Downtown Family Photography Spring Session

A little downtown Spring family session! 

I should just say Summer because lord knows that Spring in Louisiana very, very short lived! We got about two weeks between what some people call winter and what Louisiana calls Summer. We work with what we get around here though!

This darling couple- Mollie and Andy and their precious little, Skylar made a dreamy little family photography session. I felt like they walked off the pages of a JCREW magazine and right in front of downtown Baton Rouge. 

Mollie had the most darling bonnets for Skylar. Again, note JCREW magazine. We of course had a couple bloopers thanks to children under 5 doing what they do best!! Gotta love a spontaneous kiddo.

When it comes to my sessions whether it be a engagement session, family or newborn photography there is always, always the question of "what do I wear??" It seems that making these sorts of decisions for couples and families is labor some. 

I always always tell my clients to think "blending"  not "matching". Matching takes away from the couple or family looking like their unique self!! This is a huge loss to me as a crafter of beautiful photography. Just think of a color scheme and then let everyone be themselves and choose what they are most comfortable in! This seems to be what works best for client sessions in my eye. 

Back to the Merritt's! Like I said, JCREW models making family life look lovely and easy breezy! 

We found a little nook by the Capital with some darling flowers in bloom. Skylar was perfect in front of them and starting exploring for four leaf clovers!! Well, that's what I like to think although I am sure she was just terribly fascinated with the itchy grass :) 

She made for a darling little baby photography model though, don't you think?!

It was a perfect little family session and we got to talk babies towards the end! I got all sorts of new baby tips which was so helpful!! It's nice to get the down low from new mamas!! 

So a BIG thank you for choosing me and for sharing all your parent wisdom :) 

Y'all's little Skylar was just a doll!! 

Maternity Session in Baton Rouge at Hilltop Arboretum.. and me 5 Months Preggo!

First Babies and making beautiful Maternity Sessions!!! 

Man, I couldn't REALLY know how exciting this aspect of Motherhood was until I became pregnant myself! I had done hundreds of Family Photography Sessions and Maternity Sessions since starting my business full time but honestly, I didn't understand the JOY behind this slot of time to really appreciate it all! 

Until now.... when I am almost 5 month pregnant! (Picture of me with Baby Charles in tow). Some people say I don't look 5 months pregnant but let me assure you, Natty is FULLY pregnant!! That tummy was non-existent till Baby Charlie arrived on the scene and I have 3 months of sickness to vouch for his growing little self as well! 

So when I photographed Karla and her hubby the other day it was so much more meaningful celebrating in their sweet joy that's on her way! 

Of course my sessions will always look very lifestyle and classic. I asked Karla what her desire were for their maternity session and she was all about the great outdoors and nature. This of course made me more than happy to accommodate! We went to LSU's Hilltop Arboretum off of Highland Road to begin.

We got some many precious takes with the three of them. I could not help myself but to of course utilize the Golden Hour. Did I mention how gorgeous Karla is and how impossible it was to get a bad photograph of her? Yeah... there basically was not one. And her hubs was such a nice guy- asking me if I needed help with my bags and always helping with the set up of shots. A lot of time guys are not the enthusiast ones with photography sessions so this is a real treat! 

We wrapped up the Maternity Session talking about potential names and finding the best spots for the end of their session. 

What even BLESSED me more than I have expressed is this sweet lady brought ME a GIFT!!! Do I need to remind you that this was the first time we met? She didn't know me from atom and she was so kind to think of me when we were there for her!!! 

Thank you Jesus for some of the best clients a girl can ask for!! 

Happy Motherhood, Karla!! You will be an excellent first time mommy, I am assured of it... 

Baton Rouge Family Lifestyle Photography Session

This family. GAH!!!

Love them so much! Do you ever just meet "cool people" and know instantly that you want to be friends with them? That's what happened YEARS ago when I met this girl and her soon to be man- Katherine and Blake! We were in an internship at Healing Place Church together in 2007!!!

GASP.... I KNOW.... Where in the world does the time go? 

Back to 9 years ago... I met Katherine and she was the bookish, English, introverted type and that made me happy because I am all of those things wrapped up with some crazy Natty tendencies. Kat was immediately awesome in my book! She loved God and she loved internship and she immediately invited me to hang with her for coffee to talk life. 

Aren't those the best kind of people? Just easy going and fun to be around! Ahhhh... love a good refreshing coffee date! Well, here we are ALL THOSE YEARS later... and Katherine married a fine young fella named Blake who is the cool, sarcastic type (like my hubs but Johnny may have this guy beat) and they have since settled down and just had their third son- Knox.  

That's right- THIRD son!! Ole Knox-y man came after their oldest, Dax and their middle child, Hendrix! Both whom Natty completely adores! 

Me and the littles had more fun than I imagined! We talked favorite candy and crackers and they explained to me about Ironman and Superman and how apparently there is a big difference. I just told them I loved Ironman's suit. They agreed it was cool. 

The two boys were like gold though and made this little family photography session a breeze.  

They listened to mommy and daddy with such perfection. I loved seeing how easy going this couple made parenting appear. (I know parenting has it's weaknesses but it's refreshing to see parenting done so so well.)

Back to the man of the hour- Baby Knox!

He was so smitten on his mommy and was a complete breeze to photograph. The thing with newborn photography is you have to have baby ready for it's shoot by being well fed and preferably ready for a tiny nap. All of which Knox was! We got some great lifestyle photographs with him and was able to capture their relationship oh so well. 

(Blake was entertaining the wild ones in the other room- super dad!!!) 

He had the most darling Modern Burlap swaddle and we made the most of tailoring darling little shots with Knox-y and his Crosses and XOXOs. He complied completely <3

Then I got the whole family on the bed and made sure we got some natural, quality photographs of the whole family interacting together. All the boys made it such a great time and we got some jewels! 

Of course the Prudhomme's live happily ever after...

Baton Rouge Family Lifestyle Session

This was a family session turned lifestyle photography for great reason! This particular family was visiting from California and the other half lived in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The father of the two kiddos was a long time mathematician at Louisiana State University. His two kiddos and family were all together for the holiday so we scheduled a cozy Sunday afternoon for our session for a group of 11. 

One of the mommy's was highly concerned of her two autistic children cooperating for a proper family portrait. As a client, she was worried this would be problematic but for me this is where I believe some of my best work lies... and the adventure begins!

Clients with a sense of adventure are right up my alley!

We began the session on an overcast afternoon at Rural Life Museum off of Essen Lane. This is an ideal location for photographing because it's smack-dab in the middle of the city off of Essen Lane and it's completely wooded and covered with sprawling gardens. I prepped the family that we would attempt some classic portraits and then let the kids just be kids.

My approach as a lifestyle photographer is always to capture the subjects as they are in real life - couple's being in love and children being themselves. So when parents seem frantic about me getting any good photographs of their seemingly disengaged child, I reassure them that this is where my skills shine.

Lifestyle or candid photography is a chance to just document subjects doing the things they love to do and I am just a fly on the wall. 

With families this size there will always be a classic group shots but after these are done I just say, "y'all play together and interact" and I stand back and catch the magic that happens (even in the rain!). 

Like these such jewels that will be cherished for a lifetime... 

So where some moms of special needs (autistic) kiddos would cringe at the thought of corralling the littles for a family photo session, I say bring them all to me! 

To me, generational portraits are an absolute favorite and I just adored the rest of the family in the background that complemented this all too well. 

To me making a family portrait is to be fun, stylish and simple.

Capturing a family as they engage is the most rewarding form of photography to me.

Everyone exactly as they always are. Such as life.