Preparing for a photo session pays off. No tears for baby, no tears for you.
It can be stressful asking your child to leave the house at an unusual time, to alter bath time, nap time, meal time. Highly recommended is scheduling your sessions around these known times IF your session is AWAY from home. (More later on in-home sessions.) When possible, try to prepare all clothing, props and even snacks one or two days before the session. Keep your session day as “normal” as possible. If you dream of happy baby photography, take care of yourself and Baby with a little advanced planning. Raise your milk cups and sip to success!

NOTE: If you don’t manage to plan, it’s completely understandable. You are a Parent!!! Great photos are still likely. I really want you to love the whole experience, not just the photos!

Even with great pre-planning, baby may need a minute to become comfy with the environment. Apprehension sure is cute!

Warming up!

Now we’re best of friends!

I can’t rave enough about Ellie’s pre-school. We attend Woodland Park pre-3s (next year we’ll be in 3-5s) with the talented, creative and boundlessly energetic Teacher Tom Hobson. If you enjoy community and sharing in your child’s pre-school experience, the North Seattle Community College pre-school co-ops might be perfect for you too. There are numerous different locations in North Seattle. But Hurry! These all fill up fast, and there’s a lottery system for those not already enrolled. Check out their website for all the pertinent information. It’s worth the effort.

If you’re not in the North Seattle area, you might be interested in one of these other co-ops.

Thanks to Ray & Jill Farbarik, who invited us to a neighbors Disco Party for a groovin’ good time. Kids Do Love Disco. But not as much as I do!

Yet another reason I am thrilled to live on Phinney Ridge.

Belly Dance, Disco Dance. What’s the difference?

John Travolta, the New Generation

The Groovy Dress Set

Dancing shoes on and ready to PARTY!

My sweet Hubby and I are going on a date tonight! Ah, the freedom. Thank you, PEPS. An amazing resource for new parents, PEPS matches families with kids born within months of each other. With similar child development concerns, we’ve learned to rely on each other for support– even now with our kids closing in on 3 years old, and most of us with a second child.
Together, we’ve taken weekend trips to Fort Worden, disco dancing (tomorrow night!), gone bowling, picnicking, snowshoeing and hiking. But mostly I’m grateful for the babysitting support we provide each other.

I don’t know about you, but I like having romance in my life. Thanks PEPS, for my date night tonight.

PEPS has a fun infant/toddler music CD too.

If you’re considering adoption, WACAP works with families from all over the world.

To help this inspiring non-profit raise money, take advantage of the calendar sale.

And SURPRISE– I’m the photographer!!!

And here’s the ad they were thoughtful enough to let me include inside the cover.

I love being outside. My two year old and I share an interest in nature, and plants especially.

While most of my clients don’t want to go to the arboretum this time of year, this is my favorite time. Not only are the textures layered in a contrast of velvet and gloss, the scents are Divine! If you haven’t smelled the Daphne Odora, Witch Hazel, or Jasmine this time of year, get to the Washington Arboretum‘s Winter Garden. Inhale deeply and forget your worries. Inhaling, I think of my late mother who was always either filling her lungs with garden scents, or sighing in despair that she couldn’t spend all of her time outside. The woes (and thrills) of a garden addict run in our blood!

I prefer baby photo sessions unfold naturally. If the baby is still sleeping when you (or I) arrive, Golly-Me, don’t wake her!!! In some sessions we actually spend time waiting for sleep to overcome our “Star”. If she is grumpy when falling to sleep, I may take a few shots to capture the pouting moment, but I’ll also concentrate on the nurturing, soothing connection of Daddy rocking babe to sleep. Maybe I’ll get a shot of giant hand engulfing tiny foot. Sleep is a baby’s most relaxed state, and that utter calm is gorgeous. Let sleeping babies lie.

I’ve taught parents for years how to photograph children, but since becoming a mom I’ve had to prioritize. My goal is to begin photo seminars again next Spring, so stay tuned. For the time being, I have two things I can offer.
1) I’ve been answering your photo questions via e-mail and phone. Now I’ll post tips occasionally on this blog. Look under category Mom and Dad Resources- Photography Tips.

