I first worked with Kayla & Johnnie for their studio maternity session, which you can view by clicking here. They were such a fun couple to work with, and I was so excited to meet their son when he was born! I ran into Kayla at our neighborhood Target while shopping less than a couple weeks before she gave birth, and she looked absolutely amazing. She told me how much they loved their maternity photos and how much they were looking forward to the newborn session! I wasn’t surprised when she emailed me less than two weeks later to let me know that their son, Malcolm, had arrived, and we scheduled his newborn session.
As many of you know, we moved from our studio in Grant Park to our new (much larger and amazing) studio here on the Beltline by Ponce City Market at the end of summer 2019. So, their maternity session took place at our old studio, and their newborn session took place at the new one!
When they walked into the new space, they were absolutely amazed by how gorgeous and spacious it was, and any uncertainty they had about being somewhere new for their newborn shoot immediately went away. They immediately plopped down on the couch and helped themselves to the snacks and beverages available for clients. Our goal is for parents to relax during their newborn session when just their baby is being photographed, and we’ve set up our studio to allow for that! If you need to work a little bit (we know some of you just don’t get much paternity leave) we also have Google Fiber for you to use while here.
Our old studio was cozy and lovely, and in a quaint old church building. We were there for five years, and it served us so well in that time. However, the client experience is paramount for us, and we had been looking for a new space for a while. Our studio now is 1,000 square foot with over quadruple the shooting space, and has a giant wall of windows that measure 25 feet by 11 feet. The en suite bathroom (complete with a shower and bathtub!), full kitchen, and elevator access in the building are just the icing on the cake.
I know some of you might be thinking “Why would I need a shower or a bathtub during my session?” Well…. let me share a couple of real life instances where they were used! (a) Dad took a walk with his toddler on the Beltline during the solo portion of the newborn session. Dad exerted much more energy than he thought he would and came back dripping in sweat. I handed him a towel and pointed him to the soap, and he jumped right in. (a) Toddler was in the wrong place at the wrong time during the family portion of his baby sister’s newborn session. Baby sister spit up what seemed like her entire feeding… right on top of big brother’s hair. Bathtime! (c) One year old got REALLY into their birthday cake and baby wipes just couldn’t cut it… into the bathtub they went! The bathtub and shower are sanitized after every use as well just so you know. It’s there for clients, along with towels and basic toiletries if they need it!
Malcom was a BIG boy at almost 9 pounds! Kayla let me know that he had been awake a lot, and she was concerned that he wasn’t going to sleep for his session. I reassured her that she didn’t need to worry about it, and that even if he didn’t sleep I would work with it and we would still get beautiful photos that reflected his personality and alertness! Turns out that Malcolm is a champion sleeper… at least he was for me that day! :) He was sleepy when they arrived, and I just worked with him and snuggled with him, and managed to capture a sweet baby yawn too! He was OUT after that and we flew through the newborn portion. As I was finishing his solo portraits, he started waking up and it was pretty evident that the little guy was hungry! Kayla took care of feeding him, and then we moved on to the family portion of the session. When Kayla had come in for her maternity fitting, she had fallen in love with a dress that she tried on and knew that she wanted to wear it when it came time for the newborn photographs. I had the dress ready to go for her! Many of our clients book both maternity and newborn together and they have a pretty good idea what they’ll be wearing when they come back for their newborn session. The vast majority of our dresses can fit both expectant and postpartum mamas and have a bit of stretch in the bust if more room is needed after delivery.
I so loved watching Kayla & Johnnie together with their son. They were so content and so joyful, and the photographs reflect that so beautifully. When Kayla saw her gallery she told me she didn't know how on earth I’d managed to make them look so well rested! Good lighting and post processing helps a lot with that! ;)
Enjoy a few of my favorites from Malcom’s newborn session! I can’t wait to photograph him again as he grows!
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.
