All about our mini accordion albums

One of my favorite heirloom products in the studio are our mini accordion albums! These sweet little books are one of the cutest ways to showcase your images from your portraits. They make perfect gifts - or are totally great to keep for yourself, too. Today, I wanted to talk more about why I love these sweet little mini accordions and why they’re one of the most popular products at the studio! 

Perfect Size for Gifting

Our mini accordion albums are 3”x3” and they’re perfect for tiny hands (and big ones, too!). I love giving these accordion albums as gifts. They’re a great little size for displaying on the bookshelf or looking through. In fact, a lot of our families give these to grandparents for the holidays! When you order the albums, you get 3 copies - making it even easier to give them as gifts, too! 

Durable Enough to Be Loved On

With magnetic covers, the accordion albums won’t spring open - which means they won’t fall over or get ruined. They simply snap back into place when you’re done looking at them. With a durable clear slipcover, they also won’t get dinged up if you like to carry it around! I’ve even had parents tell me they send one with their little one to preschool for when they’re feeling homesick!

These sweet mini accordion albums are truly a great addition to your heirloom products! Consider ordering a set for the holidays this year, or just to have in your own home. 

My favorite textured knits for winter baby portraits

Like all baby photographers, I love prop shopping and adding to my studio's collection. I have many favorite pieces in the studio that I use for nearly every newborn session, and these go-to items photograph beautifully and are well-loved. I always opt for classic neutrals that will match with everything, and I keep my colors in line with my style and the style/color palette that most of my clients use in their homes, too.

As the I get the studio ready for all of the winter newborns that will be coming to the studio for their first portrait session, I’ve been shopping for new knits for the studio. During the winter, I’m all about creating soft and cozy layers for your baby. We have a huge variety of hand-knit props from talented artists all around the globe. Wraps, layers, bonnets, sleepy caps, blankets, rompers, overalls, and so much more. They add such beautiful texture to your portraits, creating visual interest - and help keep your little one warm and cozy, too!

Everything you need for your baby’s first portraits, all in one place.

One advantage of going to a photographer who provides everything for you is that they already know what fabrics and colors will photograph best, and you don't ever have to worry about choosing something that is cute in person but doesn't look quite right in the finished portraits. I have everything you need in the studio for your little one's portrait session. Choose from outfits, headbands, wraps and swaddles, bump blankets, bonnets and hats to make your baby’s look complete! 

During winter sessions, I try to mix chunky knits with softer, finer woven knits, pairing similar colors for a monochromatic look, or using mostly whites with a pop of color. My goal is to make it easy to focus on your baby in your portraits and showcase just how tiny and perfect they are!

Some of the most popular colors for newborn portraits in our studio are:

white
cream
slate blue or navy blue
mint green or sage green
lavender
blush pink
gray or greige

As you can see, choosing the perfect outfit for your baby’s portraits can be easy and fun! Make sure to talk with your newborn or baby photographer to find out what they have on hand this winter for the perfect, cozy look for your little one!

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6 month milestone portraits with Saratoga Springs Baby Photographer

I absolutely adore working with Jen and her boys. I’ve photographed all three boys since they were born. Each has had a newborn, milestone and first birthday session in my studio… well, Baby Rhys is only on his milestone session. He’s got another 6 months before he turns one! Either way, I love seeing them in my studio every few months. It’s a great time to catch up on what’s been going on - and I adore watching their boys grow up. They’re all so sweet!

During the milestone sessions, we always update a portrait of the brothers together. This time, since we were close to Halloween, it seemed fitting to do their photo in their costumes. The middle boy’s middle name is Draco, and we’ve always leaned into the dragon theme for his portraits. Naturally, the three boys are dragons for Halloween this year!! They were SO cute and excited to be in their costumes. I loved capturing that fun portrait of them.

