WHICH TO CHOOSE: FRESH 48 OR NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHY? - South Bend, Indiana Newborn Baby Photographer

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Ah, the tricky question: do you choose a Fresh 48 or Newborn session? Which one is right for you? It's a great question and I hope that this post might lend some thought points that may help you make the best decision for your baby! Here are some questions to ponder:

1. DO PHOTOS OF YOUR NEW FAMILY DYNAMIC MATTER MORE THAN PHOTOS IN YOUR OWN ENVIRONMENT?

When you think about what you want documented, one of the main things to consider is whether you want to remember those very first moments with your baby and as a parent to this tiny human or if you want to remember those first days in your home with the newest addition. It's a tough choice but one that is usually pretty clear in our minds when we stop to think about it.

2. WILL FRESH 48 "IMPERFECTIONS" BOTHER YOU?

As much as it pains me to put this one out here, it is worth considering. Some people prefer to give baby a few days to move beyond the brand-new-baby blemishes, head molding and their own appearance after having just brought a new life into the world. At the same time, many people love these factors and find them honest and endearing (this is me, just FYI). So stop and consider whether you find all of the tiny "imperfections," a beautiful and priceless thing to be remembered or something you'd prefer to skip and have the time to refresh and recover. 

3. DOES YOUR HOME AND BABY'S NURSERY HOLD SPECIAL MEANING TO YOU?

If you are one of those people who painstakingly choose every detail of their child's nursery (cough cough, me again) and strive to make it a place that they will immediately feel loved, cherished and calm, then a newborn session may be the best option for you. Hospitals and birth centers offer little to no control over your environment so you may end up with a bright orange wall in the background of your photos whether you like it or not. If this is something that gives you the shudders just thinking about that lack of control, a newborn session may be more fitting since you can document your own home and preferences that more accurately reflect you.

4. ARE THERE FIRST MEETINGS YOU WANT DOCUMENTED?

Often, there are specific family members or siblings who you can't wait to introduce to your new baby. If this is the case, a Fresh 48 session is the way to go. These are moments that you cannot recreate and are often so beautiful and priceless. Not to mention, documenting your own reactions as a parent seeing your other babies meeting their new sibling or to your parents holding their newest grandchild is a truly momentous moment that make a wonderful keepsake.

5. OR...JUST DO BOTH!

This is obviously my suggestion since I'm a crazy picture lady! It may not seem logical to have both Fresh 48 AND newborn photos taken because they usually take place within 10-14 days of each other. But hear me out first! If you have already had a baby, you know what I'm about to say is true and if you're a first time parent, take my word that this statement is accurate: your baby changes DAILY. In those first few months, you will wake up and smile down at your new baby and be amazed because somehow, they truly changed overnight. You blinked and they're a little bit bigger, a little bit more mature. It's uncanny (and slightly heartbreaking) but its true. Having both Fresh 48 and newborn photos allows you to see those changes and also lets you document those first sweet moments and also gives you the control of photographing your child in their own environment. It's a win win and totally worth it. 

 

A Day in the Life with the L Family - South Bend Family and Newborn Photographer

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Normally, a Day in the Life (DITL) session includes me following a family around while they do their normal routine and daily activities. This DITL, however, was oh-so-different. And oh-so-wonderful! 

When Mom contacted me and requested photos of her newest baby, it sounded normal enough. Then she added that she wanted to also capture his baptism. Fantastic! Oh, yeah. And all of their extended family will be there during the day and for the baptism. How truly special is that? 

Baby Boy was an incredibly calm and alert little guy and it was obvious from the moment I arrived that this little guy was surrounded by so much love! It never stops melting my heart to see babies enter this world with such an abundance of love. Baby Boy was passed from grandma to grandma, uncle to uncle, grandpa to grandpa and he took it all in stride, just soaking it all in calmly...actually, sleepily!

Next, out came the Christening gown. In case a gorgeous white Christening gown isn't special enough, this one had a whole story behind it. This gown that Baby Boy was about to be baptized in was worn by generations of men before him, including his own dad. To have this amazing gown dawning so much meaning on his special day before God was probably one of the coolest things I've had the privilege of documenting. 

