Atlanta Newborn Photographer | Baby Quinn

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 | Victoria in the studio

If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!

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

Atlanta Family Photographer | Camille, Kyle, and Liam

As we head into the busy busy busy fall season, be aware that some blog posts won’t have written content. This is intentional, so you’re not seeing a website glitch as our first priority is serving our clients, so sometimes writing blog posts doesn’t happen! Besides… a picture is worth 1,000 words, right? ;)

We still have some very limited availability remaining on our 2021 calendar for outdoor sessions at the time of this blog post but we will be 100% booked very soon at the rate we’re booking what we have left.

Contact us and we’ll chat about your session goals, your vision, and our approach to see if we’re the perfect match for your family photography!

If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!

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

Atlanta Newborn Photographer | Baby Owen

Katie contacted the studio and let us know that we had been highly recommended by one of her co-workers who is a long-term client of ours. She had expressed uncertainty over whether she should book a newborn session during the time of COVID, and he (yes folks, this was one of my DADS recommending me!) told her that she shouldn’t let this special time go by without having her baby professionally photographed. He and his wife actually had an upcoming session with me for their third baby, and he told her all about our COVID safety precautions and protocols. Katie liked what she heard, so she reached out for more information…. and after reviewing everything, she and her husband decided to reserve their newborn session with me!

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RESERVING AND BOOKING MY NEWBORN SESSION?

Great question: there isn’t one. If you are booking your newborn session before your baby is born (which most of our clients do!), you are reserving your guaranteed spot with us. Your actual session date is not scheduled until after baby has arrived. Once baby arrives, you’ll reach out to us via email or phone and let us know along with their weight and how you’re doing. If there were any complications, we’ll want to know about that too. You’ll also let us know whether you want to add on hair and makeup services to your session, and we’ll get back to you with some weekday dates to choose from. We do not schedule newborn sessions for weekend days: families with older school-aged children treat the session just as they would a doctor or dentist appointment and arrange for their children to leave school early or go in later.

NEWBORN SESSION FLOW

When Katie and her husband arrived with Owen, she made herself comfortable in the hair and makeup chair since she had decided to add on hair and makeup services. Roughly 95% of our newborn mamas do! It’s such a great way to pamper yourself after just having had a baby, and will probably be the first time since giving birth that you’ve felt put together! Sleep deprivation with a newborn is real and often accompanied by undereye circles and other skin concerns - but not to worry! Between our hair and makeup artist and my post processing when I edit your photos, you will look well rested and your skin will not have any blemishes. Adding on services does not lengthen your session time, since I spend the first 90 minutes of every session photographing baby alone anyway!

I took Owen from Katie as soon as they arrived and got started with him over in my newborn shooting area. I keep my studio warm for my newborns during this part because they’re dressed in their diaper and whatever I am wrapping them in, so they need the warmth in order to stay comfortable and asleep. Owen was a pretty sleepy guy and very curly and snuggly, so his newborn portraits were all finished up just as our HMUA was putting the finishing touches on Katie.

I handed Owen to his daddy and pulled a few dresses from our studio wardrobe for Katie to look at, and she fell in love with a white lace dress. It worked perfectly with what her husband, John, had brought with him to wear - AND with what her mom was wearing as well! Katie’s mom came to be in a few generational photos, which I absolutely love! If you are hoping to include grandparents in your session, we are happy to accommodate and we'll chat with you at length about how we handle that and when they come during the session, etc.

Once the whole family was dressed and ready, I moved into the family portion. If you’re worried about not knowing what to do, you can stop now. As soon as we get started, I show you EXACTLY what to do with visual demonstrations and gentle guidance, and I even explain why I’m asking you to do things a certain way. My first priority is your baby’s safety, and we will work together to transfer baby between people gently and securely for your photos. You will never be left standing wondering what to do next. Many first time parents have told me that their baby is the first one that they’ve ever held or handled for longer than a minute or two - and that is at the top of my mind. If you ever don’t feel like you’re confident in how you’re holding your little one, I will be able to tell from your body language and will step in to make adjustments to get you to that place. If you’re a recovering c-section mama and not feeling up to standing, I can work around that too. We will work together to ensure the needs of everyone are met and create beautiful images of your family!

Enjoy a few of my favorites from Owen’s newborn session! We are currently booking February and March (yep March already!!!) as of this blog post, so if you’re pregnant and considering a newborn session, it’s NEVER too early to reach out and get information! Contact the studio by filling out our website inquiry form or giving us a call - we can’t wait to chat with 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 Family Photographer | A special gardens generational motherhood session

It’s important to preface this post by making sure you know that we do NOT offer the gardens as one of our locations. We used to, but then they enacted a policy that requires a rental fee. I don’t have an issue with a rental fee, but I DO have a problem with one that is non-transferable and non-refundable even if there is inclement weather. I cannot get on board with a policy that doesn’t allow for reschedules for portrait sessions if there’s a lightning storm, but the venue has declined to change it.

If a client is just DYING to shoot there, I’ll still go - but the client is responsible for making the reservation with the venue with the understanding that if there is bad weather on their session date, they’re going to be out the money from the venue. If it’s a risk a client is willing to take, I’m happy to shoot there. On another important note: this is a wedding venue, so your chances of snagging it on a weekend are next to none, especially during peak wedding months. Your BEST chances are Tuesday or Wednesday evenings, and even then it sometimes is rented out for non-wedding events which makes it unavailable. Some clients will wait to reserve until right beforehand, and luck out that way.

Samata is one of my favorite clients - she’s so funny, and is such a great person to be around. I’ve worked with her twice, and I LOVE working with her family. When she reached out to schedule her third session, meant to be a special memory for Mother’s Day, I was so excited to make it happen for her!

Samata REALLY wanted the gardens as her location, and was determined to make it happen. She decided that she’d wait until the day of to make the reservation, and we stalked the weather that week. She was able to snag the reservation, and we met up at the gardens that evening. Samata’s goal was for this session to be a special one for her mother, herself, and her son. She and her mom arrived dressed in the most beautiful saris, and her little guy looked absolutely dapper in his blazer with fun Adidas kicks. Contrary to popular belief - I’m a fan of color! It just has to be chosen intentionally to avoid color casting in photographs and to work well with the setting and the other members of your group. Don’t worry though - I’m here to help you with that!

The gardens has tons of different areas to shoot in, so I admit that I do miss shooting there on a regular basis. It’s really beautiful year round even when flowers aren’t blooming. It also has stunning stonework and paved paths throughout. If you fall in love with the gardens and want to try and reserve it, you can always have our other intown Atlanta park location (which is about 10-15 minutes away from the gardens) as your backup if it falls through. Call us and we’ll chat about options and potential workarounds. Just remember: weekends are a no-go here unless it’s in the dead of winter when nobody wants an outdoor wedding!

Samata, her mom, and K walked around the gardens with me, and we had a blast. K thinks I’m pretty funny and always gives me big smiles and laughs. I was able to keep him interested in participating by staying on the move - which is key with young children. The second it gets boring, they’re ready to check out. Engaging with kids while having FUN but without ramping them up to the point of being overhyped is the best course of action and how I run my photo sessions with children. It’s a fine line - but as a mom of three, I’m a pretty good tightrope walker on that one!

Would you like to talk about scheduling a special family session for yourself and your child’s grandma or grandpa (or both!)? Contact us and we’ll have a conversation about what you envision for your session, as well as your goals and our approach, and we’ll find out if we’re the perfect match for your family photography!

If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!

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

Atlanta Maternity Photographer | Heather, Jason & Ava's family session at the park

Heather contacted the studio right away when she found out she was pregnant because she wanted to make sure she could get a spot. As a long term client, she knows how far in advance we book sessions! Heather enrolled in our popular First Year Collection which includes newborn, sitting milestone, and First Birthday sessions, and added a maternity session as well. Our First Year Collection program is limited to a certain number of babies each year, so be sure to ask about whether we still have room if you’re interested in preserving the first year of your baby’s life in beautiful photographs!

I first worked with Heather and Jason throughout the first year of their older daughter’s life, so she was already super familiar with how everything works and was SUPER excited to work with me again… and trust me, the feeling was mutual! I have a LOT of returning clients each year and it’s so much fun to work with them again and again as their families and children grow.

You can see Heather and Jason’s first maternity session here, their newborn session here, their daughter’s six month old milestone session at the park here, and their daughter’s First Birthday session here. I’m SO excited to photograph another year of beautiful memories with their second daughter!

BOOKING YOUR MATERNITY SESSION

We make the booking process SUPER easy and stress-free for our clients. Clients often tell us how pleasantly surprised they were by how seamless the experience is, not to mention that we take care of all complicated stuff so you can enjoy your pregnancy without a worry.

Because Heather had contacted us so early in her pregnancy, she essentially had her pick of weekend dates, and we coordinated add on hair and makeup services for her as well.

If you’ve waited until the eleventh hour to book a maternity session and are now wondering about whether you’ll be able to book with us, please know that we often sometimes have weeknights available. A lot of clients will just leave work early for an outdoor session on a weekday evening. I always begin outdoor sessions about one hour before sunset. So, to find out what your session start time would be for any date, just enter into the Google search box: “sunset time on X date in Atlanta” and get results for when the sunset is. From that time subtract an hour of so to figure out a good starting point for your shoot with me outdoors.

Caroline, our studio manager, sent over Heather’s electronic paperwork to secure her enrollment in our First Year Collection along with her maternity session date in our studio calendar. After Heather remitted everything, she was officially locked in!

Caroline then scheduled her maternity fitting here in the studio and e-mailed a short list of what she should bring along with her along with directions to our intown Atlanta studio. We’re located right on the Beltline very close to Old Fourth Ward and Poncey-Hihglands. We are conveniently located by Ponce City Market, next to two.urban.licks and Bully Boy. There is a free parking available with virtual parking passes issued after 4 PM and on weekends.

YOUR MATERNITY FITTING | WHAT TO EXPECT

Your maternity fitting will be scheduled to happen approximately 1-2 weeks before your session date! I want to make sure you have plenty of time to make decisions on what everyone is wearing. You’ll choose up to 2 looks for your maternity session, unless you’re at the mountain location - then you’ll choose 1. Our mountain location rules (which are strictly enforced by rangers to protect the flora) does not allow me to bring up the studio changing tent and I am limited to my camera bag only.

Your belly is highly unlikely to grow to the point you can’t your final choices in just two weeks! Additionally, lot of our studio pieces have a bit of stretch to them as well, but there are a few that don’t. If you fall in love with a dress at your fitting that is barely fitting and doesn’t have ANY stretch, I will have you choose a backup option for it juuuuuuuuust in case it doesn’t fit anymore at your session.

You are NOT required to borrow from the studio wardrobe for your session! Roughly 95% of our clients do borrow from it and love having it available to them! It saves you a ton of time and stress in avoiding online shopping and having to return what you don’t like. Even if you end up not choosing to borrow from the wardrobe, coming in to look through is GREAT for inspiration and to get to know me a bit before stepping in front of my camera.

As an added plus, so many of my clients also find what they want to wear for their newborn session when they’re in for their maternity fitting! The majority of my studio client pieces pull double duty and can be worn as a maternity OR regular session dress.

I highly encourage you to come in to the studio to see me before your session even if you are planning to wear your own clothing. If you aren’t able to do that because of logistics (I have tons of out of town clients), let’s schedule a virtual meeting via Zoom or FaceTime instead! Clients who spend some time with me before their session are MUCH more relaxed when I’m not a total stranger they’ve just met for the first time.

When Heather came in for her fitting, I already had a ton of options pulled for her to try on. Since I’ve worked with her so many times previously. I knew what would work for her skin tone and her preferences, so it was easy to do. I’m always adding to the wardrobe, so even though Heather had already done four previous sessions - there were some things she hadn’t yet seen!

Our studio wardrobe has been used by clients ranging in heights from 4’10” to 6’3” and sizes 00-16, so if you fall into those ranges, we probably have something that will work for you! Heather tried dresses on and I assisted by taking an iPhone photo of her in each one so she could review with her husband and choose later. While she was trying on pieces, we chatted and got caught up on life.

When it comes to making your final selections, you don’t have to make a decision right then and there. That’s why iPhone photos of you in each dress come in handy! You’ll send photos of your final selections to me at least 4 business days before your session date. That lead time allows your options to be dry cleaned and back in time if another client wears one of your choices before you.

After looking at all her options and getting her husband’s input, Heather decided on a beautiful off the shoulder boho blush pink dress that looked amazing with her skin tone and eye color. We also looked through a few dresses from the children’s wardrobe for Ava, and she chose a sweet off white eyelet dress that looked perfect with her dress!

