Little Lion Man: Alex Turns Two

When I'm not creating wedding films, I exercise my camera by taking photos of adorable people. It gets me interacting with the best people out there. Like Alex. He knows the names of more animals than I can fathom and has one of the most tender hearts of the young'uns.

This also goes to show you the beauty of what you can do in your own home. We took all of Alex's photos in the dining room with light from the patio door. It was perfect! I'm also particularly fond of Alex's geeky chemistry blocks. If you look closely, you can see why any kid needs a set of their own. Hint hint, Santa Claus.

Photograph Your Newborn in 4 Practical Steps

Greetings Peeps!

I shared my oh-so-traumatic experience of attempting to photograph our newly minted family addition ending in tears and being covered in unpleasantries. Not wanting to be bested by our little fox, I took up the challenge and attempted our photo session again. This time = success! Here's what worked for me:

Step 1: Feed the baby
A substantial milk coma did wonders for coaxing the little one into doing whatever I wanted. I waited for the aftermath as well - burps, pukes, and poops. It was like dropping Mentos into a 2-liter of Coke. Feed and wait. The pressure built. The countdown began! Then came the explosions that quickly become predictable (they had to after cleaning poop off the wall a few times and changing tops twice in a 5-minute span).

Step 2: Stick a finger in it
Whenever the little fox would resist the adorable places I found for her, I would stick my finger in her mouth to woo her back to sleep. A quick coaxing was all I needed in this case. This included snacks. Once upon a time, in ideal Parenthood-Land, I felt this pressure to keep baby on a strict eating/playing/sleeping schedule and to only feed when hungry. For sanity's sake, I was more than happy to take a quick break and get some food in her when she was getting overly fussy with my poking and prodding. It was a nice break for me too.

Step 3: Keep baby safe
It was so fun to think of places to mold a very moldable and snuggable baby, but especially since I was attempting this myself, I made sure she was securely propped up and contained. I was also within arm reach when taking the photos. I must have been my usual famished self because I reached for a mixing bowl and stuffed it full of rolled up blankets for her. The inside was deep enough that she fit just like a batch of my pumpkin brownie mix. I even laid our little fox out on our bed for some of my favorite shots. How easy was that? There was no way she was going ANYwhere (I hope she'll still be this compliant when she's older).

Step 4: Get Naked
The baby, of course! The key for me was starting with our little fox fully clothed so I could get my bearings and she could get hers. Happy coincidence was that once I started putting her back into day clothes, she was still in milk coma status. That meant I could play around with amazing photos showing off that little potbelly of hers.

I was so happy with how these came out and there was practically NO stress. We took our time and I waited for her cues before scrunching her into her next pose on whatever surface I could find in the house, ever handy with a quick snack or pacifier. I happily threw out all of the baby book rules out the window for an hour or two to be able to play like this! And I confess that I have since thrown out most of the baby book rules permanently.

Photograph Your Newborn in 2 Easy Steps

Hello Peeps!

Hubby and I welcomed our first little fox to the troop on November 3rd and she's been such entertainment ever since. Here's just one entertaining story so far...

The fox was merely a week old and I had the brilliant idea to take photos like all the gorgeous naked, posed baby photos you see floating around Facebook. I cranked up the heat, set out some props, stripped the little fox to her bare little baby bum, wrapped her in a blanket in case she leaked, and handed her to Daddy.

You can tell by the photo that we had absolutely no idea what we were doing. We're first time parents after all, not yet knowing if the poor thing's head is going to roll off her neck if we don't hold her just-so. As I snapped photos with my fancy camera, she screamed and cried, even reaching that high shrill that only the most talented of babies can reach.

Dumfounded that she wasn't sleeping peacefully like the babies in all the photos I've seen, I wrapped her in the blanket she had just thoroughly soaked with pee and handed her back to Daddy. The logical conclusion was try, try, try again. Here's where it all hit the fan. Simultaneously, Daddy and I start to sweat because the house is now a sauna, Daddy's phone rings, he reaches for it with his free hand while holding the pee-soaked blanket containing our shrill fox - and the icing on the cake - the baby poops, all over Daddy. And screams and cries.

That last bit applies to us all. A full-blown meltdown ensued with me and the little fox sitting on the floor bawling our eyes out and Daddy covered in poo. And all I have is this lousy photo to show from it.

