Atlanta Maternity Photographer | Ariana & Josh

Ariana called the studio to book a maternity session in the studio to avoid being outdoors in cold winter weather. She wanted to schedule on the later end of her pregnancy with her baby girl so her belly would be on the larger side. We typically schedule maternity sessions to take place between 26-34 weeks, depending on each expectant mother’s situation. If they’re more petite, carrying multiples, or higher risk for pre-term labor/bedrest we schedule on the earlier side of that window. If you’re reading this and already past 34 weeks of pregnancy, don’t worry! You can absolutely still book if we have any availability, and we recommend doing so ASAP. Contact us right away to discuss available options for scheduling!

MATERNITY ADD ONS AND FITTING SCHEDULING

When she booked her session, Ariana also asked to add on makeup services, and we took care of connecting her with an artist available for her session date. We have an incredible team of hair and makeup services that provide hair and/or makeup services to our clients. They’ll work with you to create a look that you love, that accentuates all your best features while still looking like you.

At booking, we had also scheduled a maternity fitting for Ariana to come into the studio. The majority of these fittings are scheduled for weekend afternoons, while some take place during the week if you happen to be in the area already for a doctor’s appointment. We’re conveniently located on the Beltline in the Poncey-Highlands neighborhood close to Ponce City Market and right next door to two.urban.licks.

THE MATERNITY FITTING

On the day of Ariana’s fitting, we had a lot fun chatting and getting to know each other as we went through the wardrobe pieces. Ariana had been a little concerned that we wouldn’t have enough options for her more petite frame, but quickly realized that wouldn’t be an issue! I took photos of her in each of the dresses she liked the most, since she wanted her husband’s feedback before making a final decision about which to wear for her session.

She ended up choosing a gorgeous ruffled off the shoulder fitted gown in blush pink, and a beautifully detailed sheer lace dress that showed off the belly perfectly. We talked about what her husband could wear as well, and she headed home.

MATERNITY SESSION PRE-SESSION PREP

The afternoon of their session, Ariana arrived to meet her makeup artist and get started. I am usually not at the studio during pre-session prep with the HMUA, but I was that day to get some work done in the office. I left them alone and heard lots of chatting and laughter during their time together, which is the norm. Our hair and makeup artists are super personable and fun to talk to!

When Josh arrived later on, I went through his wardrobe options and determined which ones he would wear with each of Ariana’s dresses. Some clients aren’t 100% sure, so they’ll bring an armful of clothes for me to go through. I welcome and encourage clients to do this if they want my input! The two most important things regarding bringing clothing from home are: (1) make sure it FITS and has been tried on recently, and (2) make sure it’s steamed/pressed/ironed and ready to go as we will not have time to do that before your session. I make sure studio wardrobe pieces are ready to go before you ever walk in the door, so anything you bring from home should also be ready to go as well so it doesn’t cut into your session time.

Both Josh and Ariana changed into their first outfits, and we got started with their session!

THE MATERNITY SESSION & WHAT TO EXPECT

Ariana was already very comfortable with me, and Josh was beginning to warm up. She had warned me that he wasn’t super comfortable in front of the camera, and he reiterated this as well and stated that I would need to tell him what to do. Guess what? “You’ll need to tell me what to do” is the NUMBER ONE statement of my clients before their session gets started. I’ve got good news for you! You don't need to worry about this. I will gently direct you through your entire session by giving you gentle guidance and prompts for genuine interaction with each other.

Ariana and Josh were so lovely together, and we spent about an hour in the studio together. My typical portrait session takes about 45 minutes, but I allot an hour to allow for changing time, breaks to use the restroom, get a snack or just sit down for a breather!

WHY A LOT OF FIRST TIME DADS HATE THE IDEA OF SCHEDULING A MATERNITY SESSION

We’ll have a great time together and most of my guy clients tell me how much fun it was as they’re leaving. Most of my expectant dads are surprised that having their photos taken actually turned out to be fun. I used to wonder why, and then I started asking questions, because I wanted to know why so many dads assumed it was going to be the worst experience ever that they’d just need to grit their teeth to get through.

Want to know what the vast majority of first time expectant dads told me when I asked them why they thought it was going to be so awful?

They had to endure an HOURS long engagement session, with the photography asking them to do the SAME things repeated over and over in different outfits. Then they had to endure it again on their wedding day when the photographer constantly pulled them away for “just a few more couples photos” when they just wanted to be celebrating with their friends and family. In the words of one dad who ended his tirade: “Just how many pictures of us in 10 different locations walking while fake smiling at each other and holding hands do we actually need?” (the answer is not 100)

I get it, and my session experience is crafted to be respectful of your time AND to be fun! You won’t be in front of my camera for hours and hours during your maternity session. Nope! My sessions are efficient, but not rushed, and we’ll be done in an hour or less and have FUN!

Enjoy a few of my favorites from this awesome couple’s maternity 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 First Birthday Photographer | Sia is ONE!

I first worked with Deepa & Sumesh when they were expecting their daughter. You can view their maternity session images taken at the park location by clicking here. Deepa called the studio to schedule a First Birthday session for their little one, and I was so excited to see them again and meet their little girl!

FIRST BIRTHDAY SESSIONS AREN’T ALL ABOUT CAKE

We LOVE First Birthday portrait sessions around here, and each one is tailored to each clients’ vision. We’ll start your baby’s session with photographs of just them that highlight their personalities and their skills. Some one year olds are crawling and pulling up, while others are walking confidently (or not so much) all over the place. Their First Birthday portraits are meant to capture exactly who they are at this special milestone. We STRONGLY encourage parents to also participate in these sessions too!

Maybe your vision for your baby’s first birthday photos includes a smash cake. Or maybe you want a platter of donuts or a pie instead. Or perhaps you don’t want to have cake be a part of the session at all. There is no right or wrong way to do it, it’s all about your personal preference.

FIRST BIRTHDAY SESSION FLOW

I don’t start every First Birthday session the same way - it comes down to your baby and their personality. Sia wasn’t a shy little girl, so I was able to start with solo portraits of just her. Deepa asked if she could try putting a hairbow on her head, and I replied, “You can try!” Some one year olds just won’t keep bows on their heads, and if yours is one of them - I suggest letting it go. It’s not a battle worth fighting and will lead to frustration on your part…and your baby will be gleefully gloating about it. If you have a bow-hater, your best chance is to try slipping it on during the fun and games portion of the whole family session or RIGHT before you present them with their cake. They’re often so distracted they forget about the bow (which you will see from the image gallery is exactly what happened with Sia during her session).

What you can’t see is her daddy hovering just out of the camera frame ready to catch her if she decided to try to crawl off the bed. I take baby safety very seriously and will always have a parent spotter at the ready during solo photos of babies. Sia was lots of fun and very curious. I photographed a wide range of expressions from her, and then had mom and dad jump in with her. It’s always so wonderful to see my previous maternity clients as parents - and it’s pretty clear that Deepa and Sumesh are loving their new roles as mom and dad!

After a few whole family images, I photographed Sia with just her mom and then with just her dad, and brought the whole family back together again. My sessions are very much baby led, and I roll with whatever baby is giving me. Babies are easily distracted and they also change their minds frequently during sessions. I see this most often in who they want to be held by! Mom! No, dad! No, mom! This leads to a game I like to call “pass the baby”, and I direct parents to keep looking at their baby and smiling, and this honestly creates the most genuine and loving images. My favorite images are almost always of things that you would naturally do with your baby at home as a family without a camera there. I love being able to give my families photographs to show them how they all love each other so well and how their baby or spouse really looks at them. (hint: it’s with pure adoration) I think we so often miss that in the busyness of our daily lives.

CAKE DETAILS

I won’t go into tons of detail here about cakes, but just know that if you’re choosing to include a cake with your session that we will send you a cake tips sheet! It outlines the best type of icing, best icing colors, the optimal size and height, and some other important things that come into play. We have a preferred baker that we exclusively (and highly!) recommend to all of our clients. You can also choose to order from your local grocer’s bakery department (Publix, Whole Foods, Kroger), or even make it yourself which I think is super meaningful and special. One of my favorite cake smashes to this day is the one where DAD made the cake, and you can see that session here. (Fun fact: this family is actually the one who referred Deepa & Sumesh to me for their maternity session!)

Parents incorporating a cake should also be sure to bring a towel and a dedicated pack of baby wipes to the session. We have a bathtub here in the studio if things get crazy messy, but usually your pack of baby wipes is more than sufficient to clean up your child afterwards. We’ll be working as a team for cake cleanup so you don't end up covered in icing too!

THE CAKE SMASH

Most parents bring a different outfit for their child to wear during the cake smash. Remember how babies tend to hate bows? This is also true for party hats and bowties - so keep that in mind if you’re hoping to incorporate these into the smash. Your baby may keep them on and be totally fine with it, or they may rip them off and fling them to the floor. No matter what they choose to do, I promise they will look absolutely adorable regardless, so don’t stress out about it too much!

The majority of our babies sit in our studio high chair for their sessions, but some babies just won’t have it. Don’t worry if your baby isn’t feeling the high chair, because we have other options. We’ll try the floor, or pulled to a stand with the cake on a crate. As a last resort, we’ll have one parent hold the cake and the other parent hold baby while standing up. Whatever your baby is most comfortable with is what we’ll do - and it will be totally unique to them.

My clients report that their favorite part of the whole experience was being able to truly watch their child explore their cake and not worry about the reactions of guests or trying to videotape it or take photos of it because I’m handling that for them! I know there have been so many times with my own children where I’m frantically trying to document it so their grandparents can enjoy seeing a video of it that I realize I wasn’t fully present and actually ended up missing out on TRULY enjoying those moments as a parent.

Some parents aren’t sure that they want to do a cake because their baby didn’t have a great reaction at their party. I’ve found that at first birthday parties, a lot of babies are so overstimulated and tired by the time the cake rolls around that they want nothing to do with it and melt down instead. In the studio, it’s a low pressure environment with zero expectations and plenty of time to warm up if they’re unsure about it at first. No matter how your child reacts, it will be an organic process of them seeing their cake, and then deciding what to do with it. If your baby isn’t sure about it, get in on the fun WITH them! That’s what Deepa and Sumesh did, and they all had a blast. I love that Sia will always be able to look at these images to see her parents’ love for her and how much fun they had with her at her First Birthday session!

Enjoy 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 Newborn Photographer | Baby Jacob

I first worked with Emily and George when I photographed their first child’s newborn session. You can see Madeleine’s newborn photos by clicking here. One thing to note is that Madeleine’s session took place at our original (and much smaller) studio location over at Grant Park before we moved over to our studio right on the Beltline in Poncey-Highlands. We’re right next door to two.urban.licks over by Ponce City Market here in Atlanta!

