Megan contacted the studio to ask about scheduling a milestone session for her five month old son, Remy. When she contacted us, we were all on Hilton Head Island getting ready for Caroline’s (our studio manager!) wedding and we had to tell her that she’d have to wait a couple of days until the festivities were over for us to be able to send all the information. She was a total sweetheart, congratulated us all and said she’d be waiting to hear from us the next week!
After the wedding was over and we were back home, we sent Megan all the information and Caroline spent some time chatting with her. At first, Megan didn’t really want to be in any of the photographs but when she let us know that Remy couldn’t sit unassisted yet, we strongly encouraged her to be in them. When your baby isn’t sitting alone, there are only so many things we can photograph for a larger variety in a gallery. Plus, we strongly believe that moms should be photographed too. It’s a decision that many moms make and are so thankful later that they did.
We sent over the style guide to Megan with suggestions of what she and Remy could wear for their session, and I asked her to come in a few minutes early if she wanted to go over wardrobe options. She chose to come in a bit early and was nervous about what she had brought with her not working, but I reassured her that her options were PERFECT! As we were chatting, I asked what her favorite features about Remy were. She didn’t hesitate: his rolls (and rolls!) and blue eyes. With that information in mind, I suggested stripping Remy down to just a diaper cover! She immediately loved the idea, and we did just that. While cute outfits are great, sometimes sticking with simplicity and bringing all the focus to your baby is the way to go. I showed Megan how to sit with him, where to look, and started photographing the two of them. Remy was very interested in what I was doing, and became very comfortable with me quickly. He flashed some big grins my way many times, and I had to keep from squealing over his cuteness!
When he started getting tired, I suggested Megan feed him and change him into his second oufit. While she was comforting him, I noticed how he was chewing on his fingers and took the opportunity to photograph that moment. While I do give direction for guided natural interaction as needed, most mamas become comfortable enough with me after a few minutes and start doing their mothering thing all on their own. Then I just wait for those beautiful moments when you are focusing on your baby and photograph what I see. I think moms are so, so beautiful when they are looking with love at their child. I wish every mom could see how beautiful she looks when she’s being a mom - and that’s one of my end goals when you come in for a session with your baby!
When Megan looked through her gallery, she let me know that she was so in love with the images. She was surprised at how much she loved them because she didn’t really expect to and had just viewed it as being a necessary “prop”. She ended up adding a few extra images to her collection, and was so happy she had opted to be in the photos despite her initial hesitation.
Here are a few of my favorites from Remy’s milestone session! Isn’t this mother-son duo the sweetest?!
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.
