It’s been awhile since my last post, but baby Chaya is the perfect way to kick off the spring blogging season. This sweet lady was eagerly anticipated by mom, dad and her photographer! Her session had to be postponed for various reasons, so when I met her, she was nearly three weeks old..but what a beautiful peanut! Newborns and their families are one of my favorite subjects to photograph. The connection is beautiful, new and intense. Well, I don’t need words to explain that really. I think their pictures tell the story.

Before baby liam was born, I asked his mama about a crazy idea I had for a newborn portrait. As much as she loves her horses, this was a no-brainer. The day of the shoot was incredibly hectic and we trekked to Pungo with this two-week-old guy to attempt a specific shot. Would he sleep? Could we pull it off? Would the horse cooperate? As soon as we stepped foot on the ranch, the stress of the day faded and i just enjoyed the view–sprawling fields, unending wooden stables and the soft light of sunset. No wonder this was his mama’s favorite hideaway.

Jackson (the gorgeous horse in the photo) had been hanging out in the pasture all day — so he was relaxed and gentle. So, with Jackson, Liam, his mommy Bonnie and a handler, we headed to the field to work on getting baby Liam to sleep and Jackson in position. The setting sun dipped behind some unexpected clouds — so we worked fast (doing out best to ignore Jackson’s curious pasture mates who kept blocking the camera!) We got the shots — well, as close as we could considering the light and a restless baby. We had time for a few mama snaps and wrapped it up, trudging home in the dark. (bareback baby is a composite FYI – mama and handler were removed from the image)

Thank you Bonnie for supporting my vision and for making it your own! I had a blast at the ranch and can hardly wait to go back.

our bareback baby:

mama love at sunset:

on the ranch:

our faithful friend “Jackson”

here he is in-studio. such a sweet face — and i adore his cowlick swirl.

giving is at the very heart of my business…of who i am as a person and as a photographer. God has so richly blessed me, it is an honor to pass on His gifts to deserving families and organizations. this year, i have begun the “give ten project” — a small effort, that i hope will ultimately make a difference in the lives of many. through lifeography, i am committed to giving a minimum of 10 percent of my time and profits to charitable work and causes. eventually, i hope others will join me. for now, i am so excited to share one of my first “give ten” photo sessions from virginia beach.

meet baby isabella. i’ve been waiting since december to meet her. she made a surprise entrance when her 7-months-pregnant mommy traveled home to wisconsin for a baby shower. born prematurely at a mere 30 weeks, bella entered this world at 2lbs 12oz. a tiny miracle, she spent her first seven weeks of life in the NICU and left as a healthy baby girl.

newborn bella (photos courtesy of her parents)

zak and christy–you are blessed! of course, you already know that. bella is simply darling. and even though she wasn’t sleepy (who could blame her at 16 weeks old!) i think you’ll see that she shined for her photo session anyhow. i’m so glad to be living nearby again…and am looking forward to watching her grow. enjoy your photos!

baby bella, mom + dad

a classic.