It was good to see Rhys, too. I saw him for his newborn portraits 6 months ago. Now, he’s just the most mellow baby and so happy. He made my job easy with lots of easy smiles and sweet big eyes. Mom picked out the cutest little overalls for him. He looked like such a little man! I can’t believe he’ll be back for his one year session before long!

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Boho Family Portraits in a Field | Saratoga Springs Family Photographer

I've been photographing this family every year since Johnathan was a newborn. We've done portraits in every season and every stage so far, and I always look forward to our sessions together. Johnny is now 3 years old, and he’s just a joy! This year, we planned fall family portraits at one of my favorite hidden gems in Saratoga Springs.

This little spot is just beautiful this time of year. With tall grass and lots of trees, it’s a lovely quiet location for family photos with a boho vibe. The grass grows tall in this spot during the late summer/early fall, and I drive by constantly in the final weeks of summer to be sure the town hasn't mowed it yet. It's perfect for early morning sessions, especially with toddlers who are early to rise! Here, we can walk and play - even bring a small stool or box for your little ones to sit on. I seriously can’t get enough of this little gem!

Speaking of boho vibes, Kristen and Matt planned the most perfect outfits! Kristen’s dress was on point and I LOVED her hat with the this gorgeous long dress and jean jacket. Everything was perfect!! Johnny even looked adorable in his little overalls during our session too! After working with this family for the last few years, I can say I still adore watching them interact and now, seeing even more of Johnny’s personality come out in our session. Enjoy a little peek into their perfect fall family photos!

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Family portraits at Yaddo Gardens in Saratoga Springs

I’ve been photographing this beautiful family for several years now. In fact, I can’t believe Ari just turned 3! This has to be one of our most silly and smile-filled sessions to date. Each year, they plan a special family portrait session in the late-summer/early-fall to celebrate Ari’s birthday. It’s always so special to see these three and I truly can’t believe how big Ari already is!

For this year’s session, we met at the beautiful Yaddo Gardens here in Saratoga Springs! This was our first time at Yaddo Gardens, which had been closed since March 2020. I was so happy that they reopened, and it was wonderful to see the beautiful gardens in bloom and return to some of my favorite spots for family portraits. I can’t wait to be back here more now that it’s open again!!

This was Ari's happiest, most smiley portrait session to date! He surprised all of us with his good mood, and he loved being in front of the camera. He could not stop smiling and giggling, and he absolutely adored loving on his mama. It was special to capture all of these beautiful moments for them. I can’t wait until next year!!

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Personal Branding Portraits for Albany Pet Photographer

I was so honored when Marlana of Marlana Krupp Photography reached out to me to capture new branding portraits for her! Marlana is a fine art pet photographer and wanted to do a branding session to show her working with her four-legged clients. This was SUCH a fun session because I got to watch her do her thing - and see some sweet dogs, too.

For Marlana’s session, we captured a mix of headshots and candid, action portraits of her interacting with her clients and their dogs at one of the local parks here in Saratoga Springs. She primarily works out in nature, so incorporating that into her branding portraits was essential! I loved getting to see her work. I also wanted to be sure that we captured her fun, laid-back personality to help show what a pet portrait session with her is actually like. I found it fascinating to watch her capture the dogs' attention with a dozen different toys, and even a rope necklace filled with different noisemakers like duck calls, crinkly paper balls, squeakers, and whistles. I can relate - sometimes getting kids’ attention is like that, ha! Like with all of my branding portrait sessions, it was important to really understand these parts of Marlana’s brand so that we could create images that are totally about her and her brand!

Marlana plans to use these images on her website and social media, and to start blogging for her SEO, which I’m thrilled to hear! These portraits give her endless options for creating content to attract new clients, in addition to her own portraits that she creates of her furry clients. It’s one of the reasons I believe so strongly in personal branding sessions! You need to be able to showcase your work, but also who you are and what makes you unique for your clients.

