Flash forward to about 12-18 months ago. Beautiful Ravi and her lovely family move right down the street from me. Still, the memory was too deep to recall. One evening I am teaching a workshop and looking around at my past clients (including Ravi) and a wave of embarrassment hits as I realize that the EXACT people I am poking fun of (people that go into business too soon or shoot sessions before they know what the fork they are doing)… well that “people” was me and like a movie, a movie of all my early sessions (oh, there were a few, you know who you are) start flashing before my eyes. I am sure I was inexplicably bright red. I also know that I am not alone, and that every photographer has a session or two hidden in their closet or under their bed that they thought was THE bomb and now realize it was A bomb.

Flash forward again to about 2 weeks ago. Ravi brought her gorgeous kiddos (and lovely mom) to the studio for a quick little newborn mini session [newborn sessions typically aren't mini sessions, but I'll shoot them that way if you are looking for sibling shots and a few quickies for a birth announcement rather than a full newborn setup]. I really feel like it was my time to redeem myself and make good on all those earlier images.

I really love Ravi. She might be one of the nicest people I know. I am not kidding. She is just genuinely REALLY REALLY nice. Her children are gorgeous and I am so happy she’s a member of our community and it’s so nice to see her face around town. I haven’t seen her husband since they moved here, but he’s good with me because he is of my people [this is where I start to channel my mom and talk about the villages even though I have never been to the villages and cannot speak a word of Greek. Unless I've had a lot of Ouzo. And I am in Santorini trying to communicate with a waiter.].

And so here they are! Ravi, we can set up a time for you to come by and see them all!

On top of that, big brother and big sister are scrumptious, Mom is a hottie and dad likes to cook the way Owen does — on the smoker!

I also have to give props to Trisha’s website because I sort of got sucked into it and it gave me a lot of really great ideas for summer eating, buying organic, and I loved the weekly menus!  So head on over and check it out!

Thank you so much for selecting me to photograph this amazing time in your life.  I am thrilled.

To anyone other than a Greek, that would be such an odd statement to include in an introduction, but our people know that this instantly forms a bond and a long conversation of churches, Greek School, Aunts/Uncles and visits to the Mother Country.  This time was no exception as I shot the session… and since this family was also a referral from another (non-Greek) friend, we had many other connections a degrees of separation to discuss.  When this happens, the session flies.  I am always surprised to check my watch as I wrap up and realize that the time flew, and it was fun, and we captured great images to boot.

This little doll was wonderful, she seriously zonked out for a good part of our time and I was able to capture some beautiful images of her as a newborn!  Hopefully we can connect again and I can document her as she grows!

Thanks for a wonderful Monday morning!

I had the honor of meeting Eric & Lissa through Eric’s sister Megan, one of my favorite clients. Megan wanted to do something special for them to celebrate the joyous occasion of the birth of their child, yet not trivialize the grief, sadness and loss they experienced when their lovely, beautiful, spirited daughter, Cadence, passed away just before she turned two. And so somehow, she seemed to think I could keep it together for this task. And I was thrilled and humbled and daunted by the request.

It is times like this, especially when I am out of sorts about the mundane matters of my own life, that I feel eternally and completely grateful (and again humbled) that this is my profession and that I can capture brief, fleeting moments of incredibly important times. It is times like this that I say a silent (and not so silent) “thank you” that I am no longer 1 of 350,000 employees, and that I am not “not working” and that I am able to meet people every day who impact who I am, at my core. And so it is these people, and this work, that make me a better person.

So Lissa, Eric, Baby Jackson, Angel Cadence, Megan, Jared and your entire family — a selfish thank you for the opportunity.

Baby Jackson is here and he is perfect. And Lissa & Eric are able, and allowed, to experience that perfection as a family and to love him with all their being and their hearts. And they know that they do not have to give up any of the love they will always have for Cadence, nor do they have to set aside any of her memories, because their hearts now have room for two.

I cannot say with enough conviction about how amazed I am of the power of the human spirit. And I’ll leave it at that.

Again, thank you for allowing me to capture your life.

I was excited to meet Natascha because she came to me from Sarah, who is going to get a fabulous little referral present for sending so many people my way.  She arrived on a very gloomy (read: pouring rain) day and trudged her gang in not totally sure what to expect.  Luckily, I am well versed with the “two year old girl, four year old boy” routine and so I had a lot of fun while she shushed and soothed and fed her newborn.  Quite happily, we were able to capture just a few of him in his sleepy little newborn peacefulness.  More happily, I think we were able to score the coveted “sibling” shot!  So here are a few favorites… the gallery will contain a few more as well!

