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.
Maternity Session at the Anchorage Municipal Greenhouse
The Mann Leiser Memorial Greenhouse is an Anchorage gem and an amazing photo location! Chances are if you follow any photographer in Anchorage (maybe even Alaska!?) you've seen this spot show up on your social media. It is stunning in it's own right, but it is also my favorite weather back-up plan for photos.
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.
Jennifer: Winter Maternity
Maternity sessions in Alaska can be tricky sometimes because you don’t have all the time in the world to wait for Mother Nature to get her act together. Jennifer had such a perfect vision of snowy flocked trees in Girdwood for her maternity photos, and I was willing to try anything to get them for her. I location scouted so many different spots, but there just wasn’t enough snow— or when there was snow, it fell on dates when neither one of us was available.
Finally, we had to go for it at the beginning of December or run the risk of not getting them done before her baby boy arrived. We ditched the idea of Girdwood thanks to copious amounts of rain. (Are there really still people who don’t believe Climate Change is a thing?!) And then Flat Top turned out to be so windy and the snow was blowing so hard, that it really wasn’t safe. We took only a handful of photos before I turned to Jennifer and said, “I know this is going to sound crazy, but I need you to trust me. There’s a place where I can get you flocked trees, gorgeous light if we leave now, and it will be out of the wind. The only problem is it is right on the side of a road and when you pull up you’re going to think I’m crazy.” But she was a trooper and trusted me, and I think these photos speak for themselves.
If you have a vision for what you want your photos to be, I’m always down to do whatever I can to make that a reality for you. <3
Tara: Beluga Point Maternity Session
One thing you need to know about me: I’m incredibly passionate about motherhood and supporting moms. After becoming a mom, my business focus completely shifted and I wanted to spend my time documenting families in all stages. There’s something about maternity sessions where I just really love the chance to connect with women while they are going through such an amazing time. The prenatal stage is full of so much love, excitement, fear, anxiety— and I really appreciate the chance to just slow things down for a bit and check in with the mom-to-be. This session was especially big in that way because I was just coming off of my own maternity leave and it was my first session back since having my daughter. I was so excited to be back to work— as well as loving the chance to connect with other adults! (Tara did tell me later that I was like a puppy who was seeing people for the first time all-day!) I hope all that joy really comes through in these.
