After nearly two years it’s time to update the guide!

Here is a simple check list for getting you and your baby ready for a newborn portrait session.

In Studio
Please arrive promptly for your session

Have baby fed, full, and ready for a good sleep

Dress baby in loose fitting clothing, remove any items that will leave marks on skin about one hour prior to the session

Please, if you have one bring a pacifier, it is so very helpful

If you are bringing siblings to the session, please bring some goodies to keep them occupied, my studio is small and my toys limited 

Should you plan on parent poses, please dress appropriately 

Please communicate to me if you are bringing any props or special blankets etc. I plan your session and have it all laid out ready to go prior to your arrival, it is very helpful to have this information beforehand.

If baby has any medical issues, broken collar bone, leg brace etc. we can work around it, however it is very helpful to know beforehand, so I can make every possible arrangement to keep your baby comfortable. 

When we get into the session, feel free to sit down and relax, enjoy a cold bottle of water, and even take a nap! I will work with baby, and when baby needs momma, I turn them right over! 


In Home 
Please have an open space on the floor cleared

If you can raise the temperature of your home, or the room we will be working in to 80 degrees. It needs to be warm as baby will be naked and they do get cold easily.

Any props or blankets we have discussed should be out and ready to go

If you have other kiddos in the home, they are welcome to watch the session

If you have pets, please if it is at all possible keep them in a different room from the session, it is so much easier on myself and baby if I don't have to dodge puppy paws, and kitty tails! 

If you plan to be in the pictures please have your clothing ready to go! 

Please do not feel like your home has to be immaculate for me! I have three kids, I understand what it is like to have a new baby at home. I do not judge the new parents!!!!

Do not feel like you need to feed me, I come with a full belly and am ready to work.

Please have baby fed, full and sleepy, and in loose fitting diaper, swaddled and ready to be beautiful

I think that is all mommas and daddies, if I think of anything else I will add it to this post, thank you all for using Little Mother Photography as your newborn photographer, I am so honored to be chosen by each and every one of you. 

​Kandi

For the year 2016, I have set many goals, personal and business. Starting the year strong and focused I have really made strides to set myself up for success. 
One of my goals is to incorporate more creative maternity photography in my portfolio and make it a more requested style of session from my clients. By presenting example of how beautiful and timeless these styles of Maternity photography can be I hope to entice more mommas to book these sessions for themselves.

Last fall was the first of my more Creative Maternity Sessions, my lovely model bared her belly for some autumn leave backdropped pictures of her self. It was a chilly morning and she was such a trooper and the images were stunning. 

This winter  I knew that the first snowfall would have me itching to create a "snow mom" picture. I had an idea in my head, a location selected, and an outfit laid out. Now all I needed was snow and a willing pregnant women to stand in the snow with her belly hanging out! 

My first attempt was cancelled due to negative temperatures but I was able to secure a model for my second attempt and we make quick work of her mini session/model call.

Moving quickly in the snow, early in the morning, we created one of my favorite maternity images to come from my camera yet. I just love how her clothes blend in, yet set her apart from the tree's behind her, and how simple and yet stunning the image is.  

I tried a few new poses, and angles  I do not usually use, and now I know why, they didn't work, but I tried! (part of my goals for the new year is to add to my comfort level with posing and angles) All in all mission accomplished and I now have two of the four seasons represented for my series of creative Maternity images.  Stay tuned to see what I come up with for spring! I am on the look out for a field of flowers, so if you know of any let me know!!!!

Here are my favorite images from my Snow Session.
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One of the best things about this business is how it has enabled me to reconnect with old friends. People I just have lost contact with over the years. This sweet little baby's momma is one of those people.  

I really enjoyed planning and plotting her session with her mom, as the first girl after three boys, Emery was to receive the pinkest session ever! Lots of ribbons, bows, fluff and pearls were in order for this young lady.  

We pieced together a session with a super feminine, feel to it, and let me tell you this little girl is so going to be a little princess.

She was one of my tricky babies, they lull you into a false sense of security that they will sleep the entire session, when they snooze through the first half, then bam! Hit you with those wide away baby eyeballs, and squirmy baby arms for the second half!  I always love a challenge and with the help of a paci, mommas calming touch and some swaddling we were able to get through her shots.

I always start with a baby in a braid/ bowl. This allows baby to get cozy and settled, then I do several different poses with the same set, before lifting baby and changing things. This almost always ensures I am able to get a variety of poses and angles before baby is woke by movement.  Emery was so perfect in her nest, and I got so many great shots. Then we moved her, she did not like this, and was very unhappy with me for taking her from the warm, soft and cozy spot she was comfy in! 

Once we got her settled on the beanbag poser she really did great for a wide awake baby, and I was even able to attempt a new pose, quite successfully. So even though your baby may be awake, do not worry, we can work around that, using swaddles, and awake baby poses to get some awesome shots of your newborn. 

( that being said, I still prefer a baby who sleeps like a log!)

Here are some of my favorite shots from Emery's session, there were really so many I love it was hard to choose. 

Some times God uses your talents in surprising ways. Certainly, as a small business owner I am always searching out new clients, and keep my self fairly connected to the ways potential clients can contact me.  However some times I take a break and let some things wait till morning. 

