Atlanta Baby and Family Photographer | Baby Hank is eight months!

I first photographed Hank as a newborn, and again for a milestone session when he was four months old. You can see his newborn images by clicking here, and his four month session by clicking here. The sitting milestone was the next up, and his parents chose 8 months for this one!

Since this was a third time in my studio, Melanie already knew how to dress everyone and the general routine. She requested to add on hair and makeup services again since she loved working with our artists the first two times. Brielle was her artist this time around and is always fun to work with. I always enjoy seeing what our makeup artists create for her each time! If you’re worried that you won’t look like yourself, don’t be! Our artist specialize in natural beauty which enhances what’s already there and will take your preferences and comfort level into consideration while applying your makeup. You are very much a part of the process and your feedback is welcomed and encouraged. Take it from a girl who doesn’t even own makeup (that would be me) - adding on professional hair and makeup services to your portrait session is always worth it. I always make sure to have mine done by a member of my team for my own photographs.

When I arrived at the studio, Brielle was just finishing up with Melanie’s hair. I was so excited to see them all again and couldn’t believe how big Hank had gotten in the four months since I’d last seen him! He was such a happy and friendly baby with the cutest two bottom teeth and chocolate brown eyes. Full of smiles and curiosity, and just a total doll! Melanie showed me the outfits that she had brought along for him and I offered my input on each. She chose the cutest blue knit two piece, and we got started. Hank was an easy little guy to work with since he was interested in my camera and thought my silly faces and noises were hilarious. We moved very quickly through the session, as I always do with this age. Babies have very short attention spans and get overstimulated and tired quickly. My average sitter session takes 30-45 minutes and my parents often report that their baby slept HARD for their nap afterwards. We keep moving the entire time and your baby is engaged and active. It’s a lot for them to take in!

Typically I will start sessions with family images to get babies warmed up, but Hank wasn’t in need of that due to his outgoing personality. So I shot in a flow that took that into consideration and had his parents jump in and out of images as needed. At the very end of the session, we removed his shirt so we could show off his cute baby rolls and I pulled out our white Eames chair. I love using this chair in milestone sessions since it really offers perspective on how much your baby has grown since their last session 4-6 months prior. It’s wild to see visual proof of it, even though your brain knows they’re a whole lot bigger!

We ended with lots of family snuggles, and the last image in this gallery is my favorite of the whole session. I just love how it shows baby Hank encircled by his loving parents. Enjoy a few of my favorites from Hank’s sitting milestone 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.

Atlanta Family Photographer | Priyanka is six months!

I’ve worked with this family since their first child was born. They booked the Birth Session the DAY before he was born, and I literally met them for the first time when I showed up to the hospital. Over the past few years, I’ve enjoyed getting to know them and it’s always so much fun to have them in my studio!

I had last seen Priyanka at her newborn session, and was so looking forward to photographing her for her six month milestone session. You can see her newborn session images by clicking here. It’s always fascinating to see how babies have changed since their infancy, and to see whether or not they’ve retained their features. Priyanka definitely had, and she was such a joyful and bubbly little girl with lots of love for her big brother and parents. I loved all of her adorable expressions and her beautiful brown eyes.

Michelle had brought along an armful of clothes for me to look through. I had also pulled a few of my studio pieces for Michelle. When I work with clients for a long time, I get to know their tastes and preferences and I know what will work for their body type and skin tone. I was pretty sure that she would fall in love with one particular dress that I had just added, and I was right - she gasped when she saw it and it was the winner out of the few I had pulled aside. Once we had confirmed what Michelle would be wearing, I pulled from the options she’d brought for Priyanka & Henry and selected the best shirt for her husband Kaylan. TONS of my clients do this -so don’t be afraid to bring along multiple options if you’re not 100% sure on what to wear! We do send a helpful style guide over before the session, and we are here to assist however we can. If you’d like to email photos of what you’re considering, or set up a time to come by the studio in advance of your session for me to see the pieces in person we will gladly accommodate that. We want your experience with us to be fun and as stress free as possible, so please don’t hesitate to ask for anything you might need while we’re planning your session.

Since Priyanka was such a friendly little girl, I started with solo photographs of just her, and we added big brother Henry in as well. Toddlers are often short on patience, so it’s always my goal to get those images with them included done as early as possible in the session and to give them breaks as needed. I also love to snap a few photographs of just your toddler with you as well - just because they’re not the current baby of the family anymore, they will always be your very first baby. We moved into the family and parent images and had so much fun. A few more solo portraits of Priyanka, and then she started getting tired, which is normal. It’s actually NOT a bad thing because it allows me to photograph real moments of true snuggles with your baby. If your baby sucks their thumb or twirls your hair when they’re getting sleepy, I make sure to photograph those little details as well. I want you to have photographs to look back on that capture exactly who your baby was at that point in their life. After all, that’s the entire point of a milestone session!

Enjoy some of my favorites from Priyanka’s six month session! I can’t wait to see this sweet family again in December for our Santa Event (sold out, but you get on the waiting list!) and to celebrate her upcoming First Birthday in the studio!

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.

Atlanta Family Photographer | Alina is eight months!

Tina contacted us to schedule a family session centered around celebrating her daughter, Alina’s, sitting milestone. She looked through our website and loved the garden setting, so we set a date for their session the next month. The gardens are typically only available on weeknights, so if you’re hoping for this location for your session, you’ll need to plan to be available on a weeknight evening.

Tina also asked to add on hair and makeup services, and we sent over our style guide to her to look over. Our style guide isn’t intimidating at all! It’s a short and sweet read, and it really helps our clients understand how to mix and match wardrobe pieces for all session participants to have a cohesive look. If you want more assistance, we are more than happy to look at iPhone snaps of whatever combos you’re considering, or we can have you stop by the studio for an in person style consult. You simply bring all the clothes you’re thinking of with you, and come by to spend 20-30 minutes with me. I love meeting my clients in advance of their sessions, or getting a chance to catch up with clients who have worked with me before!