When Emily emailed me to let me know that she was expecting baby #2 in December, I was so excited for them! As a mom of three, I think each addition to the family is so special and love watching my client families grow over the years. Emily was SUPER excited to see the new studio, and booked her session so she’d be on the calendar. She had been worried that we wouldn’t be taking December newborns due to the holidays, but I reassured her she didn’t need to be concerned. While I don’t work on Christmas Day or any other major holiday, I don’t take off several weeks during the holiday season where I’m unavailable for newborn clients.

Frequently asked question: when should we book our newborn session?

Glad you asked! We are asked this all the time because people are confused about how it’s possible to book a session when they don’t know exactly when their baby will arrive. I’ll make this short and sweet: you should book as soon as you can. Most of our clients book while they’re at the end of their first trimester/beginning of their second trimester. We take a limited number of newborns due in each month. Once that number is reached, we close our books to additional clients. Newborns will pick their own birthday for the most part, and once they arrive, you simply let us know. We’ll schedule your actual session date at that point. Because you’re booked already, you’re guaranteed a spot on our calendar. If you’re reading this now while snuggling your baby already because you waited until the last minute or didn’t realize you would want newborn photos, all is not lost. Because babies arrive when they want to, we sometimes have availability for last minute clients depending on how many newborns we already have scheduled. Just contact us today to see if we can fit you in!

Hair and makeup add on services

Emily had chosen to work with our hair and makeup team for her first newborn session with us and knew without a doubt that she wanted to work with them again. These services are super easy to add on, and you don’t even have to decide until your baby is here. When you email us to let us know your baby has arrived, that’s when you let us know that you want to add on hair and makeup, and we’ll do the coordination for you. No back and forth between multiple people to see who is available for you - we’ll take care of it all. One last thing: adding on hair and makeup does NOT add on to the length of your session. You’ll be sitting on the couch while I photograph solo portraits of your newborn, so you may as well sit in the hair and makeup chair and get pampered instead. ;)

Session Flow

On the morning of the session, Emily arrived with baby Jacob. Emily and I looked through the options available in the wardrobe for herself and for Madeleine, and then she got settled into the hair and makeup chair with Margaret. I took Jacob over to our newborn shooting area and got started with his solo portraits. All of our newborn sessions at the studio start out this way, and when older siblings are involved they don’t arrive until later with dad, or a grandparent. Toddlers (and dads!) are much happier hanging out at home until it’s time for them to participate.

When I started with Jacob, he was awake but sleepy. We hung out for a little while until he conked out, and then his solo portion went very quickly. We were actually finished before George & Madeleine arrived, so Emily took the opportunity to change and nurse him beforehand. As she was finishing up, daddy and big sister walked in.

newborn safety with toddler siblings

Every new mama of two (or three) hopes for that sibling shot, but I’m going to be 100% honest: it doesn’t always happen, because it’s not always safe. Some toddler siblings are just too wiggly to safely lay down next to their new baby brother or sister. Others don’t want anything to do with being that close to their new baby sibling and will start to flail and kick. My first priority is safety, so if there is any question of whether your toddler can handle a sibling only setup, I will err on the side of caution. With Madeleine, she loved Jacob and was excited to be a big sister, but just wasn’t still enough for it to be safe having them next to each other. When this happens, I default to sibling images that involve a parent safely holding the newborn. There is still plenty of beautiful natural interaction that happens this way, and it keeps your newborn safe and protected from any accidents. Every toddler that walks into my studio is different, and there is just no way to predict how they’ll be beforehand. I’ll assess once they’re in the studio, discuss with you, and then we’ll move forward.

family flow

Once I finish up with sibling images, we move into family images. The family portion of sessions is really fun and designed to be low pressure, I’ll be giving you prompts the entire time of fun things to do for your toddler. Toddlers LOVE being “in charge” and being able to show off what they know. Asking them, “Where’s baby’s nose?” is such a great way to prompt interaction and get those beautiful images of the whole family admiring the newest addition. We’ll also try for a great “everyone looking at the camera” photo as well, but I’ve found over and over again that the majority of my clients prefer the images with genuine interaction over the “perfect” family portrait. After Emily viewed their proofs, she later emailed me this:

We absolutely LOVE the photos!! Thank you so much for capturing our family so well - including Madeleine which isn’t always easy! :)

Mission accomplished! My ultimate goal for every client is to capture their baby and family just as they are, and showcase their dynamic and love for each other. I’d love to do this for your family too, so if you’re interested in learning more, please contact us to chat.

Enjoy a few of my favorite’s from Jacob’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.

Atlanta Maternity Photographer | Laura & David

Laura contacted us at the end of her second trimester find out about all our offerings and knew she definitely wanted to book maternity and newborn. She absolutely loved watching the video on our website that really covers our whole process and who we are. Have you watched it? If you haven’t, you really should - click here to see it.

After reviewing our information, she chose to enroll in our First Year Collection, which is a super popular option for our families who want to document their baby’s first year in beautiful photographs but don’t want to have to worry about remembering when to schedule their next session. When you contact us, we’ll chat with you on the phone and can talk about everything we offer and what the best fit is for your specific needs!

THE BOOKING PROCESS

Laura’s husband has a non-traditional work schedule, so she let us know that she would need a Monday evening for their session and chose the park location. We have more weeknights available than weekend dates, so she had more date options to choose from! Lots of our clients will opt to take a half day from work or just leave a couple of hours early to schedule a weekday evening session. As a reminder, all our outdoor sessions take place one hour before sunset. If you’re not sure of what that time is, you can literally google “sunset time on X date in Atlanta” and you’ll get the sunset time. Subtract an hour, and you’ll have our session start time! For the mountain location, we meet a bit early than an hour so we have time to walk up.

Caroline, our studio manager sent over Laura’s session paperwork. We handle everything online in a very efficient and streamlined process that our clients find really simple and easy. When Laura remitted her paperwork, we then scheduled her maternity fitting to take place 2 weeks before her session. We also sent her a short list of what to bring with her to her maternity fitting and very specific directions to our studio. We’re located right on the Beltline next to two.urban.licks just down from Ponce City Market, and it’s super easy to get to! There is a free parking lot available (and street parking if it happens to be full), for you, and our direction make finding our studio within the building super easy!

THE MATERNITY FITTING

Maternity fittings are scheduled 1-2 weeks before scheduled sessions! We want to be sure you have enough time to decide on what to wear from the options and pull together the other outfits for your partner and/or other children, and you shouldn’t grow too much in two weeks to not be able to fit in your choice. If you try on a dress that BARELY fits and want to choose it, we’ll have you choose a backup option just in case it doesn’t fit you anymore at your session. Better to be safe than sorry! Our clients can choose up to two looks, and usage of the studio wardrobe is not required but about 95% of our clients opt to use it. Even if you don’t, it’s great for inspiration and to see what looks great on you! I also strongly encourage clients who are planning to wear their own clothing to come in with that clothing for me to see beforehand and so that we are able to meet each other as well. Clients who have spent some time with me prior to stepping in front of my camera are much more relaxed because I’m not a total stranger they’ve just met for the first time!

When Laura came in for her fitting, she was blown away by the number of options available to her in the wardrobe. We talked about her style preferences and favorite colors, and I started pulling options for her. She tried each of them on and I took a photo of her in each one that she loved so that she could show her husband later. You do NOT have to decide at the maternity fitting what you’ll be wearing, but you do have to have your final choices in at least 4 business days before your session is scheduled. This allows us to have your options cleaned if needed if another client wears one of your options in the same week and also allows us to hold back your dress in our closet so it is unvailable if we have a newborn session the morning of. Speaking of newborn sessions: almost all of our maternity clients find their newborn option during their maternity fitting! The vast majority of our dresses will fit both pregnant and postpartum moms (and even those moms who are several years postpartum!). After looking at all her options and showing her husband, Laura decided on a gorgeous blue gown that brought out her eyes and a floral dress with “fun sleeves”, as I affectionately refer to it. It’s one of my favorite dresses in the whole wardrobe and I love when mamas choose to wear it.

WHEN WEATHER WARRANTS A RESCHEDULE

On our original session date, there was a wind advisory. Not just any wind advisory: we’re talking 40-50 mph GUSTS of wind. While I don’t mind a slight breeze or occasional mild gusts (the motion in dresses and hair looks absolutely beautiful), it’s impossible to shoot safely in that kind of a wind advisory. The number of giant really old hardwood trees present in the park just makes it a bad idea. I always leave dates blocked in my calendar for clients to reschedule sessions. We can’t control the weather or other emergencies, so I reserve ample spots to reschedule our clients to in a timely manner. This is also why we are often able to accommodate last minute requests for sessions since we don’t end up needing to use backup dates on a regular basis.

WHEN WEATHER DOESN’T WARRANT A RESCHEDULE

When we rescheduled, we pushed it out to a couple of weeks later. I was not concerned about Laura’s dresses fitting since we already had to pin them in quite a bit. So I knew that even if baby decided to have a growth spurt, her dresses would still fit. She did go ahead and send me a third backup option just in case though! As the new date approached, the temperatures in Georgia dropped quite a bit to the low forties. Cold weather does not warrant a reschedule, but some clients will opt to change to a studio session if they don’t feel like they or their child can handle the colder temperatures. I checked with Laura to see how she was feeling about the colder evening, and she let me know she’d be just fine and was excited about continuing! I reminded her to bring a coat and gloves along with her, because we can always stop and take a break for you to warm up as needed.

COLD WINTER WEATHER SESSIONS

Winter sessions when it’s freezing outside are actually some of the most beautiful light that we get during the year. When it’s really cold, it tends to be dry, so the skies are clear, and the sun is just drenching everything. Winter sun also tends to be more on the clear white side than the richer yellow/orange like summer, and I love it. When Laura and David arrived, Laura changed into her first dress and put her coat back on. David was having a harder time staying warm than Laura was, but a few jumping jacks and moving around set him to rights pretty quickly!

