I first worked with Sara & Jay for a maternity and newborn session when they were expecting their first baby. You can see their maternity session images by clicking here, and big brother Ander’s newborn session by clicking here. When Sara emailed me a few months before her due date to let me know that they were expecting baby #2, I was SO excited for their family! Lots had changed for their family since the birth of their first baby: new jobs for both, and a move to a new house. Sara knew she wanted to add on hair and makeup services for her newborn session since she had loved having that service for her two previous sessions.
When Carter was born, Sara emailed me to let me know. Carter had been born a bit early at 35.5 weeks and would be spending some time in the NICU for his lungs to develop. Since he was on the smaller side at birth, so I suggested waiting until he was around 3 weeks old to give them a chance to get settled in at home after NICU discharge and for Carter to have a chance to fill out a bit. Sara was in complete agreement with my suggestion, so we set the date to be when he was just over 3 weeks old.
Sara and Carter arrived at the studio first that morning. I always have dads bring big siblings later on since there’s no need for them to be there in the beginning. I will be photographing your newborn alone for their solo portraits, and you’ll just be sitting and waiting. In Sara’s case, she was doing her sitting and waiting in the hair and makeup chair, and Ander & Jay were at home until it was time to join us.
Ander was a sleepy little thing, and quite easy to work with as a result. We flew through the newborn portion of the session, and the timing worked out perfectly since he needed a diaper change and a feeding when I was done. Sara attended to his feeding while in the makeup chair, while we discussed what she would wear. When I have worked with clients in the past, I often know exactly what will work for their skin tone and body shape without even having to see it on them. I knew that a gorgeous blush pink lace dress would work for her perfectly, and when I pulled it off the rack for her to look at, she fell in love with it. Even though it’s a lace dress, it’s understated and not “frilly”. She let me know that big brother Ander would be wearing a white t-shirt and jeans, and that she had also opted to have her husband in a short sleeved casual button down. With that in mind, I suggested we dress Carter in one of our studio onesies for the family images since it would look better with the outfits than having him wrapped in a blanket. I’m a fan of onesies for a more casual approach, and honestly… what’s more classic and timeless than a white onesie?! Holding and moving your baby is also much easier when we don't have a blanket to contend with. I leave the choice up to mom and dad and we’ll work with whatever your preference is.
Jay and Ander arrived, and we immediately got started with family images. Three year old boys are a wild card (trust me, I know this because I have one myself) and I always work as quickly as I can while I still have their attention and cooperation. Jay and Sara were great with rolling with whatever Ander was willing to give us in the moment and I photographed him whenever he was willing to be in the images. When he wanted a break, I simply switched to photographing Carter with just his parents. Photographing toddlers and young children is not for the faint of heart and requires flexibility, quick thinking, and patience. I have an abundance of all of those, so you’re in good hands! ;)
Enjoy some of my favorites from Carter’s session! I really loved working with this family again, and I can’t wait to see them and how big the boys have gotten when they visit the studio again for our upcoming Santa event in December!!! (We are sold out, but you can still get on our waiting list)
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.