The evening of the session, I met the Tina, Danny, and Alina at the gardens. It was a beautiful evening and the temperature was perfect for June! Tina had been worried the week before that it would rain on the day of our session. We reassured her that it was too early to make a weather prediction and that we would watch the weather closely and reschedule to a different time if it was a problem. Atlanta can be unpredictable when it comes to weather during the summer, so we often will make the call the day before or day of and then reschedule for a future date that works for us both. We also give our clients the option to move into the studio for a studio session if they don’t want to (or can’t) reschedule for another day in the future.

Alina was a curious and happy baby. I loved the dress Tina had chosen to wear, and the outfits she had brought for Alina were adorable. We started with family images to get Alina comfortable and used to the sound of the camera. I am very respectful of little ones and approach them slowly and quietly until they have indicated that they’re ok with me and feel safe. The best way for a baby to feel safe is in the arms of their parents - so that’s why I always start with that! Tina and Danny absolutely love their little girl, and they did such a great job snuggling her and following my verbal prompts for interaction with her.

After the family images, Alina was completely comfortable with me, so I moved into her solo portraits. Because she was sitting up by herself perfectly with no wobbling, I knew it was safe to have her sit on the stone pathway. After a few shots from there, Tina changed her into a second outfit, and I pulled out the sweet little quilt I had brought along.

At first, Tina and Danny were calling to Alina from behind me and trying to help. I always ask parents to stand off to the side and not to call to their child or wave like a windmill being my back. There’s a couple of reasons for this request. Firstly: your child knows and loves you. They’re going to look right at you, and not at my camera, and it will make getting those gorgeous images with eye contact to the camera very difficult, if not impossible. Secondly, your child is in a new place with a new person, and will easily become overstimulated. Overstimulated babies and children tend to do one of two things: (a) decide they’re done with it all and withdraw (b) feed off of all the energy and become super excited to the point where they are too busy running/rolling/wiggling to want to interact with me. That being said, if I feel that a little one would do better with a parent behind me after I’ve assessed how they’re doing, I will absolutely ask for some assistance. As soon as I explained this to them, they immediately stood off to the side and watched quietly, and voila: Alina decided she was interested in looking at me. I encouraged her to play with her feet by tickling her toes and putting her foot in one of her hands. I really love when babies grab their feet because it’s such a unique part of that particular stage in their life… and it’s just about the cutest thing ever!

After I finished up with solo images, I rounded up the family for a few more family shots, and then we were all finished. Both Tina and Danny mentioned how much fun the whole experience had been and that they had enjoyed themselves so much. I’m always happy to hear this from my clients, because I work hard to ensure that your time with me is fun and relaxing - not stressful. I know how much work and time you’ve put into your session on your end, so when you arrive, let me handle the rest. Even if you’re concerned that your little one isn’t “cooperating”, let me assure you that they are. All you need to do is follow my guided prompts and love each other, I promise.

Enjoy some of my favorites from Alina’s milestone/family session!

Do you want to capture your baby just as they are now before time completely slips away and you’re packing their car for college? Contact us and we’ll chat about your vision, your goals for your session, and our approach to see if we’re the perfect match for your needs!

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.

Atlanta Family Photographer | Kirin is TWO!

I first worked with Suleka & Jesse for their maternity session at the field location when they were expecting their son, Kirin and went on to photograph his newborn session as well. You can see their maternity images by clicking here, and Kirin’s newborn session by clicking here.

I was thrilled to hear from Suleka when she contacted the studio to schedule a session for Kirin’s second birthday. She wanted an outdoor session and loved the gardens location. Because she had worked with Megan, one of our HMUA’s for her previous sessions, she knew she wanted to add on hair and makeup services with her again. Suleka also let us know that both sets of grandparents would be participating in the session as well! I was so excited because I think the grandparent relationship is SO special and important. I was incredibly fortunate to have two absolutely wonderful sets of grandparents that were very involved in my life growing up. One set still remains, and I can’t imagine a life without them in it. So anytime a family wants grandparents to be involved in their family session, I am 200% on board. What an incredibly beautiful gift to give to your child!

We also sent over our style guide to Suleka to help her in coordinating her family’s wardrobe since there were so many of them and let her know we were happy to assist further if she needed to run anything by us. She found the style guide easy to read and super helpful when it came to coordinating everyone’s outfits and did a wonderful job all on her own! If you need more assistance than she did, we’re here to help!

The family drove all the way from Cumming into Atlanta for their session. We had a mostly overcast evening with really nice spring weather. Overcast days are awesome because the light is really soft, even, and diffused and it affords a lot of flexibility in which direction I can place my subjects. When we have a clear day with sunlight, that’s also gorgeous - but I don’t face my subjects towards the sun because I don’t want them to be blinded and squinting in every image.

Kirin spends lots of time with his grandparents, and is a very loved little boy. His face lights up whenever he’s with the people he loves, and it was such a fun session to photograph. He enjoyed walking around the gardens and exploring, and the session was pretty much “pass Kirin around to everyone” and group images. I work REALLY fast with toddlers of this age when we have a larger family group because I want to make sure we get those whole family images checked off the shot list before my youngest subject(s) lose interest! Then we let loose, we play, and we keep moving to keep them active and engaged. The entire session took about 30ish minutes, because that’s all Kirin was interested in giving us… but as you’ll see, it was more than enough time - and the adults actually loved that it wasn’t a long and drawn out session. When we said our goodbyes, I was the only one that left since everyone else opted to stay and keep exploring and playing!

Enjoy a few of my favorite images from this family session! I can’t wait to see these guys next year!

Would you like to capture your family just as you are now before you blink and they’re not so little anymore? Contact us and we’ll chat about your session goals, your vision, and our approach to see if we’re the perfect match for your family photography!

Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and family photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.

Atlanta Lifestyle Family Photographer | Baby Suman's In Home Milestone Session

Did you know that I travel to homes too for lifestyle sessions? (but not if you have or had a cat in the home, because I will literally have to be taken to a hospital due to my severe allergies)

I first worked with this sweet couple for their maternity session at the park location. You can view those images by clicking here. I was so excited to head to their home in East Cobb and meet their son, Suman! Chitra wanted to schedule an in home session and include her mother in the photos as well, which I was more than happy to do. We chatted a bit about the best time for Suman during the day when he was well rested and happy, and settled on a date.