EFFICIENCY IS THE KEY TO SUCCESSFUL AND FUN SESSIONS

An outdoor session should absolutely NOT take 4 hours. That’s a crazy length of time to shoot a regular portrait session without a newborn involved. Overly long sessions are stressful and are not enjoyable….the exact opposite of what I want for my clients!

I’m incredibly efficient, and I make sessions enjoyable (and sometimes even fun). I will lead you through the entire experience. I will instruct you on what to do with your hands and your legs, and physically demonstrate it for you when needed. Your partner will be given direction and be told what to expect next. Dads HATE sitting around not knowing what’s happening or what we’re doing next, and I eliminate that entirely with my direct but kind tell-it-like-it-is approach. If you have kids involved, we’ll be working around their moods and interest and giving them some fun games to play with you that will produce beautiful photos of your connection!

My focus, and the heart of my business, is capturing the emotional connection between my subjects. If you were drawn to the interaction you see in my photographs, you should know that YES, that’s 100% real and not forced or staged.

BUT.

And there is a but. Most of my clients can’t get to that natural interaction on their own in the beginning because MOST people are very camera conscious and tend to freeze up like a deer in headlights.

No need to worry though! I’ll get everyone positioned, and tuck back stray hairs /adjust clothing if needed ….and give you a simple and easy to understand prompt. That prompt will spur your natural interaction and THAT is where the magic for your photographs begins.

When you choose me as your photographer, you don’t need to be nervous about not knowing what to do, where to look, if you should smile or not, or if your husband looks like a dork.

Your images will be a true reflection of your relationship and affection for each other. They’ll beautifully highlight the love you have for this brand new baby on the way. Oh, and you’ll also look absolutely stunning…and your husband will NOT look like a dork. ;) 

YOUR MATERNITY SESSION | WHAT TO EXPECT

I already mentioned that my maternity sessions aren’t unnecessarily long. I block off 1 hour for outdoor portrait sessions and we will begin one hour before sunset. It’s SUPER important to be on time, because while I shoot efficiently, I cannot keep the sun from setting.

When we get started and the camera is out and pointing at you, you will probably be feeling nervous and awkward. Let me assure you that this is 1000% normal! Let me also reassure you that I will take excellent care of you. I frequently shoot 20+ maternity sessions (studio and outdoor) each month, year round. Additionally, I’ve been photographing pregnant moms for almost 9 years now - so you are in the hands of a maternity session expert!

Most of my clients are feeling much more comfortable in front of the camera within ten minutes. I call those first few minutes the warm-up, and get you used to it! Sometimes the photos I take at the very beginning of your session will meet my standards and they’ll make it into your proof gallery, but most of the time they don’t because they just don’t compare to the ones taken after you’re comfortable!

I direct my pregnant clients in such a way that moves them around as little as possible during their session. Your back may be aching, your feet a bit swollen, and growing a baby is HARD work! So I will not drag you all over the place. The goal here is not to make you feel like you barely survived a step aerobics class with Richard Simmons by the time we finish.

If you ever need a break or to sit down for a minute at any point, all you need to do is let me know. We’ll resume right back where we left off when you’re ready to go again, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with you if you need break. Your comfort is my top priority when photographing you.

HEATHER & JASON’S MATERNITY SESSION

The evening of their early spring session was beautiful and sunny and a tiny bit cold. We really lucked out with some gorgeous blooms at the park as well! I can’t predict when the flowers at the park location will bloom because it’s different every year. Heather changed into her dress, got Ava dressed, and we got started shooting!

I spent some time photographing Heather solo and having Jason and Ava step in and out. I made sure to get mother and daughter images with just Heather and Ava, as well as some couples photos of Heather and Jason. Ava was interested in participating for about the first five minutes, and then not so much. This is pretty normal and I also plan my sessions around this fact. My immediate goal when a toddler is involved is to get ALL the important images with them involved FIRST. That way they’re done and they can happily play close by while we finish up with just mom and dad. And this is exactly what happened…. Ava was busy playing with leaves and sticks close by and within sight and stayed happy and occupied.

We had a great time during their session, and their gallery images are just full of so many sweet moments. They’ve since welcomed baby girl #2 into the family, and I can’t wait to share her newborn session on the blog!

If you’re reading this and considering booking a maternity session, a huge congratulations on expecting your baby!!! I know that this is such a special time in your life and you are so excited about everything that is to come. I would absolutely love for you to contact us to chat about your vision and how we can best serve you and your growing family!

Enjoy some of my favorite images from Heather, Jason & Ava’s family maternity session at the park !

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 | Ana, Matt, Gus & Lincoln

Last fall, I had an amazing family session at the park with Ana and Matt and their two boys Gus and Lincoln. Why am I just posting about it now? Well, I’ll summarize: I shoot on average about 25 sessions per month between the studio and outdoor locations. I typically only blog 2-3 sessions per week, AND I write my blog posts months in advance and schedule them for automatic posting. So….sometimes you see sessions from 6+ months ago because they’re in a long line of scheduled posts!

I first worked with Ana and Matt when they just had Gus at the same park, but in a different location within it. If you’d like to see the photos from that session and how much Gus has grown up since then, just click here! As a note, I have a LOT of families choose the park as their location every year, and every session always looks different since I just switch up which area we go to!

I met the family the hour before sunset and we took advantage of the beautiful golden light. Family sessions are a variety of images: I will photograph your entire family together, the two of you together, your child(ren) individually and together, and each parent with each/all child(ren). One of the best things about this session w as photographing Gus and Lincoln hugging and loving each other. There is nothing sweeter than brotherly love - and it’s clear that the two of them absolutely adore each other!

It is SO special to be part of photographing these special and intimate moments at crucial points in life as your children are growing up. I can’t stop time or keep them little for you, but I can give you photographs of them at the special stages so you always remember every little detail.

Fall Family Sessions in Atlanta

In the fall, when it's finally starting to cool down a bit here in Atlanta, I really love photographing at the park for family sessions because of all the beautiful trees and the gorgeous light. It’s a pretty equal split between the field and the park locations for families in terms of popularity. The park is located intown, and the field is about 25 minutes away from my studio OTP. ALL outdoor sessions begin approximately one hour before sunset year round! This is an important factor to consider when planning your session because if you have children who need to go to bed on the earlier side, I suggest scheduling AFTER daylight savings time rather than before! When you call the studio, we’ll go over all this information with you to help you make the best decision for your family. “Fall” sessions here in Atlanta sometimes go allllll the way into December around here, since it can take until mid December for all the leaves to fall off the trees sometimes!

Light is my TOP consideration for the locations I have available to you to choose from for your session - I want to make sure we’re going to have gorgeous images regardless of whether it’s sunny or overcast. Please be aware that I do NOT shoot at Piedmont Park. The number one reason that I hear from people who initially ask if I go to Piedmont Park is because they “want the Atlanta skyline in the background”. Here’s my honest and possibly unpopular opinion: Piedmont Park for sessions is cliche, overrated, overdone, and crowded. It’s also difficult to get to areas within it, and a pain in the butt to find parking. And that skyline shot? Expect to wait in a long line to get in position for it and have dozens of people staring at you while we frantically try to get it as quickly as possible so everyone else can have their turn too. I might just be guessing here, but I’m pretty sure you’d feel super awkward with a bunch of strangers staring at you waiting for you to hurry up and move, AND your little ones are going to be pretty distracted to boot. PS: I feel the exact same way about Roswell Mill as a location which is another place I won’t photograph sessions at. Just because “everybody else goes there” does not mean it’s the best choice. ;) Let’s dare to be different and make YOU the focal point in your photographs!

In summary: I’m NOT your photographer if having a “skyline background” is your primary goal for your photos. Ultimately, my focus is on your family and the emotional connection between all of you. Emotional connection is at the heart of what I do and how I run my sessions, so if a prospective inquiry is more concerned about having a specific building in the background instead of focused on the people in the photo, I know that we aren’t a good fit for each other from that! If you want beautiful images of your family that showcase each member’s personality while loving each other while having fun and all the sweet little moments that happen during that, I’m definitely what you’re looking for!

Enjoy some of my favorites from this sweet family’s session at the park!

Let’s capture your family just as the way you are at this point in your lives, before the years completely slip away and you find yourself helping them pack 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 fit for your 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 Luke

As you know from the last blog post, Leslie had contacted the studio to learn more about booking maternity session and had so much fun during it that she and her husband booked a newborn session too!

Leslie requested that she have the same hair and makeup artist if availability allowed, and then Luke surprised us all by arriving FIVE weeks early! He was healthy with no issues or NICU needed, but his unexpected early arrival left his mom and dad scrambling to finish up all the baby preparations they hadn’t had a chance to do! Since Luke was born so much earlier than expected, we scheduled his newborn session to take place when he was three weeks old. Leslie’s requested HMUA was available, and she was so thrilled that all she had to do was show up at the studio - especially since it was a 90 minute drive for them from their small hometown south of Atlanta! This gave Leslie and Jordan some more time to get acclimated at home, and for Luke to gain a little bit more weight since he was a tiny little peanut!

On the morning of their session, Leslie & Jordan arrived at the studio with baby Luke! Leslie wanted a more casual look for the session and had brought a cream sweater to wear over a tank top and jeans. Jordan had FORGOTTEN his clothes on the way out the door, and there was some momentary panic on his face when we realized, but I quickly reassured him I had a solution! We have two Targets very close by and I pulled up my Target to show him exactly what would work with Leslie’s outfit. He wanted to go out and grab some coffee and breakfast anyway, and I showed him a map of where Target was along with the closest Starbucks. Problem solved! Since their session, I have stocked my studio wardrobe with several pullover Henleys (yes, the one Jordan is wearing!) in size S-2XL. Adding these to our client wardrobe has actually come in handy several times since then when dads have forgotten their outfits, or don’t have anything in their wardrobe that really works!

Baby Luke was awake when the family arrived, and Leslie expressed concern that this would be a problem. I let her know that it actually wasn’t, because he was calm and content. I took the opportunity to get an open eyed photo of him, and it’s a good thing I did because his awake period was very short lived. He stayed awake for all of the first two minutes and then I didn’t see his eyes open again for the rest of the time he was in the studio!

If your baby is awake and they’re fussy, I’ll have you snuggle or feed them! Sometimes babies get fussy when they have an uncomfortable diaper as well - we will figure out what your baby needs and get them happy again!

NEUTRALS ARE KING

I have a wide assortment of neutral colors when it comes to my wraps and drops for the beanbags here in the studio! I choose them based on your baby’s skin tone! There is more than one shade of white, and not every shade looks good with every baby! Neutrals are truly classic and will look beautiful decades from now. Using neutrals keeps the focus on your baby and their unique details, which is exactly where it should be! My posing and wrapping techniques are very natural and led by your baby and their degree of sleepiness and flexibility. I won’t force your baby into any position they aren’t comfortable in, because their comfort and safety is my priority.

After I finished up with Luke’s solo portraits, Leslie took him for a diaper change and a feeding since he was due to eat. He was such a sleepy little guy that his parents had to wake him up somewhat to feed him!

One of my most favorite parts of newborn session is photographing brand new parents together with their little one! There is so much palpable love coupled with awe and wonder. If this is your first baby, and you don’t have a ton of hands on experience with newborns, you are likely still getting used to handling them and moving around…especially while standing up! As I’ve stated already, my top priority during newborn sessions is your baby’s safety. I will verbally communicate what to do and will model for you with demonstrations as needed. There’s are plenty of different ways to hold a baby - so if you aren’t quite confident holding your baby in the way I ask, I’ll quickly pivot and come up with an alternative that feels good and secure for you!

I’m here to make your session experience FUN and as stress-free as possible for you! During your time with me, I will handle all the little things so you don’t have to worry about them. I’ll tuck stray hairs, adjust your head angle so you don’t give yourself a double chin, and straighten your clothes. Your focus will be on your baby, and you will only have to worry about relaxing and enjoying yourself!

Leslie and Jordan loved the images from Luke’s newborn session so much that they chose to keep the full gallery! They are planning to return for Luke’s milestone sessions and we’ll create a compilation album at the very end of his First Year!

If you’re pregnant and thinking about a newborn session, congratulations! I’d love to work with your family and document this special time in your lives with beautiful photographs that will last 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.