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Family portraits at Empire Plaza in Albany

When your baby turns one, it’s definitely time for updated family portraits - and that’s exactly what Luke’s family planned! Luke recently turned one and he and his parents celebrated with family portraits at the same spot his parents were married at a few years earlier: Empire Plaza in Albany, NY. It was a beautiful spot for their portraits! We had a gorgeous sunset the day of their session that worked in our favor. The sunset gave us beautiful light, and the light color of the building reflected so much of it back on these three. It made my job so easy!

Luke started walking just a few weeks before our session and he was so excited to be showing off all over the New York State museum grounds. I can’t believe how big he his now - I still picture him as that little baby in his newborn portraits a year ago!! He’s such a fun handful now and I know his parents are excited to be watching him grow and change.

I love that the Underwood family wanted their portraits at the place they were married - it’s such a special way to see how your family changes over time, and honor a place that means a lot to you. I’m always open to sentimental locations for your portraits, especially if they’re as beautiful as this spot in Albany!

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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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Personal branding portrait session with a color stylist

I am so excited to be sharing Amy’s branding session with you! Amy is a color consultant with House of Colour, and she wanted portraits showing off all of the incredible work she does. During her session, I was so impressed with how much I learned about colors and clothing choices. Beyond taking portraits, I was truly getting a chance to learn from an expert. Not to mention, Amy looked AMAZING on camera. She chose outfits and colors that really made her features pop. She and her home studio were so fun to photograph because of that!

I love working with female business owners, and we created such a fun gallery together. I'm already looking forward to seeing how Amy uses these images to elevate her business and marketing!​​​​​​​​ Amy, thank you for trusting me with your beautiful branding session. I hope you love looking back on them as much as I do!

Tell us more about your business! How did you get started, and why are you passionate about it.

House of Colour is a UK Based Company that has been providing color and style analysis for almost 40 years and recently expanded their operations into the United States.

I discovered House of Colour during a search for information on building a capsule wardrobe. I had recently transitioned from over a decade of working in a professional setting as a CPA to being a stay-at-home mom and was struggling to figure out how to dress for my new lifestyle and body. I was frustrated with all of the closet clutter, my spending habits, and feeling like I never had anything to wear! The idea of a capsule wardrobe was very appealing to me. I was immediately drawn to the practical and formulaic approach to shopping, but many of the capsule wardrobe guides I found online consisted of lots of boring neutrals (think white silk blouse with black pencil skirt styled 10 different ways) and did not fit my lifestyle at all! Once I found House of Colour, everything began to click! After discovering my best colors and styles, I was easily able to purge unflattering items from my closet and began to build a mix and match wardrobe of clothing that looked amazing and felt authentic to me.

During my color analysis, I was also shocked to learn that the color I had been dying my hair for years, along with all of my makeup was completely wrong for me! I changed my hair color and my makeup and started wearing my best colors and immediately began receiving compliments on my appearance for the first time in my life! When our family relocated to the area from Southern California last year, I knew I wanted to bring House of Colour to Saratoga Springs!

I offer two different types of appointments:

During a color analysis, I will use a series of precision dyed drapes to evaluate the way your complexion reacts to different colors. When you are wearing the right colors, your face will light up, your eyes will brighten, your skin will clear and you will have a natural glow. When you wear the wrong colors, your complexion can look dull, tired, washed out or even sick. Wearing the wrong colors can also bring discoloration in your skin such as hyperpigmentation, under eye circles, redness and fine lines. For makeup wearers, I custom match foundation, blush, mascara and three shades of lipstick to your natural coloring and completely take the guesswork out of buying makeup! No more swatching lipstick on your arm! Every color analysis appointment includes a beautiful color fan full of fabric swatches in your best colors and booklet with detailed information about building a wardrobe around your best colors. It is a very in-depth appointment that lasts about three hours for an individual. Appointments are available for individuals or for small groups. Color analysis is for women, men and children too!