Suman is the most adorable little guy! He is the perfect mix of his parents and has such beautiful deep brown eyes. When I arrived at their home, I did a walk through to see what I had to work with, and decided to photograph in 2 of the rooms there as well as on the covered front porch. Each home is unique in terms of layout and lighting, and because I work with the available natural light, each session will look different, too. When we plan your in home lifestyle session, you’ll send over some phone shots of some rooms in your home at a couple of different times during the day. We’ll look at those and then determine the best time to schedule your session (and know ahead of time which rooms we’ll be photographing in)! The two rooms I chose had lots of windows and tons of light. We did spent a little time rearranging some things (mainly clearing off the coffee table and moving some toys) so they wouldn’t be distracting in the photos.

We started in the living room, and then headed upstairs to Suman’s adorable nursery. Lifestyle sessions are all about having fun together as a family. You will play, you’ll tickle, you’ll snuggle together. Suman really enjoyed playing peek a boo, and gave me some really big smiles. Chitra was shocked because Suman has stranger anxiety and she wasn’t sure how he would do with me.

I can’t wait to see him again and how much he’s grown in the fall when I photograph them next! In the meantime, enjoy a few of my favorite images from their session.

Are you interested in learning more about an in home session? Contact us to discuss your vision and we’ll get to planning! Travel fees may apply for homes located more than 30 minutes from the studio.

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.

Atlanta Child & Family Photographer | Kendall is FOUR!

Milestone sessions aren’t just for babies! We have lots of mamas contact us to schedule portrait sessions for their big kids too around their birthdays. I love this, as I do it with my own children. There’s something so cool about being able to look back and see what your child looked like each year and how much they changed between the years.

Chrysten contacted us to schedule a session for her daughter, Kendall to celebrate her fourth birthday! We sent over the style guide for Chrysten to look through to pull clothing from their closets. I know how it is to be a busy working mom, so I am happy to provide assistance through emailed photos of clothing options if stopping by the studio just isn’t an option for you and your schedule. Please note that if you’re planning to borrow anything from the wardrobe, you will need to arrange to come to the studio for a visit beforehand though!

On the day of Kendall’s session, she arrived at the studio with her little brother Finley, and her dad, Nick. Nick is such a cool guy, but doesn’t enjoy being in photos unless it’s absolutely necessary. I did end up asking him to sit in for a bit because it was the only way to keep the two kids next to each other! :)

Nick had brought along a bouquet of flowers and a gold #4 balloon to use during the session. He also brought a bag of clothes for me to go through for each of them and I pulled together the best options and combos. Once I had that squared away, I began to photograph Kendall.

Kendall has a BIG personality, and an even bigger smile with the biggest blue eyes. She loves flowers and really wanted to take her picture with the bouquet that her dad had brought along. I was all for it - birthday sessions are meant to be fun and allow personalities to shine. Sitting primly and properly for the entire session just isn’t going to happen with kids, and that would honestly be pretty boring. Kendall broke out her “model” poses and did lots of jumping and running around. There were lots of giggles during our time together, and it truly was so much fun. By the end of our session, the kids were both bouncing off the walls, so I pulled Nick in for a few images as well.

When Chrysten saw Kendall’s gallery, she absolutely loved it and let us know that we had captured her daughter’s true personality perfectly. She added on several more images to her collection since she couldn’t manage to narrow them down to what it included. She then emailed to schedule Finley’s second birthday session, and opted to be in some of the photos with him this time! (yay!)

I’m looking forward to sharing the images from Finley’s second birthday session soon! In the meantime, enjoy some of my favorites of little miss Kendall!

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.

Atlanta Family Photographer | The A Family

Courtney contacted the studio to ask about scheduling a family session. A good friend of hers had recently worked with us and had recommended she consider us for her photography needs. Courtney was pregnant with her second child, but she wanted the focus of her session to be family rather than maternity. Not sure of the difference between a family session vs. a maternity session? We’ll happily explain that to you when you give us a call! :) After looking through the locations, Courtney chose the park location for their session. The park is a great location choice for our intown clients to avoid traffic around the Atlanta interstates, especially on weeknights!

We sent over our style guide to Courtney, which is short and super easy to read. So many of our clients have told us that it’s been incredibly helpful to them when planning what to wear. If you get stuck, or you want more feedback, we’re here to help with that too! Our studio wardrobe is also available to borrow from as well, although the majority of family session clients dress themselves. We find that the majority of our newborn and maternity clients opt to use the wardrobe!

When Courtney and her family showed up at the studio parking lot, we chatted for a couple of minutes and then they followed me by car to the location just a couple of minutes away. I loved the dress that Courtney had chosen - I have this same dress in a few different colors in my own studio wardrobe. It’s such a comfortable dress and very flattering whether you’re pregnant or not. She had coordinated her daughter’s lace dress to match the pink embroidery on her own dress and it was the perfect combo. Dad looked great in his light blue button down and khakis. If your guy isn’t a khakis guy, don’t put him in them. Have him wear jeans instead if that’s his thing. I want your family to be comfortable and feel like themselves for your images! While our style guide does have some specific guidelines for what to avoid, it’s to ensure that your images are cohesive and there’s not an element that sticks out and is distracting. I’ve had clients who opted for a glammed up look complete with tuxedos and tulle, and others who went with a monochromatic look topped with motorcycle boots and jackets. That’s who they were, and their resulting images captured them perfectly because they chose to be themselves. Don’t let what’s most popular on Pinterest or what you think you “should” wear for family photos dictate your final choices. Be YOU.

We got started with our session by playing some games…. which involved me being quite the goof. I am not a super peppy personality that gets into your child’s face, because I’ve found that often just backfires. Instead, I’m pretty quiet and slowly approach your child until I can see that they’re feeling comfortable. I match the energy level of your child throughout the session and let them lead the way. I want them to have a fun time too, not be freaked out by this person they don’t know!