Enjoy some of my favorite images from this handsome little guy’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 | Leslie & Jordan

Leslie contacted the studio at the end of her second trimester to learn about our studio maternity sessions. While chatting with Caroline (our dedicated full time studio manager), they discovered they’d both gotten married at The Sea Pines Resort in Hilton Head and had the same wedding planer! It really is such a small world. Caroline filled her in on our studio COVID precautions and what to expect with the entire experience. After Leslie reviewed the information with her husband, Jordan, they booked their studio maternity session!

THE BOOKING PROCESS

Caroline, our studio manager, sent over all their session paperwork. Everything is securely handled online through a very efficient and simple process. After Leslie remitted it, their date was was locked into our calendar! Caroline then scheduled her maternity fitting to take place about 2 weeks before her session and sent over a directions and a short list of what she should bring along with her for the best fitting experience, The studio is located on the Beltline right next to two.urban.licks and Billy Boy. It’s very close to Ponce City Market, and is really easy to get to! We have free lot parking as well as plenty of street parking if the lot happens to be full.

WHAT TO EXPECT AT YOUR MATERNITY FITTING

Your maternity fitting to will be scheduled to take place 1-2 weeks before your session! We do this so you have some time to make your final decisions and to coordinate other outfits for your partner and/or other children. Your belly is not likely to grow enough in two weeks to not be able to fit in your final choices. If you have your hear set on a dress that is tight at your fitting, I will have you go ahead choose a backup option just in case it doesn’t fit you on your session date as an insurance policy! Maternity clients choose up to two looks for all locations except the mountain which is limited to one look due to ranger restrictions on what can be carried up to the top.

Using the studio wardrobe for your session is not required. About 95% of our clients do choose to borrow from it, since it’s a great way to eliminate purchasing clothing you might only wear once. Even if you choose not to borrow from the wardrobe, looking through it can be great for inspiration!

Even if you are planning to wear your own clothing for your session with me, I still strongly encourage you to come in to the studio for a short visit and bring your options with you! If you just can’t swing an in person visit, let’s schedule a virtual meeting on Zoom or FaceTime! Meeting in advance of your session allows us to get to know each other a little bit and you will feel much more at ease in front of my camera at your session from the start.

Leslie lives 90 minutes away from the studio so it was a bit of a drive for her! I’m always humbled by how many of our clients drive from up to 2 hours away or fly in from other states for sessions with me.

Leslie was so excited to see the number of options available to her in the wardrobe. I asked about her preferences as far as color and style - and she said “I trust your judgement, so I’ll try anything on that you hand over!” She did want to show her belly in some of the photos, so I pulled several options for her to consider.

If you’re on the petite or taller side and are concerned we won’t have anything that will fit you, you should know that I have dressed female clients ranging in heights from 4’10” to 6’3” and size 00-16. Leslie tried each of the options that I had pulled for her and I snapped photos of her in each with her iPhone so she could look at them later with her husband and narrow down her final choices. We also discussed what Jordan should wear!

You will not need to decide what you’ll be wearing at your fitting! You’ll email us photos of your final selection(s) at least 4 business days before your session date. That way I can take your options to be cleaned if needed if another client chooses them in the same week. A lot of our studio pieces will fit both pregnant and postpartum moms, so they pull double duty around here! After considering all her favorites, Leslie settled on a stunning ecru v-neck dress with beautiful draping and a white open belly gown with a sweetheart neckline.

EFFICIENCY IS IMPORTANT

A natural light couples maternity session should NOT take 4 hours, and it won’t in my studio. A four hour session is an INSANE length of time to be photographed for a natural light session! Unfortunately I’ve heard from clients who went to other photographers before discovering me that they had to suffer through a needlessly long session.

Nope.

That’s not how I do thing. I’m will not drag your session out while your partner marinates in misery. While I can’t promise your partner is going to LOVE the experience, I can promise you they won’t hate me during or at the end! During your session, I will direct you both by literally telling you what to do and when to do it. I’ll demonstrate as needed too! I’m will let you know what’s going to happen next, and you will never be left standing there awkwardly to figure things out for yourself.

My passion is capturing the emotional connection between my subjects. All the sweet moments and interactions between my couples and family that you have seen in my work is 100% real and not forced.

BUT.

I’'ll be 100% honest, because you deserve transparency. Most of my clients can’t quite get to that romantic yet natural interaction entirely on their own without direction. That’s where I come in as the professional! I will put you exactly where where you should be, tuck stray hairs and adjust clothing if necessary . Then I’ll step back and give you a verbal prompt that will spark the natural interaction. This is when the magic unfolds. (Hint: the verbal prompt is stuff you do alllll the time. You just don’t think to do those everyday normal things when you’re in front of a camera!)

So, leave it to me! You don’t need to know exactly what to do, or how you should stand, or where you should look, or whether you should smile - because I’ll tell you! I will never leave you hanging, and your unique dynamic will be beautifully captured while highlighting the love you have for your new baby on the way.

WHAT TO EXPECT AT YOUR NATURAL LIGHT STUDIO MATERNITY SESSION

I already mentioned that my portrait sessions aren’t needlessly drawn out. I allocate an hour in my schedule for natural light (non-newborn) portrait client. When we first get started, it’s very likely that you’ll feel a little anxious and awkward even though you’ve already met me. You’ve invested the time and effort into this session, and you want it to go well.

So do I. I’m on your team.

Know that I am just as invested as you are in your session! I frequently photograph 20+ pregnant mamas a month (both in the studio and outdoors), and I’ve been working with pregnant moms for over 8 years at this point. When you book with me, you are choosing to work with someone who is incredibly experienced with maternity portraiture and I will take excellent care of you.

Most of my clients are comfortable and having fun in 10 minutes or so. The first bit is a warm-up for you to get used to being in front of the camera and following my direction. Once you’re relaxing and having a good time, the real photographing begins.

I intentionally have my pregnant clients move around as little as possible. You’re pregnant! Your balance is slightly off from your belly changing your center of gravity, and your feet and back are probably aching a bit at this point. I want to make your session as physically easy for you as possible. We will take breaks for you to drink some water or for your to rest for a minute if you need to!

Leslie arrived to the studio in advance of her session since she had opted to add on our hair and makeup services! She was so excited that we offer this to our clients and that she didn’t have to worry about coordination of anything or her hair and makeup staying put for the 90 minute drive to us. Bonus: our HMUA team is all fully vaccinated and wear PPE during their time with you!

The session with Leslie and Jordan was so much fun. We chatted throughout, getting to know each other, and we created the most beautiful images. As a matter of fact, they had so much fun that they asked to book their newborn session with us on the spot!

If you’re pregnant and thinking about booking a maternity session, YAY! Firstly, CONGRATULATIONS!!! This is such an exciting and monumental time in your life. I would love for you to contact us to chat about the session experience and how we can serve you! Have you viewed the about me video? It’s a mere 90 seconds of your life. Bonus: no commercials. If you haven’t seen it, you really should - click here to see it.  It’s on the older side - I was just a couple months postpartum with my now five year old son when it was filmed, but watching it will give you a really great overview of my philosophy and what I’m like personality wise!

Enjoy a handful of my favorite images from Leslie & Jordan’s studio maternity session below, and check back in a couple of days to meet their baby boy when his newborn session hits the blog!

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 Mateo

I first worked with Erised & Dan when they were expecting their first baby for their maternity session and was so excited to hear from Erised that she was pregnant again! She actually told me in person when she was at the studio to pick up an order from Benicio’s First Birthday session, and I may or may not have screamed in my excitement. Erised opted to enroll in The First Year collection to enjoy all the member perks - her favorite part of being a member is that she doesn’t have to remember to reach out to schedule upcoming sessions!

I LOVE working with clients for their maternity and newborn photos! Your maternity session is such a great way to get to know each other - much like an engagement session with your wedding photographer! When you bring your baby to me for their newborn session, you’ll already be at ease with me and in front of my camera.

WHEN SHOULD I SCHEDULE OUR SESSION?

The sooner, the better!

I know you are excited, and probably a little overwhelmed juggling work, home, and all the baby prep! Why not get this checked off your list ASAP so you can set it and forget it? I have a limit on the number of newborns due in each month I accept for a guaranteed session. Most clients secure their session while they are early in their second trimester to ensure they have a spot on the studio calendar! Many of our repeat clients reach out as soon as they get a positive pregnancy test because they know how far in advance we fill up! (Don’t worry, your pregnancy news is safe with us if you’re waiting a while to tell the world!)

Remember: booking your newborn session doesn’t mean that you’re scheduling the exact date of the session! It simply reserves a guaranteed spot on my calendar, and we’ll schedule your date once baby has arrived and we know how you both are doing. There are lots of factors to consider when scheduling such as your baby’s birth weight, whether you had a c-section, and if there were any other complications. Typically we’ll schedule for 8-21 days of life with those factors taken into consideration!

Don’t stress if you’re reading this and your baby is already here! Sometimes our reserved newborns arrive earlier or later than their estimated due dates. When this happens, that means there are some months I can take a last minute newborn client. Contact us NOW to check on if that’s possible for you!

NEWBORN SESSIONS WITH AN OLDER SIBLING INVOLVED

When older siblings participate in a newborn session, we need to know what their nap schedule (if they take one) is. We want your older child(ren) to be as well rested as possible and will take their nap time into consideration when planning your session. If you have a school aged child - please know that we do not schedule newborn sessions on weekend days or late afternoons. Our clients treat a newborn session with us like they would a doctor or dentist appointment and plan for their child to be out of school for a couple of hours. Typically we see older siblings get checked out of school right before the noon hour to come and join at the studio for the session.

I start newborn sessions in the morning between 9 and 10 AM, with the first 90 minutes of session time devoted to photographing your baby alone. This is the perfect time for you to take advantage of our add on hair and makeup services since you’ll be sitting on the couch doing nothing anyway while I photograph your baby. So, you might as well treat yourself to some pampering. ;) Erised was a hair and makeup artist early on in her working life before children, so she usually does her own!

When Erised and Mateo arrived, I took Mateo out of his carseat and got started right away while Erised looked through some of the dresses I had pulled for her to look at. Since I’ve worked with her so many times previously, I knew which dresses would be perfect for her skin tone and were in line with her style preferences. Ultimately she chose to wear the same dress she had worn during her maternity session since she loved it so much! This is such a fun way to nod back to the days of pregnancy, and some mamas who have studio maternity sessions enjoy having a couple before/after images with similar posing of cradling their baby bump and then having baby cradled in their arms.

Mateo was the sweetest little guy with the most beautiful eyelashes, and such a great sleeper! He looked so different than his big brother did as a newborn too - although some of that was due to their weight difference at birth! Big brother was much bigger size wise than Mateo! As I was finishing up with Mateo’s solo portraits, the rest of the family arrived. Erised had brought a special outfit for Mateo that coordinated with Benicio, so she got him changed into that. Please know that you do NOT need to have matching outfits or a special outfit for your newborn unless you want to! If you choose to do that, be sure that the outfit is not too large for your baby and fits them snugly. If it’s too big, they’ll be swimming in an overflow of material and it can be hard to keep it from shifting up and looking strange.

NEWBORN SESSION FLOW WITH THE WHOLE FAMILY

Mateo was in and out of sleep at this point, which is always completely fine! I actually really love when I have an awake and alert newborn in the family images! Sometimes I get lucky with a photo of everyone actually looking at the camera (rare, but it does happen sometimes!). If your baby is awake and NOT calm, don’t worry. We’ll work together to figure out what they need and get them happy and content again! Sometimes all your baby needs is another feed, a diaper change, or some snuggle time with you.

Your baby’s safety is my TOP priority when you’re in my studio. I will not place your baby near their older siblings if they are not calm and still. Every toddler is different, so every session will look different! I’ll gauge how big siblings are doing with baby when deciding which types of photos are safe to do. Since Benicio was not interested in being next to his brother at first, we defaulted to family images with brother interaction. Eventually, we were able to get the brothers to lay next to each other - but you’ll see that Erised and Dan needed to have a hand on each child for safety.

Once Benicio was finished being in the photographs, he went home with grandma and grandpa! We undressed Mateo to wrap him in one of our studio blankets, and I finished up the session with parent images and a few more solo of Mateo.

WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER YOUR NEWBORN SESSION

I keep it simple for you! You just had a baby, so the last thing you need is to deal with anything complicated. About a week after their session, Erised & Dan viewed their proof gallery and chose their collection. They knew they wanted to keep every image and have an album just like big brother Benicio had!

When their final images were completed, they chose which ones they wanted in their album, and I designed a proof for them. Album proofs are viewed online, and if revisions are requested, I’ll take care of that for you! 99% of the time clients approve the first go, which Erised did. She chose her favorite leather album cover, and I put the order in!

