this session! Saidie had brought the family rosary passed down from generations before them. Such a special family heirloom that I was honored to incorporate for them! She also brought a beautiful linen Mexican dress with a matching blanket that we saved for the very end that Zoe had also been photographed in. Lucia woke up as we were dressing her in it, but remained calm, so I was able to get a few quick images before she decided to announce very loudly that she was hungry again. ;)
Enjoy a few of my favorites from Lucia’s newborn session! You made me work hard, sweet girl, but it’s always worth it in the end!
If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video 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 family photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.