We ended the day at the beautiful church and huge baptism pool where everyone gathered and watched with emotion and pride as Baby Boy was promised to the church and to God. It was nothing short of beautiful and humbling. I felt so blessed to have been a part of it and I truly hope that these photos captured this family's day in an accurate and beautiful way. Thank you, L Family, for including me in this big day!

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South Bend + Michiana Family Photographer - Gushing Over Documentary Family Photography

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As 2018 hit and I got to organizing my catalogs and organizing last year's client work, I started oggling all of the family documentary and lifestyle sessions I got to do this year. Documentary family photography is still something that is widely unappreciated in this region, but I see it slowly creeping its way onto people's radars. And for that, I am thrilled. I genuinely can't begin to try and explain with words the true level of pricelessness these types of photos provide. But, I'm going to try anyway:

- We live in a world of ideal but we need to start embracing the real.

Every day, we go on our social media accounts and we see the best of everyone. Because lets face it, no one posts the bad parts, the hard parts or the less-than-pretty parts. And we start to think that this is their reality and somehow, ours is less-than. I think we need to change that mentality...and fast! Documentary family photography places the emphasis on the real moments. Our kids change and grow so, so fast and when we look at the posed, "ideal" kids in the photos that traditionally grace our walls, are we really remembering them as they were? Is this an accurate representation of who they are in the here and now? 

I think that photos should capture the essence of it's subject. I want to look at a photo of my daughter and not remember how adorable she was (how could I ever forget?) but I want to remember how, at one year old, she was obsessed with books and at two, she loved animals more than anything and at three, she had the sass and intelligence of a teenager. I want to remember how my guys-guy husband would paint nails, play baker and pretend to be a unicorn just to make her smile. These are the moments that our kids will want to remember. Which brings me to the next point...

- Our kids won't look back at the baby in a bucket pictures or posed portraits and gain anything.

Sorry. I do believe there is a place for portrait work and I completely respect the beauty of it and the skill it takes to create it. However, lets think into the future. Lets pretend our children are now grown adults (sob). When you sit down with them one day and start going through those old photos, which do you think will make them stop and smile? The photo of them wearing their best outfit in a studio chair or the one with their sibling tickling them to tears or when they baked cookies with Grandma? 

Documentary photography captures real moments that tell real stories about your family's life. They document real moments and real relationships. They're a gift that your child doesn't know they want but will be so incredibly grateful for in the future.

- They show our real relationships with those who matter the most.

Some of the people who are currently a big part of our children's lives may not be here to reminisce with them when they're older. People move, relationships shift, life happens. But none of this changes the fact that these relationships and memories existed at one point in time. Having real, raw photos that show what a big part these people play and how much love was shared are truly invaluable. There are few things that mean more to us than the people in our lives and having photos of them will never be out of style. Its a ceaseless gift we can give to our children...and ourselves. 

- And the places that matter the most.

I think this one gets lost in the shuffle sometimes but lets not discount the place. The place we call home. The place we love to take our kids to. The place where you made your favorite memories. Whether you are living in your starter home, your dream home or you choose to do your photos at a spot that your family adores (like the beach, or your favorite park or bowling alley), these places all mean something to you. It doesn't matter if they are old, cluttered or messy because it's all part of your story. Even the stuff you can't stand now will bring a smile to your face later. Don't believe me? Just the other day, we were looking at photos from my childhood home complete with the lime green linoleum that graced our kitchen and my mom burst into laughter and commented how much she hated that floor. That ugly floor that bugged her so much at the time, made her laugh out loud and smile now. 

So you see, photos are so much more than pretty smiles and beautiful backdrops. They're a priceless peak into your past. They're a relationship you never want to forget. They're everything that makes your heart smile. Document your moments; you'll never regret it. 