CONTACTLESS ORDER PICKUP PROCESS

When your order arrives at the studio (typically within 2-4 weeks of ordering!) you’ll get an email from me! Each week I send out an email to my clients who have orders ready for pickup. The email outlines the pickup process with a link to a scheduling calendar for the week ahead. You’ll simply click to make your reservation and come to the studio at that date and time for your contactless pickup!

CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION

Are you pregnant and interested in reserving a newborn session with us for your baby? We would absolutely LOVE to chat with you about your family, the experience we offer our clients, and how we can serve you. Contact us today 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 First Birthday Photographer | Baby Crew is ONE!

A SPUR OF THE MOMENT FIRST BIRTHDAY CLIENT

Karen contacted the studio at the VERY last minute to schedule a First Birthday session for her son, Crew. She and her husband Kirk have EIGHT children in their blended family, and Crew is their youngest. They were in the middle of getting their home listed, and things were crazy busy for them. Because of everything going on, Karen realized that she had neglected to schedule a session for him! She and her husband spent some time researching and visiting websites, and knew that I was the one for them as soon as they looked through my portfolio. Karen crossed her fingers and hoped we would be available for a last minute session. Much to her excitement - I was available that same week, and it was also my last availability in the next six weeks! (Pro tip: Don’t wait until the last minute if at all possible, because I can’t guarantee that it will work out for you in terms of my ability to fit you in!) Karen wasted no time securing the date with us. We sent along our style guide and cake tips sheet for her to look over, and let her know that we were available for any additional questions she had.

A couple of days later, Karen sent me an email letting me know she was feeling very overwhelmed due to the preparations for the move. Because of all the organizing and packing they were doing, she didn’t have access to a lot of her clothes, and she didn’t know where she was going to get a cake at the last minute!

I invited her to come to the studio the next day for a style consult, and she was thrilled to hear that she could borrow from the wardrobe and that I had plenty of options that would fit her 5’11” frame. I also asked her to bring along options for Crew from what she had and I would pull out what I had available as well. Crew was already in 18-24 month sizing at age 1, and I have a handful of neutral and timeless things that work really well for that. There’s no need to stress about what to wear - I will help you figure it out!

Karen loved so many of the options that I had available for her and we narrowed it down to two of her favorites. Since her session was in just a couple of days, I told her that we could decide when they arrived. We also looked through the options for Crew, and she fell in love with a unisex cream romper that I have in my studio. She had also brought along the most darling little three piece set for Crew as well, so he was all set!

As a mom of three myself, trust me…I know you’re busy! I have thoughtfully designed your entire session experience from start to finish to be as simplified as possible. You shouldn’t have to waste precious brainpower trying to figure everything out on your own. If you want or need more in-depth assistance with styling like Karen did, I’m available to schedule a complimentary visit in the studio to go over your wardrobe or exchange a few emails in advance of your session. Whatever you need, I’m here for you!

THE BEST TIME TO DRESS YOUR BABY FOR THEIR SESSION

Some moms find it it easier dress their child beforehand because they’re in that oh-so-fun stage where a diaper or clothing change results in an epic flailing temper tantrum. You know your little one and their needs best, so I will always defer to your mama judgment on when to get them dressed!

If you choose to dress your baby before coming to the studio, please make sure they are wearing something that is wrinkle resistant! You will also want cover their clothing with a big bib to protect their outfit in case anything happens on the way. “What could possibly happen?”, I’m sure you’re thinking. Well….here’s some real life examples that have actually happened to some of my clients: carsickness, spilled bottle, spilled snack, really big sneeze….oh, and that time a baby found a chocolate m&m lodged in their carseat that an older sibling must have dropped. I’m not kidding! When your planned outfit can no longer be used, it can be stressful, so let’s do what we can to avoid it happening!

WHERE TO GET YOUR BABY’S SMASH CAKE IN ATLANTA

Karen was stressing about finding a bakery and ordering a cake, so I took that stress away from her. I checked with our preferred baker to see if she had availability (she did) and then gave Karen her contact information for Christina. Bonus: If your baby needs a vegan, egg-free, or dairy-free option, Christina can do that! A MAJOR plus to working with Christina is that she delivers your cake to the studio in advance of your session! This means that your cake is one less thing you need to worry about. There will be no prayers that you don’t trip while precariously balancing your cake. Not only are Christina’s cakes delicious (even the vegan ones!), her cakes are beautiful and photograph like an absolute dream.

I have personally worked with Christina over the last few years to develop the best buttercream consistency for our tiny clients. The icing texture is soft and malleable, so it’s perfect for smashing, but it’s not so sticky that it and won’t wipe off easily with some baby wipes. The majority of one year old babies DO NOT enjoy being wiped off afterwards because of being constrained! The less elbow grease needed from you to wipe the icing off their skin after their session, the better.

If you’re looking for a commercial options, Publix, Kroger, and Whole Foods are all great options for your baby’s smash cake! Wherever you choose to get your baby’s smash cake from, we’ll send our cake tips to you regardless. We’ll also warn you about a popular place in the Atlanta area….a popular bakery that we do NOT recommend getting your baby’s smash cake from! We don’t recommend this particular bakery because their cake icing is so sticky that it’s like GLUE, and extremely difficult to get off skin. Trust me: you do not want to have to use 10,000 baby wipes to get your baby cleaned up - and neither does your baby!

BEST PRACTICES FOR YOUR BABY’S SMASH CAKE

• SIMPLE is the name of the game at the studio when it comes to smash cakes - the focus should be on your baby, not the cake. Don’t use fondant or tons of added objects for decor. Consider textured icing or an ombre, or watercolor design if you want visual interest. “Naked” cakes are also really beautiful too!

• Bigger is NOT better. Keep your baby’s cake to a max of 6 inches in diamete and to two shorter layers at the max. If height of your baby’s cake is too high, it will block their face and limit angles for their photos.

• Flowers as decor are so pretty on cakes, but are not practical for smash cakes. If you choose to include them anyway, plan to remove them after first few photographs, 9 times out of 10 they will end up on your baby’s mouth and you'll be dashing over to take it away… which can lead to an unhappy baby! This advice applies to everything that isn’t icing - candles, decor, etc. Added elements tend to be a distraction from actually exploring and eating their cake, and the biggest drawback is that they obscure adorable facial expressions and limit angles.

• Keep it neutral! Choose a neutral icing color (off white, cream, or pastels) is best. Don’t choose neons, black, or super bright colors. These may permanently stain and ruin your baby’s clothing, and will cause unwanted color casts in your baby’s photos.

• Pass on using shaved coconut as a coating for your baby’s cake. While shaved coconut does add beautiful texture, there has not been a single baby in my studio that has liked it. As soon as they felt the texture in their mouth, it promptly ended exploration of the cake and they started crying and trying to get it out of their mouth. The exception to this guideline on coconut would be if you’ve given this to your baby before and know that they consistently enjoy it!

• Use buttercream icing only! AVOID whipped icing and fondant like the plague. Whipped icing is extremely sticky, greasy, and slippery. It is VERY resistant to being wiped off skin. Fondant is very thick, and frustrating for babies because it’s difficult for their tiny fingers to break through and eat. It’s also a choking hazard if they get a big piece of it in their mouth!

• Don’t bother with writing a message on top of the cake (save it for the party cake instead) - it doesn’t photograph well and can be distracting. If you HAVE to have something written that’s fine - but just be aware you won’t see it well like you think you will.

FIRST BIRTHDAY SESSION FLOW

First Birthday sessions are the ultimate 3 sessions -in-1. Your gallery will have solo portraits of your little one, family.parent portraits, AND cake smash photos (if you include a cake) to choose from. When Karen arrived, I had the two dresses she was considering ready to go. As soon as I saw what her husband was wearing, I knew that only one of the dresses would work for the overall tone - and she had been leaning towards it anyway, so she was happy for me to make the final call. I love when my clients trust my professional judgement when it comes to the best colors and tones! Trust me: I want you to look your very best, and choosing the right colors for everyone that all work together cohesively is a HUGE part of making that happen.

I started the session photographing Crew with his parents, and he was just the CUTEST little baby boy with the biggest blue eyes. He was a little bit shy at first, so photographing him with his parents helped him get used to me and accept that everything was okay and he was safe. I brought out our wooden stacking blocks for him to play with, which he absolutely loved. It didn’t take him long to warm up to me and his big, fun, and FEARLESS personality came out quickly! Karen changed him really quickly into the unisex cream romper for a few images since she loved it so much, and it looked absolutely perfect with the dress she had chosen.

Once we were done with the family and Crew’s solo portraits, it was time for the cake smashing fun!

THE CAKE SMASH

Karen put Crew into one of the knit diaper covers that I have here in the studio. I set up one of our antique high chairs and we sat Crew in it. I then demonstrated exactly how Karen should present the cake to Crew (I know it sounds a little over-the-top, but how you do this actually does matter for the best pictures!). I constantly physically demonstrate what I need you to do throughout during my sessions, so you’re never left hanging and trying to figure it out yourself!

When Crew saw his cake, he LITERALLY grabbed it! I think this session might be my most favorite baby boy session ever when it comes to how much he loved his cake. His parents joined in on the fun too for a few images! A lot of parents worry that a smash cake will be a complete waste of time if their baby isn’t in to it. I can’t promise your baby will love their cake, but I CAN tell you that I have quite a few tricks up my sleeve to get them interested. These tricks involve YOU interacting with them, and they’re easy! Once they’ve become sufficiently interested, parents can exit out of the frame and I’ll capture those images of your little one enjoying their cake! In this case, we didn’t have to employ any of these tactics at all… but we did have to take Crew out of the high chair and put him on the floor when he kept trying to throw his cake off the tray. Have no fear: I disinfect and steam mop the floors before sessions, so your baby will be on a clean floor if we have to do that!

I don’t typically put babies on the floor for cake smash sessions because the high chair is better for containing the mess and making life easier for parents. In this case though, I’m so glad we tried it to see what he would do… because the resulting images are SO RIDICULOUSLY CUTE and show Crew’s seriously flexibility and dedication to getting some more of his cake in his mouth! Scroll through a few of my favorites below to see what I mean!

Enjoy a few of my favorites from sweet Crew’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 Family Photographer | Kathleen, Ben & Holland

I first worked with Kathleen & Ben for their studio maternity session, and had hoped to photograph their newborn session but COVID hit right when she was born, and the mandated statewide pause shut my studio down for several weeks. So…. we did an outdoor family/milestone session several months later in September at the mountain location instead!!!

HOW TO BOOK YOUR FAMILY SESSION

Kathleen knew that we book out our fall dates MONTHS in advance, when when we knew that a newborn session wouldn’t be possible we went ahead and got their milestone session on the calendar. After chatting for a bit about the different locations available, she decided that the mountain location fit her family and her vision the best. Keep reading this post for more detail about the mountain as a location, because there are things you NEED to know about it when making your location decision.

Once Kathleen chose a date from what we had remaining on the calendar, we sent over her session paperwork electronically, and when she remitted it she was officially locked into the calendar.

As a note, dates are first come, first serve and they go quickly, especially for spring and fall dates. When we speak and give you open dates, those dates are what we have open as of our conversation with you. Dates are considered open on our calendar until booked, so it is possible that some or all of the dates will become unavailable if other clients book them before you make a decision. We have had clients get dates, tell us they’ll get back to us, and then get distracted. A week later, they reply back choosing a date that is no longer available due to being booked by another client. Moral of the story here: choose your date and lock your session in as soon as you can to avoid it being taken by another inquiry.

Kathleen sent back her session paperwork (everything is handled securely and electronically online!), and we sent over our style guide. When I asked if she would need any help styling like she did the first time, she said YES. We had a few email exchanges, and I sent over some options from my studio wardrobe for Holland that I knew would look amazing with her blue eyes. Kathleen was relieved to not have to go shopping for Holland, and opted to have the family dress more casually. She struggled with finding something for Ben to wear, and I saved the day by sending her links for options from Target. Since Kathleen avoids going into any stores due to the ongoing pandemic, using Target drive-up for picking up the order was the perfect solution for her!

My simple and to the point style guide really does make it effortless to understand how to dress your family for your pictures, and I’m here to help you with extra hands-on assistance if you want it! You are more than welcome to schedule a complimentary style consult with me at the studio. We’ll spend time chatting and go through your options, as well as look through things I have that might work from the client wardrobe.