Step 1: Hire a professional to take newborn photos

Especially if this is your first child. You have way too much going on and no matter how much of a Wonder Woman you think you will be, expect the unexpected and let an outside source pamper you and your baby the way you should be pampered. You'll thank me for it.

Step 2: Keep your phone handy

Some of my favorite photos I have of our little fox are taken with my phone (like this awesome one on the left - totally Anne Geddes, don't you think?). It's so easy to snap photos here and there with my phone (which I have by my side so I can time feedings anyway). It's candid, it's natural, it's stress-free!

It gives you more freedom to play around with things like poses, framing, and lighting because all you have to do is sit there and cuddle your little spawn. Your finger on the button does the rest. If you haven't heard it enough from your family and friends, let yourself relax! Take advantage of this time to just be with your baby! I wish I had taken that advice. It's the only time you'll get to have an excuse to just...be. Your baby will go through a million different expressions in a fraction of a second, so you can easily sit there and capture each one while you're doing what you do best - being a Mom.

Secret Step 3: Stay tuned

I'm going to post my phone pictures, and I encourage you to do the same! I want to see your babies! I post phone photos here and if you'd like to contribute, send your favorites to me on Facebook! I'll also write about how to make the most of using whatever camera you have handy to take meaningful photos of your newborn.

X and Y Coordinates: The Larger Family

Videography is my forte. I love capturing emotion and telling stories in moving pictures. The camera I film with happens to be a photographers camera, which means I get confused for a photographer at many, scratch that, all of my weddings.

And so I daydream. What if I were a photographer? Well. My hair would look awesome. I would wear trendy clothes and everyone would feel I was their best friend and confidante. If I were to pretend I was a photographer, I would be a family photographer. Why? Because there's just something about getting family together to capture a specific moment in time.

Maybe family portraits are somewhat reminiscent for me of weddings. Maybe it's that I feel more comfortable in groups. Maybe because kids respond REALLY well when you also have grandparents and aunt and uncles in the mix. You can physco-analyze why I'm drawn to families to your heart's content and let me know what you find. Whatever it is, I thoroughly enjoy myself.

I met the Larger's at Inniswood Metro Park with a good hour or so of remaining daylight. The best part for me? Watching them arrive. I had been in touch with Debbie to help coordinate outfits and color schemes so everyone felt like a beauty queen (i.e. stud for the men), settled into their individual styles, and still coordinated between nuclear families. I made a few suggestions, sent over a few examples, and waited like a kid on Christmas Eve to see how it would play out.

I saw the family mingling at the entrance to the park and glanced through each of them. They chose teal (or blue), brown, and denim. As my eyes traveled from family member to family member, a big, goofy grin spread across my face. They had nailed it! I don't even need to go on from there as the pictures speak for themselves. Their personalities were as well coordinated as their clothing and just as soothing and natural. Ernie, Debbie, Matt, Jenn, Jacob, Marc, and Karin - you were all such a pleasure to take around the park. I'm going to have to use you all as my model family each year =)

Columbus Revisited: Baby Lydia

With and excursion to places boasting of "The Finest Nuts Since 1898" and "Splendid Ice Creams", you know you're going to get some good images. I love being a fly on the wall and capturing the things that are bound to happen. We got ready in the morning, played some Mahjong with Lydia, and then took her on the best field trip ever.

The very first photo is what Lydia's mom calls her "cheese face", and you can see why. And it's the most adorable face ever! I look back through these photos and think of all the times we had together while Dave, Katie and Lydia visited from Boston. I can still hear Lydia's laugh and the things Katie said to get such a big smile. I can still hear Dave asking Lydia, "is it windy?" and blows her hair back. Having these photos is almost like having them still in town. That's what having memories like this are for, isn't it?

Woodland Faeries: Bethany Turns One

This one almost feels like cheating. We're good friends with Bethany's parents, so there's that. We also live next door to Bethany, so there's that too. A girl can't ask for much more than an adorable one-year old neighbor who likes getting her picture taken. I think I should take advantage of taking photos of such a happy baby more often. Mom brought balloons with us and we wandered off into the small patch of woods behind the houses. We all have fond memories of summer days spent lounging around the family farm in Fredericktown, so a natural setting was entirely apropos.

P.S. Mom definitely has the outfit coordination down. Just look how Bethany's eyes pop in each shot. Nice work, Mom!