And I’m glad we did because we got lots of adorable, wide-eyed awake images. It’s usually really difficult to get eye contact with a newborn, but {J} was amazing and kept looking directly at the camera, which made my job so easy. And I just love how expressive his eyes are in these pictures.

And I’m not the only thing headed out of the office. These beautiful products will be leaving my hands today and will arrive in my client’s later this week. I’ll admit that I’m not the greatest product photographer, but these are just too gorgeous not to be photographed. As a custom photographer, I offer much more than just your traditional 8×10 print. These gorgeous image boxes are my current favorite. They hold 15 matted prints and are so dreamy in person.

And this float wrap is a modern take on a 16×20 print. It’s literally your image, wrapped and mounted so when hung it appears to “float” from the wall. How cool is that? I’m so excited for my clients to have these (although part of me wishes I could keep them for myself!).

I would really encourage anyone considering custom photography to look around your home and find the perfect places to display your artwork. Gift prints such as 5×7’s and 8×10’s are meant to sit on desks. But walls scream for large, gorgeous images. Don’t be scared by the sound of a 16×20 or 20×24. I promise you it’s not as big as you might think and I bet you’d even wish you went larger. To me there is nothing more beautiful that decorating your home with images of your own life, so go big!

Mom–I had a great time hanging out with you and {E} yesterday. You both were so much fun to be around and are the reason why I love my job. I hope you love your sneak peek of your little cutie pie.

I get nervous.

Whew. I feel much better now that that’s out there.

But seriously, I do. I get nervous. I still get nervous before every photography session.

But I look at that as a good sign. I get nervous because I know how important the images I’m about to take are. They will represent one second in time that can never be duplicated. They will hang on someone’s wall. They will become works of art.

And for today’s session I was a bit more nervous than usual. When Mom contacted me to take pictures of her six week old little guy we knew {C} was on the older side for newborn images. We talked over the details, knowing that we would have to work hard to get those sleepy, snuggly images. Well, turns out we hardly had to work at all. {C} was the perfect little model. He was still and alert and made great eye contact for all of his awake images. And usually for newborns we need to feed, snuggle, burp (and then feed some more) to lull them into dreamland. Not so for {C}. He fell alseep all on his own in my green bucket of all places! It was truly hysterical–we placed him in the bucket and then watched as his eyelids got heavier and heavier until he was out like a light.

So once again my nerves were for nothing since {C} was a champ and our session was awesome. Here are a few of my favorites.

Well, this little guy came over a week early! Talk about a great gift! He wasn’t supposed to make his debut until tomorrow, but I know that Mom and Dad are so glad he’s already here. I know I am–I had a wonderful afternoon getting to know this adorably squishy little newborn. Mom and I are in a Tuesday morning bible study together at our church and I just love her. She’s always so encouraging and get this–she offered to watch my kids when she was 8 months pregnant to give me a break! What a servant’s heart!

And little {E} is equally as lovable. He wasn’t so sure that he wanted to miss out on all of the excitement, but eventually gave in to a sweet slumber. The images we were able to capture are just so perfect. I can’t decide whether I like the first image or the black and white conversion better, so I thought I would include them both so you can see how just cropping and changing to black and white can change the look and feel of an image.

Mom–I had a great afternoon hanging out with you and {E}! I hope you all love your images! Give {E} a big snuggle for me!

That’s how today’s session with {K} was. I just couldn’t wait to browse through all of the pictures and start editing them. And once I started, I just couldn’t stop! This little one was such a doll! Her eyes are so amazingly expressive and she’s at my favorite age where she can sit up but can’t crawl away out of my camera’s frame. Love that.

And I love these first two images. So much so that I think I might just order a canvas of one as a studio sample. The lighting was just perfect (which we had to work for–believe me). Being a natural light photographer has it’s challenges in the winter. We actually had {K} set up a couple of feet from the door and I did most of my shooting from out on the porch (with Dad and Mom taking turns making silly sounds and faces behind me.) Put all that together and you get the perfect session, don’t you agree?

Mom and Dad–I had a great time getting to know you and little {K} today. I hope you love your sneak peek! I’ll be in touch and will let you know when your gallery is ready!

Little {A} can be seen all over my blog and website and I just adore her. Though she was feeling a bit under the weather as well, you would never know it by her precious smile. Just looking at these images makes me want to squeeze those cheeks!

And I think it must mean even more when it’s the child of your one and only big sister. There is a special bond between sisters no doubt. I know that I wouldn’t be where I am today without my big sis. She is the one who shares all of the same childhood memories. She is the one who was there when I gave birth to both of my children and encouraged me, telling me that I could do it when I felt like I couldn’t. She is the one who was there with me at my Dad’s beside when he took his last breathe. And she is the one who knows what it’s like to try to create a life other than the one you had imagined when you lose your Daddy to cancer. She’s the one that understands the joys, the tears, and the beauty of motherhood. She’s my sister and I’m so grateful God gave her to me.

And I just adore the two beautiful boys that she and my brother in law have created. I feel so blessed to live just a mile from them and that to get to watch my nephews grow up.  And I feel so honored that I got to take little {H’s} newborn pictures–he’s such a beautiful little guy and the perfect little model. He didn’t even make a peep the whole time–what a trooper!