My family sessions are very much about playing together and being a family. The goal is not necessarily for everyone to be looking at the camera. While it’s wonderful to get that “perfect” family photo with everyone smiling and looking for the Christmas card or for Grandma, that’s is not my ultimate goal or the heart of my approach at all. So, what is? Love. Connection. Photos that show how much your family loves each other and how much your children adore you. The kind of photos that are captured when you’re being who you truly are and have forgotten a camera is there. The kind of photos that give you a perspective of your family that you cannot see yourself. That’s what I’m after.

If you want to capture your family just as you are now before time slips through your fingers, contact us and we’ll chat about your session goals, your vision, and our approach to see if we’re the perfect match for your family photography! I can’t wait to meet you!

In the meantime, enjoy a few of my favorites from this family’s 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.

Atlanta Baby Photographer | Baby Remington

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.

Atlanta Family Photographer | The B Family at the Park

I first worked with Maria after they had just relocated to the Atlanta area. She had found us online but then her photographer from her hometown also referred her to me after the fact, so she knew she’d made the right choice in choosing her new family photographer.

Maria loves to schedule images for the fall to serve a dual purpose: (1) updated family photos and (2) the family holiday card. This is usually the case for all of my fall clients! At the time of this writing, October weekends are totally full with just a couple of weeknights remaining. November has just a couple of weekend dates remaining, with a handful of weeknights. If you’re hoping to book a fall family session, don’t delay in contacting us today to get on our calendar before we’re completely full. If we’re full at the time you contact us, you can ask to be placed on the waiting list. We reserve dates in our calendar to serve as backup dates for inclement weather, and if a date is not needed it is released on a first come first serve basis to those on the wait list.

We sent our style guide to Maria but knew she probably wouldn’t need it. She has a fun fashion style, and everyone always looks great. That being said, if you’re not so sure you can do it on your own, don’t worry! I’m here to provide as much or as a little help as you need in coordinating your family’s outfits. My goal is to make your entire session experience as fun and as low stress as possible.

On the evening of our session, we met in a different area of the park than we had been in the previous year to change things up a bit. Barrett had gotten so big, and was full of energy! Clayton and Maria keep up with him pretty well, and do such a great job of letting him be a kid and run all over the place with him. The best thing parents can do is arrive at their session relaxed and ready to play. We will get images of your child truly smiling with their eyes sparkling this way. I’m a mom of three kids myself, and I’ve seen it all. I promise - if you come in relaxed and ready with patience, we will create a zero pressure environment for your child(ren) and the rest will all unfold. There will be moments during your session when you will feel like things are chaotic and that the whole thing is a disaster, but just remember…. I only need 800th of a second to grab one moment.

Enjoy a few of my favorites from their fun family session! I can’t wait to see them again this fall!

Want to capture your family just as you are now before time eludes you and you’re packing their bags for their first apartment? Contact us and we’ll chat about your session goals, your vision, and our approach to see if we’re the perfect match for your family photography!

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.

Atlanta Family Photographer | A Family Session in the Gardens

I was SO excited for this session with this fun family of five! I LOVE working with families who have older children - I know we get lots of the little ones, but I don’t just photograph babies and toddlers. Older children are really cool to photograph by themselves and with their families, so it’s a welcome change of pace.

My flow is somewhat different with tweens and elementary aged children, but one thing remains the same: my respect and consideration for your child and their autonomy is paramount. I want them to walk away from their session feeling that I saw them for who they were and they had a say. I want YOU to have beautiful photographs of your children and family together that show your relationship and how much you love each other. I want you to smile whenever you see them and think “This is us.”

I could sit here and type a book with multiple chapters about my approach to family sessions with multiple children, but I’ll spare you. In a nutshell: it’s basically very organized chaos! I flow through our time together in so that participants who need a break get one while others are being photographed so we aren’t standing around doing nothing. SOMEONE is being photographed at any given time.

Family sessions are about playing together, and NOT necessarily looking at the camera. While it’s great to get the “perfect” family picture with everyone smiling for Grandma, that’s is not the goal or the heart of my approach to photographing your family at all. So, what is? Love. Giggles. Security. Family. I could go on. You know the saying: “A picture is worth a thousand words”….. let’s let this family’s photos speak for themselves.

Kelly and Daniel had never had a professional family portrait session before and weren’t really sure what to expect. They were blown away by how we helped with every step of the process. We had sent Kelly our style guide ahead of time, and she found it very helpful! She was a little bit nervous about choosing outfits entirely on her own. When I checked in to see if she needed any assistance pulling them together, she was so grateful to be able to email us images of the outfits she was thinking about. After reviewing what she had put together, I emailed her a suggestion to make one simple change in her oldest son’s shirt choice and it solidified the whole look perfectly. I want your family to dress comfortably and everyone to feel great in what they’re wearing. I also want the outfits to complement each other so that there isn’t a reaction of “one of these things is not like the other” when viewing your images.

The evening of our session, we met at the gardens location and it was such a beautiful night! The temperatures were perfect, and we moved quickly through the session. I always start with the whole family first while everyone is fresh and still willing to be photographed. You never know how younger kids and babies will be, so I like to play it safe. From there, we cycled in and out with different combinations of family members, and had a great time doing it. Rueben and his sisters, Zoe & Thea were such great kids, and so much fun to work with! Rueben is such an incredible big brother to his sisters, and I loved watching their interactions together. At the end of our time together, both Kelly and Daniel commented on how much fun the whole session was and how they couldn’t wait to book their next session. After viewing their proof gallery, Kelly had a hard time narrowing the images down. She chose to print the second image in this blog post as a larger wall portrait for their home as it was her very favorite photo from the session.

I SO look forward to working with this family again next year!

Want to capture your family just as you are now before time completely slips away and you’re packing their bags for college? Contact us and we’ll chat about your session goals, your vision, and our approach to see if we’re the perfect match for your family photography!

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.

Atlanta Baby Photographer | Brooke is ONE!

