Category Archives: Newborn

NJ Newborn Photographer | Scotch Plains | Theo

June 2, 2023

What a blessed baby <3

Seriously, how did I get so lucky?? I don’t know what it is, but I just seem to get the absolute best Clients. When I met Kevin and Tommy they were just the sweetest and knew that they wanted to document this very momentous time with Baby Theo. I always say that I love the connections I get to experience with my Clients. But what I am realizing is I really love to hear the stories of the people that I meet. The love stories, the things that people overcome, the histories and the futures.

Theo’s story is one of adoption. And the adoption stories are always so moving. Sometimes people wait and wait and wait. Well, probably most times! And I can’t imagine how difficult that can be! Sometimes they wait and they get a call that they MAY have a baby, but then something doesn’t work out. I mean, how hard it must be to not get your hopes up or to just constantly be waiting and thinking about that phone call?

I don’t know, I don’t have experience with that myself, but I can only imagine. And then…you get the call that your baby has been born and you’ll be picking him up?! Ugh, my heart explodes. My heart explodes for the couple and for that baby. Just knowing how much they will love and be loved.

Kevin and Tommy are the cutest and I just recently saw a photo of Theo and I can’t believe how much he has grown and how HANDSOME he is!

Something else that I love about this session is the ARTWORK that they picked out for their home. They chose to get a large family portrait on canvas and it came out gorgeous! But that wasn’t without help! The Artist Framer in Cranford designed the most beautiful frame for their piece. I am so impressed by the work that they do and the thought that goes into their frame design. It is an ART in itself! Tommy and Kevin told them about their fireplace with the gunmetal facade and their natural wood coffee table and The Artist Framer designed the most perfect frame, marrying the 2 materials together. Pics below!

HAPPY PRIDE!

It’s PRIDE month and I am SO proud to be able to share this beautiful session. And no, I haven’t been saving this blog post for PRIDE, I’m just REALLY behind on blogging and now it seems like a good time to share this session <3

Thanks Kevin, Tommy and Theo! And thank you to The Artist Framer for displaying my artwork so beautifully! XOXO!

Natalie Maya | Westfield, NJ Newborn Photography

March 11, 2023

I do not have any idea how I somehow missed blogging about these sessions! They produced some of my favorite images! And they are from Summer of 2022!

Momma contacted me a few months before her due date which is what we always encourage. This gives us time to plan and prepare for baby’s arrival. At the time that I am writing this, I offer Maternity Sessions as an add-on to my Newborn Session. And that is what we did for this one. We had a beautiful sunset session for the Maternity and the sun showed up with her golden dripped sunlight. It was a little bit HOT, but Mom and Dad took it like champs and we created beautiful Maternity images that I am so proud of. We even pulled out the Drone for some amazing aerial images!

Then their beautiful princess arrived and it was Newborn shoot time! What I love most about my Clients is that they TRUST me. This is an investment! And it is super important that you TRUST your photographer. That you see their work and love it and TRUST us to create unique images of you and your baby while also appreciating the creative process and artistic styling. I always have my Clients fill out a questionnaire which leads me in selecting what colors, fabrics and props to use. But at the end of the day, as George Michael said, “Ya gotta have faith”!

Kathryn gave me that. And we created some of my favorite Maternity and Newborn images. This little girl is going to be one in a couple of months and I can’t wait to see her again! Hopefully at her cakesmash!

Newborn | Juliana | Scotch Plains, NJ

February 9, 2023

Meet Juliana!

I have been busy with Newborns lately and just sent out this little girl’s gallery. What a beautiful little girl she was!

Her grandmother actually contacted me wanting to GIFT a newborn session to her daughter. I can’t think of a more amazing gift! Can you? Man, I wish someone gifted that to me when I had my babies…I definitely was not the photographer then that I am now LOL.

These sessions are not lost on me. I love sitting and talking with the parents about their birth, their adoption, their story. I feel like I always get something out of these talks. Sometimes I even find out a connection we have with one another such as mutual friends, life experiences, etc. It’s another part of the “job” that I really love. Human connection. And the magical first weeks with the new life that has entered this world. What a blessing!

So grateful for this!