I know you may have had less than stellar experiences with photographers in the past that left you to fend for yourselves and figure out the details yourself. You won’t be left in the desert when you’re my client. I’m here for you! If a studio visit isn’t an option for you, you can e-mail me photos and I’ll reply with feedback and suggestions… maybe even some shopping links if you need that! It is important to me that your experience is enjoyable and FUN, so let’s make that happen!

THE MOUNTAIN LOCATION: IT MIGHT NOT BE RIGHT FOR YOU

The mountain location is absolutely gorgeous in the fall, and I absolutely LOVE it. It almost feels like you’re on another planet due to the entire surface being rock.

I do NOT recommend choosing the mountain for summer sessions because of the extreme heat and the entire surface being rock and will NOT shoot there during the months of July and August due to the increased risk of heatstroke and fainting for participants.

The mountain location is NOT an “easy” location This holds especially true for families with little ones. Here’s why:

1. Parking can be EXTREMELY difficult to find, necessitating a two mile walk/hike just to get to the top, and then back again. Think about how exhausted your toddler might be after a walk like this.

2. There are no bathrooms on the mountain. You’re out of luck if you need to go - you have the option of using a Port-A-Potty at the base of the mountain if you’re desperate.

3. You cannot take strollers or wagons on the mountain, so you will need to plan to carry your children if they are young. Carrying your child(ren) can result in wrinkled clothing, sweating through your clothes, and being grumpy and exhausted by the time we get to the top.

4. If you have your maternity session at the mountain, you will only be able to have one outfit due to no changing tents being allowed on the surface of the mountain. There are very rare plants on the surface, and they are federally protected and yes, this is enforced!

5. The hike is moderate, but even my most physically fit clients who hike on the regular are a bit winded when we get to the top.

6. I will not be able to assist you by carrying anything for you. I will be handling my own heavy camera bag.

The good? It’s a gorgeous location that looks amazing whether it’s sunny or overcast and is worth the hike up.

THE FAMILY’S SESSION DAY

On the day of the session, it was a very slow evening at the mountain, which surprised me especially for how beautiful it was! We didn’t have any issues finding parking - granted, we went on a Tuesday evening and weekends tend to be less crowded but there’s never a guarantee during the fall.

Because Kathleen had chosen to wear heeled boots and neither of them wanted to hike up to the top carrying Holland, we decided to keep the session at the base of the mountain rather than hiking the mile up to the top. Kathleen was a little bummed because she thought we wouldn’t be able to get silhouette photos without going to the top, but you’ll see that’s NOT the case! All you need is an elevated surface and some open sky - and we can get that without going all the way up! :) The rocky ground is pitted and not even, so choose your footwear with that in mind…and walk carefully. The last thing you want is a sprained ankle to contend with!

I was really thrilled that we had scheduled their session at a time that ended up being the PEAK of the yellow flowers blooming! I love how they look in the background and in the gorgeous light we had that evening. We had so much fun staying at the base of the mountain and moving around from spot to spot.

Enjoy this beautiful mountain session - I just love working with this family and cannot wait to see them again for their next session! My favorite images are the shilouette images - so much emotion these two photos, and so much love. I think they’re such a perfect illustration of the saying “A picture is worth 1,000 words.”

QUIT PROCRASTINATING ALREADY

Do you need to schedule your family photo session? Do it now, before time inevitably slips away from you and you find yourself packing their bags for college. Contact us and we’ll chat about your vision and the goals you have for your pictures, as well as discuss our approach to see if we’re the perfect match for your 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 Maternity Photographer | Andrea & Paul at the park

Andrea contacted the studio at the end of her second trimester to learn about our maternity sessions. Since she and her husband are both in the medical field, she also asked about our COVID precautions. I’m so fortunate that about half of my clients work in some area of medicine/health! When news started coming out about COVID, I got ahead of it and emailed a selected few of my clients who work as pediatricians, OB-GYN’s, infectious disease doctors, ER physicians, and general practitioners. I asked them for advice on what I should do to keep myself and my clients as safe as possible, and they all sent me a list of their recommendations. This was long before the CDC had even come out with anything, and I’m pleased to say that their advice was actually beyond what the CDC recommended. After learning about all our safety procedures, Andrea knew she definitely wanted to book a maternity session with us, and chose the park location for their late September session.

HOW TO BOOK YOUR MATERNITY SESSION (it’s easy!)

We make it really, really easy for our clients. In fact, our clients frequently tell us how pleasantly surprised they were by how easy we make everything. This is intentional! You deserve to be able to enjoy your pregnancy without worrying about anything or dealing with complicated stuff.

Because Andrea had contacted us later in the game, we were already completely booked for weekend dates. We found a weeknight date that worked for her husband’s schedule, and because it was still early on in the fall, the sun was not setting until 7:45 PM. That meant that the session start time was 6:45, which allowed plenty of time for him to finish with work and for them to get there on time.

If you’re also a last minute client stressing about whether you’ll be able to book with us because you waited so long, please know that we often do have weeknights available. A lot of clients will just leave work a bit early to schedule a weekday evening session depending on what time the sun is setting on their session date. I always begin outdoor sessions about one hour before sunset. So, to find out what your session start time would be, just enter into the Google search box: “sunset time on X date in Atlanta”. The results will give the sunset time. From that time, subtract an hour, and that’s the general time for your session start!

Caroline, our studio manager, sent over Andrea’s electronic paperwork to secure her session date in the calendar. After Andrea remitted it, her session was officially locked in! Caroline then scheduled her maternity fitting here in the studio and e-mailed a short list of what she should bring along with her. She also gave her directions to our studio in intown Atlanta. We’re located right on the Beltline very close to Old Fourth Ward and Poncey-Hihglands. We are conveniently located by Ponce City Market, next to two.urban.licks and Bully Boy. There is a free parking lot available (and lots of street parking if our lot happens to be full when you arrive).

WHAT TO EXPECT AT YOUR MATERNITY FITTING

Your maternity fitting will be scheduled to take place 1-2 weeks before your session! I want to make sure you have lots of time to decide what to wear, as well as time to pull together the other outfits for your partner and/or children. You’ll choose up to 2 looks for your maternity session, unless you’re at the mountain location - then you’ll just choose 1. Our mountain location rules (enforced by rangers to protect the flora) no longer allows me to bring up our changing tent.

Your baby bump isn’t likely grow too much in two weeks to not be able to fit in your final choices! Most of our dresses have some stretch to them as well, but there are a few that' don’t. If you fall in love with a dress at your fitting that is close to not fitting and doesn’t have any stretch, you will pick a backup option for it just in case it doesn’t fit you anymore on your session date.

Usage of the studio wardrobe is not required but roughly 95% of our clients do borrow from it! It saves you lots of time on online shopping and returning what you don’t like, and eliminates a lot of stress. Even if you end up not choosing to borrow from the wardrobe, coming in to look through is GREAT for inspiration and to get to know me.

As an added bonus, a LOT of my maternity clients also find what they want to wear for their newborn session when they’re in for their fitting! So many of my client closet pieces pull double duty and can be worn as a maternity or regular dress.

I strongly recommend that you come in to see me beforehand even if you are planning to wear your own clothing. If you are just not able to do that because of logistics (I have tons of out of town clients), let’s schedule a virtual meeting via Zoom or FaceTime instead! Clients who spend some time with me before their session are MUCH more relaxed and start having fun a lot sooner. Why? Because I’m not a total stranger they’ve just met for the first time and they start off the session feeling comfortable since we’ve already broken the ice.

When Andrea and Paul came in for her fitting, they were surprised by the number of options available in the wardrobe. We have a LOT! She had been worried we wouldn’t have options for her as she’s very slim in build. Our studio wardrobe has outfitted women ranging in heights from 4’10” to 6’3” and size 00-16, so if you fall into those ranges, we very likely have something for you! When they arrived, we chatted for a bit about her style preferences and favorite colors, and I started pulling some of our pieces for her. She tried each of them on and Paul assisted by taking an iPhone photo of her in each one so they could review and choose later. While she was trying on pieces, Paul and I chatted and got to know each other, and I walked him through how to dress as well. He had a few questions for me about newborn sessions and how I did those, which I was happy to answer. They had not yet booked a newborn session at this time, since they were still considering whether or not to do that and wanted to see the studio and hear more about how they worked first.

When it comes to making your choices, you don’t have to decide at your maternity fitting! That’s why iPhone photos of you in each dress come in handy. You’ll need to have your final selections sent to me 4 business days before your session date. That allows me to have your options dry cleaned and back in time if another client wears one of your choices in the same week, or to pull your selection and put it aside if I have a session the day before or day of yours.

After looking at all her options and showing her husband, Andrea decided on a pretty teal lace gown that brought out her eyes and the popular “magic” dress - a backless boho dress with a crochet top that somehow looks amazing on very single skin tone and fits a wide range of sizes. It’s a client favorite for a reason!

EFFICIENCY IS THE NAME OF MY GAME

An outdoor maternity session should NOT take 4 hours. That’s a crazy length of time to shoot a regular portrait session without a newborn involved. Overly long sessions are why a lot of first time dads come in assuming they’re going to hate the entire experience and it’s going to be one of those things they have to grit their teeth and get through for the sake of making their wife happy.

NO WAY. That’s not how I operate. I’m incredibly efficient, and I make sessions enjoyable (and sometimes even fun). I will lead you both through the entire experience and literally tell you what to do and when to do it. Your partner will be given direction and be told what to expect next. Dads HATE sitting around not knowing what’s happening or what we’re doing next, and I eliminate that entirely with my direct tell-it-like-it-is (but in a kind way) approach.

My focus, and the heart of my business, is capturing the emotional connection between my subjects. You know that interaction you see in my photographs? It is 100% real and not forced or staged.

I’ll be totally honest: most of my couples can’t get to that natural interaction on their own because MOST people are very camera aware and freeze up a little bit.

So….I’ll get you both positioned just where where you need to be. I’ll tuck back stray hairs and adjust your clothing if necessary ….and proceed to direct you with a simple prompt that spurs your natural interaction and emotion. THAT, my friends, is when the magic for your photographs will begin.

When you choose me as your photographer, you won’t need to be nervous about not knowing what to do. You will never have to think to yourself, “We will never look like we are in love and connected like those other couples on her website .” You will, but it WON’T look like “those other couples”. Why? Your dynamic with your partner is absolutely exclusive to the two of you! Your session pictures SHOULDN’T look like any other maternity session. If that were the case, you’d just have a cookie cutter shoot, and who wants that?!

Your images will be a beautiful and true reflection of your relationship and affection for each other, and highlight the love you have for this brand new baby on the way. Oh, and you’ll also look absolutely stunning. ;) 

WHAT TO EXPECT DURING YOUR MATERNITY SESSION

I already mentioned that my maternity sessions aren’t needlessly long. I block off an hour for portrait sessions that don’t involved a newborn, and we will begin one hour before sunset. As such, it’s important to be on time, because while I shoot efficiently, I don’t have the power to keep the sun from setting.

When we start your session, you will likely be feeling a little nervous awkward. Feeling this way is 1000% normal! You can be confident that I will take excellent care of you. I frequently shoot 20+ maternity sessions (studio and outdoor), and I’ve been photographing pregnant moms for over 8 years now - so you are truly in the hands of an expert when it comes to maternity sessions!

Most of my expecting couples start hitting their stride within ten minutes of being in front of my camera. Sometimes the pictures I take at the very beginning of your session will meet my standards and they’ll make it into your proof gallery, but most often they don’t. I intentionally plan for the first bit of your maternity photos to be the warm-up for you! When I can see that you and your partner are beginning to relax, I ramp it up and that’s when I start getting those natural and unforced images for your gallery.

I have my pregnant clients move around as little as possible during maternity sessions! I am acutely cognizant of the fact that you’re pregnant! I know that your back might be aching, your feet might be a bit swollen, and that being pregnant and growing a baby is HARD work. So I refuse drag you all over the place and make you feel like you competed in a triathlon by the time we finish. Instead, I have your partner be the one to jump in and out of the frame.

During your session, if you ever need a break or to sit down for a minute, all you need to do is let me know. We’ll pick right back up when you’re ready to go again, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with you if you need a minute. Your comfort is my priority and at the top of my mind when photographing you.

ANDREA & PAUL’S MATERNITY SESSION

The evening of their September session was warm, beautiful and sunny. When I arrived to the location, I got a text letting me know Andrea and Paul were running a few minutes late to their session. Andrea was a bit flustered when they arrived because of being late and very apologetic, saying she hoped this wasn’t messing everything up. I reassured her that it was totally fine, and because they were already comfortable with me we wouldn’t need very much time to warm up. While I would always prefer for clients to be on time, life (and Atlanta traffic) sometimes happen! All it means is that I will get even more efficient with my shooting and move things a little bit faster to make sure we get what we need in the time we have. Andrea changed into her first dress, and we got started shooting!

