Lucky Leah

I had the pleasure of photographing newborn Leah and her awesome family. She is only 11 days old in these images and I am so glad to have captured this special time in her and her family's life.

As peaceful as ever, Leah was a joy to photograph.

 I like the shadowing effect in this image....makes it super cozy.

 While baby is sleeping, I photograph around her at various angles and with various lenses. I like this angle in particular because it is shot as if the viewer is laying right next to her.

 New position and she's wide awake...cute as ever.

Dare you not to smile at this one.

Looking right at you...don't you feel like your head is right there on that warm blanket?

 As I prepped big brother Owen on my posing pillow, I had to capture this shot.

 The first of many times looking up to big brother.

 Such a genuine smile (and genuine yawn).

 All smiles so I kept on clicking.

 I love this angle for so many reasons....here I mostly enjoy the size contrast between the two of them.

 A butterfly kiss for little sis.

 Traditional and sweet.

 LOVE this one - his expression is perfect and she is so cozy.

 While Leah was being fed, Owen got his own little mini session.

 He loved showing me his dinosaurs....and I loved that he was showing them to me in the best light!

 Environmental portraits are a great keepsake....here in his room, he is just being himself.

 A sweet happy family.

 Here's that angle again...I like how the focus is on the baby yet Mom and Dad's nurturing is a strong presence.

 When baby Leah grows up, she will really enjoy the look on her mom's face in this photo.

 Grandma was on hand to help out and I asked her to pop in here. Three generations of women - just awesome.

 Shooting wide by a window brings a nice soft mood to an image.

 Content in mommy's arms....and notice the pretty fall colors in the background.

 Enter dad for a family shot I always enjoy shooting.

 Very safe in Daddy's arms....but holding on just in case.

 Simple.

 Such a sweet Dad.

 This is fun to show how teeny Leah is in Dad's hands.

 We glammed her up a bit here but careful not to overdo it. Such a sweet setting.

 Leah was soothed by a soft sound her dad was making here....eyes fixed on him the whole time.

 Leah was a rock star when it came to this shot - babies often wiggle but she was perfectly still.

 Love this shot. Again, the focus is on Leah but mom and dad have a a strong presence. I also like the symmetrical composition.

 Last but not least, a peaceful silhouette of Leah and her parents.

She certainly is very lucky.

Autumn Beauty

This week's session had all the fixin's of a dream shoot.....great light, gorgeous fall colors and a sweet young lady. I photographed Olivia's communion session earlier this year and was thrilled to do her birthday portraits in the lovely autumn season.

Capturing the color was a must so I decided to shoot at a slightly upward angle and blurred the foreground and background to add a bit of interest. Olivia's carefree pose is a perfect fit for this setting.

 I always move in closer to capture her lovely features, making sure she popped with clarity while everything else is out of focus.

 I like this traditional, natural pose and composition, using the empty space as a canvas for the background color.

 I asked Olivia to make some silly faces as the smile that comes afterward is always a great time to click that shutter.

 I like the graphic elements here - the tall slim tree and the tall slim girl. It would have been a totally different shot had I centered it. There is a rule of thirds for a reason!

 Whenever I see a branch, I do this shot...just fun and different.

 Sometimes you have to break the photography rules and shoot into the light. Makes for great hair light and love those glowing leaves behind her.

 Olivia's expressions are just awesome!

 When I see a wall with texture, I do this.

 Love everything about this....definitely a favorite of of the day (although definitely the heart attack shot that shows mom and dad how quickly their little girl is growing up).

 I hit the location jackpot with this park (great suggestion, Olivia's Mom!!) and wanted to incorporate the graphic element of these cool barn doors.

 The colors couldn't be more perfect here. I shot low and angled slightly up to not make this too dramatic, just a little interesting. I like how you see the light behind her.

 And OF COURSE we did a leaf throwing shot.

 Kids get into this and I like to capture the excitement just before they throw.

 Bridges make awesome dramatic lines, especially when you shoot with the right lens. I love the even composition.

 Natural and carefree.

 Little specks of light coming through the rear greenery can turn into little light spheres with the right camera settings. Makes for a nice soft photo.

 Same here, but wanted to capture more body to show her relaxed pose.

 I don't direct kids when they want to climb trees - they always find more interesting poses than I would.

 With this pose, I knew I wanted to switch to my super wide lens and add some funk to those branches. Another favorite....a framer for sure.

 Traditional with a bit of flair.

 I just adore the colors here - Olivia's blonde hair suits this image perfectly.

 Close-up with a strong composition.

 Another favorite - I love the sun, the angle, the colors....a nice moment to capture her age as well.

 Singin' in the rain (but glad it didn't). ;-) Look at that super saturated blue and red. Nature rocks.

 Similar angle as the stone wall shot but I wanted to try a vertical shot instead.

 Last but certainly not least, a shot with Mom. Even though it was the end of our session, Olivia brightened up in a way a child only does for Mommy. Love this picture.

Olivia and Jenn, I am beyond happy that you asked me to capture these images. I hope you cherish them always. xoxo