Newborn | Ari | 128 Days

December 22, 2022

When Ari’s mom contacted me to inquire about a Newborn shoot for her daughter, her baby was already about 4 months old. Now if you are new to the Newborn Photography World you wouldn’t know that we typically schedule these sessions when baby is about 2 weeks old. “Why?” you may ask? Well, there are a number of reasons for this. First of all, when babies are first born they are easily posable. They literally just came from an environment where they were folded over and squished up and so it makes it easier for us to pose them in those sweet little squishy poses. Also, it’s when they are sleepiest! As time goes on babies become more alert, dare I even say “nosy”? HAHA! But seriously, alert babies can be very difficult to pose! Another reason? The older they get, the more they eat. Cluster feeding and growth spurts are REAL and they can make newborn shoots very long and difficult.

Why won’t photographers shoot “older” newborns?

Believe it or not, many newborn photographers will quite literally put a hard stop on newborn sessions after a certain age. I honestly don’t blame them for doing it. It’s their business and if they only do newborns up to a certain age, it’s really just being honest with the family that they do not believe they will be able to get the newborn poses that they are hoping to get. It’s actually commendable in a way.

Hey, Joan…do you have an age limit for newborns?

I don’t have a limit on age for my newborns. Of course I prefer to shoot at around 15 days. I encourage expectant mommas to book their newborn sessions 3 months in advance. But I am a mom myself. I know that life happens, that this isn’t on everyone’s radar, that sometimes families have complications or other life things happening that prevent them from booking ahead of time. And so I will never turn a baby away for being “too old”. However, I will be upfront and honest and real that the session may be more difficult, baby may not let me pose them certain ways, etc. But I know that I will always be able to walk away with something…I make it my mission lol! I guess that’s just the artist in me.

Momma had a difficult pregnancy. She spent the last bit of it bed ridden before ending up in the hospital. Baby Ari was born early. I think she was 2 months early? And she had to stay in the NICU for an extended period of time after she was born. Ari is a rainbow baby. Incase you don’t know, a rainbow baby is a baby that is born after a loss. And she is a warrior!

Collaboration is my jam…

Mom and Dad had some amazing ideas for the shoot. And collaboration is where my heart is. They had envisioned certain shots and I was there for it! This might be my most favorite session I have ever done. Why? Certainly because of the meaning behind it. Mom and Dad wanted to include their COMMUNITY in this session. They wanted to include the people who supported them, who helped them, who were there for them. And these people SHOWED UP! I mean they showed up for this mom and dad when they needed them, but they ALSO showed up with about a days notice to the shoot the day before Thanksgiving. My Heart <3.

I could go on about this session and this family forever, so I’m just going to end it here and let the images do the rest of the talking…

Thank you Crystal and Lamar for trusting me with your Little Lion, Ari <3 And thank you for giving me the artistic freedom to help execute your vision XOXO

Scotch Plains | Newborn | Mars

July 28, 2022

I am so excited to introduce you to my newest baby cousin, Martin! And how ridiculously adorable is it that he is going to go by the name “Mars”??? My cousin was calling him Mars Bars!!! <3.

Allie added a maternity session onto her Newborn Session and the results are nothing short of incredible! God do I wish I had images documenting the beauty of pregnancy. She killed her session and we had so much fun creating these super special SURPRISE images for her her husband. But you know what always happens? When we think we are getting portraits done as a gift for someone else, they ALWAYS end up being a gift to ourself. I know that Allie will be able to look back on these images years down the line and think to herself, “Damn! I am a magnificent Goddess!”…because, well, just LOOK! She is a GD Goddess!

Mars joins his 2 other brothers, Caden and Owen, who are just the cutest and sweetest little boys. Caden is totally head over heels in love with his momma and will randomly just call out,”Mom, I love you”. And Owen is a fantastic big brother and I know that he will be such a great helper with Mars.

My cousin Rob is no stranger to boy families. In fact, my mom and his dad come from a family of 7 kids. Five of which were boys (my poor grandma LOL)! And Rob has 2 brother and a sister of his own. I also have 2 brothers. Boys just run STRONG in our family! And I know that Robert is an amazing dad and these boys are so lucky to call him theirs.

Robert John and Allie I feel so blessed to have been able to document this time in your life. I am so excited I got to meet Baby Mars and see my little cousins Caden and Owen. And most importantly I am so happy I got to see you both and the wonderful way you work together as a team and make this all look so easy and natural <3