When Kea emailed me to schedule a family session with some focus on her youngest daughter’s first birthday, I was so excited! I’ve been working with them since Kea was pregnant with their second child and have loved every session with them. They’re such a loving and fun family, and their kids all have so much personality! Because I’m also a mom of three, I really enjoy photographing big kids and larger families - a little bit of chaos never scares me! ;) (and who are we kidding, sometimes it’s a LOT of chaos!)

We sent over the style guide and Pinterest board to Kea and she came up with two different outfit collections and sent me photos. Both options she had come up with were wonderful, but I was a bit concerned about one due to the very summery nature (sleeveless dresses, sandals, and shorts) and the forecast being a bit on the colder side for spring. She hadn’t considered that factor, and it helped her make her decision immediately! Cold children can be more difficult to distract. When wearing clothing for a session that might be on the colder side, you can never go wrong with layers. That way pieces can be removed if anyone finds themselves too warm as the session goes on. I’m here to help with your wardrobe styling if you desire! While most of my clients find the resources we send them perfectly adequate, others want to run their choices by me, and I welcome that. I know it can be stressful to pull together the look for everyone, and I’m here to help ease that for you as much as possible.

Because we were celebrating Brooke’s first birthday, Kea wanted a lot of the focus during the session to be on her, but she wanted the entire family photographed also. That’s the great thing about First Birthday sessions! We can customize the focus to whatever you desire.

During family sessions, you can be assured that not every child will want to participate at the same time, and that’s perfectly ok! I look for who is interested and willing amongst the kids, and I come up with fun games to engage your children. I ask parents to go with the flow no matter what’s happening, and the rest will work itself out. When Kea viewed her gallery, she emailed me to let me know how much she loved the images and how her gallery perfectly showed who each of her children were.

As I photographed the family during their session, I kept laughing at each of the children’s very distinct personalities. You can see for yourself in the images exactly what their personalities are, and I absolutely love it! At the very end, Kea pulled out a cake pop for Brooke to enjoy. She had decided that Brooke had eaten enough sugar that week with all the birthday celebrations, and that she wanted to keep it super simple but still have SOMETHING. The cake pop was the perfect solution! I’ve had clients choose to present their one year old with cupcakes, cakes, pies, and donuts - there’s no right or wrong way to celebrate a birthday!

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.

Atlanta Newborn Photographer | Hank is four months!

Adam & Melanie first worked with me when they brought their sweet little boy, Hank, to my studio for his newborn session. You can view those images by clicking here. Melanie contacted us soon after his newborn session to get on the calendar for milestone sessions. She chose to schedule for 4 months, 8 months, and 1 year. Scheduling in advance is recommended so that you can reserve the dates that you want! Melanie wanted to have the dates on the calendar so she could plan Hank’s vaccinations to take place after each one just in case he was fussy for a couple of days after getting them.

On the morning of Hank’s milestone session, the family arrived. Melanie had chosen to add on hair and makeup services, and had been paired with Margaret this time. She had previously worked with Brielle for Hank’s newborn session, and will be working with Brielle again later this month for Hank’s eight month session! All of our HMUA’s are incredibly talented! If you really love the one you work with, you can always specifically request them. However, we cannot guarantee a specific person’s availability will coincide with mine. We take care of coordinating your HMUA so you don’t have yet another thing to schedule. Our studio experience has been designed to be super easy and streamlined so it’s as low stress as possible for you!

I loved the navy floral dress that Melanie had chosen to wear fro her own closet! Adam had brought along a few shirts because he wasn’t sure which one would work best. I looked at what he had brought and immediately pointed at the best choice for what Melanie and Hank were wearing, which was a pink and white striped seersucker button down. Most dads will bring a few options to choose from, so don’t be afraid to do that to! I’m here to help and am a quick decision maker. I know what will photograph well and have an eye for the best colors to suit an individual’s skin tone AND complement what everyone else is wearing. So, no need to worry about it: I’ve got you covered. Melanie had brought a light blue sleeveless romper and another white romper with a Peter Pan collar. Since they’re from Alabama, she loves the southern style! :)

We started Hank’s session with interaction between him and mommy . Four month olds are limited in what they can physically do on their own since they cannot sit up unassisted, and will need to be held by other session participants for a portion of the session. Getting them warmed up for the camera is as simple as playing and snuggling. Your baby LOVES to interact with you, and this is where we will get those beautiful images of your baby looking at you with nothing but pure love. We added daddy in for a few, and Hank started getting fussy. Melanie and Adam were apologetic, and I told them not to worry about it!

Being a photographer with a focus on babies and children is not for the faint of heart. It requires endless patience, a loving heart, and adaptability for a constantly changing situation. Anyone who has a baby knows how they can get fussy for some inexplicable reason. Us adults are trying to figure it out, and no matter what we do, sometimes they get even more upset! I totally understand because I’ve been there - with my own children, and with my clients! So if your session feels like a runaway train because your baby isn’t “cooperating” like you had dreamed about, don’t stress about it. Seriously, just relax, and we’ll go with the flow.

In Hank’s case, he needed a bottle and a power nap. During his power nap I was able to get some of the sweetest and most snuggly images. When he woke up, he was back to his happy self and we wrapped up the session with lots of family and solo images.

I so love this wonderful family and can’t wait to see them again at the end of this month and see how much Hank has grown!

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.

Atlanta Couples Photographer | Marc & Brielle

Even if you don’t have children, you’re still a family who chose each other. Marc & Brielle chose each other ten years ago, and I was SO excited to photograph them for their outdoor fall session! Many of you may know Brielle since she works with a TON of our clients as a member of our HMUA team. Needless to say, Brielle did her own hair and makeup for their couples session!

We scheduled their session to take place at the park location in November. The leaves had started changing and the park was absolutely gorgeous. The sun was warm and golden, and the colors are so rich as a result. Atlanta is so hard to predict when it comes to fall foliage since so many factors are at play: rain, temperature, etc. We schedule tons of sessions in November, but one thing to be aware of is that it could be cold, or it could be warm. Ah, Atlanta. I love you, but you are so unpredictable.