Thanks so much for braving the rain and making the hike up to see me!

Every once in a while I get hit with a “you cannot work because you have no childcare” storm.  And when I say “storm,” I mean it’s a storm because it’s not just one day, it’s many many many many days piled up on top of each other.  My normal work schedule is M-W-F when I shoot and edit, and I edit at night (provided nothing else is going on).  T-Th are kids/errands days.  S-S are family and/or session days.  Let me be perfectly clear when I say that I need 40 hours a week of childcare.  Heck, I need 50.  But as part of my commitment to my kids, they are in school 24 hours and the rest I have to fudge.  So when school is cancelled for holidays, or when we have to go out of town on a Friday, it’s a BIG impact to my life.  So last Monday I went into a panic because in a 14 day span there were 2 holidays + 1 day off for travel to family, leaving me 2 days to shoot and ONE DAY to work.  So needless to say, I have serious agida and somehow got off track.  Rest assured, I am working in the evenings to catch up.

So back to Fulton.  This was my favorite kind of session because I got to shoot “sleepy newborn” shots in my studio and then lifestyle images at home.  I’ve tried to create a rather comfortable setting in my studio, where moms, dads, grandparents, can somewhat relax and put their feet up, while I worry about shushing their baby to sleep.  But no doubt, shooting lifestyle at home is my favorite, and no matter what, that will remain a priority in my sessions.  I love having nice rounded out sessions like this because I can capture everything I want and provide a well-rounded gallery that not only captures your baby’s first days, but also those of your family.

Sara, thanks for waiting around… slideshow and gallery will be sent tonight!

And at home:

When I proofed a few of these images, I immediately called my mom and said [as I always do] “Mom, I just photographed the most beautiful mom EVER!” And her response was “All your clients are beautiful.” And to that I said “You are right.” So we add Vivienne, and her parents, and her dog, to the long list of clients whose faces I will stare at and memorize for hours, and fall in love with, and rave about and hope I can capture for years to come.

Thank you for a lovely little snowy morning!

When Ally contacted me in January, I was having a glass of wine (or three) with my friend Lisa and was probably repeating myself excessively saying “See, look, this is the perfect reason for me to get the studio… she wants it simple and to come to me! I can do this.” And Lisa was probably politely nodding, wondering when I’d stop talking about it.

But I had an idea and I knew how I wanted it to come together. I wanted to create a comfortable space with great light where my clients could come, not have to worry about me showing up at their home just days after having a baby. I wanted to have coffee, magazines, treats. Comfortable chairs. A bed. Samples of my work. But most important, I just wanted it to be easy. With good light. It’s not to say I won’t still travel to client’s homes for newborn or baby sessions, I just wanted it to be a great option, year round, for everyone.

And so knowing that Ally was the first session I’d shoot there, with her due date on my calendar, I charged forward. The Thursday before, mom and I were ironing curtains and blankets, and tidying up, and making sure everything was perfect. And I think it was. There are a million things left to do, hang samples, set up a TV, get a rug, etc. But it’s ready for shooting and within my first week, three sessions scheduled here.

When Ally, Matt and Jack arrived, I knew it would be even more perfect. Ally found me through ISIS Parenting, one of my most favorite family resources. Like I do with most clients, we just clicked and I felt like I’d known her forever… like maybe I’d babysat for her in a prior life and she’s turned out to be this amazing woman with a wonderful new family. Matt was really accommodating and managed to balance the stress of being a new dad, with being needed at work, and spending his morning on a bed at a photography studio — I really appreciate that because I know that for dads, it’s a totally different ballgame than for moms, and it makes such a difference when they are there an happy to be a part of what I do. So thank you.

Thank you both. Your family is awesome. Your baby is delicious. I can’t wait for you to see your entire slide show!

Sarah, you and your family have so much going on right now as you move from a family of 4 to 5, and figure out where you will permanently settle in town, and just the ins and outs of every day life, work, kids, family. But you really seem to be handling it in stride. I am so happy for you, and so glad we met… and I hope to be able to continue to photograph your family for years to come.

So a lovely, gray rainy day… my favorite kind of day… and a wonderful eight days new.