Tag Archives: scotch plains nj

NJ Newborn| Cranford | Vada

When I ran a model call for a newborn photography sessionI was only going to book 1 model, but oops! I wound up booking 2! LOL, no seriously though. I love newborn photography so much that I decided what the heck!? Let’s do 2! Vada was a tiny little adorable peanut. And as luck would have it, she wasn’t thrilled about modeling either. LOL. But that doesn’t bother me. I know that I will always win HAHA!

As a newborn photographer and an ARTIST, I want to capture and create beautiful art with your babies just as much as you want that! This is part of why newborn sessions are scheduled with a 3 hour timeframe. Babies are gonna “baby”! They get hungry, they need diaper changes. And sometimes they just need a little TLC. I plan for these things!

I’ve been doing newborn photography for 10+ years and I still am head over heels for it! And you know what else I’m head over heels for? Little girls in BLUE! I mean, just look at this little SQUISH! Thank you so much Jen and Vada for volunteering your time to help me perfect my craft even further. You ROCK!

NJ Newborn | Scotch Plains | Freya

nj newborn

This little beauty was kind enough to help me out with a Newborn photography model call I was doing to brush up on some poses and test out some new backdrops. Although she wasn’t feeling it until about 2 hours in (maybe more LOL), she finally let me get some of the shots I wanted and I am absolutely in LOVE with how these turned out! This backdrop is actually the underside of a pattern and I am not mad about it! In fact it may be my new favorite! What do you think?

She had the most beautiful blonde hair! It was practically white! <3. So happy to have been able to meet you, Freya! And your mommy and daddy too!

Scotch Plains Newborn Photographer | Noah

Another amazing newborn sesh that I can’t believe was TWO MONTHS AGO! Noah is probably walking and talking already! LOL, I kid, I kid. But seriously, the time is FLYING by!

This boy was so incredibly chill for his session. I am thinking it’s because his mom and dad were too. What I love the most is when a family can come in, sit down, relax and just let me do my thang! And it gives mom and dad a break too. You can watch tv, catch up on emails, scroll your instagram feed, or literally nap. I made sure I got a comfy couch when I knew I was moving to a studio space.

I had so much fun during this session. Noah let me do whatever I wanted. And mom and dad are the absolute cutest and I can just see so much love between them and now for their newest addition.

2 things I REALLY love about this shoot is the amazing silhouette shots we got and the ones of dad holding his son. It was a last minute thing honestly. I saw some tattoos peeking through his shirt and well, knew we needed some shots of HIS art with his newest work of ART. You see, I am a photographer, yes. But I am also an artist. And I appreciate art. And although I only have 1 tattoo myself, one that I didn’t get until I was 37 years YOUNG, I really freakin’ love tattoos. So that’s what we did. We took some artsy tattoo portraits.

Here are some of my favorites from Noah’s Newborn session.

NJ Family Photographer | Chatham, NJ

A few weeks ago I had the privilege of photographing this wonderful extended family in Chatham. This was a referral from one of my Clients who I not only have been able to photograph in the past, but also someone who I have called “friend” for close to 30 years! I know, I can’t believe I’m that old either LOL! And I have to take a minute to say that I am so grateful for these friends and for their referrals. Most of my clients find me from referrals and I wouldn’t be where I am today without you. And many of these referrals become my friends. Thank you Kim for introducing me to your friend and her beautiful family.

Nichole is momma to 3 beautiful girls. And when we started planning our shoot she mentioned how she wanted to have the session in her backyard and we were hopeful that the flowers would be in bloom and the grass would be green. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint! We had to reschedule at least once due to rain, but the sun showed up for her session. And oh boy did it show up! Her backyard was magical and so was her family!

Here are some of my favorite images from our outdoor family session.

NJ Food Photographer | The Swiss Pastry Shoppe | Union County, NJ | Cookies!!!

I started this blog post writing about Seasonal Mood Disorder and how I hate the cold and darkness coming early, but what’s the point. HA! If that doesn’t show you how I feel about the cold Winter months, I don’t know what would.

So instead I’m going to jump right into it! I try to find things to boost my spirits in these times. Between COVID and the cold, I look for things that bring me joy. Sometimes it means looking forward to the next Holiday. Sometimes it is thinking about ways to help others. Sometimes it’s just taking a mental health day and resting and taking it easy. Sometimes all of those things come out to be the same thing.

I started the New Year jumping back into my keto diet. And yes, it was difficult to get back into the swing of it. Sometimes we do hard things, ya know? But I also still have 2 little boys and a love for food photography. And I don’t have that much love for actually cooking or baking things myself. This month I chose to purchase some baked goods from a local bakery, The Swiss Pastry Shoppe. This Scotch Plains bakery has been family owned and operated for the last THIRTY YEARS! Wow! And when you go inside and smell the delicious fresh baked aromas, you can understand why.

They have everything from fresh baked bagels to decadent blueberry tart pies. And I’m not kidding, the smells in here dance upon your old factory senses like a beautiful ballet. It took everything in me not to cheat my diet and buy one of everything. It also feels a bit like walking back in time. In fact, it actually reminds me of the bakery that Mr Rogers used to visit on his show. It’s nothing fancy, just the essentials needed to make delicious treats. And I mean…they are truly DEE-LISH-US.

This Valentine’s Day, consider supporting small businesses in your area. Small businesses are essential to our communities and with the big mega stores and Supermarkets, and now COVID, our small businesses need our support. Go to your local florist for those roses! Get those chocolates from the local bakery! Get a stuffed animal from that adorable little toy store! Plan ahead, place your order, and help our small businesses!

So anyway, here are some pics I took of the pretty little cookies I got for the kids. For my food photography loop this month and also because they were perfect for the Valentine’s Day theme I was going for.

joan marie

Scotch Plains, NJ 07076

908.312.1788 | info@joanmariephotography.com

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