I love couples sessions because we just walk around and explore, and the two of you cozy up and snuggle. Yep, that’s pretty much all my couples really have to do… pretend you’re on a date night and I’m not there. ;) In all seriousness though, my main goal of a couples session is to capture your unique relationship and how you feel about each other. I’ll give you some guidance for how I want you to interact, and I’ll also intervene if I see either of you are giving yourself a self inflicted double chin. Your photos will be the best of both worlds: natural interaction, but also a bit directed so you look every bit as beautiful as you are. Sometimes my prompts will make you laugh because you feel ridiculous - but guess what? It’s a real laugh! I want genuine emotions and true connection between the two of you, and I have ways to help that happen if you’re freezing up in front of the camera a bit.

These two were so fun to work with. I’m smiling as I look through the images because I can literally hear Brielle and Marc laughing and teasing each other throughout. They used several of their images for their Christmas card, and I was lucky enough to be on that mailing list!

As of this blog being published, we only have a few November weekend dates remaining, and a handful of weeknights. If you can make a weeknight work and dip out of work a bit early, you’ll have far less people to contend with wherever we shoot. Weekends are more crowded since tons of people are out and about. Just some food for thought!

Enjoy a few of my favorites from this awesome couples’ fall 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.

Atlanta Family Photographer | An Adair Park Lifestyle Session

Sometimes I go to my clients’ houses! If you didn’t know that, now you do. :) I always deliver client sessions in both color and black and white, but I’ve chosen to share only black and white images from this session.

An in home family lifestyle session is perfect for many families - especially those who really want their home to be the background for the photos. Jaqai and Mandi have the COOLEST old home in Adair Park that they have lovingly restored over the last few years. The house gets incredible natural light, and we had so much fun during our time together. This was not the first time I had worked with this family - I last worked with them when they were expecting Zax for their studio maternity session! Want to see those images from that maternity session? Just click here!

Lifestyle sessions capture your family as you are, where you are. I’ll send over some instructions beforehand, with suggestions of what to wear and how to prep your home beforehand. They’re straightforward and simple. We’ll discuss what you do as a family and have a couple of activities in mind. The timing of in home sessions also depends on a few factors - the most important of which are (a) when is your child well rested and at their happiest? and (b) when do the rooms you hope to be photographed in get the best light? We’ll work together to determine the best time and go from there when we schedule your session!

For this family, I arrived in the morning hours. Jaqai and Mandi asked what we should do first, and I asked what they would normally be doing at this time of day. We started on their front porch while they played and had fun. I think they realized about five minutes in that this was not going to be as awkward as they thought, and they visibly relaxed. When Zax asked to go inside to play, I followed them as they all sat on the floor to play. Lifestyle sessions are led by the little ones in your family! We go with their moods and interests, and get lots of amazing images that really capture your child’s personality and expressions along the way.

After playing with trucks, the family headed to read a book on the couch, and enjoyed a tickle fight and some snuggles. Zax lost interest for a bit, so I took the opportunity to photograph just Jaqai and Mandi together for a few. Of course, when Zax realized we were having fun without him, he jumped back into the fray and we wrapped up the session in the living room and front entrance door before I said my goodbyes.

Want to capture your family just as you are now before time completely slips away and you’re packing their bags for college? Contact us and we’ll chat about your session goals, your vision, and our approach to see if we’re the perfect match for your family photography!

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.

Atlanta Family Photographer | Logan is TWO!!!

I first worked with this family when they were expecting their son for their maternity session in the studio, and again for his newborn and First Birthday sessions. Adrienne and Dave are some of the most loving parents I’ve met, and that’s very evident when I’m around them.

Adrienne emailed to ask if we could schedule a family session for Logan’s second birthday. He’s an October baby! My birthday is in October, and so are the birthdays of my two younger children. While we’re on the subject of October… we are almost fully booked for weekend dates in October. We still have a handful of weeknights open at this time. If you’re hoping to have an outdoor session, please don’t delay in contacting us to get on the calendar. November is also starting to fill up with just a couple weekend dates remaining, and a handful of weeknights as well.

Adrienne has worked with our HMUA team for her previous sessions, and this time was no exception. Our lead artist, Margaret, worked with her and we met at the field location that evening. Logan had fallen asleep on the way… so he was a little bit disoriented and shy at first. He also had a death grip on … a toothbrush. Definitely one of the most unusual objects that I have ever seen in a session!

As a mom of three, I know how stressful it can feel to plan your session and then have it seemingly go sideways if your child (or children!) are in a less than stellar mood. I always tell my clients to come into their sessions with a laid back and relaxed attitude. Children know when their parents are stressing out, and it can sometimes make it worse if they decide it would be fun to push a few of your buttons. Putting pressure on children almost always backfires. Here’s the deal: you cannot FORCE a toddler to smile and look happy, and why would you want to? Every time you look at your images you would see that the smile wasn’t real and you would remember how miserable everyone was that day. Instead, I give my little clients the time and space to warm up to me. If they want to snuggle with you, we go with that. Once they’re more comfortable, I’ll quietly give you some prompts of things to do with your child. I also step pretty far back and let things unfold naturally to capture your unique family dynamic in the most authentic way possible.

As for that toothbrush… well, Adrienne asked me to leave it as it was. Editing it out would not have been realistically possible with many of the image, but she told me that she knew she would laugh about it someday, and that it was a great story to share with him when he was older. That being said: if you don’t want your child to have an interesting object, bring neutral wooden toys if you think they’ll need something to hold. Whatever you bring for them: you need to be okay with it being in the images. Some children won’t give it up. :) In Logan’s case, we were eventually able to get him to trade his toothbrush for a lollipop towards the very end. And as you can see…. the sugar definitely transformed his mood and made him into a little camera ham!

Want to capture your family just as you are now before time completely slips away and you’re packing their bags for college? Contact us and we’ll chat about your session goals, your vision, and our approach to see if we’re the perfect match for your family photography!

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.

Atlanta Family Photographer | John is TWO!