During a style analysis, I will evaluate your body architecture and show you which shapes, silhouettes, hemlines, and style elements will look best on you. We will also take into account your personality, lifestyle and personal goals to guide you in building a wardrobe that reflects the very best version of your authentic self and makes a strong first impression.

What made you want to book a personal branding session?

As the first to bring this brand-new service to the area, I needed to market my business and educate potential clients on what color and style analysis is all about! I wanted live action shots to convey the entire service experience. I wanted the vibe to be colorful, fun and professional. Nicole really took time to understand my business so she could nail the shots and vibe I was looking for!

Was there anything you were nervous about before your session? How did I help make that experience easier for you?

I really wasn’t very nervous! I had worked with Nicole previously for my headshots which turned out amazing and was a really fun experience, so I knew I was in good hands! Nicole sent me a thoughtful questionnaire about my business and my goals which allowed me to gather my thoughts about my vision and intentions for the branding session. Nicole also met with me prior to the photoshoot to go over all the details including inspiration shots and the props we would use.

Plus, thanks to House of Colour, I know my best colors and styles and love all my clothes, so I was not stressed about what to wear! In the past, a photo shoot like this would have been extremely stressful and I would have agonized about how to do my makeup and what to wear and probably ran out and bought five new outfits. This time, I was able to easily pull different looks together right from my closet and do my regular makeup routine!

Now that you have all of your gorgeous portraits back, how are you using them?

I recently appeared in Saratoga Living Magazine and was happy to have some colorful, eye-catching “action shots” for the write-up. I have also used the photos for marketing materials and handouts at several local events. I am so grateful to Nicole for creating these beautiful images that highlight my services!

Where can we follow you?

Instagram: houseofcolour_saratogasprings

Book an appointment!

Amy.Latta@houseofcolour.com

Website

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Baby Girl Newborn Portraits with Pops of Color

I had the best time welcoming Baby Katelynn Carol to the studio for her newborn portraits! She brought along her parents and big brother, Cameron, to help welcome her to the world. Katelynn Carol was already 2 weeks old when she came to the studio - which is totally fine! I love photographing older newborns. There’s something special about their sweet little hands and feet, even as they start to fill up and curl up a little bit less.

Her big brother did such an amazing job in the studio and was so happy to be in front of the camera! He also loved playing with my toy wooden camera and pretending to take pictures of his family with it, and he had the biggest smile any time I turned my camera towards him to take his picture. I loved photographing him with Katelynn Carol, especially with one of my favorite props: the Moses basket!

We picked some beautiful pastel setups for this sweet girl to end the session. She looked so sweet in the different setups and some of my favorite headbands! I’m so thankful this wonderful family chose me to capture Katelynn Carol’s first days!

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Why you should add on a maternity session when scheduling newborn portraits

Most couples and families come to me with the plan to schedule newborn portraits to celebrate the arrival of their new baby. But, not many mamas think about a maternity session for themselves. Pregnancy is a journey - and one that should be documented and captured. While it’s fun and exciting to think about the day your little one arrives, there’s still so much that happens before they ever make their appearance earthside. That’s why I want to share why you should add on a maternity session when scheduling your newborn portraits!

Pretty soon, everything will be about the baby.

It's important to celebrate this stage where it's just the two of you as a couple, too. It's the last time it'll ever be just the two of you again!

You will positively glow in front of the camera.

Pregnancy hormones may not always be fun to deal with, but your skin & hair has never looked more amazing. Why not take advantage of that extra glow with some portraits celebrating the journey you’re on?

Mamas, your body, your mind, and your heart have gone through so much to carry this baby.

Pregnancy is not easy, but it is beautiful. Honor this moment and capture portraits that you can look back on to remember just how incredibly strong your body is!

These moments are part of your family’s story and history.

If you're having a little girl, one day she may have children of her own and she will want to look back on these portraits of you carrying her in your belly. She's going to look at her beautiful mother and identify so much with the woman in the photographs. This is a gift you can give your baby 30 years from now.

