I’m so behind on blogging, but I had to put up my favorites from this session with Baby S.

Baby S is both joyful and a joy to know. He is curious, charming, and smart.

S’s name means “smile,” and he was always full of smiles whenever I came to visit. When I arrived at our portrait session, Baby S had just woken up. He greeted me with beaming smiles and laughter. His mom and dad had told me during our consultation that this is how they are greeted everyday when Baby S wakes up from his naps. How lucky they are! How cute are his two front teeth??

Mom told me how she loved all his little details—how his toes curled, how he held things with his fingers, his curly hair, how he smiled and frowned. These were some of the details that I made sure to capture during our session.

I was so touched by Mom and Dad’s dedication to their son. They told me how they so much enjoyed playing with Baby S. Baby S hasn’t learned to walk, yet, so they spend a lot of their playtime crawling around the house.

Dad loves the time he has with Baby S, and they are so eager to see each other when Dad comes home from work. Mom and Baby S wait on the stairs by the door for Dad to come home.

This is the smiling face that greets him!

I love how, in lifestyle photography, we can capture the beauty of everyday life. A baby’s life is about finding joy the simple things, such as a bath and playing with water. The way his hair curls and sticks up melts my heart.

I loooove this image of Baby S nursing and sharing a quiet moment with Mom. There’s no closer bond between baby and parent. Breastfeeding is beautiful, nurturing, and natural and is never something that should be hidden away.

Our session was an adventure, not only at home, but outside, too. We found the beautiful Concannon Vineyard to spend the afternoon.

Baby S is adorable in all his shortness. His tip-toes just barely touch the ground as Mom and Dad help him learn to walk.

The peaceful, happy images that portrait photographers show of babies and children can be a little misleading in the sense that we might think that only the most well-behaved kids produce good images. Quite the opposite. All kids have their moments of frustration and tiredness. Young babies have a lot of them. But, I’m happy to provide break-time to my portrait families to recover from these moments of frustration. I also love capturing some of those grumpy expressions. They are a part of our personalities just as much as the happy expressions.

Patience also pays off, resulting in images that make my heart skip a beat. I love how dramatic this family portrait is. Can you imagine this as a large wall portrait?

What a cutie!

My heartfelt thanks to the S. Family for sharing your family time with me! It was an honor and a privelege!