Earlier this week, I blogged Jordyn’s Fresh 48 session, and am excited to share her newborn images today!
Rashida had elected to add on makeup services as she has done for all of her other portrait sessions. As a busy mom, she appreciates being able to just show up and be taken care of.
The morning of her session, she arrived with Jordyn and we went through the studio wardrobe together. She fell in love with one of our newest pieces and settled into the makeup chair while I got started with Jordyn.
Jordyn was wide awake when I took her back, and unimpressed! She gave me some of the funniest expressions. After wrapping her up so she was nice and cozy, I spent some time bouncing and rocking her, and we did eventually get her to go to sleep. Rashida had brought along a little outfit for Jordyn and requested that I use it in the session if possible. I always do my best to work in special requests, but will save them for the end so that I can be sure your gallery is complete. The biggest issue with outfits is that they require me to move your baby around a lot, and most babies will wake up while being dressed or undressed. The focus of my sessions are entirely on your baby, and I choose to use simple neutral wraps to achieve this. Rashida loves all things girly, so had requested that we use our headbands and tiebacks for every image. This is up to each mama - if you want a mix, or none at all - no problem!
I finished up pretty quickly with Jordyn and came out to the main shooting room just as daddy and big brothers arrived. Jaiden was still all about his sister, but Jace was still unsure and was struggling with losing his place as the baby of the family. Rashida was worried that she wouldn’t get any images of Jace with the family, but I asked her to trust me and give him some space. We played a few games and had some fun, and we were able to get Mr. Jace interacting sweetly with his sister, and participating in family images. Forcing toddlers to do something or putting a lot of pressure on them almost always backfires. It’s much better to take a laid back and relaxed approach with no expectations whatsoever. I work with so many children on a weekly basis, and have been told I have infinite patience. There is nothing that I haven’t seen, and I have a whole host of techniques and tricks to employ if needed. My biggest priority is the safety of your newborn. Some toddlers just aren’t going to come near their new sibling alone! Two and under is always a roll of the dice when it comes to “cooperation” for sibling shots, and the chances increase with age 3-4. Age 5 and up - I’ve never had a sibling this age not be a fantastic listener.
Rashida stepped into her dress, and we started with sibling and family images. I asked them to just let Jace do his thing and not ask him to be in any photos as we started out. I have found that when young children feel that they have a choice in the matter, they are much more likely to be happy and willing participants! You’ll always hear me talking to your child with respect and asking them for permission to move them or make an adjustment. Children are people too!
We were all laughing and having fun, and Sure enough, Jace became curious and came over to join in. We moved into parent images from there, and then wrapped up with just Rashida and Jordyn. When Rashida saw her images she couldn’t get over how Jace was in so many of the images and how he was SMILING! I reminded her that it was all about the approach, and her willingness to trust me and follow my direction was what enabled those resulting images. Rashida chose to keep all of her images, and we designed a gorgeous album together for their home as well as several mounted prints. I always love assisting families with albums and wall art so that they can enjoy their photographs in their homes every day.
Enjoy a few of my favorites from Jordyn’s newborn session!
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.