2) Me Ra Koh has begun teaching “A Childs Life” class in Tacoma. Her workshop is more an all weekend intensive specifically designed for moms. Sounds Fabulous! I might join the fun one of these sessions!

First Weeks was the best thing I did for myself and my family during those first new-baby months. I know how hard it is for new moms to get out of the house, especially with baby in tow. Still, Ann Keppler is the author of >Pregnancy Childbirth and the Newborn, and an amazing resource for those within driving distance of Seattle. Working from the Community Birth and Family Center, Ann is able to manage a room of new parents with crying infants and encourage insightful sharing between all of us. Supporting our parenting experiences and answering our many questions, Ann is an incredibly gifted speaker and host. If you somehow manage to get to First Weeks, you won’t be sorry. Even if you can’t manage it, drag yourself. Help is on the horizon.

Who thought the first weeks would be so difficult? I had no idea!

So many times I’m asked if the Art of Pregnancy Photography is a new thing. While relatively so, I’ve been working with pregnant women and their families for nearly 18 years. Perhaps Seattle is on the cutting edge, but I think what’s new is our comfort with documenting and then publicly sharing this once private, almost forbidden form.
Since Annie Leibowitz made natural the sharing of Demi Moore’s beautiful, pregnant AND voluptuous form, I’ve seen an enormous increase in sessions per year. Above all reasons to photograph, I feel most honored and humbled when chosen to capture this fleeting, often emotional, miraculous evolution.

Admittedly, I like indulging in pampering as much as the next person, like going to the spa at Alderbrook Resort. But often I want to be outside all day. Then I care less about the accommodations than the surrounding landscape. On vacations like these I don’t need a spa to apply toenail polish when toes are propelling forward my hiking boots. (Not that having pretty feet at the end of the day hurts either!)

Perfect for outdoor-centered vacations, Forest Service Cabins provide cozy shelter, complete with an equipped kitchen. And boy is the price right!

Kerry McKean and Marcela Touskova invited us to join them Thanksgiving weekend at Hamma Hamma Cabin near Hood Canal. I was excited by the possibilities. Bonding between our 3 adventuresome girls, introducing them to new hiking locations, and exploring animal life along the Canal was just the beginning. Little did we know it would snow, making the weekend all the more enchanting. Unprepared without winter attire, I didn’t motivate to shoot, only play in the snow. What is evident in the photos is my appreciation for stopping at Rising Stars to purchase new rubber boots.

The search for child care for Ellie escalated a long cycle of chaos that had engulfed my life since pre-conception. (More later on fertility issues.)

When Ellie was merely 6 weeks old, my do-it-all former Studio Manager, Francie, left JKP and is now traveling the world. I had planned to take maternity leave for one month, and 3 more months with a highly-reduced shooting schedule. Ahh, the best laid plans.

Covering shoots for two people and caring for current and potential clients was only the beginning. I also spent time writing new employee ads, posting them, interviewing, all while pumping breast milk (while talking on the phone to clients! “What’s that sound”). Twice per day Kathy brought Ellie to the studio, or Tim brought Elle to longer shoots for breast feeding.

Meanwhile I was in the midst of going 90% digital, (I can’t give up my Hasselblad!) and being forced to find a new photo lab. I was climbing the steep digital and PhotoShop learning curve and researching new processes, products and labs, when I made the crazy but inevitable decision to buy new gear and computers. I usually find new gear exploration fun and exciting. But this time, sleep deprivation and craving to spend more time with Ellie exacerbated my stressed system resulting in– you guessed it: an abstract painting of utter CHAOS!

Thank goodness for First Weeks. In addition to the soothing environment, I found our babysitter, Kathy, when her sister-in-law brought her to a First Weeks meeting. (More on First Weeks and Ann Keepler to come). I saw Kathy across the room, read her body language and thankfully trusted my first instincts (though I did check references!). Kathy helped me spot the bright light of dawn, and provided a welcomed sense of calm. She’s been with us ever since July of ’04.

You’re the best, Kathy!