Document all of life’s milestones.

Your walls tell your family's story, and framing your wedding, maternity, and newborn portraits is such a beautiful way to document all of life's most important milestones for you to look back on daily.

My own journey with pregnancy + maternity portraits…

I’m ending this blog post on a personal note… My #1 regret with my first pregnancy was not documenting it with anything more than cell phone selfies every couple of weeks. I had planned to take some portraits right at the end, but then we wound up delivering a few weeks early and I never got the chance to. Me, a photographer, barely had any photos of my first baby bump.

So when we were expecting our next and last little one, I made sure to capture photographs to remember this season of our lives. I am so glad that I slowed down and made it a priority to step in front of the camera this time around, and I know I will treasure those photographs (and my little girl will, too!) for the rest of my life.

Finally, did you know that adding a maternity session on to your newborn session is only $100? We usually schedule maternity portraits for 28-36 weeks.

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Sunlight Maternity Portraits in Downtown Saratoga Springs

Heather and Lee are expecting their first baby, a little girl, and I had the honor of photographing their Downtown Saratoga Springs maternity session! As with all of my outdoor sessions, we scheduled a rain date in the hopes that we wouldn’t need it. But, we wound up having to switch to that date after all! The night of our original session, we had torrential downpour. Instead, we truly lucked out with our second date. We even got the most beautiful gorgeous golden light peeking through the trees and buildings during their session.

One of the best parts of Heather and Lee’s session was getting to explore Downtown Saratoga Springs with them. I found a few new spots I loved along Broadway and North Broadway. They turned out to be gorgeous for these new parents! Heather chose three outfits for her maternity session. This is very common with my mothers! It’s nice to switch up the fancier and casual looks, especially when doing an on-location session like this one. Honestly, I love Heather’s yellow dress that we started with! It popped perfectly against the buildings downtown.

Congratulations, Heather and Lee! I’m so excited for you and your new little girl!

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Colorful & Vibrant Headshots for an Elementary School Teacher

September is always such a special month. Around here, it means the start of school! I’m so happy to be sharing this special headshot session with you now, because Natalya is an amazing elementary school teacher! She wanted to create really unique and fun headshots that showcase her friendly and outgoing personality. I’m so happy she decided to do this headshot session with me in Schenectady, because teachers deserve more than a standard (boring!) headshot on a blue background every year. I hope Natalya’s headshots really inspire you to think about how you share your personality in your work - whether you’re a teacher or not!

During Natalya’s vibrant headshot session, I got to learn more about what she does every day. She’s an elementary school special educator and is super passionate about public education, as well as helping students communicate. With her bright personality, she helps students open up and work towards their academic goals. I wish every student had a teacher like Natalya!

For her headshots, we knew that we wanted to focus on the vibrant colors and bold patterns she loves so much. We chose to meet at the Palette Community in Schenectady, and it turned out to be a perfect location for her. Natalya often wears bright and bold colors to school, so we made sure to incorporate those into her portraits. I especially loved the rainbow dress she brought! I think it really showed off her fun personality.

Natalya, thank you for all you do as an educator every single day. We’re all so grateful to you! I’m so happy you contacted me about these fun headshots! Have another wonderful year of teaching!!

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Baby Milestone Portraits with a Family Heirloom Dress

It was so good to see Baby Briar in the studio again! I met Baby Briar when she was a newborn – and I captured her mother’s maternity portraits, too. It’s always so special to then see those babies grow every few months when they come back to the studio for milestone portraits. For Briar’s six-month milestone portraits, we planned a classic and simple studio session. 

Briar’s mom chose a few outfits for the portraits – including a sweet pink romper I adore from the studio’s baby wardrobe. It was the perfect pop of color in Briar’s newborn portraits! And she looked so sweet. They also brought a family heirloom: a cream crocheted dress for Briar to wear. The dress was her grandmother’s, who wore it as a baby, and has now passed it between new babies in the family! It was so sweet – and it looked amazing with my Moses basket. 