The week of Christmas I was most certainly gearing down the business side of my life and transitioning to family time! When I received a Facebook notification that some one had tagged my business in a post. Of course I clicked, and it was a post by a momma who needed newborn photography asap. Because I was already planning to shoot the next day I offered my services to this family. 

I am so glad I did. This momma and her family where the sweetest people I have come across in a long time.  They were even from the same part of the country my parents and grandparents are from! We planned the session for their new little guy over the phone the night before and shot the following afternoon.

This little guy was  dream, slept like a champion, and posed beautifully. His big brother was the most handsome aspiring photographer I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. He loved my new wooden camera toy and was quite the poser for his portion of the session.

I was just blown away by this little guys pictures. When I pulled them up to edit them it was so difficult to choose which ones to include for his momma and daddy! 

I have also never felt such gratitude for my work as I did from these folks. They were so happy that they were able to get images of new baby in that perfect newborn time frame. It was very much my pleasure to work with this family. 

So taking a five minute break from the chaos of my family, and checking into Facebook, ended up putting me very much in the right place at the right time. I was able to create a lovely session for a family and I feel like I gained some new friends as well.

Here are some outtakes from this session, Handsome little one is Jacob, isn't he a doll? Seriously just a gorgeous young man! (he's so dreamy he made it onto my wall!)

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Many of you out there by now have seen the image of a little one "sitting" on a shelf as the biggest of a set of Matryoshka, or Russian Nesting Dolls.

This image, this concept is so much a happy accident of sorts. I was contacted by a momma, who wanted something different and fun for her little ones newborn session. So I start wracking my brains trying to come up with something that was fun and different, but still stayed true to my style of simple, baby led poses with little prop usage.  

After much time spent scouring the internet for inspiration, we decided on baby on a shelf with some funky toys or knick knacks to keep her company.  Well low and behold baby was born a few weeks early and neither one of us was ready! So after a quick trip to St. Louis I found a shelf, still had nothing to put on it, other than a baby.  

As I was checking out at home goods (also known as the place that gets all my money) , like next in line, I happened to glance over and see something that looks suspiciously like a Matryoshka.  I reach over and around a display and sure enough it was!!! The colors were perfect, bright and fun (mommas request), and the size was a match to be paired up to a newborn.  I had the wrap and headscarf fabric at home! It was fate!  

I have never been more excited about a concept in my career. This image, while not technically perfect is a great example of how ideas can meld, and grow an become amazing.  

So day of the shoot arrives, and baby is sleepy (YES!!!!). Shelf is set up, with a variety of little odds and ends supporting the dolls so they look like they are sitting on a shelf and not rolling around on the floor. 

Baby is wrapped, and when I put her little headscarf on her head, Momma and I just smile, it is perfect!!!!

Maggie was a professional she did not use my set as a potty or anything, and we nailed the shot in four frames.  

Then came the wild and crazy part of all of this.  I shared the image with a photog friend, she loved it! Next I shared it with a group of creative minded newborn photographers, they loved it.  Lastly I shared it with my Facebook and Instagram peeps. You guys loved it! I was shocked and amazed by how many shares, likes, comments and lovely messages I received about this image. 

Nessecity is the mother of invention, and this Little Mother was most assuredly in need of an idea.  The best part is I love the concept of Russian Nesting Dolls, I love the designs, the colors and history. In fact some of you may not realize but my company name and logo stems from the translation of Matryoshka loosely to "Little Mother".
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The dolls themselves really symbolize birth, how mommas have babies and they have babies and so on and so forth. Such a perfect little symbol for what I love to do, capture images of mommas while they are pregnant, as they give birth, and then of the new little ones freshly earth side. 

So that is the story of the image, my company name, and lastly where I would love to see this passion, and business grow.  

Have a wonderful day to all of you reading, thanks for stopping in. 

What a wonderful way to end 2015, with the birth of a baby I have been blessed to photograph from the very beginning.  

Last summer I was contacted by this very nice lady, who wanted my help in photographing her pregnancy from the announcement, to the gender reveal, baby shower, maternity through to the birth of her little one and of course little ones newborn portraits.

I was so excited to be able to play a peripheral role to this family's journey. Such an honor and a privilege.

So for the last  several months I have enjoyed watching this family grow, momma and daddy, take on their new roles. 

The birth of this baby was by and far one of the most powerful experiences of my life. This momma was a trooper, so amazing and just stunned by her ability to listen to her body and have a baby. Her husband was a rock start support for her. Just amazing, so thoughtful and responsive to her needs. Such an awe inspiring event to watch unfold behind the lens.

Then we have the star of the show, Little Miss Scarlett, a darling sweet heart. Who actually hates to be touched when she is asleep! So kinda my nemesis in the newborn photography world. Two sessions later we got some shots of sleeping beauty and nestled in her name sake color no less! 
 
A huge shout out to Summer Birth Services for being an awesome doula and friend to work with. If you or someone you know is looking for birth services either from a doula or from a photographer please contact us! http://summerbirthservices.com
Here a few images from her newborn session! 
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