I love photographing newborns in their homes rather than in my studio. I know that seems weird when the light in my studio is easier to predict and manage… but hey, where’s the fun in that! To me, the small elements of a baby’s home that are included helps to make the portraits special.

In our email correspondence about her aspirations for the session, Waylon’s mom had mentioned… “I was thinking of bringing along the 1970′s era old-school baby pram that my mom used with me. I am not usually one for props, but this thing is kind of awesome I think.”

It is at this point that every photographer asks themselves “kind of awesome?” Oh yeah, baby! I immediately responded to her beautifully crafted and well thought-out email with “BRING THE PRAM.”

(ps. I love my clients! You guys are the best!)

Here’s a little glimpse of the amazing kids I photographed that day. And please note that the only remaining GIMME 5 time slots for 2012 are on April 14th. (May is reserved for First Communion sessions, June is fully booked). Click here to snag a spot.

Armed with a bag of animal crackers (or as his parents insist, “Animal crack. He is addicted to them.”) we diverted Dominic’s negative vibes by heading straight out the door and over to the woods. A few minutes of a new environment was all we needed before we were smiling away.

Thanks and kudos to Dominic and Genevieve’s parents for being calm and flexible. I cannot stress enough that parents really do set the tone for a family session.

I’m so glad to document this time your family — thanks!

the end.

They sit and smile and giggle and examine the world with wonder.

These images are the first GIMME 5 previews from February. More coming soon! And while we’re at it, here’s a little GIMME 5 logistical update:

The April and June dates will be announced this week — follow on facebook to catch the annoucement. (No GIMME 5 sessions will be offered in May to accommodate first communion sessions.) Please note that June will be the final GIMME 5 date for 2012 so you will need to jump on the schedule to avoid disappointment.

It should be noted that big sister, Julianna, was apparently NOT too keen on this little sister dealio. So we took the baby upstairs and had our own little session with her. It was the first time Julianna agreed to hold Josephine. I love how her feelings about the baby are right there out in the open, and they change from “Seriously, I am not into this.” to “She’s ok. I guess”.

Moments like this are why I prefer shooting newborns in a client’s own home. It gives the opportunity to capture a bit of the time and place when a new baby joins the family. (I would also like to stress that there was an adult RIGHT THERE next to Julianna and Josephine THE WHOLE TIME — safety first when posing newborns!) Shooting in the home also gives a great range of documentary style images and posed newborn images.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. She was delightful.

If you are interested in having your baby (or babies, as in this case!) photographed several times in their first year, please get in touch. I do not offer a set baby plan — multiple sessions are by arrangement only in order to provide the best possible total set of images.

There just a couple time slots remaining for the February and March GIMME 5 dates. Click here for more info.