Six-month milestone sessions are always a great time. Babies are learning to sit up, they’re laughing and have the sweetest smiles. I love watching them show off their new skills and explore the studio. I’m so happy to share these sweet milestone portraits with you today for Briar!! 

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Classic Studio Newborn Portraits for Baby Ea

Say hello to Baby Ea! Ea’s portrait session was my last newborn session before going on maternity leave to welcome my own baby girl! Ea was the sweetest girl, wide awake for our entire session… but perfectly calm. With that attitude, every single portrait was just adorable and I’m so happy she was so relaxed in the studio. 

For her session, Ea’s parents didn’t have too many requests. We wanted to keep the timeless and classic feeling for each of her setups. One of my favorites was the teddy bear setup because I caught the cutest little smile! Baby Ea is definitely already stealing hearts!! She’s seriously so sweet. Her parents did want to include fresh flowers in her setups, and I personally loved how the purple setup came out with them. 

After their session, we had their ordering session! All of these gorgeous portraits were turned into an heirloom album and circular wooden wall art. I hope that one day Baby Ea flips through her own album of portraits, like my son does, and that they can all look back on these early days of her life with fondness and happiness! 

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5 Props I Use in Every Newborn Session

As a studio newborn photographer, my style is all about minimalistic setups and focusing on your baby! Your baby is perfect just as they are, and I don't want to distract from that in your portraits.  I use neutral colors and natural textures to create a clean, timeless, organic look in your baby's first portraits. To create these natrual setups, I do use a few props. Today, I’m sharing 5 props I use in (almost) every newborn session. Many of these props blend right in and you don't notice them at first glance (like the wooden crate and the bowl) because your eye is drawn right to the newborn baby.

Swaddle.  

This is a must-have for every newborn photographer, and the first thing you learn when posing newborns is how to wrap the baby snugly so that their arms and legs don't wiggle out of the wrap.  The swaddle keeps them calm and happy, and it helps them feel secure.  This plus heat and white noise or a shusher app all come together to lull the baby to sleep and make it easy to pose the little one.  I like to use what I call "baby spanx" underneath the swaddle to keep baby extra snug, plus it makes it easy for me to change out the top layer for a new look while baby stays calm and happy while all tucked in.

White crate.

I start all my individual portraits with this one prop!  I like to layer it with whites and creams for neutral portraits, and then as the session goes on, I will add in colors through additional wraps, bump blankets, and layers.  I typically begin with the baby fully swaddled, and then I bring out their arms and flip them to their bellies once they're settled into a deep sleep.

Wooden bowl.

From there we move to the wooden bowl!  I love the round shape of it for overhead shots, and these always look so beautiful printed on our round wooden wall art pieces.  I also like surrounding the bowl with greenery or florals to accentuate the shape, plus it works well for posing babies on their bellies and capturing the head-on-hands pose.  

Bed or cradle.

I love these wooden props for sleepy poses!  We make sure to capture a few overhead shots, full body, and close-up.  Plus, I always enjoy backlit a profile view of the baby, too!

White or cream blanket.

I have so many different white blankets with different textures, and I love using them in a variety of ways in my portraits.   Sometimes I use it on the posing bed for traditional posing.  Sometimes I layer it spilling out of the wooden crate.  Other times I will use it as a soft texture underneath the bowl or bed to add a little more dimension to photographs.    

I’m always of the mindset that less is more when it comes to newborn portraits. I hope that these five props show you that you can truly create beautiful (and long-lasting) portraits for your baby without a lot of involved setups.

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A tugboat themed cake smash for Baby Walter

Happy first birthday, Walter! We celebrated Walter turning one with a sweet tugboat themed cake smash in the studio. When we began discussing possible setups for his birthday portraits, Walter’s mom told me that his dad works on tugboats and she had a sweet tugboat romper that she wanted to pick up for him. Originally, we were just going to do a nautical theme for the smash – but once I saw that romper, I knew that we had to focus on the tugboats! Everything came together perfectly after that and I’m so happy with how these portraits turned out. 