I always shoot my sessions efficiently, because I don’t believe that sessions should be taking 4 hours. I think that’s a crazy length of time to shoot a portrait session, and it’s why a lot of first time dads to be come in thinking they’re going to hate the entire experience because of their prior experience with an engagement session. That’s not how I roll. We’re not going to drag this out, and I’m going to guide you both through the entire experience and literally tell you what to do and when to do it. I focus on the emotional connection, and the interaction you see in my photographs is 100% authentic and real… but let’s be honest, most of my couples can’t quite get there on their own. I do the work of getting you positioned exactly where you need to be, adjust hair and clothing where necessary. Then I’ll give you a prompt that spurs natural interaction, and THAT is when the magic happens. That’s how it works around here! So don’t be nervous about not knowing what to do or think to yourself, “We could never look like those couples” because you don’t have to. Your relationship with your partner is unique to the two of you, and it won’t look like any other maternity session. It will look like the two of you and highlight the love you have for each other and this brand new baby you created that you’re welcoming into your little family. Oh, and you’ll also look absolutely stunning. ;)

MATERNITY SESSION FLOW

I already mentioned that sessions aren’t torturously long. I allot an hour - and once the sun is gone, we’re done. (Hint: be on time, because while I can shoot quickly, I can’t make the sun stay up in the sky). When we first get started, you’re going to be a little nervous. This is par for the course, and 100% normal. Your partner might make goofy jokes and look super awkward. There are months that I shoot 20+ maternity sessions (studio and outdoor), and I’ve been photographing pregnant moms for 7 years now. I think I’ve earned the right to call myself a bit of an expert at it! ;)

I’d say that most couples start hitting their stride in about 10 minutes. Sometimes photographs I take at the very beginning will meet my standards and they’ll make it into your proof gallery, but often not. The very first bit is just a warm-up for you to get used to being in front of the camera. Once I can see you’re relaxing and starting to have fun, I know we’re going to start getting some of those perfect keepers for your gallery!

I have moms move as little as possible in each spot that we go to. You’re pregnant, your feet may be hurting, and there’s no need to drag you all over creation. You’re already going to feel like you had a workout just from standing there and holding position, so I like to go as easy on you as possible. Your partner will be the one jumping in and out of the frame as directed. I always remind my clients that if they ever need a break or to sit down, all they need to do is let me know. We’ll pick right back up when you’re ready to go again!

We started out our session at some stone gates that I love, and I spent some time photographing Laura solo and pulling David in for some images. He commented that he felt like a big doofus and hoped he wasn’t ruining the photos. I reassured him that he looked like a loving and devoted husband (which he very clearly is!) and did not, in fact, look like a doofus. I’m not sure he believed me right then, but after he saw their gallery he did. More on that later!

From the stone gates, we took a short walk and photographed along the way. We ended up in my second spot, and I was thrilled to see that one of the trees there had retained almost all of its orange fall leaves even though we were already in December. I took a few images with her floral dress, but in the back of my mind I knew that this setting was going to look even more amazing with Laura’s red hair and blue dress, so she changed into that. I had brought along a grey and cream scarf from the studio wardrobe to layer with the dress and also to help keep her warmer! I ended up choosing the grey scarf for her when I saw what her husband’s second outfit was since it was a better complement than the cream. As another note: LOTS of my clients like to have some coverage for their arms when they choose a short sleeved dress. A shawl or scarf that fits the season is a great way to add that arm coverage and also creates a beautiful and textured look, in addition to making your gallery even more varied.

At the end of their session, we said our goodbyes, and I sent over their proof gallery the next week. They absolutely LOVED their images and had such a hard time narrowing down what they wanted, because they were “all so beautiful” as Laura said it. She also let me know that David doesn’t love being in front of the camera at all, but that I had made him feel so comfortable that he actually had a lot fun and was looking forward to our next session together when their daughter arrived. That’s always my ultimate goal for clients. Not everyone LOVES being photographed, and that might not change, but it’s a whole lot more pleasant when you’re having fun and feel comfortable and taken care of throughout your time with me!

If you’re reading this and considering booking a maternity session, YAY! Firstly, congratulations!!! This is such a special time in your life, and it’s such an honor to photograph couples expecting their first, second, third, or seventh child. I would love for you to contact us to chat about your vision and what we can offer you.

Enjoy a few of my favorite images from Laura & David’s maternity session below! As of writing this blog post, their baby girl has been in for their newborn session and will be coming in soon for her three month milestone! I can’t wait to photograph her over the first year as she 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.

Atlanta Baby Photographer | Elayna & Nadia

Aileen contacted the studio to learn more about milestone sessions. She was thrilled to hear that we had lots of experience photographing twins, and that the whole family could be included in the session. It’s true! We don’t limit our milestone sessions to just babies, and strongly encourage parents and siblings to participate too. Aileen was especially excited to learn that she could also have her parents come and participate for some generational photos as well.

The Booking Process

After we gave her a few of our available scheduling options, Aileen chose a date and time for her session. We sent over everything she needed to secure her date. We handle our booking process entirely online and it’s a very simple and streamlined process. Once Aileen remitted her electronic paperwork to secure her session, we sent over our styling guide and resources for her to review. This is a short and sweet e-mail outlining best practices, and helps our clients dress the whole family for their session. Crafting a beautiful and cohesive look is easy when following our guidance. For clients who might want more assistance, we’re available! Clients can either schedule a complimentary short visit to the studio and bring all their options, and I’ll assist them in putting it all together. For clients who aren’t able to make an in person consult work for their schedule, they’ll send over photos of what they’re considering and we’ll go from there! Clients are always amazed at how quickly I pick things and put them all together for them, and it’s all part of the service we offer to those who have chosen to work with us. Our ultimate goal is to make your session experience as stress free and as easy as possible, because we truly believe that your portrait session process should be enjoyable and fun!

Some notes about sessions with Three Month Olds

Sessions with any baby are handled very efficiently, and the reason why is that they don’t give us much time! Babies under the age of one are easily tired out, so moving quickly is essential in order to make the most of our time together. I block off an hour for non-newborn portrait sessions, but that’s to ensure we have enough time if baby needs a diaper change or a feeding break. I work hard to get everything I need in the first 20-30 minutes of a session and then play the rest by ear depending on how your baby is doing. And believe it or not… I’ve successfully managed to shoot sessions in less than 20 minutes with a baby that completely melted down at the 20 minute mark much to the amazement of their parents. Don’t worry though - if your baby melts down at 15 minutes into the session and I don’t feel like I have enough for a great gallery, we’ll take some time to see if we can calm them down and get them happy again. I have lots of techniques and tricks up my sleeve, and with collaboration we’ll figure it out together!

Some babies will give me 45 minutes of total shooting time, but that’s pretty rare and is often the result of an intermission snack break after that first 20-30 minutes! ;) Both babies were dealing with reflux, so Aileen waited to dress them until they arrived, which is our recommendation for all of our clients to begin with to avoid an outfit being unusable for the actual session if an accident with food or spit up happens on the way to the studio. It also prevents wrinkled clothing from seatbelt straps for both kids AND adults, so everyone wins.

I started with photographing just the twins. They were still working hard on developing their neck strength, and bobbled up and down, but with patience and a little help propping their little elbows up underneath the studio bed comforter, we were able to get what we needed! I had a parent on each side of the bed ready to intervene if they rolled over. Safety first!

Three month old babies are often just beginning to show their personalities and expressions. Nadia & Elayna were more serious babies who enjoyed taking in their surroundings with their pretty brown eyes. They responded to their parents and to me with very calm gazes, and occasionally just the hint of a smile. I’ve found that when parents delay photography milestones until 4 months, babies tend to be more smiley and responsive, but it just depends on the individual baby. No matter what, we’ll be photographing your baby (or babies!) just as they are right NOW in their first year.

After I finished photographing the twins together and individually, I moved on to photographing them with their individual parents and immediate family photos of all of them together. Aileen wanted two very different looks, and had planned to include the grandparents with the second outfit look, so we moved on to that. The girls both needed a bottle as they were starting to get fussy, and then they needed to be changed. Having the grandparents on hand was very helpful as it allowed mom and dad to get changed and then take the babies for grandma and grandpa to get changed… and then change the babies! Lots of changing going on during this session!

When I saw the outfits she had chosen for the second look I squealed - the little southern smocked dresses complete with bonnets were SO cute! And I love how this session shows that you can easily wear brighter colors or more muted pastels in the studio. It all comes down to your personal preference, and if you want two looks, you can totally do that. I would caution that if your goal is an album to keep the looks more cohesive in tones since an album with these particular two looks combined together would not flow well together from an aesthetic standpoint.

should we plan one outfit or two?

Because the girls were both getting pretty tired, I moved quickly to photograph them with their grandparents and then the entire family together. I always discuss with parents what their most important images are in order of priority and go from there. The MOST important ones are the ones that I am going photograph first, and then go from there just as an insurance policy.

Babies are unpredictable, and we never know how long they’re going to give us. It’s for this reason that I recommend only one outfit for milestone sessions that are not First Birthday sessions so that we don’t use up any of their “happy time” on an outfit change. Some babies hate being changed in general and it will instantly make them upset for a while. You know your baby best, so you can be the judge of whether trying for a second outfit is worth it or you’d rather play it safe with one outfit! :) If you decide on two outfits, plan to start with the one you REALLY want photos in just in case it doesn’t work out for the second.

We were very lucky that the twins lasted for as long as they did in this session especially given their age. As a note, we did inform Aileen of these recommendations when she first spoke to us before booking so she could make an informed decision. She was happy to take the chance and try for two outfits even while knowing that her girls might melt down and be done with it before we could get to the second outfit change. Taking the chance worked out in this instance, but it’s definitely not the norm.

Enjoy a few of my favorite images of these sweet little girls and their family!

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 | Baby Nikhil

I first worked with Monica and Ravi when they were expecting their daughter for their maternity session at the park location and for Olivia’s newborn session after she arrived. You can view their maternity session by clicking here, and their first child’s newborn session by clicking here.

WHEN TO SCHEDULE YOUR MATERNITY AND/OR NEWBORN SESSION

As tends to be the case with second babies, Monica kept putting off contacting us to let us know she was pregnant and to book another maternity and newborn session. By the time she contacted us, we only had room to schedule her for a newborn session - and she was past the point where she wanted to a maternity session anyway, so it all worked out. Case in point: don’t put off scheduling! Many of our clients contact us early in their second trimester to make sure they have a spot on our calendar, and some even let us know in their first trimester if they’re comfortable doing so. We only take a limited number of newborns due per month in order to maintain our level of service to each one. Once we reach our predetermined session cap, we are full for that month. That being said, babies often arrive earlier or later than their due dates, so there are some months that we have the ability to take on a last minute newborn session. Contact us today if that’s you, and we may be able to schedule you in!

