What little girl isn't happiest when dressed in fancy clothes, and having a pretend tea party with her sister in the woods?  These sisters were so tickled to get dolled up and sip some pretend tea for their sister session. It was so much fun to watch. They had a few questions like, why are we doing this, and is that for us, and can we touch it? 
However after that, they dove right in, serving tea, looking at my flowers, and even getting up to dance a little.  
Sessions like this are a great break for me, from my typical studio set ups. Some fresh air, goes a long way to soothing the spirit.  Watching little ones play in the grass and seeing their eyes light up when they see the baby geese who currently reside on the pond is magic! 

This goal of this session was to get some action shot of the girls having tea, and dancing, as well as a few posed shots of them together, and independently. I find that letting kids have some time to explore their surroundings, and play before asking them to pose, pays dividends for getting them to cooperate for the posed portion of the session.  I often times will give children a play break between poses, it lets them loosen up, and relax and usually I can get some great smiles after!

For this particular session we went back and forth between poses, and play, it worked to my advantage, because the directed play resulted in some of my favorite shots! 

Here are a few from this session, I hope you enjoy. As always if you like what you see, follow me on Facebook to see more, and contact me today to schedule your own session!

The river, here in Central Mo, is such an important part of our summer days. Its a great place to go cool off, reconnect with nature. Let the kids explore water ecosystems, and hang out with friends. For this session the river created the perfect backdrop for an intimate nursing session. Coincidentally this same river was special to both momma and myself, as we both frequently visit it.

The very best part, for me, was that less than two days later this same river had outgrown its banks and flooded the very areas we used for the session. If we hadn't decided to brave the threat of rain and shoot when we did, our session wouldn't have been the same. 

One thing I have observed with nursing sessions is that each momma has a perception of themselves as a nursing mother, and a very specific idea about how these images should be styled and shot. I love learning about each subject as we journey through their session.  Some mommas are proud and want to show off their accomplishment of nursing baby for so many months/ years, or even getting started at all. Others are really in love with breastfeeding and want to share that love. Even others are so amazed at how far they have come as a mother, and their comfort with the intimacy of the act of nursing a baby and want to document that for themselves. No matter the goal, or purpose of the session I always approach these with the utmost respect and care. I nursed my babies for 16,17, and 18 months respectively and know just how amazing that act and bond can be.

This momma, was proud of her nursling and her self ( as well she should be) and wanted to capture the beauty of the relationship she shared with her baby. The images from this session capture the love, joy, and beauty of this. I hope you enjoy these images as much I do. 

When I first met this lovely family, they were excited to share their news of baby number 2 with their friends and family.  An now he's here! A little early and oh so tiny, but perfect in every way. This family is one of the sweetest groups of people I have had the honor to meet and photograph and  I was blessed to visit with them while we shot little Rhyders newborn session.

Big brother, Russell, was his usual full force self during the session, full of energy and curiosity, and really in love with his little brother, even if he only showed it for brief moments at a time!  Dad did an amazing job keeping big brother happy and entertained while mom and I worked with little man.  

This session was a first for me, my first preemie baby, who had spend some time in the NICU, and was quite a bit older than my typical newborn.  At 20 days new he was so sleepy and sweet, all those noisy nights in the NICU helped prep him for sleeping through his session.

He was such a tiny little guy, the smallest baby I have ever worked with, but we modified his poses and got some adorable pictures mom and dad will treasure.  This session was really like visiting with old friends, and I really have been blessed to meet some amazing families through this journey. Thank you all!  

Here are my favorite outtakes from this Newborn session, if you like what you see please find me on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/Littlemotherphoto. Enjoy!

Oh baby Abel, this kiddo that has made me work super hard for his birth and newborn sessions.  He took his sweet time to enter the world, ( his poor momma!)   Then we attempted his newborn session three times before we were able to capture some magical moments of his handsome self.

Our initial plan for his newborn session was to do it all outside, between the heat, bugs, and a wide awake baby that plan was a bust.  Time for plan B, we agreed to try again in baby's home and again, a wide awake baby, who was full of pee!!! So a regroup, we went our separate ways with a plan to meet up at the studio the next day.  However, later that day momma messaged me to say baby was awake all morning and now sleeping soundly!!!! What, I scrambled my schedule, and we made it work that evening. IT WAS MAGIC!!!!

