Anchorage Cozy Newborn Session
The early winter months in Anchorage hold a special kind of magic. The first snow seems to quiet the whole world and I love the draw to slow down and be cozy. In a lot of ways, it is reminiscent to those early days at home with a newborn. I really love that this session seemed to capture that sense of hygge (the art of coziness) and quiet.
Anchorage Newborn & Bedtime Session
We put our kids to bed every night. The same routines become part of your family's story, some of the first memories for your kids. The books you read together, the silly songs you make up about jammies and tooth brushes, the bath toys. But how often do we think of photographing those things and honoring how truly important they really are? This family booked a bedtime routine photo session.
Homer Lifestyle Newborn: Baby August
I traveled to Homer, Alaska for this in-home lifestyle newborn session— and it was an absolute dream. First, getting to travel for work is such an awesome perk, and Homer is one of my favorite places in the world. Second, the parents wanted the photos to feel very much like how this newborn whirlwind has felt: sleep deprived, slow and fast all at the same time, and overwhelmed with love. They completely trusted me, and that is always the best place to begin to make art.
Another thing I loved from this session was the Dad brewed a special beer for Baby August’s arrival. Mom was super excited to try it once she wasn’t pregnant anymore. Dad said he wants to hang onto the recipe, and make it again when August turns 21— I mean, how precious is that!?
Anchorage Newborn Lifestyle: Madison
I photographed Baby Madison and her (adorable!) family at their home in Anchorage, Alaska on the most perfect spring day. In-home lifestyle sessions with newborns have quickly become my favorite thing to photograph because there is so much storytelling I get to capture. (Big sister sneaking peeks over the side of the bassinet, families snuggled up in bed reading, and all the sweet baby details.)
There is also so much emotion. Some of my favorite shots from this session were when Mom started tearing up by the crib. She apologized, and I emphatically told her I loved it when people cried in front of my camera! Don’t ever apologize for that! Documentary and lifestyle photographers live for that kind of stuff!
Portland In-Home Lifestyle: Emily + Brandon
I had no way of knowing during this session that this would be my last pre-pandemic session. Blogging this so much later definitely makes me see these photos through a different lens. I’d flown to Portland to help out my sister after welcoming baby number two, and had no idea it would be almost a year-and-a-half before seeing them again. It would be a year before I’d be back in people’s homes taking photos, and even longer before photographing births and Fresh 48s.
Looking at these photos though, I love how much of their home life and routine is captured here— especially because we were all about to spend so much time at home. Living far from family or not having others in your bubble during that time, meant that you really relied on your own little individual family unit— and I have to say, the pandemic really made me love/appreciate in-home photos even more than I had before.
Fresh 48 Photography: Dharma's First Day
Oh, I can’t tell you how much I love hospital newborn sessions! The little wrinkly baby features are all so brand-new, the hospital bassinets offer amazing vantage points for photos, and the emotions of everyone are still right at the surface. As someone who loves capturing magical moments for families, this is everything I could ever dream of.
One part of this Fresh 48 session that was different than any other I’d shot before was the fact that I got to document the going home piece. Seeing Emily and Brandon dress their sweet little girl for the first time, fumble with the carseat, and drive away from the hospital bubble environment rounded out Baby Dharma’s story so well. It was an honor to be a part of it and capture these first moments.
<3
Baby Mackenzie: In-Home Lifestyle Newborn
On a blisteringly cold January day in Anchorage, I got to spend the morning surrounded by absolute warmth and love with this sweet little family. Before I arrived, I asked Katie and Dan what they loved most about their new routines now that they were parents. They mentioned the way that you can feel complete in just hanging out on the couch or reading books in bed while taking in all of the different faces your baby makes. I love that answer, and I feel like it is so true in that newborn phase. Time bends in a weird way where you can’t really tell what day it is or if you showered that morning (or was it three days ago?) and all that you can focus on is that adorable little face.
After hearing that, I knew I wanted Baby Mackenzie’s in-home newborn session to include a lot of snuggling in the bed. Mackenzie (with the good hair!) will be able to know so much about her mom and dad when she looks at these photos when she is older, and see how much love filled their home.
Baby Wren: Fresh 48
When I walked into the Alaska Native Medical Center hospital room, the first thing I noticed was Baby Wren’s adorable, thick black hair. It was soft and fuzzy and stood up in every direction— and he was perfect. Amelia was nursing him in bed, and looked so serene. Jacob was practically vibrating with excitement while he waited for her to finish, and I knew in that moment I’d never seen a dad so excited before. It was so good to see them again after our maternity session, and I loved hearing about how they’d spent their days in Anchorage while waiting for her sweet little guy’s arrival.
We talked about how excited their families were in their village, and how wild it was to be getting on a plane already with their tiny baby— but that was just the way of life. Their suitcases were packed and stored in the hospital room bathroom for their return to Dillingham.
I’m so thankful I got to be a part of this sweet family’s story. <3
Palmer In-Home Family Session
Family lifestyle sessions— both indoor and outdoor— are my absolute favorite thing in the whole world to photograph, and I realized I’ve completely neglected showing that on my blog! I love all of the story lines you can pull out of family sessions. In this particular series, I love all of the shots with big brother in the frame because you can really see how he is trying to make sense of what has just happened to his little world. (This next one you’re about to see, where he is watching from the chair as Mom swaddles the new baby is everything to me!)
While Alaska offers so many gorgeous outdoor spots for photos, there is something magical about going indoors when a new baby comes home. I love capturing the little routines, the spaces where families spend a lot of time, and of course, the sweet little baby details. The best part too about lifestyle photos, is you really get to relax in front of the camera and just love on your family without having to worry about being perfect.
Harrison's Birth Story
Photographing births continues to be one of the most powerful things I have done as a photographer. It is an amazing feeling to witness a new life come into the world, and an incredible honor to be a trusted member of a mom's birth space.
Every birth I've been a part of has been very different from the ones before it. Sometimes I take on a supportive role where I help comfort mom or communicate with nursing staff on her behalf. Sometimes I shrink into the corner of the room and am as unobtrusive as possible when a mom needs quiet. Paige's labor was the first time though that I'd felt like I was family.
It always helps getting to know clients beforehand. I did Paige's maternity photos earlier in the winter, and we went out for coffee and talked about labor and how hopefully baby Harrison would wait until Dad returned from Afghanistan. She shared fears she had, my toddler spilled water all over the Starbucks floor, and we laughed about trying to talk our spouses out of bogus name choices.
When I arrived at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson hospital shortly after 9PM and walked into Paige's room, it felt more like hanging out with friends than a birth. Paige had just had an epidural and if it hadn't been for all of the tubes sticking out of her arm and the persistent blood-pressure cuff, you would never have known anything was up. She was watching Comedy Central with her husband Nick (who'd made it back with about two weeks to spare!) and her Grandma Bev had just arrived from the airport with all of her luggage. Paige joked about her eyebrows being on-point for baby's arrival and Nick fielded responses to text messages as quickly as they came.
Paige and Nick took to being parents instantly and little Harrison was so alert and excited to take in his new surroundings. Paige relished in every second of that "golden hour" on Mom's chest, and when Nick held his son for the first time, he wrapped him up in the sweetest cradle hold I've ever seen. I loved too that Paige's Grandma was there, because it is so fun capturing the moments when family members meet baby for the first time.
The night Harrison was born the Northern Lights were out in full force. I'm just guessing that being born in Alaska under the aurora is about as lucky as it gets.