NEWBORN SESSIONS WITH A TODDLER SIBLING INVOLVED

When older siblings are involved in newborn sessions, we always ask what their schedule is. Our newborn sessions start in the morning between 9 and 10 AM, and it’s important to know if there’s a nap schedule that we need to work around. The first 90 minutes of session time is devoted to photographing your baby alone. This is the perfect time for mama to take advantage of our add on hair and makeup services since she’ll be sitting on the couch doing nothing anyway during this time! Older siblings and dads generally arrive 90 minutes afterwards, and we wrap up with the sibling and entire family images. Once your toddler is finished with their portion, they are free to go! I end all of my sessions that involve toddlers with dad and baby images, and then both parent and baby images - dad and toddler leave - and I finish up with mom and baby images. Reversing or changing the session flow (ie: starting with family images) does not work very well in my experience. What tends to happen is that your newborn becomes overstimulated and fussy, and never quite settles as well as they would have had we started with just their solo images in a quiet studio. We’ll discuss your toddler’s nap schedule and best time of day when planning for exactly when your session will start!

Monica and Nikhil arrived, and I took him out of his carseat and got started right away while Monica took the opportunity to get some rest with a short nap on the couch after choosing dresses from the wardrobe for herself and Olivia to wear during their session. Nikhil was a tiny little thing, just like his sister as a newborn, and quite easy to work with. He stayed sound asleep for the entire portion of his solo portraits, and was a curly little guy. We actually finished up in just over an hour, but it ended up being perfect since Monica changed his diaper and fed him in the time between Olivia, Ravi, and grandma arriving. Timing doesn’t always work out that perfectly, but I’ll take the wins where they come! :)

NEWBORN SESSION FLOW WITH THE WHOLE FAMILY

Nikhil was awake at this point, which I love for family images because it really highlights how babies are aware of their family members and showcases the interaction on a different level than if they were sleeping.

I always start with the sibling photos FIRST because these are often the most important to mamas. 9 times out of 10 your toddler will be the most cooperative as soon as the arrive - not 30 minutes later. So it’s priority to get those sibling images done first, followed by each parent with their children, and the whole family together. I have a pretty natural flow for this that keeps mama as comfortable as possible without having to move all over the place.

When we started with the sibling photos, Olivia wasn’t so sure about it. She was fine with me, but was a little bit wiggly and all over the place. Baby safety is my first priority, so my goal was to get her to be calm and still. What you can’t see in the photographs is that her father was inches away from her ready to pounce and intervene if needed.

She wasn’t the most cooperative subject when we first started, but once gummy bunnies were introduced, she had NO problem following direction. She was absolutely hilarious - after I would take the shot, her little voice piped up … “More.” I never offer snacks to toddlers - parents are directed to our studio snack basket and they take care of handing them over as they see fit. Many parents will bring their own snack “bribe” from home as well! I just ask that it not be crumbly or something that can stain as that won’t work well for in between photos!

Once we had the sibling shots, we moved on to Monica with both of the children, then to Ravi with both of the children and the entire family together. Olivia skipped off to play with Grandma while I photographed Monica and Ravi with their son, but kept coming back for appearances. I always tell my clients not to worry about it if their toddler comes running back. The images that are created from these moments are often gallery favorites because they are purely genuine and authentic interactions. Another thing to keep in mind is that most toddlers are pretty short, and I don’t shoot lots of vertical images - I photograph parents with toddlers standing next to them ALL the time here in the studio and you never even know.

Monica asked that her mom be included in some of the images, and I was absolutely thrilled! I love when families choose to include grandparents in their newborn sessions. If your baby’s grandparents will be participating, I ask that they arrive towards the end of the session when it will be time for them to be in the photographed with their grandchild! We have a lobby downstairs in the studio building, as well as plenty of breakfast and coffee places nearby to kill time if they’re from out of town and don’t want to venture far.

WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER YOUR NEWBORN SESSION

We make it super simple for our clients! About a week after their session, Monica viewed her proof gallery and chose her collection. When her final images were ready to go, she chose which ones she wanted for artwork. The digital files of the chosen collection images are also included as well. After the printed artwork is ordered, it takes about 1-2 weeks (longer for heirloom albums due to their handcrafted construction) for everything to be ready to go at the studio.

THE PROCESS FOR FRAMED ARTWORK

Our framed artwork is ready within 2 weeks max (peak holiday season excepted) because we do our entire framing in house! That’s right, no frame shops are involved - we handle the entire production process from print to frame. When our client chooses the image they want as framed artwork, we discuss the best size for where they plan to display it within their home.

When the size is settled on, the print is ordered, and we then “dress” the print together. This consists of choosing the best frame from our line for that particular image and the client’s home decor and personal style tastes. We’ll also confirm the mat width - I’m a fan of 3-5” inch mats depending on the size of the print. The larger the print, the larger the mat width to really balance it out. Then the frame, mat, and GORGEOUS museum glass are ordered. I am obsessed with museum glass! You can hardly tell that there is glass in the frame because of how clear it is, and I love the superior protection that it affords the printed artwork over regular conservation class. If you don’t know what it looks like, you will - all of our studio framed prints are with museum glass for you to see for yourself!

When the frame, mat, and museum glass arrive at my studio (within just a few days of ordering!), I mat the print, and put together the entire piece, finishing the back of the frame with paper. The last touch is to complete the frame with hanging hardware (we use wire hanging), so ALL my client has to do is hang it up on their wall and then enjoy looking at it for decades. You will find yourself standing in front of these photos thinking back to those days, and your children will love looking at them also. Our framed artwork pieces are truly museum grade with the level of their archival quality, so you can proudly pass these down to your children and grandchildren.

For clients who order framed artwork from us, we deliver their finished artwork right to their front doorstep within a 20 mile radius of the studio. For clients who don’t order framed artwork as part of their newborn collection, they come to the studio and pick up their order when it’s in. Every week we send out an email to clients who have orders ready to be picked up. The email outlines the designated pickup days and time windows throughout the week. Clients (or their designated errand runner!) reserve their pickup time in advance, and the entire process is super easy and convienent!

CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION

Are you expecting and interested in working with us for your baby's newborn session? We would LOVE to chat with you about what we offer and how we can best serve you. Contact us today to set up a time to speak on the phone and discuss! We look forward to hearing from you.

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 First Birthday Photographer | Catherine is ONE!

Dani contacted the studio to schedule a First Birthday session for her daughter, Catherine with the whole family included as well. I last worked with her for her son’s First Birthday Session (click here to see those images), so was really excited to see them all again! We sent Dani our style guide, Pinterest inspiration board, and our cake tips sheet to review just in case she needed it. We’ve found that our repeat clients don’t really need these again, but we send them anyway just in case! Veteran moms know “mom brain” is a very real thing. ;) The resources that we send over are so easy to read through and implement, and the style guide is applicable to pretty much any kind of photography session you ever have with us.

WHEN TO GET DRESSED FOR YOUR SESSION AND WHY

The day of their session, the family arrived at my studio and proceeded to get the kids dressed. I always recommend waiting to dress your children until you arrive at your session. If you want to dress them beforehand, please make sure that they are not wearing something that will wrinkle in a car seat. Some moms so prefer to dress their child beforehand because they’re in a stage where changing them makes them throw a temper tantrum and it’s just not worth it. You know your child best, so I will always defer to your judgment! If having them dressed before you head over to me is the best plan of action for your family, I STRONGLY recommend having your child in a bib or something to protect their clothing just in case a random bout of carsickness occurs, or they manage to find a chocolate m&m lodged somewhere in the car seat. You may scoff at this and think it’s ridiculous overthinking…but this actually happened to a client. Fortunately, they had NOT dressed their child in their planned outfit for the drive over.

WHERE TO GET YOUR SMASH CAKE IF YOU’RE INCLUDING ONE

Dani brought along an ombre pink rosette cake with buttercream icing from Publix, which is a great option to pick up a basic smash cake. Kroger and Whole Foods are other great options as well! We recommend She Takes the Cake as our preferred baker and are happy to connect you with her - she offers a delivery service where she’ll drop your cake off at the studio in advance of your session so it’s one less thing you need to worry about the day of. I personally worked with Christina to develop the best kind of buttercream consistency for our little clients over several cakes - and she’s perfected it: soft enough to interact with and smash, but not so sticky that it gets everywhere and makes cleanup a total nightmare. Pro tip: babies don’t enjoy being wiped down, so the less force you have to apply to get icing off their skin, the better.

Regardless of where you choose to source your cake from, we will send cake tips over to you (we share a place in the Atlanta area that is actually pretty popular, but that we do NOT recommend getting your baby’s smash cake from because of the icing’s incredibly gluey stickiness), but I’ll reference the most helpful below.

• SIMPLE is the name of the game - the focus should always be on your baby, not their cake

• 6 inch diameter size or less and no more than two layers. If it’s too high, it limits angles for photography since their face can be obscured.

• Real flowers are beautiful on cakes, but plan to remove them after initial photographs - they will most likely end up on your baby’s mouth. This goes for anything on your cake - candles, decor, etc. It ends up being a distraction from the task at hand and can also block their facial expressions during.

• Neutral icing color (off white, cream, or pastels) - avoid neons or overly bright colors that may permanently stain clothing and cause color casts in your photos

• Avoid shaved coconut as a topping - there has not been a single baby that has liked it, and it usually ends exploration of the cake immediately once they put it in their mouth

• Use buttercream icing. AVOID whipped icing and fondant LIKE THE PLAGUE. Whipped icing is a slippery nightmarish mess that is resistant to being wiped off skin and results in a screaming baby while desperate parents on their eleventeenth baby wipe mutter under their breath, “For the love of all things, why is this stuff NOT COMING OFF?!?!?!.”, and fondant is very hard for babies to break through with their fingers and eat. How do I know this? Because I’ve witnessed sessions with them and the above scenarios have actually happened.

• Skip writing a message on top of the cake (save it for the party cake instead) - it doesn’t photograph well.

SESSION FLOW WHEN YOUR BABY IS SHY

Catherine was very shy and clingy, so we started the session with the whole family. Big brother Tommy was interested at first, but once the family was finished being photographed, he ran off to play with some of our studio toys.

I moved on to photographing Catherine with her parents, and she made it very clear that she did not want to be put down. I reassured Dani and Mark that we would still get beautiful images of just her while being held by them, and they told me they weren’t too worried. What you can’t see from this gallery is all the crying that happened throughout. I wasn’t so sure that I would be able to get Catherine away from either of her parents for solo portraits, but I took my time and introduced some of our studio toys to her. She was definitely interested in those, so I placed them on the floor for her. She was distracted by them and forgot that she wanted to be held, and crawled right over to them. I was then able to photograph her alone, showing off all her crawling and pulling to a stand skills with a few smiles too! Alas, she remembered that she didn’t want to be alone and started crying again - but at that point I had what I needed, so it was all good.

