The opportunity to come to your home and document your joy at having a new baby is one of the most special things I do. And, I love it!
Every family is different and I adjust to what you want out of your session. It’s not about me, it’s about you!! For example, not all women want breastfeeding photographs, but many do. They note the way I capture the way the baby looks at them, and are so happy they will get to remember that look and memory when they are no longer breastfeeding.
Congratulations Ingrid and Aaron! What a beautiful family you have. And to let everyone know, this is a small sample of what an in-home newborn session can look like.
Every family, home and session is different, but this is realistic for you! While these two may look like models, they are real people!
We find a spot or spots in your home that have some natural light (I can do with less than you think) and I spend between 2-3 hours with you documenting anything from your baby alone, to breastfeeding, to the whole family. It’s all about you and what you want!
Not pictured are over 100 other images the family received to have forever as cherished memories of their newborn.
A blog post can only be a small sample of our work together, and while my favorites are usually black and white, and while I think I’m more known for black and white, most of the images are available in color as well. In fact some of Ingrid’s favorites are in color with a beautiful flower crown made by Flower Lab in West Seattle. I’ll show them in a second post if I can ever find the time!
I hope this will give you an idea of what I can do for you and your family as we create together.
If I could give any advice to parents taking photos of their children, it is, let the children be themselves. Don’t make them smile for the camera. To me, this makes the best photographs. I hope you’ll agree.
Oh Jack, you’ve won my heart. What a bundle of joy you are.
I’ve been spending a fair amount of time with 3 month old’s lately. Some parents don’t feel up to being photographed immediately after their baby is born, or they get those images at the hospital. But, they don’t want to wait for a 6 month old photo (which is a really good time for photos). So I’ll go their home and do what I call an in-home documentary photo session, or “a day in the life of..” These can vary in length according to the tolerance of the parents, since the child is just doing what they normally do-breastfeeding, making google eyes, or pooping.. 🙂 It usually works out to photograph between nap times. This age can be a little challenging and more time-consuming because the babies can’t hold themselves up, but the photos can be quite rewarding. I hope you’ll agree!
I was called by Queen Anne mom Cecile to do an extended family portrait of 10 people-grandparents, two sets of parents and these children. And, we did those more structured pictures. But what I hope to achieve during those sessions as well, is also capturing these moments in between the more formal portraits. I love capturing natural emotion, and don’t want children to “smile for the camera. ” My hope is that you will find these as successful as I feel they are. Thanks for looking.
This is Sullivan. Yes, he is as adorable and good natured as he looks. He takes after his mom! At home documentary sessions are one of my favorite things to do. Especially with newborns, babies and toddlers. There is way more to do with them in their home environment than in a park or studio. We took photographs of him getting a bath, eating, and breastfeeding. This is only a small sample of the hundreds of digital negatives you can choose from in a documentary family photo shoot. Whether you chose to do one “day in the life session” or several over the course of baby’s first year (or their childhood), you will never regret having these “real” photos in your collection.
Sara received a gift certificate for this photo session as a birthday present from her mom. Late Fall provided great light in Lincoln Park in West Seattle, and fabulous parents provided lots of love and tickles so we could get some sweet images. Thank you Sara, Jacobe, Cora, Ryder and Ann!
It is an honor and a real joy to spend time at home with a family, documenting their real life. While a few set-up shots may work themselves into the photo session, most of what you see is not set-up. The moments are captured on film as they unfold. That is how people feel most at ease allowing their real personality to shine through!
Three sisters and their families got together this summer and had me join them for a half-day to document their reunion. It was such a special time as the sisters live far apart. They gathered at their family home in Bellingham where we were able to do what I call an extended family session.
As the cousins explored the property, played together in the mud, and crafted mohawks, I was able to capture moments that one simply cannot orchestrate. There are too many “keepers” to display on a blog, but these were my absolute favorites. The ones that hopefully go beyond pretty pictures and capture moments that will be forever remembered in their minds and recalled through photographs.
Along with these stand outs, the family also received group photos and individual family photos. Each family received a disk, so there is no trying to decide what to purchase. They got them all!
I really love extended sessions because there is more time to work and get to know the personalities of the people and document them as they really are.
I really dont know what to say about Autumn and her parents. The Edmonds couple and their 2 year old are as sweet as sugar! They did their thing, and I documented. Even though it was a summer day, the fog helped to get the harsh rays of the sun off their faces for our session. Cant wait for our next photo session!
Meryl Schenker Photography 