Documenting Changing Kids

Kids change fast.  They enter our world as tiny helpless newborns and in a blink of an eye they are running circles around us in the name of a toddler.  I have a toddler myself, as well as an 8 (almost 9) month old.  It changes so so fast. I want to document every minute of it.  The good thing about being a photographer is I can document quite a lot, but I want to be in those photos too.  I want my kids to look back at family photo albums and see how much fun we had together and how much I love them.  That means having family photos done at least once a year.  Much to my husbands dismay it happens more often for us, because I'm obsessed with this profession of mine and I just want all the photos! I also have some incredible friends who are incredible photographers.  Lucky me, right?!

What if my toddler is crazy?

Well my toddler is crazy, and refuses to look at the camera, and runs away and does exactly opposite of what we want him to during family sessions.  You know what though? All toddlers are crazy! Every single one of them! And I love it.  We are documenting this time in your life.  This is your season, and if you tell me your toddler is perfect, I will not believe you.  Or I leave thinking how in the world I got a crazy one and yours is perfectly well behaved.  I promise you, I am a professional, I know how to capture those energetic little humans we created! It is my job to ensure you have a fun session with your family and we capture the joy.  I will make it as painless as possible and guide you through the steps.

What does this type of session look like?

Lots of playing, games, running, tickling, spinning, and the like.  My goal is for you to leave feeling like you just had a family playdate at the park, not painful family photos.  Right before I moved from Seattle to Jacksonville, FL, a good friend of mine with an 18 month old hired me for their family photos.  She really wanted a sunset session, so we scheduled our time for sunset and hoped for the best from her toddler.  Unfortunately, the wild fires were running rampant in the area and the smoke created quite the haze that covered any type of sunset.  So she didn't get her sunset photos, thank you Mother Nature! What she did get was a fun session full of games and spinning.  She left thinking there is no way we got anything good, my little one was so crazy! Guess what though, we got a lot of great ones! No child can resist smiling when they are being tipped upside down!  

Check out some of the photos from her session below!  We even tried to snag some photos of just mom and dad since it was their anniversary, but the little man was not to be left out!  We miss you guys Cevan! I hope you loved your gallery as much as I loved shooting it!

Oh newborn babies! they are so tiny and cuddly, they just steal my heart.  I never quite understood wanting the hospital photos, until I had my own.  Even if their looks change drastically from those first days, I love documenting just the way they looked the first days of their lives.  I have the moment my two sons met on camera.  It will forever be my favorite photo.  It has so much meaning to me.  Young children change so drastically and siblings only get to meet once for the first time.  Having these moments documented is important to us mommas!  

Cooper | 14 hours old

I met this family when both our oldest were in daycare together.  Neither of us are from Washington, so we have that special "I'm not from here" bond!  I have been lucky enough to photograph them many times, as they have had several milestones to capture over the past couple of years.  We have formed a great friendship through daycare and photography as well!  Such a great feeling that my art has brought us together as friends.  I strive to get to know all of the families I photograph so it is a natural feeling photoshoot.

I was so thrilled to be asked to come to the hospital and capture Cooper's newborn photos as well as big brother getting to meet his little brother for the first time.  It was such a touching moment, I was fighting back tears myself.  Looking back at these photos makes me want to run over there and snuggle him again.

When does it take place?

The fresh 48 session takes place within the first two days of a babies life.  Typically in hospital or at home, wherever the baby was born.  It is great to capture those little details of a newborn.  First doctor checkup, first bath, first time meeting family members, little fingers, toes, feet, noses.  

Will mom and dad be in the photos?

Yes, Yes, Yes! of course we want to get you holding and loving on your little one.  You and your children will cherish these photos.

Check out baby Cooper and his family loving on him below.  Just 14 hours old!