When Adrienne emailed me to let me know she was expecting baby #2, I was so excited! I first worked with them when they were expecting their first baby for their maternity session in the studio, and again for his newborn and First Birthday sessions, and then a family session that also was at his second birthday milestone. As with Logan, they had decided to wait until birth to find out whether or not they were having a boy or a girl. I made the same decision with all three of my own babies, so I love when my clients also opt to not find out beforehand!
She let me know that she wanted to book both maternity and newborn with add on hair and makeup services to both. Adrienne loves working with our HMUA team, and has elected to add services on to nearly every session! A couple of weeks before their session, she came to the studio to look through our wardrobe. We are constantly adding pieces to it and sometimes retire other pieces. At 4’11”, Adrienne is one of our most petite clients (the winner stands at 4’10”!) and has a very small frame. We have plenty of options to accommodate petite clients though, so it’s not a worry. After looking through the options, she decided on two dresses: a pretty purple maxi dress, and an off the shoulder white gown with a high low hem. I love this particular white gown for my petite clients since they can walk freely without having to worry about moving the dress bottom out of the way. I carry clamps and fabric tape in my bag at all times, so if a dress is too big for a client we can usually make it work. We’ve also had other instances where the dress wouldn’t zip, so we just clamped the back of it to the client’s bra. If you’ve browsed the website, you’ve probably seen plenty of instances of that… but you just don’t know it since it’s not visible! ;)
The evening of their session, we met at the park location and got started. At their last session, Logan had still been pretty shy and had stranger anxiety, but at almost a year later, that had all changed. He was outgoing and friendly, and had fun participating! How adorable are his little blue glasses?! During maternity sessions that include families, I almost always take the opportunity to photograph dads with their little ones while mom is getting changed into her second look, and this time was no exception. Dads really enjoy having fun with their little ones, and we have some fun playing and goofing off in those few minutes. I’ve had several moms comment that they had no idea what was going on while they were getting changed and that they were brought to tears when seeing the proof gallery and the special daddy-kid moments that they didn’t see unfolding. It’s the last time it’ll just be your little family unit before the newest member arrives, and it’s such a bittersweet feeling. Rest assured, your life is about to change in an amazing way and your heart will love even more than you ever thought possible. Almost most every client I have worries a little bit about how it’s all going to work out! I remember being in labor with my second baby and holding my firstborn in my arms during contractions at home… and thinking to myself “WHAT HAVE I DONE?!” The idea that she would no longer be my only little sidekick made me slightly terrified and I worried that maybe I was somehow going to ruin her life. Verdict? It made her life incredible and she has a best friend for life… and I had two of the best little sidekicks ever…. now it’s three since their brother joined us too!
Towards the end of the session, Logan was getting a bit restless, so I had Dave take him off for a break while I photographed just Adrienne. I called Dave back over for a few couples images, and then Logan was interested in participating again. The bubbles I brought along may or may not have had something to do with that! ;) All in all, it was a fun 45 minutes together and I worked around Logan’s willingness to participate at any given moment throughout. People ask what’s needed for a successful family session. I’d say it’s an even tie between patience and flexibility for all the adults present (me and parents!). I know those sweet moments WILL happen during sessions, and it’s just a matter of being patient and quick on my feet. While I give my families guidance and direction for natural interaction, the kids run the show. At the end of the day, you cannot force a three year old to have genuine emotion or interaction - but trust me, with patience and flexibility, that will unfold on its own.
Enjoy a few of my favorite images from this family maternity session - and be on the lookout for the photos from their newborn session soon!
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.
