i’m so excited to finally share indie’s newborn photos on the blog!!! from baby shower, to birth, through all of year one i’ll be working with little nest portraits in westfield, nj to document all of the major milestones! read on for more on our experience at their studio and to see the finished product!
this shoot was supposed to take place at approximately one week old, but since indie had an extended hospital stay, she was 19 days old when we finally got into the studio for portraits! i’ll start by saying little nest’s newborn photographer, kristi, had come to the NICU to take indie’s initial “instagram birth announcement” when she was 10 days old, which was SO nice. it really “held me over” and brought some joy and light to a time that was riddled with anxiety and exhaustion. if there’s any reason to work with little nest aside from their artistry… it’s because of the compassion they have for their clients and the love that they show every child that they capture.
on the day of our official shoot, we sat in their (comfy) lounge and fed the babe so that she’d be a happy camper during her session. we talked through a few “looks” they had planned (all of which i loved) and then selected swaddles & headbands to go with each! i opted for ivory, marigold, lilac and robins egg blue! they have every color of the rainbow to choose from, and so many great ideas when it comes to styling the shots.
watching kristi work her magic was SO COOL. she is literally the baby whisperer… because my child does NOT like to be naked. she fusses every single time we change her diaper – the minute her feeties come off – yet somehow, her quiet and steady energy (with a little help from a sound machine and a space heater) had indie silently (and sleepily) surrendering to being swaddled… and swaddled again… and again.
we went through several looks – one of which was completely naked – and indie hardly flinched. at the very end, we woke her up for a few shots with her eyes open. these go against the traditional ‘look’ of a newborn session… but they are actually my FAVORITE shots! kristi caught so many of her sweet expressions. indie’s eyes really show off her personality. maybe i’m biased (… i am her mother after all)… but when she’s awake and alert (which is QUITE often for a baby of her age) it’s like you can see straight into her sweet, beautiful little soul. i will forever cherish these photos because they represent a little girl who wakes up each day as happy and innocent as she was the day before, despite having such a rough start.
to check out little nest westfield’s newborn work and all the packages that they offer, click here! they’re always putting sneak peeks up on their instagram as well. if you’re looking for an intimate, trendy studio and photographers with true creative vision… this is the place to take your family! they offer tons of different shoot options (not just newborns!) and you’ll leave feeling like you’ve made friends. thank you to little nest for this beautiful session. i already can not wait for the next!!! follow along on instagram as i share my favorites from this shoot – and more on my journey into motherhood!
