A long time ago, I used to have a studio and photograph newborns in baskets and props. We would try for hours to get newborn babies to sleep and snuggle perfectly for photos. But after awhile, it felt mean! A baby, just days old, being crammed into a bowl or other prop just didn’t sit right anymore. That’s when I decided I would photograph newborns and their families in the comfort of their own homes. Artistic, natural, black and whites are the goal. They are timeless, looking their best printed, matted and framed. Here are my favorites from a recent newborn session. Baby E was wide eyed and very aware of his surroundings, and I love the photos.

Living in the Lansing area means we have access to so many beautiful gardens for family photo sessions, my favorite being the MSU campus! We captured this family’s session after a huge milestone- mom graduating with her PhD!! What a wonderful way to commemorate a significant life achievement! Here are some favorites of mine from their family portrait session at the MSU Horticulture Gardens!

So many wonderful family sessions to share from this fall! One of my favorites was this one. I have loved watching this family grow from engagement, to wedding, to newborn, and now first year! The day of the session, the weather was not great- it was chilly and rainy. So, we opted to do them at the family home, and stepped out for a few foliage photos in the backyard in between rain sprinkles. Baby D definitely was happier inside, and so we did several inside next to the large windows for some natural light. Here are some of my favorites~

My first full time week back from maternity leave has been a busy one with 6 portrait shoots, multiple wedding consults, an album design, timelines and now, gearing up for the first wedding of the year and 5 more portrait shoots! I am thrilled to be back and connecting with clients old and new! It was especially nice to have a session with these two- I photographed Haley and Derek’s engagement session and wedding, so I felt especially honored when they asked me to photograph their maternity and newborn photos! It’s always a humbling feeling when you are chosen to photograph a family’s life milestones. Can’t wait to meet their baby girl in June!

We photographed their session on the campus of MSU. The spring blooms are GORGEOUS on campus this time of year! I absolutely love how they turned out and here are some of my favorites!

Fall mini session day in East Lansing on the MSU campus was a success!! And can you believe it was 75 degrees on a Michigan November afternoon?! It was crazy! I love the MSU gardens in all seasons, and they did not disappoint! Even in the second week of November, there were still trees with leaves and we got some great fall shots!

As a former preschool teacher, I know how stressful family portraits with small children can be, so we play games! On this day we played red light green light, going on a bear hunt, Simon says, and had dance parties with their favorite songs. It was the biggest compliment when one family said at the end of their session, “Normally we feel defeated at the end of family pictures, but this was actually fun!”. I can’t promise that is the case every time (30 degree weather just might not give us happy kids), but I try! Here are some of my favorites from the minis…