I first worked with Myra and John for their maternity session at the field when they were pregnant with John. You can see their maternity photos by clicking here. I saw them again the next to photograph John’s First Birthday Session (click here to view those images). Myra contacted us to schedule a family session for John’s second birthday this year and opted for the park location again. Whenever I have families repeat the park location, I switch up where I shoot in the park! The park is really big, so I could easily photograph a family here several years in a row and it would look different each time. Myra also asked to add on makeup services with one of our hair and makeup artists, and we paired her with Brielle.

We sent Myra our style guide and Pinterest inspiration board for her to look through. Since she had worked with us a few times before, she was pretty confident in her choices. The day of her session she did bring two options for herself because she wanted my opinion on which would work better with the outfits she had chosen for her son and husband. I took one look and pointed at the option that worked best. I am MORE than happy to give input to clients for their sessions - and we can do this with a scheduled style consult beforehand at the studio, via email, or even the day of from an armful of options that you bring. If you choose the day of, you just need to ensure that the clothing fits well and is ready to wear for the session. Myra chose to have John wear suspenders… I absolutely love suspenders on little boys and think they are just about the cutest thing ever. Too bad my own three year old son refuses to wear them!

During their session, we had a lot of fun laughing, tickling, and being silly. John is such a sweet little boy and his parents are wonderful! Photographing their family session for his second birthday was so much fun, and the happiness and love are so evident in their images. Here are a few of my favorites!

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.

Atlanta Baby & Family Photographer | Rylan's Sitting Session

I first worked with Sindi and Erroll for their maternity session with their first daughter (Haylen) in the studio. I went on to photograph Haylen for her sitting milestone and First Birthday sessions! You can see where it all began with their first maternity session by clicking here. Sindi emailed me to let me know they had added another little girl, Rylan, to their family and wanted to schedule her sitting milestone images!

I sent Sindi the style guide and Pinterest inspiration board just so she’d have them, but she’s worked with us SO many time at this point that I knew she wouldn’t need them. Sindi is definitely one of my most fashionable clients - she loves peplum tops, and looks amazing in them. The dresses she chose for Haylen and Rylan were also absolutely adorable, and everyone looked great together, as you’ll see below!

When the family arrived at the studio for Rylan’s session, I was so excited to see them! I couldn’t believe how big Haylen had gotten since her first birthday. Sindi and Erroll warned me that Haylen was full of energy and were worried about her “crashing” the session, but I told them not to worry. I’m a mom of three kids all two years apart give or take a few weeks. At one point I had three children under the age of 4… trust me, I can handle all the energy your children lob my way, and we’ll have a fun time too! At two years old, Haylen definitely had her own opinions and vacillated between wanting to participate and wanting nothing to do with it. That’s normal and expected! I simply work around it and create my flow based on who’s happy and wants to be photographed. Your job as a parent is to try not to stress (I know, easier said than done!) and smile no matter what. Kids know when you’re stressed and most kids enjoy pushing their parents’ buttons. Don’t give them any buttons to push, and you’ll be surprised!

I typically start my milestone sessions with the entire family if the baby is experiencing shyness or stranger anxiety. Since Rylan wasn’t shy AT all, we started with solo portraits and then added parents and family into the mix. I am very efficient when photographing sessions involving older babies and young children. Babies get tired out easily from stimulation, and toddlers lose patience, so I work quickly to make sure we have a varied gallery full of options!

Rylan is such a sweet little girl, and SO cute. I was amazed at how different she looked from her big sister! Genetics are such a crazy thing. It’s so fun to see whose features each baby has and to hear who they look the most like as a baby. It changes with age too - I’ve had parents tell me their newborn looks EXACTLY like dad, only to tell me at six months they look just like mom.

I really love to use our white Eames chair for a few images in each milestone session so that you can see how much your child has grown in between their sessions. Sindi also requested that we be sure to use it because Haylen’s sessions had included it also. It’s really an amazing thing to watch the progression of growth and have one object that’s exactly the same to really compare and contrast! If the modern style isn’t your peference, we have some classic linen options too. We’ll discuss your preferences when you arrive!

Real quick mention: when you see photographs of babies (and even younger kids!) in chairs and on the bed in my studio, mom or dad is right there next to them, just out of the frame. Baby safety is PARAMOUNT around here, and I have measures in place with every session to ensure it!

Isn’t Rylan just the most adorable baby girl?! I cannot wait to see her next month for her First Birthday 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.

Atlanta Baby & Child Photographer | Twice the fun!

Every year we host our annual Motherhood Experience special edition sessions, and they’re usually held in mid to late April. Our HMUA is there to pamper mamas with light makeup application, and it’s such a fun time for all! I love welcoming mamas and their little ones to the studio and photographing them.

This particular mama has been bringing her fraternal twins to me since they were newborns, and I’ve photographed many full milestone and family sessions for them since. These images are from last year’s event, but I’m just now getting around to posting them! Janell comes every year for our Motherhood Experience and Santa sessions, which are the only two volume events the studio has annually.

The Motherhood Experience sessions last about 10-15 minutes, which is all the time we need. The focus is the emotional connection you share with your babies, and lots of snuggles are involved. I quietly direct mamas with simple suggestions to prompt natural interaction and document what unfolds. There are so many sweet and quiet moments - and some crazy and chaotic ones too! Here are a few from Janell’s session with the twins!

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.

Atlanta Maternity Photographer | Caroline, Blair & Slade

I LOVE when I get an email from a client telling me that they’re expecting their second baby! I first worked with Caroline and Blair when they were expecting their daughter, Slade, more than two years ago. You can view their field maternity images by clicking here, and you can view Slade’s studio newborn session by clicking here.

When Caroline emailed, she let me know they were having a boy this time and they wanted to schedule their maternity session in the field again. Their first session took place at the height of summer, so the field looked very different in April as opposed to August. Because they lived in north Alpharetta, I suggested a different field location that was closer to them to make it easier for Slade since the session time was close to her bedtime. They were totally on board with that suggestion, so we scheduled their date.