THE CAKE SMASH

Dani changed Catherine into her outfit for the cake smash, and I pulled out our antique high chair. I walk parents through exactly how to present the cake to their child with a quick demonstration (sounds silly, but how you do it does matter!) for 100% understanding. I demo a lot during my sessions for clients, so they never have to worry about what to do or how to do it for the best photographs. Why shy babies, I’ve been known to demonstrate how I want parents to hold their one year old using a pillow as a model rather than touch their baby. I’ll work around anything that may arise in a creative way that keeps your baby comfortable! :)

When Dani and Mark placed Catherine into the high chair, she was NOT a happy camper and immediately started to cry. I asked them to quickly present the cake and gather around her so she didn’t feel alone, and that did the trick. Once her family was there right next to her, she started playing with her cake, and the whole family got in on the fun. Tommy was ESPECIALLY excited to “help”, and some of my favorite images are of just the two of them eating the cake together. The session ended with a very happy little girl (and her big brother) covered with icing! Cleaning up took just a few minutes, and the family headed home.

DO YOU THINK WE GOT ANY GOOD ONES?

Before leaving, Dani asked if I thought that the session images would be ok since Catherine had been so clingy, and I told her that I did - and that she would probably be surprised when she saw her gallery. It’s so easy to feel like your session is complete chaos when things aren’t going how you envisioned - but trust me, it’s nothing I haven’t seen before. Come to your session flexible and willing to try out of the box ideas that I give you when it comes to engaging your shy child, and we’ll figure out what works for them and their personality. Some babies are more naturally “stoic” than others, and that's okay!

So, did it work out? Did we have enough? When Dani saw the gallery, she emailed me back:

Lauren you are magical!  I don't know how you were able to get such beautiful photos with such grumpy kids.  These are amazing.  Thank you so much!

See for yourself - I’ve shared a few of my favorites from Catherine’s 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 Maternity Photographer | Daniela & Chris

Daniela contacted me to schedule a maternity session at the gardens location in January. We scheduled her date, and she came into the studio a few weeks later to try on dresses. We had a ton of fun together looking at options and trying things on.

One of the first things I ask a client before we get started at a maternity fitting (if they’re married) is what the neckline of their wedding dress was. The answer to this question tells me what a woman really loves on herself, and I pull options that are the same neckline as her answer. For Daniela, her wedding dress was a sweetheart, and she ended up choosing a white split front gown with a sweetheart neckline and a gorgeous slightly off the shoulder mauve gown with a v-neckline - very similar to sweetheart! Both dresses looked amazing with her skin tone, and she was so excited to have found options she loved so much that she didn’t have to go out and buy. Before she left, we discussed what Chris could wear to the session. She explained that Chris was a casual guy, and I told her to embrace who he was. I don’t believe in dressing anyone to be the opposite of who they are, and I want them to look and feel 100% comfortable.

Update: Why we don’t offer sessions at our popular gardens location anymore

Please note that as of January 15, 2020 we do not offer sessions at the gardens anymore due to the gardens management changing how things are done there. Previously, sessions were not limited time wise and the gardens were available when not rented as a wedding venue. Donations were encouraged to help maintain the property.

The new policy changed sessions to 15 minutes. It also required the client to reserve their session time block in advance online and remit a $50 venue rental fee. In addition, they adopted an extremely rigid and inflexible rescheduling policy if there is inclement weather. Their inclement weather policy for sessions is basically this: if it rains on your scheduled date, too bad. You’ll have to pay another reservation fee for another date and try again. While I completely understand that a rental for a wedding event still must go on regardless of weather, I do not agree that this is a fair policy for a photography session. I absolutely will not stand out in the pouring rain to photograph a session and risk a pregnant client slipping and falling on wet surfaces or damaging my equipment by exposing it to water. Additionally, if I have a client with a family who falls unexpectedly ill and needs to reschedule, they would be stuck having to schedule and pay for another venue rental fee.

Our portrait sessions have a 1 hour time allotment, not a mere 15 minutes. Can I shoot a session in 15 minutes? Absolutely. WILL I shoot one in 15 minutes? Only when forced to in unusual circumstances (ie: client is involved in a fender bender on the way and arrives late to a session with inability to reschedule, leaving me with only 15 minutes to shoot). To shoot a maternity session in 15 minutes would mean rushing my clients and it would be an extremely unenjoyable experiences for all. After phone calls and conversations with management discussing things, we made no headway and they were unwilling to budge. We simply cannot in good conscience support this system or put our clients through the uncertainty, so we have ceased to offer sessions there. If their policy changes to be a fair one in the future, we will consider scheduling sessions there again. For those who had hoped for a session in the gardens, we’re sorry! We have plenty of other location options to consider that have similarities, so definitely give us a call to discuss.

Even though we don’t offer the gardens as a location anymore, this session was just too beautiful not to share!

WHAT WE DO WHEN IT’S FREEZING COLD OUTSIDE

It can be cold in the winter in Georgia, and the evening of this session was in the low thirties, with a brisk wind making it feel even colder. We were all cold, but when you look at the images, you’d never guess that! I did check with Daniela to ask if she wanted to reschedule for the next week when it would be warmer, but she declined. If the weather is going to be below 35 degrees, I will always check and ask my client if they want to continue. If the weather is going to be below freezing, we either move it into the studio, or we reschedule. Below freezing is not smart for the health and safety of all involved: and camera equipment tends to not work so well when it’s that cold. The focus of the camera can be slower, which means your session may take longer.

Since Daniela wanted to proceed despite the cold weather, I marched down to my basement and broke out my ski gear. I’m not even kidding - I showed up wearing Bugaboo boots, long johns, ski pants, base layer, and outer ski jacket, as well as a hat and scarf

During the colder months, I encourage mamas to bring a winter coat with them if they have an outdoor session and we will take breaks as needed to warm up in between. I promise to work very quickly and efficiently, so it'll be over before you know it! Braving the cold is absolutely worth it for the final resulting images since winter light is some of the most beautiful there is. Since outdoor sessions always begin one hour before sunset, winter sessions begin in the late afternoon since the sun sets in the 5 o'clock hour. If you hate the cold and just can't deal with it, come to the toasty warm studio instead for an indoor session! 

THE TWO MAJOR PROS TO shooting in COLD WEATHER

There are actually a couple of big positives to shooting when it’s cold!

Everyone else that was planning to come out to that location on that date will likely chicken out because they don’t want to be cold, so we might be the only people there. This makes for a quiet and intimate session in what might otherwise be a crowded location with people everywhere.

When it’s cold, it tends to be crystal clear outside, which means BEAUTIFUL sunlight. This session is an absolutely perfect example of that!

so…..WAS IT WORTH IT?

So, was it worth it? 1000 times yes. When Daniela & Chris arrived, I could see the concern on their faces that maybe they had made the wrong decision to proceed. Daniela was super tough though - she didn’t complain about being cold once, and claimed that it “wasn’t so bad” once she started moving around. I have no idea if this was actually true or not or if she said that to make me feel better, but her lips and fingers never turned blue… so maybe it really wasn’t! ;) We took breaks for her to put a coat on and warm up as needed, but as the session progressed she asked for fewer and fewer breaks.

About halfway through the session when I was photographing Daniela alone, Chris gestured towards the gorgeous sunlight pouring in from behind the trees and said “I have to admit, I didn’t think this was going to work out, but now that I can see how beautiful this is…. it’s totally worth it.” Keep in mind that he said this before he’d even seen a single image from his session. I told him he was absolutely right and that this kind of light was the kind of light that every natural light photographer swoons over. I also let him know that when they shared the photographs later, nobody would be able to tell that it was freezing cold that day just by looking at them.

While I allot an hour for sessions, we photographed this session in about 35 minutes including the time it took for them to change into their starting outfits and midway through, and I kept them moving a bit more than I ordinarily do to keep them heart rate up and hopefully help keep them a little bit warmer!

At the end of the session, we packed up and hustled to our warm cars, and I sent off the proof gallery the next week. Daniela and Chris were absolutely in love with their gallery and thanked me for being willing to shoot in colder weather.

Enjoy a few of my favorite images from this January maternity 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 First Birthday Photographer | Sophia is ONE!

I first photographed Sophia when she came in for her newborn session, which you can see by clicking here. After that, I photographed her sitting milestone at 9 months old which you can see by clicking here.

Her mom reached out to schedule her First Birthday portraits and let me know that she was opting to skip the cake smash portion. She wanted the session to focus on Sophia and have a few images of her big brother incorporated as well. I asked if she’d like to use our studio bathtub prop for a bubble bath in the studio since they weren’t doing the cake smash portion, and she absolutely loved the idea. Most babies love baths! We sanitize our tub prop well, and mamas bring their own bubble bath soap. Our studio kitchen has a huge sink with a pull down faucet, so it makes filling up the tub with mama’s preferred temperature for their little one a breeze! The tub can be incorporated in milestone sessions for sitters that are sitting very well (closer to the 8 month mark) or for First Birthday instead of a cake smash. If you know you want a cake smash as part of your baby’s First Birthday session, we recommend incorporating the splish splash option into your baby’s sitting milestone session.

a little bit about Session planning and our parent involvement “insurance policy”

We talk to every client at length and discuss their vision for their session. Every family is totally different - while most want the session to be equally focused on family and their baby, some prefer for the focus to be mainly on their baby with just a handful of family images. I craft my session flow around those expressed desires, and we go from there. I do STRONGLY encourage at least one parent to be photo ready with young babies or shy kids though, because there are times that I need to start out photographing your child in your arms in order to build trust. If you show up wearing yoga pants and a messy bun and don’t want to be in the photos, this will be problematic if your baby refuses to be put down. It serves as an insurance policy of sorts! Sometimes the biggest grins and cutest expressions have been captured while a baby is being held by their parent. With that being said, I always work towards getting to a place where your baby feels comfortable being put down to be photographed alone. If we get to that place, I simply don’t put any of those images (unless we have some amazing ones with big smiles or too-good-to-pass-up images ) in your proof gallery. If we can’t accomplish solo portraits because your baby just won’t have it, then we’ll have images of them in your arms that will be just as beautiful as the ones of them by themselves.

Sophia was not a shy baby and was very interested in me. Her mom dressed her in the most gorgeous blue velvet dress with crochet lace detailing, and I couldn’t get over how adorable she looked! I started out with her seated in a chair - and her mom hovered right next to it just in case Sophia decided to try to get off. Baby safety is a big deal around here, and I always have a parent act as spotter while I’m photographing baby alone. After we finished with seated photos, I had Sophia show off her standing skills by holding on to the chair and an ottoman that we have in the studio. I have a collection of natural wooden toys (thoroughly sanitized after any child touches them!) that photograph beautifully, and handed one to Sophia since she was starting to lose interest. One year olds don’t stay interested in anything for very long, so my sessions with them move quickly and change up constantly to keep them engaged!