During the smash, Walter was seriously one of the happiest cake smashers I’ve ever had in the studio. He was all smiles and very interested in his cake. At one point, his big brother Caleb jumped in for a few bites. It was hilarious seeing how quickly he was able to demolish the cake after his baby brother had been delicately picking at it for awhile before that.

Before the smash, we also captured updated family portraits in Congress Park! This is one of my favorite spots for portraits in Saratoga Springs. It’s important to me to always document the entire family – and a few non-cake smash portraits of the birthday boy or girl – at the start of each cake smash. Cake smashes are so much fun, but it’s nice to have a sweet and simple portrait of your little one, too! 

Enjoy a look into Walter’s tugboat cake smash today! 

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Baby Starr | Classic Black & White Newborn Portraits of Adelaide Olivia

I'm savoring this stage that we're in with our baby girl. I want to remember the newborn squeaks and grunts. How she stretches her little body, arches her back, and curls her hands up by her face. The way that her tiny fingers grasp my pinky and hold on tight. How her legs fit together perfectly like two puzzle pieces when she tucks them up together and fold them across her tummy. I find myself pulling out my phone more and more often to capture videos of this newborn goodness, the precious little mannerisms and reflexes that I know she'll soon outgrow but that I don't want to forget anytime soon. And of course I can't help but document it all on my camera as well, beautiful portraits that I know I'll look back on years from now and feel a yearning to go back to those sleep-deprived newborn weeks when she snuggled up so peacefully on my chest and her breathing synced with mine.

When capturing Adelaide's newborn portraits, I wanted to document a few that were raw and natural. Perfectly unposed. The black & white images and the clean white background keep the focus on the baby, and all of the sweet little details are front and center.

Some photographers like to refer to this as "baby led posing," and that's exactly what happens to capture images like this. You let the baby run the show, and you let them curl up, stretch, sigh, and settle into the comfy positions that they naturally find comforting because it's how they were curled up in the womb. As the photographer, you can guide them a little bit by wrapping a swaddle around them or gently bringing their arm in when it floats out to the side, but you capture all of that newborn goodness and the natural movements and expressions that they make.

These are a few of my favorite sleepy, unposed newborn portraits from Adelaide's first few weeks, and just looking at them now already has me missing those early days when she was so light and tiny in my arms. It really is true that it goes by so quickly, and it's hard to believe it until you're experiencing it that you can miss something already even as it's happening right before your very eyes.

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10 Tips to Prepare for Maternity Leave as a Business Owner

As a business owner, there’s nothing scarier than the idea of taking an extended time away from your business. Trust me: I get it! I’ve taken maternity leave TWICE now as a newborn and family photographer. After the first time when Grayson was born, I realized that it absolutely was possible for me to and I worked hard to prepare for Adelaide’s maternity leave this summer. While I know the idea of stepping away from your business for maternity leave (or other extended leave) can be frightening, I want you to know that it is possible… and not only that, but you SHOULD also take time off! Today, I wanted to share 10 tips to prepare for maternity leave so that you can prepare ahead and enjoy your time off with that new baby!! 

Plan ahead for your finances! 

Start setting aside money in savings at the beginning of your pregnancy (or before!) to cover expenses during your time off.  As a business owner, your expenses will not change just because you're not working, so plan ahead and start saving early to ensure that you have a steady stream of "income" from your maternity leave savings that you've built up over these past 40+ weeks.  

Set the dates early for when you want to be off! 

Make sure you know ahead of time when you plan to be out of the office. It’s also smart to plan to take more time than you think you'll need.  With my first baby, I took 2 months off, and I was planning to work right up until 37 1/2 weeks, but then I was induced early and I had to reschedule a portrait session, which I did when he was only a few weeks old.  It was stressful and exhausting, and I learned my lesson.  Never again.  

