Welcome, Ivy Joy: Newborn Portraits at Four Weeks Old

Welcome to the world, Ivy Joy! It’s so special getting to meet babies after I’ve photographed their mom’s maternity portraits, like Ivy Joy. I photographed her mama’s maternity session this summer while they were anxiously waiting for her arrival. I loved getting to know Heather and Lee better during their maternity session, and I love that we pulled elements of the colors Heather wore into Ivy Joy’s newborn portraits, too. I’m all about creating cohesive images that will pair well together in your albums or on your walls!

For Ivy Joy’s session, she came to my Saratoga Springs studio. She was 4 weeks old, but so sweet and mellow. While she was awake, she had the best eye contact - and that’s one of my favorite things about older newborns. They’re always so sweet!! Ivy Joy was easy to pose and I loved capturing some of her new expressions. Photographing older newborns can come with it’s challenges, but I also love the ways you can capture their personality because they’re a bit bigger now.

Heather and Lee requested the sage green and mustard yellow in her setups - which was a great way to tie into Heather’s maternity portraits. I’m also obsessed with the dark navy setup with the stars. Ivy Joy looked so sweet on it! Come take a look at some of my favorite moments from their beautiful studio session.

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Pastel Newborn Portraits for Baby Lakin with Big Sister

Welcome to the world, Baby Lakin! I first met Lakin’s family when they welcomed their first daughter, Quinn, 3.5 years ago. Now they've added another little girl to their family and they came back to my studio again for another set of newborn portraits. I’m SO happy I got to meet their new addition before my maternity leave. 

One of the best parts of working with a family more than once is getting to see how their kids grow up – and adjust to being big siblings. Quinn is an amazing big sister! She was super helpful during the session and wanted to take pictures with my wooden camera prop. It was so sweet. She even told her parents to move closer together and say cheese. At one point, she even posed her baby doll in the wooden bed I used for Lakin. It was adorable!!! I might have to hire her for my studio one day! 

Baby Lakin was sleepy the entire time, and I only saw her beautiful bright eyes as they were putting her in the car seat to go at the end of the session! She was still in that tired stage in the first few weeks of life – but that’s okay. Lakin looked adorable in each setup we chose. Personally, I loved the green wrap we used in the last few images. She looked precious snuggled up under the blanket!!

Thank you to this beautiful family for trusting me not once – but twice – with their girls’ newborn portraits. I’m so honored that I had the chance to work with you twice and celebrate your growing family!! 

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A Fresh 48 Hospital Newborn Session: Camilla Appel

Sometimes families like to enjoy a few quiet moments alone as they welcome their baby to the world.  We close the door for a little while.  The new parents cuddle up with that sweet little baby, and it's just the three of them in their own little blissful world. 

Other times, families like to invite their loved ones in to the hospital to meet their newborn baby during their Fresh 48 photo session.  Grandma and Grandpa come in bearing gifts, more grandparents fly in from out of state and come from the airport straight to the hospital, and the new mom's sister is a proud new aunt, beaming at the sight of her first niece.  Hugs are shared, happy tears are shed, and the baby is passed around while whispers of "Ohhhh, she's perfect!" float through the hospital room.

Less than 24 hours old, Camilla was passed from one pair of loving arms to another, soaking up the smiles and adoration as two families came together to meet their granddaughter and niece.  

This one right here?  It's one of my favorite photos from Camilla's session.  Three generations of incredible women, a beautiful moment contained in a small rectangle of space.  The way that the mother (a brand new grandmother!) is looking right at the camera with her girls all around her is so beautiful.  She did that.  Because of her, they are all in this world to light up HER world.  It's a true example of surrounding yourself with the people that you love.  THESE are the stories that photographers love to tell through their cameras!

Fresh 48s have become my absolute favorite type of session this year, and it's easy to see why.  Going through the images from Amelia & Michael's hospital newborn session truly transports you to that June day in their hospital room, making you feel like you were right there celebrating with them as they welcomed their daughter to the world.  There is so much emotion woven into such a beautiful story, and capturing these moments during such an intimate time in a family's life is always an honor.

Happy Birth Day, baby girl!  You are already so, so loved.  

Have you been dreaming of your little one's arrival?  A hospital newborn session is the perfect way to document their arrival and celebrate the newest addition to your family.  Contact me and let's chat about how this type of relaxed, lifestyle newborn session may be a good fit for your family!

A special thank you to Jamie of Koss Photography for her assistance with this session.