I spent some time photographing Andrea solo and having Paul step in and out. The two of them have a very lovey-dovey relationship naturally, so not much direction was needed to get that out of them! We really had a lot of fun and laughter during our time together, and their gallery images are just full of so many sweet moments that really showcase their affection and love for each other. At the end of the session, Andrea and Paul told me how much fun everything was and asked if they could go ahead and reserve a spot for their son’s newborn session after he arrived. I let Caroline know they wanted to proceed with a newborn session, so she sent over the information to them that same day to get them locked in.

If you’re reading this and considering booking a maternity session, congratulations on expecting your baby!!! I know that this is such a special time in your life and you are so excited about everything that is to come. I would absolutely love for you to contact us to chat about your vision and how we can best serve you and your growing family!

Enjoy some of my favorite images from Andrea & Paul’s maternity session at the park !

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 | Kelly, Daniel, Ruben, Thea, and Zoe on the mountain

I first worked with Kelly and Daniel for their first family session with a professional photographer a couple of years ago when their youngest was still a baby. When Kelly contacted the studio, she was so excited to hear that I helped clients with wardrobe planning and that there was a real, live studio manager available to answer her questions about the entire experience. Caroline (our studio manager) is pretty awesome! She’s so much fun to talk to, and our clients love her. I hired her full-time five years ago and have never looked back. Caroline helps ensure that everyone who comes into contact with the studio is served well from the very beginning, and her help allows me to focus 100% on working with my clients.

HOW TO BOOK YOUR FAMILY SESSION

Kelly knew that we book out our fall dates MONTHS in advance, and she made sure to reach out to us in late spring to get on the calendar for a fall date. After chatting for a bit about the different locations available, she decided that the mountain location fit her family and her vision the best. (I’m going to go into more detail later in this post about the mountain as a location, because there are things you NEED to know if you’re considering choosing it as your location!)

Once Kelly picked a date from what we had remaining on the calendar, we sent over her session paperwork electronically, and when she remitted it she was officially locked into the calendar. When you call the studio to talk about dates, you need to know that any dates given to you as possibilities are not confirmed until you are officially booked in with your paperwork. When we give a date as a possibility to a client, we may have also given the same date as a possibility to another that we spoke with earlier in the same day. Dates are considered open on our calendar until booked - so they are first come, first serve. Clients are always amazed at how quickly dates go! We’ve had several instances where a client asked for some date options and we sent them over. The client got distracted and waited for a week to reply back - and all the dates that had been given as options the week prior were already booked by other clients.

Kelly remitted her paperwork that same day, and we sent over our style guide. She already had it from the first time around, but it’s always good to have a refresher. When I asked if she would need any help styling like she did the first time, she told me she planned to send over what they were wearing, but that she was pretty sure she could handle it thanks to the style guide. She did email over photos of the family’s ensemble, and I gave her two thumbs up. She did SUCH a great job! The style guide really does make it easy, and I’m here to help however I can. If you want to schedule a style consult at the studio to go through your options and possibly borrow from the client wardrobe, I’m here for you! If you’d rather send over photos of your options for me to look at and reply with feedback, I’m here for you! I want to make your experience enjoyable and FUN - and if that means you need some extra help with planning, I’ve got you taken care of.

THE MOUNTAIN LOCATION: IS IT RIGHT FOR ME?

The mountain location is absolutely gorgeous in the fall, and I LOVE it. I do not recommend it for summer sessions because of the extreme heat and the entire surface being rock and will NOT shoot there during the months of July and August due to the risk of heatstroke and fainting for clients.

The mountain location is NOT an easy location, especially for families with little ones. Here’s why: (1) parking can be EXTREMELY difficult to find, necessitating a two mile walk/hike just to get to the top, and then back again. Think about how exhausted your toddler might be after a walk like this. (2) There are no bathrooms on the mountain. You’re out of luck if you need to go. (3) You cannot take strollers or wagons on the mountain, so you will need to plan to carry your children if they are young. When you carry them, it can result in wrinkled clothing, sweating dads, and exhausted kids by the time we get to the top. (4) If you have a maternity session there, you will only be able to have one outfit due to no changing tents being allowed on the surface of the mountain. There are very rare plants on the surface, and they are federally protected and yes, this is enforced! (5) The hike is moderate, but even my most physically fit clients are a bit winded on the way up. (6) I will not be able to assist you or carry anything for you. I will be handling my own heavy camera bag. It is very much every man for themself on the way up.

The good? It’s a gorgeous location that looks amazing whether it’s sunny or overcast and is worth the hike up.

THE FAMILY’S SESSION DAY | CRISIS AVERTED!

On the day of the session, I arrived an HOUR early in hopes of finding parking. There was zero parking to be found. I texted the family to let them know and the overflow parking was also full. We ended up parking three miles away at another lot and then put our heads together to come up with a plan. What ended up happening is we decided I would jump into their minivan (masked and the windows down) and we would head back to the mountain base parking. Daniel planned drop us all off, and then try and find somewhere to park and then do the walk himself. When we pulled up, a car just happened to be leaving and we snatched the spot. Crisis averted!

We started the session at the base of the mountain and took our time going up to the top. I photograph along the base and every session looks different. We were all excited because it happened to be the peak of the yellow flower season, and they looked absolutely beautiful in the background with the clothing the family had chosen to wear. I cycle through lots of variations of groupings when I shoot family sessions - parents together, kids together, whole family together, mom with kids, dad with kids, so on and so forth. When a child needs a break or loses interest, I change it up and we move on. Keeping it low pressure for children is 100% the key to a successful session!

Enjoy this absolutely gorgeous mountain session - I just love working with this family and cannot wait to see them again for their next session!

IT’S TIME TO STOP PROCRASTINATING

Do you need to schedule family photos? It won’t be long before the time slips away from you and you’re packing their bags for college, so don’t put it off. Contact us and we’ll chat about your vision and the goals you have, as well as discuss our approach to see if we’re the perfect match for your family pictures!

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 Sonic

Rebecca had completed a maternity session at our field location with us and she loved the experience so much that she asked to reserve a  newborn session for after her son arrived. We fortunately still had room for another newborn in the month he was due, so we were able to get her taken care of! If you want to see the pictures from their maternity session, just click here!

WHEN YOU SHOULD BOOK YOUR BABY’S NEWBORN SESSION

Your baby will grow SO quickly, and the newborn stage is incredibly fleeting. It’s amazing how much your baby will change in appearance from their first days to weeks, to months. Preserving exactly how they looked when they were at their tiniest is what I specialize in, and I absolutely love being able to give parents these memories in tangible form for a lifetime! You will never regret having these photographs taken.

If you’re wondering when you should book your baby’s newborn session, the answer is NOW. Don’t wait until your baby is born to try and find a photographer. You will be tired, sleep deprived, and not in the best frame of mind to make major decisions. Who you entrust with your baby’s and your family’s first photographs is a pretty big one!

To reserve your newborn session, you need to reserve a spot on our calendar in advance because I have limited space for newborns due in each month, and I book pretty far in advance. To give you an idea: more and more of my clients are choosing to reserve their sessions in their first trimester or right at the end of it to ensure they have a guaranteed spot.

Once I reach my monthly newborn capacity, there are no more available spots. This policy is in place to ensure we can provide the excellent experience and service that you deserve! Reserving your session is NOT scheduling the exact date since it’s impossible to guess when your baby will actually be born. When your baby arrives, you will let me know and we will then schedule your session to take place here in the studio! Typically, clients can expect to be scheduled to come in between the first 8-21 days of life, depending on how much their baby weighed at birth, if they were early/late, and if there were any delivery or postpartum complications that necessitate some extra recovery time at home.

If you’re reading this and your newborn is already here, you can always check with the studio to see if we have availability for a last minute newborn. There are times throughout the month that we have the space to take on an additional client if we’ve had a lot of our reserved newborns arrive early and they have already been photographed that month. You’ll never know unless you ask!

SONIC’S NEWBORN SESSION

On the morning of their session, Rebecca and Bo arrived to the studio with Sonic in tow. Rebecca was a bit concerned about how their session would go because she said that he sometimes would get fussy and take a while to calm down. I reassured her that I have seen it all at this point (I’m in my ninth year of business!) and that it wouldn’t be a problem even if he was fussy. I have all sorts of tricks up my sleeve and am very skilled at assessing a baby and what they might need to calm down. If your baby is fussy at times, know that this is NORMAL and we will get through it! There is no such thing as a “good” baby or a “bad” baby. When your baby is fussy or cries, it’s because they need something, and it’s our job to figure out what it is! I have a four hour chunk of time allotted for your newborn session to allow for calming and soothing your baby, as well as diaper changes and feedings just in case we need that much time. It will be fine, I promise! And just so you know: most newborn sessions are accomplished in 2-2.5 hours - the 4 hour chunk is just my “insurance” policy if your baby needs a lot of soothing time!

Sonic was a BIG boy, born at nearly nine pounds, and had the squishiest cheeks. Rebecca already knew we had tons of options available in our client wardrobe from when she had tried on options for her maternity session, and had a pretty good idea of which dress she wanted to wear for her newborn session. She felt both beautiful and comfortable in her choice of a mauve cap sleeved dress, which is exactly what the goal is when choosing what to wear.

Baby Sonic was a super sleepy guy, and he slept right through his solo portraits. He had the cutest little nose and head of black hair, and was just a chunky love bug!

WHY I USE NEUTRAL COLORS IN MY NEWBORN SESSIONS

You will notice when looking through my blog posts and portfolio that I primarily use neutral colors for newborn sessions. There’s a few thoughtful reasons for this!

1. Neutrals are timeless. They will stand the test of time and be impervious to being dated by trendy colors.

2. Netrals keep the focus on your baby and all their unique details. There are no loud colors competing for attention with your baby.

3. Neutrals look good on everyone! While the specific shades I use for your baby will depend on their skin tone, I have quite a few that are versatile and will work with pretty much every baby’s skin.

FAMILIES ARE INCLUDED IN NEWBORN SESSIONS, NOT JUST YOUR BABY!

After we finished up with Sonic’s solo portraits, Rebecca and Bo changed his diaper and gave him a bottle. He was alert at this point and looking around with a very serene gaze. Rebecca asked if we needed to get him back to sleep, and I told her it wasn’t necessary for the next part as long as he stayed happy and calm. I actually ADORE when babies have their eyes open during the parent and family portion because I’m able to capture that connection between parents and babies taking each other in. If this is your first baby and you didn’t have a lot of hands on experience prior to your baby’s birth, you might feel a little nervous or unsure of how to hold them. I will guide you and show you just what to do for your family portraits, so you don’t need to be concerned about figuring it out on your own. A lot of my clients have told me that a newborn session with me was like attending a Baby 101 class and that they learned things they wish had been covered in all their birth and baby prep classes! I have three children of my own, and have photographed hundreds of newborns over the past nine years of being a professional family & baby photographer. Prior to being a mom, I was a governess and overnight baby nurse so parents could get more sleep - in my tenure as a baby nurse I had NINE sets of twins. With all this combined professional and personal experience of being a mother myself, I have a LOT knowledge to share, and I am more than happy to be a resource for you if you ask! Don’t worry though: you won’t get unsolicited advice from me or be told you should do XYZ!

MAKING NEWBORN SESSIONS EASIER SINCE 2013

Not only will I guide you though how to hold your baby and what to do throughout your session, I’ll also make sure to tuck back any stray hairs. (Postpartum baby hair is REAL and sets in quicker than you think!) I pay attention to the little details, and adjust clothing and all those little things as needed. You just had a baby so the last thing you need is to deal with anything complicated. My client experience requires minimal brainpower from my clients, and we strive to make everything as simple as possible for you from first contact to final product delivery!

During your time with me, I want your focus to be holding and admiring your new baby. The family portion is typically the “easiest” part of our time together ! All you have to do is admire this amazing little human that you’ve welcomed into your family while following my gentle prompts for natural interaction with your baby and as a new family.

If you're expecting a new baby, CONGRATULATIONS!!!! I’m so thrilled for you, and would love to be considered as your trusted photographer for your newborn and family’s first portraits.

We will work together to create images that you will treasure for a lifetime and pass down through generations, and you’ll never regret taking the time to have these moments photographed. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio, and contact us to learn more about our client experience!

