I first worked with this absolutely wonderful family for their maternity session at the field location. Visit this post to hear their backstory and see their gorgeous images!
Each member of this family has such a wonderful personality - Busola is free spirited and fun, and Jude is grounded and the kindest and most encouraging person you’ll ever meet. Ayo is a mix of both his parents and just likes to have a good time! When Busola let me know that baby Liya had arrived, I was so excited for all of them AND for Liya! She’s truly been born into such a wonderful family. I would adopt them as my own family if I could - that’s seriously how great they are.
When Busola arrived at the studio with Liya she let me know she loved all the girly and pink things and to please incorporate them as I saw fit. We mainly photograph on neutrals to keep the focus on your baby, but we do keep an assortment of pale and blush pinks on hand too! Whether tiebacks are used on baby girls is entirely up to mom. I will often photograph a mix of with and without, but some moms request that one be used for all of their baby’s images.
Liya slept for a bit but did wake up during her session. When she was awake, I was struck by her serious and calm gaze. If ever a baby was an old soul, I think Liya fits the description! Busola nursed her back to sleep and we finished up our newborn solo portraits pretty quickly - just in time for the arrival of Jude and Ayo (and grandma!). Lots of families will bring a visiting grandparent along to help with older siblings when they are not being photographed during the family and parent portion, and sometimes even step in for a few images too!
I started with sibling photos immediately, and Ayo was so great with his little sister! We’ll talk about how your toddler is doing with the new addition and the safest way to proceed based on that input from you. Sometimes sibling images aren’t the two of them alone, but being held by a parent. However they are ultimately set up, they will show their relationship just as they were at that stage. The safety of your newborn is my primary consideration when it comes to sibling images, so we’ll make decisions about how to best photograph them with that at the forefront.
We moved on to family images, and I played the jump like a crazy person game with Ayo to get him laughing. It was quite effective as you’ll see below. I always try to get one or two images with everyone looking and smiling - more often than not, I am able to with no issues. Every toddler is a wild card though, so there are no guarantees. The rest of the family portion was all natural interaction - snuggling up nice and tight and making each other laugh. It showcases your family’s true dynamic and results in the most beautifully authentic images. When you look at them you’ll smile and you’ll think, “This is us.”
When Ayo was finished, he headed home with Grandma and we wrapped up the rest of the session with Liya and her parents. I’m so happy that Liya will have these to look back on when she’s older so she can see how incredibly loved she was from the very beginning!
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.
