a very expressive baby!

 Such a cute baby! And so expressive--she was just a pleasure to shoot. We got to use the popular pearls and spell her name with white blocks, but we also tried a new crown and a new yellow crate. She was one of the first babies to leave the blocks alone! I saw this little one when she was just a baby and was very happy to have the chance for a photo shoot with baby Venna!

props and kids

Love photo shoots with this cute family.

Mom and her kids were in town visiting family and scheduled a shoot with me. 

We had a great time..

A cute chair, an old suitcase and other props are great to use to stage a shot. They can keep a child in place or get them comfortable for a natural pose.

And sometimes the best way to engage toddlers is through the props you use.

 The pearls kept this little one entertained...

 ...and the lollipops (supplied by Mom) were the perfect entertainment and diversion for both kids.

one year old shoot

A photographer friend of mine had me shoot her son's first year portrait session.  

She brought all his stuffed animals to line up around him. We'd get everything arranged just right, and then he'd crawl away!

Found this little suitcase at a garage sale this summer. I love it for little boys to sit on! It's just the right size and the blue color is a change from my other vintage ones.

She brought his initial for him to hold--great idea. I've started a collection of wooden and metal letters so that I can do this with other toddlers.

Whenever his mom told him to smile, he would tilt his head and then smile.

We took a couple shots with big brother. The best way to get young kids close enough to each other (because they usually don't stay in one play or stay posed) is to ask one to hug the other. Sometimes you even get some great outtake photos too!

He did a great job of making a mess while eating his birthday cupcake.

season of lights

I'm always looking for new poses and new props to incorporate into the portraits I take. During the holidays, I tried using the mini white Christmas lights. It was a lot of fun! When we photographed the baby with the lights, his mom was charged with "not letting him eat the lights"!