  

Mishawaka Birth and Family Photographer - Nursing Session

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Awhile back, in support of National Breastfeeding Week, I ran a contest for a mini-nursing session for any currently breastfeeding mommas. I had an overwhelming response, which I was so excited about. It was great to see so many moms not only on the breastfeeding train in the local area, but to see so many of them who valued it and took pride in it as to want photos of it was incredibly exciting. I ended up working with a mom of two girls; a newborn and a toddler. Both girls were active nurslings. Mom was a doula. And the clouds parted and the birds sang. (Ok, I exaggerate for effect but seriously, this mom was such a dream). 

After discussing what we envisioned for this session, it was clear that this was going to be so far beyond a normal in-home nursing session. This mom was all about normalizing breastfeeding and shared her story with me. In an effort to balance mom life and doula life, she had started taking her daughters on "coffee dates" on a regular basis in order to create a fun routine for them and as an outlet to host meetings with her clients in a way that her girls were accustomed to and comfortable with. So naturally, this was how she wanted to document her breastfeeding journey. Um, yes please.

I also knew just the place to suggest (because as she specified and I cheered in support for, she didn't want somewhere cookie cutter or corporate), so we ended up at an amazing little not-for-profit coffee house in Mishawaka called The Well. The atmosphere was so unique and the staff was so welcoming and supportive! If all of that wasn't enough, mom also shared with me that the nursing of her toddler during the session would officially be the last time she would nurse her. To many that's not a big deal, but as a mom who also participated in extended breastfeeding, I can say with certainty that its a big moment! And I am so, so excited to share that moment with you. I hope she enjoys these images as much as I enjoyed telling her story...

Plymouth + South Bend Family Photographer - The H Family

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With documentary photography being a new style to the Michiana area, its always so amazing to meet a family that just "gets it." And that was the case with the H family! From our very first email, it was obvious that we were on the same page: we both value real, honest moments as a family. When we set up our session, I knew this would be a great one!

This family of three was so fun and light hearted and completely natural. We started the session with one of their favorite family activities which was a walk to the river from their home. During the walk, I was able to snag some fun moments and document some silly toddler habits. When we got to the water, they sat and played together in the grass and talked about the non-existent fish in the water.

When we got back to the house, the family decided to decorate pumpkins. They had everything from feathers to sequins to puff paint. It turned into one of those hilariously relatable endeavors where the toddler enjoys it but the parents REALLY enjoy it. After pumpkins came a quick snack before they headed out to a Halloween party. The sweet, quiet moments in the family room were a perfect representation of a normal day in their household. Hearing mom's rave reviews of her gallery and knowing that I was able to document her family just as it is in a way that will make her smile in the days and years to come is truly a joy. 

South Bend Family Photographer - Lyra's In-Home Newborn Session

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This family session had it all: amazing parents, adorable girl babies and the coolest house packed with character. I immediately felt comfortable when I walked in to Dad snuggling his newest daughter while big sister played in the living room. His love for his girls was so obvious that I knew it would transfer into photos that were fun and beautiful!

Throughout this session, both mom and dad were so relaxed and just reveling in parenthood and doting on their newborn that my job was suddenly quite easy. From nursing on the couch while reading to their toddler to cuddling with each other and bonding over baby Lyra, this session was what dreams are made of. Not only was the immediate family there and so incredibly welcoming, but two super supportive grandmas were also there to observe and add to the laughter. There was no shortage of love for these two beautiful girls, that's for sure. The new big sister (who was only one and a half) was so patient and kind towards the new baby and she definitely loved getting her snuggles in with mom and sister. I also loved how incredibly understanding and comfortable these parents were about keeping this session completely documentary. They were more than willing to let me capture the beauty of their family in a totally candid, unscripted way and the results speak for themselves.

I'm so grateful to this family for inviting me into their home and letting me capture these sweet memories of them as they adjust to life as a family of four.

In-home First Birthday Milestone Session - Niles, Michigan

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People don't alway associate lifestyle photography with milestone sessions but I'm SO glad that Momma K did! I had such a good time hanging out with this sweet little guy right before his first birthday to capture all of his fun milestones and silly habits. Baby S had a double ear infection but you'd never know it based on how happy and laid back he was the entire time I was there. I love capturing the simple things like his favorite toys, story time and bath time for his parents to look back on in the years to come so that they can remember everything about this fleeting moment in time. Happy Birthday big guy!