Lodi, California Maternity Photographer | Anna's Studio Maternity Session

Every time I do a maternity session, I am always amazed when I get a questionnaire back that says “You’ll have to help me because I’m not comfortable in front of the camera.” As a mom myself and as someone who is 100% awkward (legit, I suck lol) in front of the camera, I completely get this feeling of just wanting to document this time but really not being sure how you feel about being vulnerable and the focus of an entire session for an hour! But, I always am amazed because let me tell you: my moms ROCK their sessions and I’m talking like one hundred percent of the time.

Before our session, Anna indicated this same thought that she really had never done a session and wasn’t sure how to pose or what to do and I told her, “Don’t you worry. We’ve got this.” Like nearly all of my moms end up being, she was so natural and absolutely killed her session. When I was editing, I thought how you would never know that she was unsure. She absolutely GLOWED. I think too, it’s hard enough being in front of the camera but then, you have this extra bowling ball on the front of your body that you’re adjusting to every day and is growing every day so that makes moms even a little more unsure about how to pose. For me, it is the absolute greatest accomplishment and joy to be able to show each of my mommas that 1. you CAN do this and 2. you are an absolute KNOCKOUT.

My other favorite part about this session was that we included dad into some pieces of the session and he too was so natural. He melded right into the session and did so much without me even really having to direct him. Their love and joy for their new sweet bundle was so obvious and just kind of exploded out of my lens without us even trying.

Studio sessions are also just becoming one of my favorite things for maternity. It focuses so much more on you and your pregnancy and while I will never give up my outdoor maternity sessions (because I really do love those so much too and the backdrop it can give), studio maternity sessions have created a special creative place in my heart. Add some Victoria’s Secret wings and a gorgeous mama belly and we’ve got another Rockabye maternity session in the books!

Rockabye Maternity Sessions

As always, everything is provided for you for your maternity session - gowns, draping, etc. I do it all for you and you just get your rockstar on!

For more details:

http://www.rockabyephoto.com/investment

Lodi, California Newborn Photographer | Rebeca's Newborn Session

There are certain parts of my job that I see over and over again in each session: I don’t think I can tell you how many times parents are truly blown away when they come in only a few weeks after their newborn session for their ordering appointment and cannot believe how tiny their baby once was and how quickly they had grown just in those few weeks. Being able to look back on details that are gone in a blink of an eye is really one of the magical things about photography! This is one of the many reasons that I really encourage parents to book their session before baby has arrived so that we can get you in the studio within 2 weeks after birth. Those fresh features, flaky skin, and shriveling umbilical cord are pieces that are so fleeting and you will likely forget unless you invest in these precious memories.

One of my other favorite parts of my job is getting to know your family and why this is such an important process for you to capture! Every family has an important story to tell and various reasons why a truly special newborn session is so important to them. I say over and over again, working with me and being in my studio is an experience. It’s not something I want to just grab a few quick snaps and push you out the door. This is about you, your new miracle, and your story.

For Rebeca’s family, this was their first baby in over 10 years and their first girl so everything was so special to mom to make it girly and to celebrate this new life. One of the sweetest parts of our whole session was incorporating big brother (who was in love with his new baby) and capturing some gorgeous family shots. Mom really wanted the family shots to be a focus of our session and I was more than happy to indulge! She wore one of my gowns (one of my favorite decisions moms make and another thing that makes these sessions so relaxing and easy for you) and we just really focused on the beauty of their new family.

Lodi, California Newborn Photographer | Kenzie's Newborn Session

Those first few weeks of life with your newborn are truly the times that you want to hold onto forever. Have you ever noticed how quickly your newborn changes even in the first week after birth? Sometimes, I dont even think we realize the changes until you take photos every day and compare them over time: it really happens that quickly! That’s part of the reason that I fell in love with what I do - capturing those tiny features in those first few moments with your baby that you’ll never get back!