We nailed several poses, different hats, blankets, and it was awesome.  Momma and I were so excited to get these shots of this little guy. He is such a perfectly chunky baby, full of back rolls, (my fav!)

Here are some outtakes from his session, I wish I could have time to play with babies like this every day!

So, a majority of my business is teeny tiny babies, soft, cuddly blankets, wraps and baskets.  Not so much appropriate for a young man celebrating his 9th birthday.  Lucky for me the area around my studio offers a variety of landscapes and vistas.  

While planning his session, I was excited to incorporate Minecraft. This kid is obsessed with this game, when he walked into the studio and saw the set his eyes lit up! It was really great to see, I love it when I can hit the nail on the head with my set!

After his Minecraft set we ventured out side for some urban landscape shots.  This is when Noah's personality shone through. It was awesome, I just love working with him and his sister for their pictures, they are always so funny, and easy to relax and every time  I and able to get great shots!  Noah really came into his own when we went out doors, he cracked his momma and I up with his silly faces, awesome poses, and goofy personality.  

We stopped at a couple of different places to take some pictures, some left over concrete barriers, a great bridge with chain-link fencing and of course the basic sidewalk.  This session was really a treat, a nice change from my norm and kinda pushed me out of my comfort zone.  

Here are my top picks from the entire session, enjoy these, and if you are interested in a session similar to this or of any kind, please contact me at littlemotherphotography@gmail.com or find me on Facebook, www.facebook.com/Littlemotherphotgraphy.

Some times a momma wants to try something a little different for their little ones newborn session. I love it when momma's have new ideas! Also sometimes babies have different ideas for their newborn sessions!  This little guy didn't want to snooze or pose for me but he sure was happy to nurse, and momma was on board for a nursing session.

Most of the nursing sessions I choose to do outdoors, but we opted to try some studio poses and they turned out wonderfully. Momma sat down, got comfortable, and baby latched on. I moved around them, up on a chair, down on my belly and from all angles, almost like photographing a statue.  Mom just sat and contentedly fed baby. It was really wonderful! These are some seriously beautiful images and I am so tickled with them! 

Please enjoy!

As a photographer, with a small public audience, I feel like it would be a wasted opportunity if I didn't use my skill, and forum, to show support to a cause I feel so passionate about.  Breastfeeding, nursing, bonding with my babies was, for me a magical experience, not always easy, and not always fun, but always worth it.  

In recent times there has been a surge in the media towards normalizing and promoting momma's nursing their babies. Support, information, and education outreach is growing, the stigma is lessening and more momma's are making the choice to nurse or pump and bottle feed their children.  

In my own way I am hoping to help with this great cause. My nursing momma sessions are my way of showing the beauty, intimacy, and awesomeness that nursing and nourishing our babies is. 

I am so excited to see and increase in momma's interested in these sessions, and more and more momma's are contacting me about my nursing mini sessions.  

This momma was the recipient of my model call nursing session, she was beautiful and a good sport for my ideas.  We tracked out into the woods behind my home and played on the rocks and in the water.  She and her little guy were great, he stayed latched through all our transitions and played his role of nursing baby like a pro!

Thank you momma for your time!

Please enjoy some of my favorites from her session, and if any of you local mommas or mommas to be need breastfeeding help or resources please contact the local La Leche League or even our great organization http://www.womanspacerolla.com for info and support. 

This family, this family is AMAZING!  Momma and daddy, great friends of my husband and myself, their kids wonderful playmate to ours, and their family fantastic. This session was a long time coming, they have been anxiously waiting the day they became and official family of seven.  

I have never been so tickled to shoot a family session, this group has waited so long to "officially" be a family.  I know, from my own observation they have been a family for a long time before the judge made it official!  This crew was fun to work with, we moved quick through all the groupings, all of them together, kiddos all together, mom and dad, big kids, and little kids, girls and boys.  (Sometimes with this many kiddos and personalities working or not working together it is best to work quickly!)

I am so happy for this group of sweet, loving, and fun loving people, and am super excited to share these images with you all!

Happy Birthday to my thinker, lover of animals, high maintenance, creative, and amazing big girl. To the little lady who made me a momma, and has taught me so much about myself as a momma. She has worked hard to build my patience levels, my mess cleaning abilities, and most of all my capacity to love unconditionally.  I love you big girl, and I can't wait to see what year seven brings for you!