After a maternity or newborn session the question many families have is what is the next photographic baby milestone we should capture? The answer depends on many preferences and factors, but generally families tend to fall into two groups – those who want to document seasons (like cherry blossoms in the spring, and fall foliage in autumn), or those who want to capture milestones in their family’s lives. The milestones I most often photograph after a maternity and newborn session are the ‘sitter’ session (around 6-7 months when baby begins to sit up unassisted) and 1 year (or baby’s first steps).
The sitter session can be held in my studio or outdoors at a gorgeous location, can include several outfit changes for baby, and is a great chance to capture their personality and smiles. This age is amazing because when they begin to sit up it allows for so many photographic opportunities (versus when they’re only able to lay on their backs or bellies) and they usually are so happy (especially in the morning!) so we catch so many smiles and happy baby faces. I love to do a mix where we do some images in my studio and pop outside for some seasonal scenery as well. A studio wardrobe is available for mom to pick out something beautiful to wear, and I also have many options for sitters for their wardrobe as well.
I love the 1 year session for it’s significance in the lives of the family and the baby of course, but also because babies are beginning to take some first steps, love being tickled and interacted with by their parents, and their personality is on full display. I love photographing them pulling themselves up and standing on their own, taking their first wobbly steps (with parents holding their hands), and in some baby’s cases – full on running! Parents are welcome to bring a cake of their choosing for a cake smash we can do at the end of the session as well, to celebrate the big birthday.
One of my favorite parts of doing multiple sessions over this first year of life is how much they change between each milestone, and how we can create beautiful art products to keep as heirlooms for your family. Photographing all of the baby milestones creates a gorgeous end of year album, where we can show your favorite images all combined together in a beautiful custom designed photo album to keep and pass on. Keeping up with baby books over the first year is difficult, so these albums are a beautiful way to preserve your baby’s first milestones in beautiful format. Families often love to also create beautiful wall galleries with images stretching over the first year, to show the changes baby made as they went from newborn to a year old. It’s such an amazing time to document these incredible changes and growth as a family together.
I offer a popular baby plan that rewards any future session held within 1 calendar year with 50% off of the session retainer, as well as a complimentary 8×10 fine art torn edge print from each subsequent session. Contact me to book your baby’s next milestone session and cherish these moments with your growing family together.
leave a comment!