Enjoy a few of my favorite photos from Sonic’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 Baby & Family Photographer | Alexander is seven months!!!

Katie contacted the studio to book a family/sitting milestone session in the studio for her son, Alexander. She had come to us for her first son’s newborn session, but COVID had hit right when her second son was born. Once she felt comfortable and things had settled down somewhat, she was ready to schedule!

MAKING YOUR LIFE EASIER WITH WARDROBE STYLING ASSISTANCE

After Katie picked an available date on our calendar, our studio manager sent her the session paperwork. Once it was remitted, Katie’s session was locked into the calendar! We sent our studio style guide for her to refer to when choosing what to dress the family in. My studio style guide clearly outlines the best practices for dressing your family with color and pattern combos and is a short and sweet read. I know you’re a busy mama juggling all the things, so I keep everything concise and to the point! If you need more assistance with styling, I am happy to schedule an in person or virtual appointment!

In Katie’s case, she emailed and asked me for some extra help in sourcing outfits. I emailed her a few links of things to look at to get her pointed in the right direction, and she took it from there. H&M is what ended up being the winner for the outfit Katie bought for Alexander and it was PERFECT.

Once you are booked for a session with me, I am here to help you with styling if you need it! I am a mom of three kids, and believe me… I know all too well that the process of planning family photos can feel daunting. It doesn’t have to be that way! I am here to help take as much of that stress off of your shoulders as possible.

WHAT TO EXPECT AT YOUR MILESTONE SESSION

We will discuss your priorities for your baby’s milestone session before we get started. For milestone sessions, most clients want the focus to be on their baby, with family and parent images mixed in throughout. Young babies don’t have a super long attention span and tend to tire out quickly. There’s a lot of excitement and stimulation going on in a brand new environment! ALL my milestone sessions are efficient and guided by your baby’s mood and interest.

Most babies need some time to warm up to new people. This is why I almost always begin my milestone sessions with parents involved. Doing this ensures that your baby feels safe and secure in your arms. Once they start showing interest in me and no longer seem concerned, that’s when I start interacting with them and getting closer to them.

PRO TIP: If you arrive to my studio and your baby is not adjusting right away, don’t stress. I have an infinite supply of patience and empathy. We’ll work together to get them comfortable and adjusted! Come in ready to have fun and be open to trying some “weird” things (example: snorting like a pig) to get your baby’s giggles going, and it will all work out in the end!

My biggest priority in the studio is baby safety! Alexander was sitting solidly on his own, but quick to roll and crawl, so his parents were right outside of the frame when he was on the bed ready to come to the rescue if needed. If your baby isn’t sitting up alone for very long yet at their milestone session, no worries! There are SO many other adorable positions for your baby, and your gallery will still have plenty of variety.

THE SESSION

When the family arrived at the studio, Katie looked through what I had pulled from the studio wardrobe and chose a pink lace dress for herself to wear. She’d also brought an armful of options for her husband, Jason for me to pick from. Katie had opted not to come in beforehand because she knew I would have something for her just like at her newborn session with her first son, Jackson. Speaking of Jackson - it was a bit mind blowing to see him all grown up! I love watching clients grow over the years, and it never ceases to amaze me how MUCH and how fast children grow up.

After getting Jackson dressed, Katie changed Alexander into the perfect soft neutral outfit from H&M, and I chose the best look from Jason’s options that worked with the rest of the family’s outfits, and we got started!

Katie had requested that the gallery be mostly a mix of family/parent/sibling images with a few solo of Alexander, so I got started with the family images right away. Both boys were so happy and fun, and there was a lot of laughter and hilarity that ensued. Jackson couldn’t quite hold on to his wiggle worm brother for some brothers only images on the floor, and it was so funny watching Alexander continually escape from his grip. To be fair, Jackson has been taught to be very gentle with his baby brother, so holding on tightly was not something he felt ok with doing!

Enjoy some of my favorite photos from Alexander’s sitting milestone session with his whole family! You’ll see in the gallery that I utilized lots of my studio furniture throughout where it made sense.

If you want to learn more a milestone session for your baby, we would love to chat with you about what we offer and answer any questions you may have! It is NEVER too early to get on the calendar - so even if your baby is only a few weeks old right now, NOW is actually a perfect time to connect. My weekend dates typically book up 3-6 months in advance, so plan ahead and connect with us to get more information!

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

Atlanta Newborn and Family Photographer | Baby Bence

Mayers contacted the studio to learn more about booking a  newborn session after her son had arrived. She had relocated to the Atlanta area from her home state of Texas, so didn’t know many people in the area but loved what she saw on our website and knew we were the perfect fit for her family. After speaking with Caroline (our full time studio manager) and learning more about our client experience and COVID safety, she proceeded to book her son’s newborn session.

On the morning of their session, new parents Mayers and Jeremy arrived at the studio with Bence, and grandma accompanied them as well. We welcome grandparents in the studio, and have them present just for their part in the session. Mayers had brought a couple of options from home but looked through the studio wardrobe with her mother, and found a dress she really loved. Grandma also found something in our client wardrobe for herself too which she felt and looked fabulous in.

Baby Bence was awake upon his arrival, and Mayers expressed concern that he wasn’t sleeping. I reassured her that it was totally fine because he was calm and content. If your baby is awake and fussy, I’ll have you meet their needs with snuggling or a feeding to get them to a relaxed and happy state. I could see that Bence was tired and getting sleepy so I knew he wouldn’t be awake for long! Alert babies are so much fun to photograph and I work to get those eye contact images of your little one. After a few minutes of being swaddled up and warm with the sound machine turned on, Bence fell into a deep sleep, and I continued the session. I have an array of neutrals here in the studio, and I choose which are used based on your baby’s skin tone. Neutrals are timeless and will still look beautiful decades from now. They also keep the focus on your baby and all their unique details, which is where it should be! My posing and wrapping is very natural and led by your baby. I will not force your baby into any position they don’t want to be in, because their comfort and safety is important to me.

After we finished up with Bences’ solo images, he was awake again and a little bit fussy due to being hungry and having a wet diaper. Mayers took him for a feeding break and a change and once he was settled, we moved on to the family images.

I absolutely LOVE observing and photographing new parents together with their little one! There is always a sense of awe and wonder, and a whole lot of love. A lot of my clients don’t have a lot of prior experience with babies, and are still getting comfortable with handling and moving them around.

If this is your first baby, and you don’t have a lot of prior experience with babies, there is NO need to be nervous about your session! My utmost priority is your baby’s safety. I will verbally walk you through what to do and will model for you with demonstrations. There’s more than one way to hold a baby - so if you aren’t quite confident holding your baby in a certain way, I’ll seamlessly pivot and find an alternative that is comfortable and feels secure for you!

I’m here to make your experience fun and as stress-free as possible for you! During our time together, I will take care of all the little things so you don’t have to stress. I will smooth stray hairs and adjust your head angle so you don’t give yourself a double chin. I want your focus to be on your baby and for you to truly relax and enjoy yourself.

Grandma jumped in for some images with Bence and Mayers also, which I just loved. Bence was so alert and “looked” at the camera for so many of the family images. It’s always fun when this happens….but be aware that it’s always 100% sheer chance when it does. I can’t guarantee that your newborn will open their eyes at any point during their session - not every baby wakes up!

Mayers and Jeremy loved the images from Bence’s newborn session so much that they chose to keep all of them. They selected a gorgeous large framed print of their favorite image from the session. W e had a lot of fun choosing the best frame moulding for the print from my studio line, and the print now hangs in a very prominent place in their home for them to enjoy on a daily basis.

A lot of my clients ask if I like framed artwork or albums better when deciding what they want for their own homes…. I love both, but I’m a fan of seeing your photos EVERY day… and the best way to do that is on the wall of your home, so framed prints definitely have an edge over albums in that area!

If you’re expecting a new baby, congratulations! I’d love to work with your family and document this special time in your lives with beautiful photographs that will last 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.

Enjoy some of my favorite images from this sweet little boy’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 & Family Photographer | Chitra, Srini and Suman at the studio

I first worked with Chitra and Srini when they were expecting their son a couple of years ago, and have worked with them several times since then for milestone and family sessions. I was so excited to hear from them that they were expecting a little girl and wanted to book another maternity and newborn session! Chitra had been so busy with work and family life that she had procrastinated a bit in scheduling, but we were still able to get them squeezed into the schedule. Their first maternity session was at the park, during a beautiful late spring day. This maternity session was in the month of January, and Chitra opted for in studio so she wouldn’t have to worry about the weather being too cold outside.

THE BOOKING PROCESS

Because Chitra had contacted us pretty late to get on the schedule for maternity, we were not able schedule a weekend date for their maternity session. I really do book up my calendar several months in advance, so it’s the truth that the sooner you contact us the better your chances of getting the date you’re hoping for!

If I am fully booked for all my weekends during your best window for maternity session, you can plan to leave work on a weekday. We can arrange for your session to take place over your lunch break so you miss as little time as possible. They chose to come in on at the end of the week, and commented that the traffic was a less heavy than they expected! Atlanta traffic on the weekends can definitely sometimes be heavier than during the week…but just like weather in the South ….you just never know.

Caroline, our studio manager, sent over Chitra’s session documents to her. Our entire booking process is easy, streamlined and handled securely online! Our clients frequently describe our process as a “well oiled machine” and we very proud of that. We work hard to serve you well and to make everything as easy as possible for you from first contact to final product delivery!

After Chitra remitted her paperwork, her date was officially locked into our calendar. She opted to skip the maternity fitting since she knew she wanted to wear the same dress from her initial maternity session with her son as a sweet nod to the past, in addition to a more casual outfit consisting of jeans and a sweater.

THE MATERNITY FITTING

Chitra skipping her maternity fitting was totally fine since (a) she knew what she wanted to wear already and (b) had already worked with me multiple times! I typically schedule you maternity fitting 1-2 weeks before your session date! This ensures that you have plenty of time to decide what to wear from your options, and time to pull together the other outfits for your partner and/or children. Your belly is not likely to grow so much in two weeks that you won’t be able to fit into your selections. If you choose a dress that BARELY fits and are absolutely in love with it, we’ll have you choose a backup option for it just in case it doesn’t fit anymore at your session!

Using our studio wardrobe is not at all required! Roughly 95% of our clients do choose to borrow from it! If you are able to, I recommend that all clients (even those who are planning to wear their own clothing) come in to see me in advance of their session so that we are able to meet each other if we haven’t already worked together. Your session will feel much more relaxed and comfortable for you if you’ve met me prior to stepping in front of my camera.

You do NOT have to decide on your final choices at your maternity fitting and can take a few days to think about it! You will need to submit your final choices in at least 4 business days before your session date. This advance time allows me to have your selections dry cleaned in time if another client wears one of your choices in that same week. Most of our client dresses will fit both pregnant and postpartum mothers, so a lot of our clients also decide on their newborn option while with us too!

MATERNITY SESSIONS WITH TODDLERS: WHAT TO EXPECT

I always shoot my sessions efficiently, because a couples or family maternity session shouldn’t take 4 hours. When a young child is involved with a session, it’s even MORE important to not have a long session because it’s a recipe for stress and disaster. Four hours is an ridiculous length of time to photograph a standard studio natural light portrait session, and most kids are over it in roughly 30 minutes.

I’m going to lead you throughout your entire session from start to finish. I will demonstrate what to do and when to do it. I’ll do it quickly, but you won’t feel rushed. My photography focus during session is on the emotional connection between you and your partner/child(ren). The interaction between my family that you see in my images is 100% natural and unforced!

In the interest of transparency: most of my families and couples can’t quite get there on their own unless they have worked with me before. I do the initial setup work of positioning you, adjust your hair and clothing if necessary, and THEN give you a simple and easy to follow prompt that sparks the interaction.

Young children don’t follow direction well (or at all!), so we just let them be who they are, and you’ll interact with them just as you normally would. There is NO formal posing with little children where everyone has to be perfectly stiff for twenty eternal seconds - let’s face it, that is just NOT possible (or realistic) with most little ones under the age of 5.

Once you family is relaxed and has gotten comfortable in front of the camera, the real magic begins. No need to be nervous about not knowing what to do. The dynamic with your family is unique, and it SHOULDN’T look like any other session. I am not a cookie cutter photographer, because what’s the point of that?! Your session will highlight the love your family has for each other while capturing the beauty of your pregnancy.

MATERNITY SESSION FLOW

I already mentioned that your session won't be be dragged out unecessarily. I allot an hour for studio portraits, and we’ll take breaks if anyone in your family needs to!

