3 months:
These pictures are taken clothed, thus the studio does not need to be heated up. This is a great time to take pictures of baby on his stomach. Hats, are very cute in these pictures, and i suggest bringing any hats you may have at home with you. These pictures in some ways mimic newborn pictures, if the baby sleeps through the session it is still ok. At this age, baby will be smiling, and we will try to capture that sweet smile that the baby has, but sometimes, that “lady holding that black thing stuck to her face” is just weird to the baby, and we don’t always capture their cute smile. During this session, we will do pictures of baby on his stomach, as well as pictures in other various poses.
6 months:
I recommend that you wait until baby is sitting on his own before coming for your 6 month appointment. This is the age when we can start getting cute poses because baby is sitting, this is also a good time to capture the “naked baby” photos if we have not already done so. This is a cute time to dress little girls in tutus for their shoot, (tutus are a prop i keep in stock) at 6 months, babies really begin to show their personalities, and we can capture a variety of emotions and facial expressions. These are always very fun pictures to take.
9 months:
At 9 months, babies start to look much cuter in their clothes. Clothing fits better, and no longer swallows them. Babies look very different than they did when they were born. the 9 month session is a lot like the 6 month session, in that we try to capture emotions, and expressions. I am not afraid to photograph a crying baby. At 9 months, we will shoot a variety of poses. This is a great time to have a picture that is less casual and more of a typical portrait made. Baby has developed a great personality. So, bring that dress or suit that is so cute, and lets capture a less candid moment, and a more formal one!
1st Birthday Special:
1st Birthday is a huge milestone! This is a time when you can Photograph baby standing, and sometimes even taking those first few steps. One of the things I think it is nice to do on a first birthday is a birthday cake series. If you bring a small birthday cake with you, we will do a series of the child enjoying the birthday cake and tearing it apart.
Toddlers:
Toddlers are curious creatures, and as such, I don’t really try to “pose” toddlers, I generally put them in the area where the light is good for the picture, and then “play with them” this guarantees that you get genuine facial expressions, not made up ones. I like for parents to NOT encourage their child during the session, this results in the child looking at mom or dad, and not at the camera. if I have a child that doesn’t want to take pictures, often times I will ask mom or dad to help out. I want the kids to have fun, and see the session as play time, not as a time they have to be good and sit still. These really do generate the best pictures.
Children:
Children often times come in with the understanding, that they are going to do what they are told and they are going to sit pretty and say “cheese”. The best pictures will result from NOT prompting your child this way prior to your session. Like I do with Toddlers, I play with the children to get real expressions, but I also do a few posed expressions too. I allow children to make silly faces, cry, and sometimes I even let them do what they want in a few pictures because then they “loosen up” and the result will be more natural looking pictures.