Sophia LOVES her big brother Tommy (look how she grabbed his hand to hold it!), so we finished up portraits in her velvet dress with some sibling images. He can make her laugh almost on command, and it’s so adorable to watch. I’ve loved watching him grow into being a big brother since his newborn session, and he’s just one of the best kids ever.

Sophia was getting a little fussy at this point, so Melissa gave her a bottle and a little bit of a snack before changing her into the second outfit for the session, which had the cutest equestrian theme. The family has several horses on a farm and dad plays polo, so it was perfectly fitting. I can’t wait to go out to the farm and photograph them there for a family session sometime later this year! After just a few shots in this outfit, Melissa and I started working on filling up the bathtub!

I have mamas decide on the best temperature of the water, and then we fill up the tub together. Mamas also bring their own bubble bath soap as well. Be sure that the soap you bring is NOT new to your baby’s skin. We don't want any unexpected skin reactions!

an Important Note About Advance Preparation for Baby Bubble Bath sessions:

If your baby has never had a bubble bath before, I strongly suggest introducing them to one in ADVANCE! Sophia was very concerned and started to get upset when she touched the bubbles, and we weren’t sure if she would warm up to them or not! Fortunately, she did - and we were able to finish up the session. If she had not, this wouldn’t have worked out as the bubble bath is always done at the very end, when your child will most likely be totally out of patience and getting tired.

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 | Baby Benjamin

Erin contacted the studio to learn more about booking a newborn session. She initially thought that an in-home session was what she wanted before she called us, but after hearing about the differences between in-home and studio, she realized that a studio session would be the better fit. She had been nervous (like every mom!) that leaving the house with a newborn would feel too daunting, and thought that staying home would be easier… until she learned all the things that are involved in helping ensure a successful newborn session. A few of these things: controlling the temperature of their home to be super warm for baby’s comfort, cleaning all clutter from the background of their home (who has the TIME?!), and attempting to get herself ready before I arrived. With studio sessions: the only thing you need to worry about is just getting here. Once you’re here, you’re golden - you can kick back and relax!

After speaking with Caroline, Erin was excited to hear that we had a studio wardrobe available as well as add on hair and makeup services! When you’ve just given birth, sometimes the non-maternity clothes we have in our closets don’t fit, we’re sick of the maternity clothing we have that still fits…. and who has the time OR energy to go shopping after just having had a baby?! Our clients love not having to panic shop to find something for their session.

On the morning of their session, Erin and her husband arrived at the studio with Benjamin. Erin had brought a dress for me to look at that she loved from her closet - she had tried it on that morning and it fit well enough to wear! I loved it also, and told her it was perfect, so she opted to go with that. She also brought a special finishing touch for her dress… gorgeous blue Jimmy Choo stilettos that she had worn on their wedding day. I LOVED that she brought them to incorporate and made sure to take a few images where you could see them.

Erin settled into the hair and makeup chair while I took baby Benjamin to the newborn shooting area for his solo portraits. His dad watched and we chatted a bit while I photographed his son. He commented that he had no idea what went into photographing newborns and was amazed by my patience and attention to detail. As I was finishing Benjamin’s portraits, he started showing signs of hunger, and opened his eyes. He was still calm while awake, so I took advantage of that time to photograph some open eye images, and then when I finished with those, I took him to Erin for a nursing break.

After Benjamin was finished nursing, we began the family and parent portion of the session. I so love watching new parents with their new baby! For some of my parents, their baby is the first baby they have ever held. So it can sometimes feel a little foreign holding a newborn when you’re a first time parent, and most of my clients are a little bit nervous because they still aren’t used to handling their baby while standing up and moving around. Think about it: when you’re at home, most of the care you are giving your baby is while seated!

However, even if you’re a first time parent without much hands on baby experience, there is no need to be nervous in my studio - my TOP priority is your baby’s safety and the comfort of everyone. We will adapt as needed. There’s more than one way to hold a baby - so if you don’t feel secure or confident holding your baby a certain, way, we’ll change it up to a way that you are! I gently guide you through the entire session. I’ll make sure to tuck stray hairs or adjust clothing as needed so your focus can be holding and admiring your new baby. The family portion is typically the “easiest” part of our time together - because you’re pretty much just looking at this amazing little human that you’ve welcomed into your family. Bonus of hiring a profesional: I’ll make sure you don’t give yourself a self inflicted double chin while looking at your baby. ;)

Enjoy some of my favorite images from this guy’s newborn session! When Erin came to pick up her order she brought Benjamin with her! I happened to be taking a break from working at my computer and we were able to visit and chat for a bit. I get so excited when my clients come in and bring their baby so I get to see how much they’ve changed since I photographed them.

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!

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 | All is not lost if coronavirus wrecked your newborn session plans

I feel you, mama

Chances are, if you had a baby anytime in March or April, you’ve had a tough postpartum experience. It’s definitely not what you expected. Your birth experience was not what you expected. You didn’t get to have the labor support that you’d planned on. You didn’t get to have excited grandparents and other close friends and family come visit you in the hospital to celebrate with you. Maybe your grandma still hasn’t met her great grandchild yet (only through a glass window) because they can’t risk exposure from anyone. And now you’re sad because you weren’t able to book a newborn session due to the shelter in place order. Photographs and FaceTime are pretty much the only way to really be able to share your baby with your family and friends while we’re socially distancing.

These are unusual times (is anyone else sick of the word “unprecendented”?), but I want to reassure you that all is not lost. Our studio is scheduling older newborns to come in once the state shelter in place is lifted, and we have strict protocols in place for the protection of everyone. We’ll discuss those protocols with you on the phone when you contact us, so that you’re aware of all the measures being taken and what will be expected of you.

But my baby isn’t two weeks old anymore, so it’s too late for newborn photos

FALSE. We love and welcome older newborns up to 7 weeks of age here in the studio, especially when circumstances didn’t allow for you to be here sooner. Before the age of coronavirus, we had babies come in later for a whole host of reasons. Postpartum complications for mama and/or baby, a deployed spouse overseas that wasn’t able to return until later, a bad initial newborn session experience with a different photographer that resulted in horrible photos, or regret of not booking a newborn session and deciding to go for it.

The Proof is In the Pudding

Below, you’ll see a few of our older newborns who were 12+ pounds and between 6-7 weeks of age. Yes, your session may take on the longer end of the time allocated, and will require patience and skill (both of which are in abundant supply at the studio), but we can still make it happen for you and create beautiful images of your newborn to have and cherish for a lifetime. Don’t buy into the widely purported misbelief that your baby has to be 8 days or less for a newborn session to work out. If I’m honest, when I first started photographing newborns 7 years ago I believed that lie. I’d heard it from other photographers and just thought that it had to be true.

It’s not. While it CAN be easier to photograph an 8 day old (they tend to be more bendy and sleepy when they’re young), that’s just not always the case. Some of my older newborns have been deeper sleepers than my 10 day old newborns. Every baby is different and unique, and I’ve learned a lot about how to work with older babies along the way.

Want to book a newborn session? Bring your baby to me, and lets collaborate together to create images that will take your breath away and instantly transport you back to when your baby was tiny when you look at them twenty years from now.

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 | Lucia & Zoe

I first met Saidie when I photographed her maternity session for her second daughter and newborn session following delivery! You can see their maternity session by clicking here, and Lucia’s newborn session by clicking here.

Saidie highly values photography and makes it a priority to schedule sessions with me to capture the important moments of her family’s life as they grow. She emailed to ask me if she could schedule a “quick 15 minute session” for some Christmas decor photos. I emailed her back to tell her that we don’t offer that in our studio. The only abbreviated sessions we offer each year are our Santa and Motherhood events. Please note that these events are only open to our previous full session clients, and are not open to the public. So if you have not worked with us before for a full session, you will not be able to book one of those as it’s a special perk for our LSP community! Once you become a client and complete a session with us, you’ll be added to the private client only Facebook group. For those inwardly groaning at “another mom group” - no worries, because It’s not a social group, and it’s only used for posting booking information for those two annual events each year!

I explained to Saidie that with what she was hoping for, 15 minutes would not be enough time to allot for a session with the ages of her children. I also know her older daughter pretty well at this point, and she takes time to warm up - at least 15 minutes (usually longer). I told her that a full session (1 hour) was what I could offer, and that I would be happy to collaborate with her on the Christmas decor theme that she wanted to incorporate. I also suggested that we include images of the girls together and separately for portraits within the session in non-themed clothing. She emailed back thanking me for my insights and agreeing that a full session would be perfect, so we scheduled a date!

What you won’t see in this blog post are the Christmas images as I’ve chosen not to include these. Saidie brought along a cute little setup and Christmas PJ’s because she wanted to have that be one of their outfits. While she was dressing the girls in their PJ’s, I went through what she had brought with her (miniature Christmas trees and metal ornaments) and set it all up on a white faux fur rug that I had in the studio.

I don’t do themed decor for sessions, nor do I offer mini holiday themed sessions with an elaborate set. Even our Santa event set is very simple and focused on the natural interaction between children and Santa rather than perfect portraits with an elaborate Christmas background. Sometimes parents will bring along special decorations for a First Birthday session that we can incorporate in, but the focus will alway be on my subjects.

My priorities are for every session are (in this order): light, my subject(s), and emotional connection. Everything else is just background. Sessions with me are about who I am photographing - not about the props, however cute they may be.

We started the session with the Christmas setup images, and when we finished, Saidie remarked that she completely understood why I didn’t offer themed setups! Between the two girls knocking over the Christmas trees, flinging ornaments every which way, and Lucia chewing on whatever she could get into her mouth…it was definitely a bit chaotic. Lucia also decided she was hungry when we finished with that portion and spent about 15 minutes nursing. No matter - because we had allotted an hour of time, we still had PLENTY of time remaining.

Saidie had brought along two of the sweetest little Zara dresses for her daughters, and we changed the girls into those for the next part of our time together. I simply set up the sisters in a natural way on the studio bed to interact - and what you can’t see is their parents hovering just out of the camera frame ready to swoop in if needed. Lucia was a pretty solid sitter, but the risk of toppling over is always there. Since this session, we have upgraded our studio bed setup to a real one - we now have a full queen sized bed on casters, so there’s a lot more room for toppling over than there was with our previous bed setup, which is what you see here!