Caroline knew she wanted to borrow from the wardrobe again, and because I had worked with her before I had a pretty good idea of which dresses would work well for her. When she arrived, my assumptions were confirmed after seeing her belly shape. The shape of your belly will affect which dresses I recommend for you! No two bellies are the same, and every woman will look different in the same dress. We’ll chat about if there are any parts of your body that you would rather have covered. Some women don’t want a sleeveless or strapless dress, and that is totally fine. Others prefer solids over florals. My main consideration is whether the dress works for your skin tone, followed by how it fits. Above all, you should feel beautiful and comfortable in the dress - and if those four things are checked off, we have a winner!

Caroline loved what I pulled for her, and chose two of the dresses. Once she had chosen her options, I pulled out dresses for Slade for her to consider. I wanted to make sure that Slade’s dresses coordinated well with her choices, so that’s why I waited until Caroline’s dress decisions were made. She absolutely loved one of our toddler dresses for Slade that is a peachy pleated dress. It’s so comfortable and actually fits a wide variety of toddler body shapes because of the cut and style. Since I had not seen Slade since her newborn session, I also pulled a backup dress just in case the first choice wasn’t the best color for her skin tone.

Caroline had worked with our lead HMUA, Margaret, for her previous sessions and it was a no brainer for her when it came to whether to add on hair and makeup services again. She absolutely loves working with Margaret, and this time Margaret designed a gorgeous updo for her that showed off her beautiful features and kept her hair up and out of the way. When you’re handling a toddler, or if you get hot easily, an updo can be the perfect solution! Our HMUA’s will discuss your preferences and style in great detail with you and craft a look for you that enhances your best features but keeps you looking like you. We want our clients to recognize themselves in their photographs!

I needn’t have worried - when Slade walked up I was immediately mesmerized by her gorgeous green eyes and peaches and cream complexion. She was a bit shy, and a total daddy’s girl. In fact, so much of a daddy’s girl that she didn’t want to go to Caroline at all. We worked around that as best as we could. When I shoot a family maternity session, I save mom and dad images for the end. I want to make sure we get as many family and child images as we can and once they’re over it, we’ll hand them an activity to occupy them and photograph just the two of you. In this case, they handed her an iPhone with a quick show to watch and that did the trick perfectly. I do caution parents not to let their young children see their phones or to offer them as a reward or bribe because it almost always backfires terribly. I have lots of techniques and tricks, and as long as you’re willing to follow my guidance for natural interaction with your little one(s), we can often distract them and they start having lots of fun… which results in the sweetest and most natural images of your family truly being a family!

When Caroline viewed her proof gallery, she emailed to tell me she was so shocked at how many wonderful images I photographed of Slade. Slade was a typical toddler and running around non stop, so they were a bit concerned that she wasn’t cooperative enough. I hear this at almost every family session, and I reassure parents that everything is going just fine. I have worked with just about every personality type of child (and adults) and can handle just about anything that is thrown at me. And yes, I’ve had literal objects thrown at me (by toddlers mind you - no adults have done that yet!). Kids are small humans with big emotions, and I get it. I have three of my own! If you have a child that’s not into having their photograph taken, or is just having a rough day, don’t stress. I’ll give them the space they need, assess what’s working when it comes to engaging them, and make a plan from there. Just give them your love, patience, and support - and the session will work itself out.

Enjoy a few of my favorite images from Caroline’s maternity session! I can’t wait to share baby boy’s newborn session with you here on the blog. Check back to see those next week!

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.

Atlanta Baby Photographer | Ethan is ONE!

I first worked with Ethan’s parents for their maternity session in the park, which you can view by clicking here. He came into the studio at six months old for his sitting milestone session, and you can see those images by clicking here. So many of my clients choose to work with me throughout their baby’s first year (and subsequent babies!) and then schedule annual family portraits after that. I absolutely love getting to watch my littlest clients grow over the years!

Keyianna scheduled Ethan’s First Birthday session in the studio. First Birthday sessions almost always include parents too unless they opt to not be in them. I HIGHLY encourage parents to participate because these photos are a gift to your child. They will look at them someday and see all the love and laughter that surrounded them. Plus, we’re also celebrating the fact that you made it through your baby’s first year. That’s a pretty big accomplishment, so I say we recognize it!

You won’t see a cake smash in these images because there wasn’t one. Not every client chooses to include a cake, and it’s entirely a matter of personal preference. Some clients don’t want to give their babies any sugar for a few years, others just don’t really love cake, and others like to do something a bit out of the box and use a cupcake or pile of donuts. If you do decide to use a cake, we’ll send you our cake tips sheet for best practices. Believe it or not, the kind of icing you choose to use matters! Pro tip: avoid whipped icing - it’s by far the most difficult to get off of your child. Take it from me: I have seen it all!

We also sent over our style guide to Keyianna to help her in choosing what they should all wear. She found it super helpful and easy to read, and needed no additional help pulling their outfits together. Most parents celebrating a first birthday have two outfits for their baby. I always encourage parents to make sure one of the outfits shows off their baby’s toes, and chunky legs. When your baby is a full fledged toddler, you will miss these terribly. I can’t tell you how many times I have gone down the rabbit hole looking at photos of my own children as babies. They’re now 7, 5, and 3, and I still don’t know how the heck it happened so fast. I am so grateful that I was at least able to freeze those memories forever so I will never forget their chubby baby fingers and wispy hair.

Ethan was a curious little guy and not hesitant around me at all. My flow for these sessions varies and depends on your child. Some babies need to be in their parents’ arms for a bit and warm up to me. Others are ready to go as soon as they walk in. If your baby is walking, I’ll make sure to photograph them doing that! My main goal is to forever preserve your baby just as they were at the age of one. I want you to look at the photos and see their personality, how adorable they were, and their expressions. You will compare these photos to how they look as they grow and make note of what features they retained and which faded.

Because Ethan wasn’t shy, we rotated through family, solo, and parent images and then ended with an outfit change and more solo portraits. He immediately decided to stand up, and was SO PROUD of himself. I laugh every time I see his face. (it’s the very last image if you can’t wait to see it) Don’t worry - dad was standing right next to the chair out of the frame ready to catch him if needed. Safety is the highest priority during sessions, and a parent is always right there to spot.

Enjoy a few of my favorites from Mr. Ethan’s session! I can’t wait to see him again next year!

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.