I first worked with Laura for her maternity session in the park and then again for her daughter Charlie’s newborn session. You can view the images from their maternity session by clicking here, and the images from Charlie’s newborn session by clicking here.

Laura is one of our First Year Collection members (newborn sitting milestone, and First Birthday are included in this), so we reached out to her to schedule her daughter Charlie’s six month session well in advance (when Charlie was two months!). For babies whose milestone sessions will fall in our most popular months, we’ve been known to go ahead and reserve their milestone session dates in the calendar as soon as they’re born so they’re all set and locked in. First Year Collection members never have to worry about whether they’ll be able to get a preferred weekend date or about remembering to schedule their sessions, because we take care of it all for you! There are lots of other bonus perks for members, so if you want to document your baby’s entire first year, definitely ask about enrolling and if there is still room left! We limit the number of enrollees by birth month to ensure that all members are served well.

THE STYLING ASSISTANCE WE OFFER TO CLIENTS

The biggest stress factor with sessions for most of my clients is what the heck to wear! Laura has never had to worry about this because she utilizes our studio wardrobe for every session she does with us. She has a list of her favorite dresses from each session she’s had with us and already has a pretty good idea of what she’ll wear for her next one.

When it comes to dressing Charlie and her husband, she refers to our style guide and to our recommended stores to shop at for adorable and timeless baby clothing. We do have a limited baby wardrobe for those who want to borrow from that, but we’ve found that our mamas really enjoy shopping for their little ones and dressing them in something that has been purchased just for them. Our style guide concisely goes over the best practices for dressing your entire family and covers recommended color and pattern combos. If you want more hands on assistance with styling your family, you are more than welcome to schedule a complimentary style consult at the studio or to send over quick phone photos of what you’re considering. Once you are booked for your session, I am here to help you in any way I can! I know from personal experience as a mom that the session planning process can feel overwhelming, and I want to take as much of that stress off of you as possible.

SIX MONTH MILESTONE SESSION FLOW

I will discuss your priorities for your baby’s milestone session with you in advance of your session and run you through what to expect. Milestone sessions typically focus on your baby, with family and parent images intermixed throughout. Six month olds do not have a long attention span and ten to tire out quickly with everything going on, so I keep my session flow very baby-led and efficient!

Six month old babies usually need some time to warm up when they’re getting used to being in a new place and to me. This is why I pretty much always begin milestone sessions with parent and family images unless your baby is the life of the party and completely unbothered. Your little one will feel safe and secure in your arms and I’ll be able to start the process of gaining their trust. Once they start willingly interacting with me, that’s when I will start getting closer in proximity to them. Charlie was a cheerful little lady and it didn’t take her long to warm up to me, so I started the session with images of just her on the bed. Once I had gotten those, I quickly moved into the parent and family portraits while Charlie was still grinning and having fun. Fun fact about this session: many of Charlie’s big smiles are the result of yours truly snorting like a pig which she found absolutely hilarious. Please, try snorting like a pig with your mask on and you will be amazed at the effort it takes - but it was all 100% worth it for the smiles!

Important: If you arrive to the studio for your session and your little one is having a hard time adjusting at first, there is no need to stress. I have limitless patience and empathy for your baby and how they are feeling. It’s such an interesting time for babies because due to the ongoingpandemic, they aren’t getting the exposure to the outside world and to strangers that they normally would. So, being in a new place with someone they’ve never met can be a bit of a shock. Sometimes this means that I put my camera down and sit quietly on the floor in their view until your baby settles and decides that everything is okay with this new lady. Regardless of how your baby reacts, I will meet them where they are at. My studio is a zero pressure and calm environment. We will work together as a collaborative team to get them comfortable and having fun! All I ask is that you come in ready to play with your baby and be willing to do some “unorthodox” things to get their giggles going, and it will all work out - I promise!

Your baby’s safety is my ultimate consideration during sessions with me. Charlie was still a bit wobbly when sitting up alone, so her dad was right outside of the frame ready to catch her if needed. If your baby isn’t quite sitting up unassisted at six months of age, that’s not a problem at all! I have SO many other positions for your baby and your gallery will still have lots of variety and tons of cuteness.

SHOULD MY BABY WEAR ONE OR TWO OUTFITS?

Laura had brought two ADORABLE outfits along for Charlie and asked if we could make both of them work. Having two outfits for your little one in a session is welcomed, but know that the second outfit might not happen. This ultimately depends on your baby and how they’re doing!

If you bring two outfits, we will start the session with baby dressed in your favorite one FIRST to ensure you have images of your baby in it! Some little ones simply hate being changed, and others tire out before we have a chance to change. Know that I will do my best to accommodate a second outfit within the session. If needed, we will utilize some of my successful distraction methods to minimize the protesting during changing and can also try a short bottle/nursing break in between for a “reset”.

Laura started Charlie in the most adorable peach colored romper, and changed her into white bloomers with a denim top for the second half of the session. I used a couple of our studio chairs, our chaise lounge, the floor, and her parent’s arms for the rest of her session. We had so much fun during this session, and it was wonderful to see Laura and David so confident in their role as Charlie’s parents. One of my favorite things is watching couples from the maternity session through the First Birthday and how they change as people and as a couple. It’s such a beautiful process to observe, and I’m so honored to be invited to witness it as a photographer!

Enjoy some of my favorite images from Charlie’s six month milestone session. I can’t wait to share images from her First Birthday.

If you’re interested in learning more about scheduling a milestone session for your baby or pregnant and interested in enrolling in our First Year Collection, we would love to talk with you! It is NEVER too early to reserve your session on the calendar - so even if your baby won’t be 6-8 months for a while, NOW is the best time to reach out for more the most date options to choose from. Our weekend dates routinely fill up 3+ months in advance, so go ahead and connect with us to chat!