May
23
This soft little squish of a girl was a sweet as they come. What fun to have a little sister! There’s something about getting the opposite gender for number two!
Mar
27
I can tell brand new parents by the way they handle a newborn. And it makes sense! Brand new babies have no neck strength. So, holding them or handing them off to someone else can feel like handling a piece of fragile glass.
The worst call/email I can receive is someone asking if I can just meet them to take one or two photos. “All I need is one good shot of the family.” Makes sense. No one NEEDS 30 great images…you just need one or two photos. But, what people don’t understand until they’ve worked with a photographer is that the magic happens along the way. See, we’ve never met before. As we get to know each other, we find common ground. We start laughing and relaxing and things all naturally fall into place. So, I can’t meet you for one or two photos. I wish it was that simple.
Instead, we meet like new friends, cautiously at first. Guards are let down, reserved smiles turn into genuine ones and everyone walks away happy. So, as you’re thinking about hiring a photographer, invest into the person. You’ll feel and LOOK yourself and then, magic.
II Photographer Long Beach Baby Mini-Sessions II Twenty minutes doesn’t seem very long. And it’s not. But, when we’re talking about photographing a moving baby, it’s plenty. When babies start being mobile, they are constantly changing body positions and have a huge variety of facial expressions. Mini-sessions are perfect for this age because it’s all you need. And right around the 20 minute mark, they’re getting a little tired of being photographed, so everybody wins.
If you haven’t considered a mini-session for your baby, check out the details here. Mini-sessions are more affordable than a full-session, so it allows you to capture the milestones….think sitting up, crawling, standing and walking. My studio provides the perfect neutral background for timeless photos.
Photos by Long Beach Newborn Photographer, Kristin Eldridge.
Hello, nice to meet you. Newborn sessions are so sweet because really, this new little being has only been on this side of the womb for a week or so. They’ve heard your voice and felt your warmth, but they’re still getting accustomed to the sites and sounds of the world. And you’re still learning their coos and cries.
This sweet little newborn session took place in my studio in Long Beach. Just the soft, simple white wall, parents and their brand new baby girl.
All the heart eyes for this one.
Lately I’ve been having a lot of dogs coming to the newborn sessions. It’s actually a lot of fun and I’ll ask the family if this is their ‘first baby.’ So many married couples end up owning a dog before having children and the dog becomes the first baby. I love how they are protective over the new baby. Of course, safety is important, so I always ask families to keep their hands close by and photoshop them out if needed. That animal-baby bond is just adorable.
Oct
01
I know that a perfectly posed family photo is a must for every photo shoot. But, I’ve also gotta say that my very favorite photos are the ones with movement and laughter. After I get the photos where everyone is smiling and looking at the camera, I get the fun started and then I just move around, capturing every angle. It really is my favorite part of the photo session!
I told this mama she can’t ever stop having kids! They are just too cute. Both the girls and their little brother have the sweetest personalities too. Bravo Danielle and Joel!
You know that shy feeling you get when you meet someone for the first time? Kids get that too. When they come into my studio with their brand new baby brother or sister, they’re checking me out. Deciding if I’m likeable.
I usually start out by telling them what we’ll be doing. I tell them how we’ll be holding the baby and how important it is to hold up his head. Things like that. I’m kind of in teacher mode. (Side note: I used to be a first grade teacher!)
Once I get the shot set up, I want to surprise them. I want them to be giggly and add a little life to the photo. So, I do something like ask if they think that baby brother has a poopy diaper. That usually gets a laugh to start. Then we might go into scenarios of what would happen if he pooped on… Sometimes, they’ll offer up stories and the laughs don’t stop.
From there, I’ll try to get a soft and sweet shot, so something like kissing the baby will wrap things up. Toddlers can do something like count the babies toes or look at his hair if they are too young to kiss on command.
But, potty talk. It works every time. 🙂
Long Beach Newborn Photographer // Tips for Photographing Babies and Siblings
When we are setting up the details for a newborn session, clients often ask what they should wear. My answer is usually- something soft and neutral so as not to compete with the softness of newborn skin. But, I want to answer GRAY all the time. I realize that not everyone loves gray. I just love the way it looks against a white wall. It’s not harsh like black or navy and you can vary up the shades, unlike white.
Of course, many clients wear colors other than gray for the newborn session, and they look amazing. But my personal favorite will always be gray. 🙂
Long Beach Newborn Photographer // My favorite color (is gray). Photos by Kristin Eldridge.
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