Feb
03
2015
If this doesn’t make you smile, I don’t know what will!
One year portraits by Baby Photographer, Kristin Eldridge.
Photographing older toddler siblings and their new baby sister or brother can be a little tricky. I always try to get them close on the bed or sofa. If that doesn’t work, I use this stump (or any chair/bench) to get the baby all nice and comfy (and still!). Then I add in the toddler. We play games and point out the baby’s feature. Sometimes a kiss will happen. But, it allows the toddler to move around and not be required to hold or even touch the baby. It still creates a feeling of intimacy even though there may be no physical touch.
Of course adding parents in always helps, but if you’re trying to get those adorable sibling shots, this is a little trick I use!
Photos by Orange County Newborn Photographer, Kristin Eldridge.
Baby boys and big brothers. It’s not always easy, but getting them in the same frame is worth the sweat. And if you’ve done a newborn session or you’re a photographer you know what I’m talking about!
Love this sweet little family of four-
Newborn photos taken at my Long Beach photography studio.
I’ve always wanted to do mini-sessions with kids and their pets. And what a better time than Valentine’s Day! I know some will ask, so I’ll start off by answering the question…can you book this mini-session if you don’t have a pet? YES. But, it’s a great excuse to get some photos with your pet!
Here’s the details:
January 24 (HB Central Park) 2:30-4:00pm
January 25 (Long Beach Studio location) 11:00am-12:00pm
January 25 (Palos Verdes Area) 2:30-4:00pm
Sessions will be 30 minutes long and include all your digital images (cost: $300 just the kids, $400 include the parents)
Did you want to through in a few Valentine props? Sure, just let me know and I’ll bring some along.
Jan
09
2015
It’s not often that I photograph twins, so when I do, it’s pretty special! These guys were born early, so we had to wait a little for them to come home. After spending a few hours with them, I learned he’s always hungry and she’s definitely the GIRL. This sweet family stole my heart…and I can’t wait to see more of them as they grow up.
//twin newborn photography by Kristin Eldridge
Dec
23
2014
It’s been so long since I’ve blogged, I’ve almost forgotten how to do it. Thankfully I made it through the holiday rush, which went right up to a few days ago. Babies were born, families loved on each other and I was there to document every moment. This year, I was at the lemon groves, the beach, urban walls and more. How I love all my sweet sweet families! I’ll be taking the next few quiet days and hugging my own sweet family.
Okay friends…this is it! Here are my last mini-session dates for 2014. If you missed the October dates, I still have one or two openings left…so feel free to inquire about those.
Here’s how it works…The sessions are 20 minutes long and they are $100 (for the session fee). There’s an additional flat rate of $425 for all your digital images for your own printing and sharing. You’ll be set up for success with helpful tips for printing and resources.
How do you book a session? You can either email or call me.
Sunday November 2
2:30, 2:50, 3:10, 3:30pm
Everyone’s heard of Huntington Beach Central Park, but I have my own favorite secrets spots at this park!
Tuesday November 11 (this is Veteran’s Day, so you may have it off work/school)
3:30, 3:50, 4:10 and 4:30pm
I love this beach for it’s simple background and there’s also little bits of greenery to mix into your photos.
Saturday November 15
3:10, 3:30, 3:50 and 4:00pm
The lemon groves are just the right height for kids. Sometimes there’s lemons and sometimes they’re already picked, but the rows and rows of small trees are so pretty in pictures.
Sunday November 16
3:30, 3:50, 4:10 and 4:30pm
I’m going to include this location in November as well as October because it’s been such a hit. You can’t beat Laguna Beach!
Sep
24
2014
Babies, donuts and my family. Those are my ‘most liked’ photos on my business social networks. Do you know what that tells me? You guys are a great bunch of people. You also have good taste. Whenever I post a baby photo, people gush over tiny hands dimples and toothless grins. I’m a fan too. And donuts, well, what else can we say. Sometimes one needs a donut to get through the day. It’s all good, just balance it out with some vegetables. And my family…awwww. My loves. They don’t appear too often on my feeds because it’s business, but it makes me smile to think that you love to see me as a wife and mom. It’s the same way I love to see my client families doing what they do.
Aug
18
2014
Babies can sense our energy. Have you noticed that calm people tend to have calm kids, in the same way high-energy people tend to have high-energy kids? When I’m doing a newborn session, I try to make sure that I create a soothing environment. Sometimes, babies are still settling in to this world. Most are under 14 days old when they see me in the studio. Isn’t that amazing! They’ve only been in this world, breathing the air, listening to the sounds and feeling the texture for a handful of days.
Here are a few things that I do to help create the right environment for a newborn photo session.
1. My studio is heated. The studio is a small guest house with central air/heating, so I’ll turn on the heat a moderate amount to create a comfortably warm space. If it’s a summer afternoon, I won’t need to turn on the heat, it’ll naturally be warm enough. If it’s a chilly day, I’ll use a space heater to direct more heat toward the baby. Why does it need to be so warm? Babies have been living in the womb for the last 9 months where the temperature was a cozy 98.7 degrees.
2. I use a white noise machine. This $20 device from Target is a life-saver. Sometimes older siblings with loud voices will be in the studio with the baby. Other times newborns are so sensitive that the sound of my shutter will startle them. The white noise machine is set on a soft heart beat sounds and it muffles all the noises to create an environment like they were used to in the womb.
3. The decor of my studio is very soft in color and pattern. I want parents to walk in and immediately feel comfortable. While I love color and pattern in my other photo sessions, a newborn session should be soft and sweet. Colors and patterns will compete with the sweet newborn baby instead of complimenting their skin tones and soft features.
4. Before the session, I make sure that I’m not running around trying to get things done. I like to come in with a calm demeanor. I’ll light a candle with a very soft scent. I like Voluspa candles in the studio. Just make sure to select a scent that’s not too over-powering. I want to make sure that I am personally in a space where I won’t get frazzled if a baby is fussy or a toddler sibling doesn’t want to cooperate. If I come from a calm place, I’ll be able to think clearly and problem solve to make sure to get the most out of every newborn photo session.
The following photos were taken by newborn photographer (long beach, ca), Kristin Eldridge.
Aug
03
2014
Collaborating with this family from Arizona was so phenomenal. They challenged me and I pushed my creative limits. Baby Zax slept like a champ and was really up for anything! We started out at the beach, where the weather was perfect. After a quick feeding for Zax, we headed over to my studio and finished out the session with a few more props for the little adventure lover.
// Newborn Beach Photography by Kristin Eldridge
