Pandemic Baby - AND Be Sure to Vote!

I was supposed to photograph this sweet girl's newborn photos in April. Then covid tore the world apart. We took some of her mom’s maternity photos the Friday before Chicago shut down in March. She was the oldest "newborn" I've ever photographed at two months, but she slept like a one-week old for the last half of her session.

Earlier this year, for over two months, I couldn’t photograph anyone. And it was heart-wrenching. Knowing new mamas weren’t getting those snuggly photos of those first few days or weeks with their littles made me so sad.

I’ll admit I was a bit nervous going into this session because two month old babies can be very unpredictable! I typically photograph babies between one week and a month new. The older they get, the less predictable they are in terms of sleepiness. Not that a baby needs to be asleep to get great photos, but it does make it a bit less challenging when they’re sleepy :) I mean, often times when a two month old is awake it’s because they’re h-u-n-g-r-y! Having said that, I do LOVE when a newborn opens their eyes during our sessions - I feel like I get a glimpse into who they are as a tiny little human! So with little Miss A’s session, I got the best of both worlds! Awake AND smiley and then some sleepy snuggly photos too. This was a nice “welcome back” session after a dark March/April/May.

PSA: Please go vote if you haven’t already! Our democracy, and the future of little girls like Miss A, is depending on all of us. Figure out your voting plan and do your civic duty. I did mail-in voting here in Chicago and dropped off my ballot last week. I received my confirmation of receipt the next day. Easy and safe, which is what we need in this pandemic. I obviously won’t tell you who to vote for, but for full transparency I voted Biden/Harris. I believe we need real leadership with compassionate people. And I believe America, but especially women, Black people, LGBTQ people, immigrants and the Earth all deserve better. I’m voting for basic human rights.

Sweet Baby Camille - Chicago Lifestyle Newborn Photo Session

Ever want to know how to rock your newborn photo session? Just follow this family’s lead! Get the whole fam in, including both dogs! Give me a newborn and a dog & I’m in love. Two dogs and a newborn, though? I’m obsessed. All the heart eyes over here!

It took a while for me to actually get to meet sweet baby Camille but I was so glad when I did! I was supposed to photograph her birth, but wasn’t able to because she ended up being breach so her Mama had to have an unplanned C-section. Shortly after birth she was diagnosed with Down Syndrome and it was a scary time for her mom and dad. After a NICU stay, this sweet girl was finally able to come home. Here, she is about a month old and doing fantastic - just ask her pup siblings! Welcome to the world, beautiful girl. You’re already such a fighter and a true inspiration!

Welcome, Camille, I can’t wait to see who you become. Much love!

When Should I Book My Lifestyle Newborn Session?

I get asked this question very often! Since I started focusing on lifestyle newborn photography sessions instead of sleepy-baby super-posed sessions, it's become a bit more relaxed in terms of how long we can wait to do photos after your baby has arrived. I still believe that the sooner we do your newborn photos the sleepier they tend to be, and the easier the session flows for mom and dad. However, I typically photograph newborns in their homes up to one month old. Every baby is different, of course, and it also depends on how early or late your baby made their debut. 

Newborns are best photographed between 4 and 14 days old.

Lifestyle Sessions -babies can be photographed up to one month old.

Pro tip: I recommend keeping the heat cranked in your home, or if it's summer turn the A/C off, during your in-home newborn session. 

As tempting as it may seem to be all about the baby at first, I believe it's not JUST about the baby! While I love nothing more than a super-adorable babe wrapped in a swaddle blanket with her hands on her cheeks, all cozy and cute, I think you must be in the photos too! This is a time that goes by SO fast and you're going to want to look back, when the moments may be a bit blurred. Your baby will love looking at the photos while growing up, and will greatly appreciate those photos when they are all grown up.