Lucia absolutely adores her big sister, and the feeling is (mostly) mutual. As a mom with two daughters that are 22.5 months apart, photographing these two took me back to when my own daughters were at these stages. I remember how my oldest would do anything to make her little sister laugh, and once the two of them got going with the giggles, it was the sweetest sound. Today, my girls are 8 and 6, but they are still close and they still try to make each other laugh and do special things for the other. The sister bond is such an incredible thing, and I’m so thankful that my girls are close and enjoy each others’ company. I hope it always continues!

Lucia was OVER it by the time we were done photographing just her and wanted to nurse and take a nap, but Zoe was just getting warmed up! So, we ended our time together with solo portraits of just Zoe. To give you some background: when Zoe first walked in the door that day, she wouldn’t make eye contact with me. It took her about 30ish minutes to be comfortable enough with me to look at me and give me high fives and engage with my camera. This is why allowing for a full session is so important - it allows me time to get to know your children and get them comfortable with me if they’re going to be photographed for solo portraits. Children are little wild cards - and we always plan for the unexpected.

Enjoy a few images of these sweet sisters!

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 in the Studio

I first worked with this family when they brought their daughter in for a studio newborn session, and again for an in home lifestyle milestone session (you can see those images by clicking here). Tiffany initially contacted us because she wanted to book a session for a few images of her daughter…but she eventually decided to do a full family session, since Christmas was on the way and so was a NEW baby! She made it clear that she wanted a family session with the focus primarily being on her daughter and family, rather than maternity. We do this a lot when mamas don’t want it to be a maternity focused session, and we always discuss what your vision and preferences are as we plan our time together!

When the family arrived the day of their session, Tiffany had Joe and Noa’s outfits ready to go but had not brought anything for herself. She knew we had plenty of options for her to wear in the studio, and trusted that we would have something based on her previous times working with us. I pulled out several pieces for her to consider that I knew she would look beautiful in and that would work with what the rest of the family was wearing. After trying on a few, she chose one of our more glam options, which was a perfect fit and could not have worked better with her skin tone and the rest of the family’s wardrobe.

Tiffany dresses her daughter in the prettiest neutrals, and she’s actually the one who introduced me to the amazingness that is Zara! I LOVE Zara clothing for kids and moms, and we have a few pieces in our wardrobe for babies & kids, as well as a couple for mamas. Zara has a store here in the Atlanta area, but their online selection is also great if you’re looking for some gorgeous, neutral, and well made options that photograph beautifully.

We got started with the session, and started with full family images first, and then moved to the rest. While my session flow varies , I almost always start with full family so that we can get those images done first before your little ones(s) lose interest or patience. That way we’ve checked those images off the list and don’t have to worry about them anymore. It’s much easier (and efficient) for me to get a child’s attention back for solo portraits than for the entire family together! Another benefit of that is that it allows my youngest subjects time to get used to my presence and the sound of the camera shutter while safely in your arms. It’s a great way to build trust and rapport gradually before I’m one-on-one with them. Every child is different - sometimes I have an outgoing little one that has never met a stranger, and other times I have a child who won’t let a parent out of their grasp. We’ll work with whatever we’re given, and it will all work out! :)

One of the things that I LOVE about Tiffany is that her favorite images from her galleries tend to be the real ones. She loves the “perfect” ones too - but the ones that show Noa’s true personality and the moments of fun are the ones that she gravitates towards and chooses to print. I love that - our studio is very focused on capturing our families just as they are rather than arranging everyone in stiff lines with perfectly folded hands and perfect expressions. That’s just not real life, and that’s not how my clients want to look back and remember their families. They want to remember the joy, the laughter, the silly faces, and the FUN that happened during their sessions, and sure… they’ll pick one or two of those “perfect” images to send off to grandma or one image on the Christmas card.

Want to capture your family just as you are right now before the time has slipped away and you’re getting dressed for their high school graduation? Contact us and we’ll chat about your vision and goals as well as our approach to see if we’re the perfect match for your family photography needs! Can’t wait to chat!

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 | Ben & Kathleen in the studio

Kathleen wasn’t so sure that she wanted to book a maternity session, but her friends and family kept encouraging her to do so. After speaking with me about the process and what she could expect from everything, she decided to go ahead with scheduling a session! If that’s you, and you aren’t sure - let’s talk about it! I hear a lot of common concerns and fears, and am more than happy to walk you through what you can expect and how we address those worries so they aren’t an issue anymore.

Because Kathleen’s schedule was pretty tight, and she didn’t want to have to worry about a weather reschedule, she chose the studio for her location. Our studio is super easy to get to from anywhere in the metro Atlanta area. It’s right on the Atlanta Beltline right next to Bully Boy & two.urban.licks, with free parking. Because of our huge wall of windows (11 feet high and 25 feet wide), we are able to photograph even on cloudy days with abundant and beautiful natural light. Sometimes we’ll augment natural night (it still looks natural!) with our Profoto strobe and light modifiers, but it’s very rare that we need to.

Kathleen also chose to add on hair and makeup services, and was so excited to come in for a fitting to borrow from the studio wardrobe. Kathleen expressed a strong preference for simple pieces, and wanted arm coverage as well. Pro tip: if you want to cover your arms, don’t rule out short sleeve or sleeveless dresses! Sometimes throwing a shawl on top is all that’s needed to provide that arm coverage and also creates a gorgeous layered look for a more textured aesthetic. We had a ton of fun going through all of the options that fit with her vision, and after trying on several pieces, she fell in love with two dresses. The dresses fit the bill of being simple in style, but looked absolutely beautiful on her skin tone and brought out her blue eyes. We also discussed what her husband, Ben, could wear that would work well with her selections.

Maternity fittings: they’re important!

I am often asked, “Do I have to come in for a maternity fitting?” You are absolutely NOT required to borrow from our wardrobe, but I’d still like to see you before our actual session together. Bring what you’re thinking of wearing, and we’ll look at them together. Maternity fittings do take some time from your week, but they’re important, and this is why: we are pulling together your look, AND getting to know one another! When we have gotten to know each other already, you will come in for your session much more relaxed and ready to go. So much of that initial nervousness won’t even exist, because I’m not a total stranger to you. We have a LOT of out of state clients: if that’s you, we schedule your fitting to take place right before or the day before the session if you’re in town. This enables us to spend some time getting to know each other before I actually start photographing you and gets you warmed up and comfortable.

On the day of her session, Kathleen arrived at the studio and settled into the hair and makeup chair along with an armful of options for her husband that she had pulled from his closet. While Margaret worked with Kathleen, I went through Ben’s wardrobe options and pulled out what would work best with her dress choices.

When clients bring options for their husbands, I ask for 3 things.

• your husband should actually like the items

• they should be pressed and ready to go (we won’t have time to spend steaming them)

• they should fit.

LOTS of husbands gain that pregnancy sympathy weight - so make sure he tries on those items before you add them to the options you bring to the studio! ;)

After Margaret finished up with Kathleen, Kathleen looked absolutely gorgeous, and was excited (and a little nervous) to get started. She told me that she wasn’t quite sure what to do and felt a little awkward. I reassured her that the way she was feeling was totally normal, and that she didn’t need to worry about what to do and when - because I would take care of her. I guide my clients through the entire session experience from start to finish. At this point, I am in my seventh year of business, so it’s pretty safe for me to claim expert status at working with maternity clients. ;) From how to position your leg to where to place your hand and fingers, to subtle adjustments of your head angle, I’ve got it handled! I’ll also be on the lookout for a bra strap peeking out, stray hairs that can be tucked, lipstick on teeth, etc. The only thing you need to worry about is relaxing and having fun!

Kathleen’s husband, Ben, arrived shortly after Kathleen had gotten dressed. I directed him to what I had pulled from his options and started photographing Kathleen solo while he changed. Kathleen and Ben have such a fun relationship and we had a lot of fun goofing around and joking throughout. Both of them expressed that they were pleasantly surprised at how much FUN the entire experience was, and they absolutely loved their final gallery images. Kathleen thanked me for helping her decide to go forward with a maternity session even though she had been unsure, and told me that she would treasure the images forever and can’t believe she almost chose not to do it.

Enjoy a few of my favorite portraits from Ben & Kathleen’s maternity session! I can’t wait to see them again and their sweet baby for a milestone session this coming summer!

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 | Sunrise in the gardens

I first photographed Ramsey for his First Birthday session at the studio, and was so excited when Angela emailed us to set up a family/second birthday session at the gardens location. You can view his First Birthday images by clicking here to see how much he grew in just over a year! You’ll notice how much his hair grew and how curly it is now. The changes that happen from year to year are always just so amazing to see, and I love when families make it a priority to schedule annual portrait sessions so they can look back and see it for themselves.

We scheduled their session to take place in September - and as most of you will remember, we had an incredibly HOT end of summer and fall in Atlanta. I mean, soooooo hot. We had originally scheduled their session to take place at sunset, but when I saw that the weather would literally be 25 degrees cooler the morning of their session at sunrise, I emailed Angela to see if they’d be open to switching the time to sunrise. I only photograph outdoor sessions the hour before sunset or immediately at sunrise. We do not offer any other times - as the light is not optimal.

Her response was an immediate: OMG YES. If you have a child who rises on the earlier side and is happiest in the morning, a sunrise session may be the perfect fit for you! If you hate early mornings and your child is dragging until 10 AM, it’s probably not for you. When you contact us, we’ll discuss what the best fit for you is! The time of year will also be a factor: a sunrise session in the winter is not an option since it’s sometimes below freezing outside.

The morning of the session, we met at the gardens location. While it was warm, it was not unbearably hot, and the light was gorgeous and soft. Angela and her husband both expressed how glad they were that I’d suggested we change the time to sunrise. Bonuses to an early start: no worrying about juggling naps or sleepy babies when it’s almost bedtime, and then you have the rest of your day wide open!

We explored the gardens and I photographed Ramsey alone, with each of his parents, and the whole family together. David had bought matching father-son tennis shoes that he was super excited about, so Ramsey changed his outfit mid session so we could include that. I thought it was so sweet and really special that he had done that.

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 Child Photographer | Troi is TWO!

I’ve photographed Troi since she was an itty bitty newborn, and just absolutely love her and her awesome parents! Troi can be a stoic toddler, but she loves to have fun so once tickles and crazy voices are introduced, the smiles and giggles start. ‘Toya initially just wanted this session to be of Troi alone since they had just done their fall family portraits, but quickly realized that Troi needed some help warming up. Since Troy (her daddy) was dressed in an outfit that worked for photos, he stepped in - and it did the trick. I let them know I could just leave out the images with him that we took in their final proof gallery, but some were just too good to not include. Apparently, ‘Toya thought so too since she chose a few to keep!