Kenzie was mom’s third and final baby so she really wanted to soak in those last moments and details with her since she would never being doing this stage again! When filling out her questionnaire, she hoped for shots with those tiny stuffed animals that I love using, beautiful sibling shots of all 3 of her babies to remember forever, tiny details of her features, and of course, the froggy pose (one of my most requested shots but also, my absolute favorite one to do!).

Not all babies will perform the froggy shot but these days, I’d say I have a really good success rate - maybe about 90%! I had just gotten this gorgeous purply mauve drop in and couldn’t wait to use it on Kenzie with that gorgeous skin she had.

When mom came in for her ordering appointment, she chose all of her digital images as well as some new larger prints for her walls. Digitals are always such a good idea for security and to have as back-up should anything happen to your prints down the road but there is nothing like turning your baby’s sweet face into beautiful art for your home. Don’t forget that you’ll probably almost never look at your images on your computer - they’re really there purely for safe keeping. The joy really comes from getting to see your images on your wall every single day. They are truly priceless!

Lodi, California Newborn Photographer | Anthony & Valentina's Twin Newborn Session

I got this beautiful set of twins last month and gosh, how I forget how much I love twin sessions! The most fun part for me is having twins, like these two, of each gender as it pushes me to get creative when creating setups that are neutral but still beautiful for both!

Twins can be tricky keeping them on the same sleep schedule, eating schedule, etc. I don’t know how parents of multiples do it! We got these sweet babes fast asleep and got right to work. With twins, I always work with an assistant so that I can have an extra pair of hands with me. There’s really no better way to do it.

Each baby took turns being exhausted and konked out and while they were never both fully asleep at the same time, they were both so good, they worked with me and we got some seriously beautiful shots for mom and dad.

Lodi, California Newborn Photographer | Guiliana's Newborn Session

Beautiful little Guiliana is baby #2 for mom & dad and after having one little boy, they were so thrilled to have their girl, too! Momma (a friend of mine from high school) asked for all the girly things and some neutrals and I think that mission was accomplished! I just love when parents give me the green light to use colors and creativity how I want and just trust in my vision. They did just that! We incorporated creams (one of my favorites for girls - so classic), light pinks, and a bit of lavender. I definitely think lavender and pink are her colors. They made her skin stand out so beautifully!

Big brother (one of my newborns from 2 years ago!), despite loving his sister at home, was not feeling it when he got to the studio. Sometimes little siblings take a bit to warm up but after a little convincing (and bribing), we got the sweetest shots of him with his new baby. That shot with his huge grin (check it out right below this!) just melts me. He is truly just the sweetest toddler ever and I was a total sucker for him. The icing on the cake was seeing how much Guiliana is his little girly twin!

Check out some highlights from our session together!

XOXO

Lodi, California Newborn Photographer | Carter's Newborn Session

Sweet Carter arrived to me a little bit older than most of my babies as he is a strong little NICU warrior! He and his mommies have been through such a journey to have him here safe and healthy and his road is not done but gosh he was just so darn perfect! We weren’t quite sure how he would do as he was about a month old and we always try to have babies in the studio around 2 weeks old or less but with complications arising at his arrival, we crossed our fingers and hoped for the best.

His nursery had a woodland theme so I just couldn’t wait to get him wrapped up with that sweet fox. It was definitely a favorite!

He was SUCH a good baby! He woke up in between almost every set-up but looked at me for a minute and drifted off right back to sleep. I dont think I ever even heard what his cry sounded like during that entire session! He was such a sweet little chunk with those cheeks and when his parents came back in for his ordering appointment, he had bulked up even more! I know it made all of our hearts so happy watching him grow big and strong with each passing day.

Carter’s moms invested in some seriously beautiful art of their sweet boy. In addition to a digital package, they chose some gorgeous matted prints along with a large canvas and some smaller prints. They will also be taking home and heirloom album that will show case just how beautiful their boy is throughout his entire session. I cannot wait to see them all when they arrive in the studio ready for pick-up!

All the prayers for this sweet boy as he faces a few more bumps in the road but I have no doubt that his future is incredibly bright! Here are some more images of his session with me.