October is Infant and Pregnancy Loss Month

It's been a while since I posted to my blog and I've been thinking of what to post.  The month of October is not only Breast Cancer Awareness month, but it's also Infant and Pregnancy Loss Month as well.  This cause sits close to my heart as I have a strong passion for newborn photography and I'm also an Affiliate Photographer for Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep. (NILMDTS)  www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org

NILMDTS is an amazing volunteer organization founded in 2005.  The organization consists of many volunteer professional photographers that use their skills and knowledge to provide precious portraits to grieving families-families that lose their babies either during pregnancy, at birth, or shortly after.

I started my venture with NILMDTS in November of 2010 and have since done three sessions.  I've done many newborn sessions with my business but I've never encountered a session that has touched me in the way these three sessions have.  I've come out of each session profoundly affected and the babies sit in my mind long after I leave the hospital room.  Editing these sessions is indeed emotional for me.  I felt an incredible sense of responsibility to honor that babies memory and provide these parents with the best portraits I could provide.  There have been moments where I wasn't sure if I could continue the responsibility of this position but my mind and heart keep going back to these parents.  They depend on me to capture that last moment.  For most of these parents, these images are the only portraits they will ever have of their child.  For some, it helps them with their grieving process.

I strongly encourage those that can to help contribute a donation to this incredible cause.

Besides the website listed, you can also learn more about NILMDTS by visiting their page on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/nilmdts

And finally, one of my favorite quotes:

"How very softly you tiptoed into my world
Almost silently;
Only a moment you stayed
But what an imprint your footprints have left on my heart"

Product & Vendor Spotlight: Calleigh's Clips

A few months ago, Elisabeth from Calleigh's Clips and I ran through some ideas for a newborn prop that would utilize tummy sleeping poses for newborns.  That's when Cuddle Critter Capes was born!  These crocheted products are a variety of animals, super heroes, items, etc. made as a hat with a separate cape that lays across the baby's back while in the sleeping-on-belly position.  This product has become HUGELY popular for Calleigh's Clips.  She's come up with so many new and exciting designs to help add individuality/creativity to a photographer's newborn portrait session.  I currently own the ladybug, bumble bee, caterpillar, monkey, giraffe, sleeping owl, Mickey & Minnie mouse, skunk, rabbit, turtle, and beaver.  There are many others available in her collection such as butterfly, mouse, elephant, zebra, bear (koala, panda, and snuggle), Superman, Batman and Robin, candy corn, pig, cow, and many many more.

If you're an expecting parent-to-be and have a newborn session coming up with me, you can choose from any of these designs or any of my other crocheted products, also made by Calleigh's Clips.  If there's a particular animal/idea that I don't own but you'd like, you can request that before your scheduled session and I'll have it made.  I also have complimentary props such as a large mushroom, soft fur grass, baskets, etc. that look outstanding with these capes.  Below are a few examples of the product in action with some of my teeniest models!

I've been using her products for quite some time now and keep coming back because her quality is pretty remarkable, and she has very good Customer Service!

If you'd like to get some more prop ideas for an upcoming session, you can either inquire with me or visit Calleigh's Clips at:

http://www.facebook.com/Calleighsclips
http://calleighsclips.blogspot.com
http://www.artfire.com/users/elisabeth_77
http://calleighsclips.etsy.com

Rubeo Family/Senior Session

I've been photographing so many newborns lately (it's my passion, of course!) but have recently received a request for senior and family portraits.  I photographed her friend's son's senior portraits while I was in school, so it's always wonderful to receive referrals.  I consider that to be such a huge compliment and really appreciate it.

The seniors are twins.  I think the overall posing for this session was pretty traditional, but the location happens to be one of my favorites - Sharon Woods Park in Cincinnati.  There is a lot of variety there, not to mention a huge waterfall, which I've used on quite a few occasions. 

Here are a few of my favorites:

 

Product Spotlight: Ties for Little Guys

I mentioned before that I plan to spotlight various products (print-related) that I offer as well as props for newborns.  I recently won a contest on Facebook where I won some ties made by Kiwi and Kiki http://www.kiwiandkiki.com/   They sell the cutest little ties & bowties, which are great for photography and in my case, newborn photography.  Their ties/bowties are hugely popular and I can certainly understand why.  Newborn girls have headbands which are specifically for that gender and boys now have ties!  They are just the right size for their little bodies and come in so many different colors and patterns.  I look forward to using these props in some upcoming sessions!  Thank you Kiwi & Kiki for introducing me to this fabulous new prop!

Ala Carte Now Available!

I'm excited to announce the addition of ala carte prices to my price listing! I have prices listed both with and without package purchase. Minimum order: $50 in product plus $50 session fee. Packages will be listed on my website and FB, but please make request for ala carte prices. I will be doing Product Features periodically in my blog, describing the many products I provide with pictures. Prints, gallery wraps, albums, announcements, you name it!

New Adventures in Cheesecloth

I've recently purchased 6 hand-dyed cheesecloths  from one of my newest vendors, Tiny Tops.  Cheesecloth is a very soft, fine thread cloth that you would use to wrap a newborn for portraits.  It can be used in several different ways not just with newborns, but also in maternity photography as well.  With longer pieces, you can create a custom newborn hammock.  The wonderful thing about cheesecloth is that it gives you a great splash of color to the image, which is something I'm really focusing on in my newborn photography.  It's also pretty affordable, so I plan to purchase many more colors in the future!  Some future colors I'd love to purchase would include eggplant, teal, turquoise, peach, and magenta, though my wishlist extends well beyond this!  I will be using these cloths in some upcoming newborn sessions and look forward to exploring my possibilities with it!

The colors listed from top to bottom:
Espresso
Lilac
Denim
Sage
Tangerine
Bubblegum

Wilber Newborn Sneak Peeks

The ultimate goal for a newborn photographer is to achieve sleepiness (in the baby, that is) so you can photograph them doing what they do best and is the best way to get those cuddly sweet posed newborn portraits.  This is best done between the ages of birth to 2 weeks of age.  But, each baby is different so you really don't know what you will encounter when you go through your session.  With all the newborns I've photographed, I've had very sleepy babies as well as babies that just did not want their picture taken!  lol  So when this happens, you take to plan B and figure out what type of portraits would be best with the newborn.  When I'm transitioning a newborn into a different pose or prop and they either fully awaken into calm alertness or into full crying mode, I will generally turn my focus to the parent/baby interaction portraits.  I find this works great, because then the baby will more than likely calm down and either fall back asleep or engage in sweet interaction with the parent as well as the camera.

Baby E woke up mid session and was as calm and content as can be!  She was a very sweet little girl with some of the greatest expressions.  Her eyes are just amazing!  I think this series of portraits featured in this post capture that interaction nicely.