'Toya expressed how amazed she was at the patience that I had because Troi was pretty grumpy for most of her time in the studio. I pulled out all the stops, and her parents willingly helped when I asked them to. The funniest part of the session was when I asked Troy to “laugh with a deep rumbling laugh” and he did - and that was what got the biggest smiles. They were astounded that it worked because he felt a little silly doing it, but hey… whatever it takes, right? When you look at this gallery, you really have NO idea that she walked in, crossed her arms, and mean mugged us all for a while. That my friends, is the magic of photography married with patience, a bag of tricks to try, and a fast shutter speed. ;) Grumpy babies and toddlers don’t faze me.

When I photographed Troi’s First Birthday session (view those images by clicking here), ‘Toya had chosen NOT to include a cake and later came to wish that she had. Who says a smash cake has to be for First Birthdays? Around here, there aren’t any such rules…. so out came a cake for the end of Troi’s second birthday. It was pretty funny to watch because Troi doesn't like getting her hands messy and didn’t want to touch the cake when she discovered how sticky the icing was. So, I handed her a spoon from our studio kitchen, and that did the trick.

Enjoy a few images from Troi’s Second 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 | Baby Hauwa

I first worked with Safeeya and her family for their family maternity session at the gardens location, (view those images by clicking here) and was so excited to photograph them again for their new daughter’s newborn session! Safeeya had let me know that they would be wearing traditional dress for their session and I absolutely love when my clients honor their heritage in that way.

When Safeeya arrived at the studio with baby Hauwa, I got started with photographing just the baby. Safeeya took the opportunity to rest for a bit. Hauwa wasn’t really sure if she wanted to sleep or not, but she eventually did after being snuggled and rocked for a bit. I have all the patience in the world, so if your baby doesn’t want to go to sleep right away during your session, please don’t stress or think your baby is being “uncooperative”. They are being a baby and they have their own sleep cycle. They will eventually go to sleep, and it’s my job to get them there. When babies are awake, I always photograph them for those open eye images as long as they’re calm. If they are awake and angry, my focus is on settling them and getting them what they need. I would say maybe under half the newborns who come into the studio ever open their eyes and of those half - about half are calm when awake. So, while I definitely take advantage of the opportunity for that open eye direct camera engagement image - it doesn’t always happen. It just depends on your baby!

Once I was finished with Hauwa’s solo images, big sister and daddy had arrived. Everyone got dressed and Safeeya dressed Hauwa in a beautiful lace dress to match big sister. If you choose to bring clothing for your newborn to wear during the family portion, you’ll need to make sure that it fits snugly. Otherwise your baby will be swimming in their outfit, and it will not look cute. We have a full collection in the studio of blankets and some sleepers and onesies that photograph well, but some of our clients like to bring a sleeper or blanket from home. I’ll advise on whether it’s going to work well for your session since sometimes the items brought have a strange color cast or just won’t work well with what the family is wearing.

I started off with sibling images of the two girls together. Hauwa was awake and calm, but then decided she wanted to eat and wanted to eat NOW. After she was fed, she was happy and content and we resumed the session. Since Hauwa was totally asleep, we finished this portion up very quickly as it was just a matter of passing Hauwa back and forth between her parents with different groupings. I work very efficiently when I have baby’s cooperations since we never know how long we’ll have it!

Enjoy a few of my favorite images from Hauwa’s newborn session. I can’t wait to see this family again in the future and see how much the girls have 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 First Birthday Photographer | Aadya is ONE!

Anitha contacted us when her daughter was only six months old because she knew she wanted to schedule a First Birthday session with us. She was in love with our videos that she had seen and knew she wanted to book a video add on as well. Videos are offered for Fresh 48 and First Birthday sessions as an add on, and I really love them! While still photographs are gorgeous and freeze memories, there is nothing quite like video for remembering how your child moved, their funny expressions, and the connection between you and your baby. I know I’m not alone in going down the rabbit hole of watching my iPhone videos of when my children were tiny. I can’t believe how fast the time flies, and I’m so thankful that we have photographs and videos these days so we never forget all those little things that we love about them.

Anitha asked to book add on hair and makeup services for herself, and chose to use our preferred baker. Our baker makes CORGEOUS cakes and works with many of our clients to create something beautiful. She also offers the option of adding on delivery service to the studio so your cake is here waiting for you and it’s one less thing you have to worry about. We’ll provide you with a cake tips sheet that goes over best practices for the icing type and color, as well as a place in the area that we DON’T recommend using. While they’re delicious, their cakes have horribly sticky icing that most of our babies hate and makes cleaning it off of their skin absolutely awful. Our mamas have used Whole Foods, Publix, or bake and decorate the cake themselves! And don’t think you have to use cake - we’ve seen pie, donuts, and strawberries & whipped cream here too.

When Anitha arrived to the studio, Margaret was there waiting for her to apply her makeup and style her hair. When clients have their hair and makeup done at the studio in advance, I am sometimes there for part of it, or I’ll arrive right beforehand. In this case, I was working around the studio on other things, so we were all there together. Anitha and I chatted and got to know each other, and she showed me what she had brought along for herself and Aadya to wear. There were several options for Aadya, so I pulled what was the best with Anitha’s outfit and had everything all ready for her arrival.

Aadya and her daddy arrived just as Anitha was finishing up. Aadya was a bit shy at first, but I spent a few minutes playing peek-a-boo with her, and one I had her laughing, she was good to go! While Anitha was getting dressed, I started with solo portraits and video of just Aadya, and then moved on to family images. I use two separate cameras when I am incorporating video into First Birthday sessions because time is of the essence. Most one year olds will not last longer than 30-45 minutes and I want to make sure I’m maximizing the time they’re giving me in order to get the photographs and video footage that I need before they’re totally OVER it. While we are moving at a quick pace, you won’t feel rushed. After we finished up with the family images, Anitha changed Aadya’s outfit to her cake smash one which was a simple white camisole that she borrowed from our studio wardrobe! We brought out the cake, set it in front of Aadya, and she went to town! It’s the first time I’ve ever seen a baby decide they were going to try sucking the icing off the side of the cake. SO adorable! I absolutely love watching how each individual one year old in my studio interacts with and conquers their cake. It’s always so funny and unique to each baby. Mom and dad jumped in for a few cake images too - which I welcome and encourage.

Enjoy a few of my favorite images from Aadya’s First Birthday session, and the video at the end of this post!

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 | Ava is six months!

I first worked with Heather & Jason when they were expecting their daughter, Ava, and again at Ava’s newborn session. You can see their maternity images at the field location by clicking here and Ava’s newborn images by clicking here. I’ll be seeing them again this spring for Ava’s First Birthday - I adore working with clients for all the special milestones over the first year!

I was so excited to see them for Ava’s six month session! Heather had asked to add on hair and makeup services again, and had requested the park location for this session. One of the fun things for my clients about repeatedly working with me is that they become more and more confident with each session. They’ve learned all the basic “rules” I have for flattering posing and don’t need very much direction from me. We also have a relationship at this point and they trust me to photograph their family and KNOW that they’re going to walk away with gorgeous images that they love. I’ve had clients come for a session and have one of their children have a full on meltdown. They don’t get frazzled or stressed, because they’ve learned from their previous sessions with me that we’ll work around it and that I’ll spend the extra time help their child calm or settle however I can - whether that is me engaging with their child or stepping away to let mom and dad do it.

In Ava’s case, she’s the happiest baby on the planet. There was no fussing or needing to settle - she was so happy to be outside with her parents. We did have one outfit mishap when Ava spit up all over her goldenrod romper that she was wearing. Heather had heeded our advice to have a backup outfit on hand, so a quick outfit change to a gorgeous cream bodysuit took care of that with no problem! Plus, who doesn’t love chubby baby legs?! The outfit change showed those off well!

I don’t have a set session flow for babies and families and change it up for each individual client based on what the baby needs. Since Ava was so friendly and happy, it didn’t matter how I structured it. We moved through the whole family together, Ava with each of her parents, and some with Ava by herself. Ava was a pretty strong sitter, but her daddy was hovering just out of the frame to catch her if she tipped over. Safety first!

How cute is this little gal and her family!? I can’t wait to see them all in April to smash some cake and celebrate Ava being ONE!!!

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 G Family in the studio

Leila contacted the studio to book a family/milestone session in the studio with her husband and daughter, Raine. We sent over the style guide to her and set a session date. Our style guide is a helpful one page document that guides you through best practices for dressing your family with color and pattern combinations. If you want more detailed feedback, you are more than welcome to schedule a complimentary style consult at the studio or to send over quick phone photos of what you’re considering!

A couple of days before their scheduled session, Leila reached out to let us know that the whole family was sick with an upper respiratory infection. We know that life is unpredictable with little ones, so if this happens to you - don’t stress. We want everyone to be happy and healthy at their session! We looked through the studio calendar and rescheduled for a couple weeks out on a date that worked for both of us.

A funny story …. on the reschedule date, guess who woke up with NO voice. Yep, yours truly. I had zero warning that this was about to happen, and just woke up that way. I wasn’t sick with anything, but literally just did not have a voice. Never in my life have I had that happen, and to this day, I still don’t know why it did.

Because of how I run my sessions, having a voice is absolutely essential. I talk to babies, give direction to parents, and NEED my voice. My studio manager, Caroline, had to call Leila and let her know that I couldn’t speak and we needed to reschedule again. Leila understood completely, and was glad that I was erring on the side of caution just in case losing my voice was the precursor to actually being sick with something. Turns out that it really was just me losing my voice for no reason. I’m not kidding when I tell you that I was silent for three entire days until it came back. It was very, very strange to not be able to talk or communicate verbally… but my husband and kids seemed to love it! ;) My voice did return after that, and when Leila came in for her session she mentioned that when we had rescheduled she didn’t fully understand why I needed to be able to talk but that she 100% understood why afterwards! :)

Raine was a shy baby, so we began our session with family images and in parent arms. It took a lot of goofing around and trying different things, but I figured out that if Raine’s parents “dropped” her by bending their knees quickly and tilting her backwards she had a BIG smile and was laughing. So… guess what her parents did for the entire session? Yep. Your workout class is included free with sessions. ;)

After all the fun, Raine was feeling a lot more comfortable with me and the studio and we were able to sit her alone on a chair for some solo portraits. If you arrive and your little one is not feeling it, don’t stress. I have TONS of patience, and I’ll do whatever is help to your child feel comfortable. Come in ready to play and with a willingness to try unorthodox things to get the giggles going, and everything else will work itself out!

Enjoy a few of my favorite images from this family’s session!

Want to capture your family just as you are now before the 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!

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