With my second baby, I planned to stop working at 36 weeks to give myself some time to wrap up client tasks, nest, and enjoy those last days with just my son at home, and I planned a full 3 months away from my business this time around.  You have to do what feels right for you but set those dates and stick to them.  At first it was hard turning away sooooo many new inquiries for the dates that I would be away, especially when they wanted something that was technically before my due date.  As business owners, so many of us have trained ourselves to the "feast or famine" mentality and it's hard to turn away work.  But trust me, saying "no" to clients and new inquiries will get easier the more you practice it, and if you stick to your policy and your dates you will be happier in the long run.

Prepare content ahead of time!

When you’re thinking about what to prep before you leave, don’t forget content! Plan for the months you'll be away, but also for the first month back, so you have it ready to go when you're getting back into the swing of things with work. Content includes your blogs, social media, and newsletters – so make sure to think ahead. 

Bonus Tip: Outsource tasks when you can! I have loved the freedom that comes with having a virtual assistant handling certain tasks for me, and it's nice to have them prep as much as they can for you while you're prepping for your leave and delegating tasks as needed.  Get this set up well before your leave so that everything runs seamlessly by the time you are out of the office.

Schedule your clients in advance! 

Reach out early to clients to get everything scheduled with them in advance so that you can fit them in around your time off.  You don't want your planned time off to catch them by surprise, so prep them months in advance that this is happening. 

Let your clients know what to expect! 

Take the time to let your clients know what to expect while you are on your maternity leave -- how much time you're taking off, how long it may take you to reply to emails, your plans for after maternity leave.  If you're using an assistant or if you've hired someone to take over your inbox while you're away, introduce them to your clients ahead of time (a newsletter or a personalized email will do!) so that they know who to contact should they need anything.

Limit how clients can communicate with you! 

I prefer email only, so I have turned off Instagram DMs and Facebook messenger on my business page. While you're busy at home with the baby, you don't want to have to keep track of a million messages coming in from all different channels. Your focus should be on your family during this time off – not answering all your messages! 

Set an auto responder on your email! 

Prep your email auto responder so that it's ready to go live when you are ready to step away from the office!  The last thing you want is to be figuring out the perfect wording while in labor at the hospital, or while juggling a newborn.

Consider scaling back your content during your time off.  

You are on leave and enjoying time at home with your baby, so your business can be a little more relaxed if you want it to!  I plan to publish fewer blog posts each month, and fewer newsletters.  If you don't want to be marketing your business a ton while you're stepping away for a few weeks or months, then don't.  Make it work for you.

Give yourself the freedom (and the flexibility!) to work or not to work during your leave.  

See how you feel, and if you find that you want to get a little bit of work done, go for it!  Have a list of "if I'm up for it" tasks that prepped ahead of time so that you can get right down to business during baby's naptime one day.  For me, these are all non-client related tasks and more focused on the back end of my business because I don't want to have any client responsibilities or client deadlines looming over me when I am trying to adjust to life at home with a newborn.

Plan for what your work schedule will look like when you do go back to work after your maternity leave.  

You may want to give yourself a few weeks to ease into it with a transition period rather than jump in full speed ahead, so plan to take on fewer clients during that time and still delegate certain tasks, in addition to having marketing tasks automated ahead of time for that period and ready to go live without much (or any) effort from you.  Allow yourself plenty of flexibility and grace and know that you're doing your best and that that is good enough.

As you can see, prepping for maternity leave is mostly about planning ahead, clear communication, and expectations for yourself and your clients. Stepping away from your business may seem scary, but I promise you: you’re going to want that time off to adjust to life with a newborn and to help your family through this new transition. You’ve got this!!

All of my maternity photos were taken by my dear friend Lauren Kirkham Photography.

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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