If you’re a first time client, you are probably going to be a bit nervous and a little bit awkward when we get started. This is 100% normal, and it will disappear, I promise! I regularly shoot 20+ maternity sessions per month on average. I’ve been photographing pregnant moms for over 9 years now, so you are in very experienced hands!

Most clients take about 10 minutes or less to relax. The photos I take at the very beginning of your session often don’t make it into your final proof gallery, and this is intentional! This time is intended as your warm-up so you to get used to being in front of the camera and following my direction throughout. Once I see you’re relaxed and starting to have fun with it, THAT is when we start getting the keepers for your proof gallery!

I have you move around as little as possible, and my session flow is structured around your comfort. When you’re pregnant, your hips and feet might be hurting. You might feel sore and swollen, and there’s just no need to overexert you. Instead, your partner is the one who will step in and out of the frame at my direction. Breaks are taken as needed for you to drink some water or sit down and rest for a moment!

We started out our session in the most gorgeous late summer sunset light, and I spent some time photographing Chitra solo and pulling in the rest of the family for some images from time to time. Suman was a ball of energy and running around all over the place, which I loved. He was fun and so sweet, and we really captured his true personality in the family images, which is always my goal. Chitra and Srini expressed amazement that he was so well behaved in the studio. They were worried he might be bouncing off the walls.

Most young children have a short period of what I call “shock and awe” when they enter the studio since it’s a new place for them. This is exactly why I knock out the family images right away while I still have them interested and listening. Once they become comfortable in the environment, that’s when they tend to start to bouncing off the walls. ;) Maybe you have a child that knows no strangers and is always energetic. I have three children of my own who match this personality description, so no worries!

If you’re reading this and considering booking a maternity session with me, YAY! Firstly, a HUGE congratulations!!! This is such an amazingly special time in your life as your family grows. It is truly an honor to work with couples expecting their first, second, third, or seventh child, and I would love for you to contact us to chat.

Have you watched the video here on the website that really covers our whole process and who we are? If you haven’t, check it out - you can click here to see it. It’s a short 90 seconds, and provides an awesome overview of what it’s like to work with me. PLUS, you’ll actually get to see my entire face in the video unlike when you’re with me due to my wearing a mask! ;)

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

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 Atticus

Katrina contacted the studio to learn more about booking a  newborn session after her son had arrived and had been referred by a good friend who is a client of ours. We had last minute availability, and told her that we could fit her in that same week.

Katrina had initially thought she wouldn’t do a newborn session because she was concerned about COVID, but when she saw how fast her son was growing, she didn’t want to miss out on such a special time - the newborn stage is so fleeting! Her friend had filled her in our safety protocols, and she liked what she heard. For those who are wondering: yes, I am fully vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine, and my full protection kicked in on April 12, 2021. I also wear a mask with clients at all times in the studio! After speaking with Caroline (our full time studio manager) and learning more about the experience and our process, Katrina proceeded to book her newborn session.

She also opted to add on hair and makeup services, and was thrilled that this was an option to her! No worrying about trying to get ready in between nursing and packing your diaper bag the morning of your session!

Our in home newborn sessions have been indefinitely suspended due to COVID-19, and we are currently only offering studio sessions: the only thing you need to worry about is just getting here. You should know that in-home newborn sessions actually require so MUCH work on your part: cleaning, moving distracting elements out of rooms, turning the heat up to get it warm enough in the house, and the list goes on. Most moms don’t want to deal with all that while recovering from childbirth and dealing with sleep deprivation. With a studio newborn session: you simply show up. You’ll enter our sanitized studio which will be set to the perfect temperature for your baby, and has perfect natural lighting from our giant 25 foot long wall of windows.

On the morning of their session, Katrina and her husband arrived at the studio with Atticus. Katrina had brought some options from home but looked through the studio wardrobe and fell in love with one of our casual cream jersey dresses. She felt beautiful AND comfortable - both important factors!

Baby Atticus was awake when he arrived, so I took the opportunity to photograph him with his eyes open. Atticus was a BIG boy, and I knew he would need to eat based on his rooting and squirming. When he started getting fussy, I took him to Katrina over in the hair and makeup chair for a feeding and snuggle break, and that did the trick! Once he was soundly asleep in his mother’s arms after a full feeding, I took him back to the shooting area to finish his solo portrait. He stayed asleep for the rest of the session, and was very easy to pose and work with due to being in such a deep sleep!

I use neutral tones here in the studio, and I select them with your baby’s skin tone in mind. Neutrals are 100% timeless and will still look classic 50 andeven 100 years from now. The use of neutrals keeps the focus on your baby and all their unique details, which is where it belongs.. My posing and wrapping is also baby led and kept very natural. I will never force your baby into a position they don’t want to be in. The safety and comfort of your baby is my utmost priority when they are in my care.

After I finished up with Atticus’s solo portraits, he had a diaper change and another short feeding break to calm him back to sleep. Most babies get pretty mad when their diaper is changed, so I always have parents change the diaper BEFORE feeding, so we can help calm baby down. Once he was asleep and content, we moved on to the parent and family portion of the session!

I LOVE observing first time parents with their little one! For many of my clients, their baby is the FIRST baby they have ever held and they’re still getting the hang of handling them. Most of my first timers are a little nervous because they aren’t used to handling their baby while standing up. If you think about it: when you’re at home with your new baby, most of the care you are giving your baby is while seated, or in bed, or with them on the changing table or other surface.

 If you are one of those first time parents that doesn’t have much hands on baby experience, there is NO need to stress. I will verbally walk you through the entire session along with demonstrations and adjustments if needed. There are plenty of ways to hold your baby - so if you don’t feel secure or confident holding your baby one specific way, we’ll adapt it to a way that you are! 

I’ll tuck back stray hairs and adjust your clothing if needed throughout our time together. I want your focus can be holding and admiring your new baby while following my gentle direction, not on whether your hair looks okay. The family photos are typically the “easiest” part of our time together! The only thing you have to do is admire the amazing little baby that you’ve welcomed into your family. One other perk of choosing to to work with me for your baby’s first family portraits is that I’ll make sure you don’t give yourself a self inflicted triple chin while looking at your baby.  ;) 

My goal is to make sure that your session is fun and relaxed, and we will create images that are natural and true to life. Let me help you preserve those special moments for generations to come! Your baby will grow up before you know it, and soon enough they'll be a teenager in the ninth. You're going to want pictures of them when they were impossibly tiny so you never forget these memories. Contact us today for more information and discuss booking your session with us!

Enjoy some of my favorite images from this sweet little guy’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 First Birthday Photographer | Ben is ONE!

Carolyn contacted the studio to schedule a First Birthday session for her son, Ben with the whole family included as well. Carolyn was sent to us by her sister-in-law who has worked with us for multiple sessions over a year! Many of our clients are sent to us from existing clients, which we so love and appreciate.

After Carolyn chose an available date for their session, we sent her session agreement and invoice. We also sent her our style guide, Pinterest inspiration board, and our cake tips sheet to review! The sheets we send over are to the point and really easy to read through, so no need to feel overwhelmed. We know you’re busy, and we make your entire session experience as simplified as possible so you’re not wasting precious brainpower trying to figure things out. If you want more in-depth assistance with styling, I’m available to schedule a visit in the studio to go over your wardrobe or exchange a few emails in advance of your session.

THE BEST TIME TO DRESS YOUR BABY FOR THEIR SESSION

Some moms find it it easier dress their child beforehand because they’re in that lovely stage of babyhood where a change instantly equals a temper tantrum. You know your baby best, so I will always defer to your judgment there!

If you choose to dress them before heading over, please make sure they are wearing something wrinkle resistant, and cover their clothing with a big bib. This will serve as insurance just in case anything happens on the way (ie: carsickness). You may scoff at this and think I’m exaggerating…but has actually happened to more than one client! When the outfit you were planning on your baby wearing can no longer be used, it can be upsetting, so let’s take every measure we can to avoid this in the first place.

WHERE SHOULD I GET MY BABY’S FIRST BIRTHDAY CAKE IN ATLANTA?

Carolyn brought along a simple white cake with buttercream icing from Publix that had the word “One” written in blue icing on top. If you’re looking for a commercial options, Publix, Kroger, and Whole Foods are all great options for your baby’s smash cake!. If your baby needs a vegan, egg-free, or dairy-free option, we exclusively recommend She Takes the Cake. Christina is our preferred baker and we are happy to connect you with her! A major perk of working with Christina is that she offers a delivery service to the studio! 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. No balancing your cake precariously on the drive over or the walk up to the studio while praying you don’t trip. Not only are they delicious (even the vegan ones!), her cakes are GORGEOUS.

I have worked with Christina to develop the best buttercream consistency for our babies: soft and malleable for interacting with and smashing, but not so sticky that it gets everywhere and doesn’t wipe off easily. Most babies don’t enjoy being wiped down because of being held still! The less elbow grease you have to apply to get the icing off their skin after their session, the better.

Wherever you choose to get your baby’s smash cake from, we’ll send our cake tips to you regardless. We’ll also warn you against a popular place in the Atlanta area. The warning is that we do NOT recommend getting your baby’s smash cake from this particular bakery rom because of the icing’s incredible stickiness which is like GLUE.

Below is a list of our top tips for your baby’s cake!

• SIMPLE is the name of the game at the studio when it comes to smash cakes - the focus should always be on your baby, not their cake. Avoid fondant or tons of added objects for decor. Consider textured icing or ombre if you want more visual interest.

• Don’t go crazy with the size. Keep your baby’s cake to a 6 inch diameter size or less and no more than two shorter layers at the max. If height of the cake is too high, it will limit angles for photography since your baby’s face can be obscured.

• Real flowers are really pretty on cakes, but not practical for our purposes. If you choose to include them, you should plan to remove them after initial photographs because 9 times out of 10 they will end up on your baby’s mouth. This goes for anything other than icing on their cake - candles, decor, etc. Added elements often end up being a distraction from actually exploring and eating their cake, and most importantly: obscure adorable facial expressions during their session.

• Choose a neutral icing color (off white, cream, or pastels) is best - AVOID neons, black, or super bright colors that may permanently stain and ruin your baby’s clothing, and cause unwanted color casts in their photos.

• Skip using shaved coconut as a topping - yes, it adds beautiful, texture, but there has not been a single baby here that has liked it. It usually promptly ends exploration of the cake as soon as they put it in their mouth and causes tears. The exception to this guidelines would be if you’ve given this to your baby before and know that they consistently enjoy it!

• Choose buttercream icing. AVOID whipped icing and fondant. Whipped icing is greasy and very resistant to being wiped off skin. Fondant is very thick, and difficult for little baby fingers to break through and eat.

• Skip writing a message on top of the cake (save it for the party cake instead) - it doesn’t photograph well and can be distracting. If you HAVE to have something written that’s fine - but just be aware you won’t see it well like you think you will.

FIRST BIRTHDAY SESSION FLOW

First Birthday sessions are the ultimate 3 sessions -in-1. Your gallery will have solo portraits of your little one, family portraits, AND cake smash photos to choose from. I started the session photographing Ben alone, and he was just the CUTEST little baby boy with the biggest blue eyes. He wasn’t shy at all, and gave me lots od sweet expressions and smiles. If your baby is on the shy side, I will start the session with them in your arms rather than alone. Starting this way will reassure them that they are safe and secure, and that everything is ok.

Once I was finished with those, we moved on to the family photos! I photographed a variety of family images: Ben with big brother, each of his parents, the whole family together, etc. Then it was time for the cake smashing fun!

THE CAKE SMASH

Carolyn put Ben into a white cloth diaper cover that we have here in the studio. She put over his regular diaper - which don’t photograph well. I also have other knit bottoms as options for baby boys here! I set up one of our antique high chairs and we put Ben inside. I then demonstrated exactly how Carolyn should present the cake to Ben (sounds silly, but how parents do it does matter for the best pictures!). I physically model what I need clients throughout during my sessions as needed, so you will never have to worry about what to do, how to do it, or when.

When Ben saw his cake, he grabbed it the rest of the family joined in on the fun with big brother helping out! A lot of parents worry that a smash cake will be a waste of time if their baby doesn’t like it. While I can’t promise your baby will love their cake, I have lots of trips and tricks up my sleeve to get them interested that involve you interacting with them. Once they’ve become sufficiently interested, parents can exit out of the frame and I’ll capture those images of your little one enjoying their cake!

Enjoy a few of my favorites from adorable blue-eyed Ben’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.