Nicole Hawkins photography is a draw for clients because her portraits feel natural and authentic rather than overly posed. She brings a level of elevation to every photography session. #centralNewJerseyphotographer #inhomeportraits #newbornphotosho

It was such a pleasure to work with this new family of three in their Middlesex County condo. Mom found my work on Instagram and was drawn to the way my portraits feel natural and authentic rather than overly posed. She reached out and was excited about the portrait membership options. We were too late to schedule a maternity session for her, but we will be holding three more sessions after this one at 3-4 months, 6-7 months, and Fiorella’s first birthday. Our portrait memberships are a great way to build a photo album of baby’s first year and beyond with beautiful and cohesive portraits.

The family lives in a North Central New Jersey condo that Dad purchased prior to their marriage, and it was not yet decorated in mom’s preferred style. However, she had spent so much time and energy creating a gorgeous nursery for Fiorella, and it showed. We decided to do the entire session in the nursery since it had the style that mom was wanting. Had she not loved any areas of the home, I would have recommended a studio session or found a neutral wall in the home with good light and few distractions. I am always willing to work with my clients to create the vibe they are looking for in the space that is most convenient to them.

Mom did her own beautiful makeup, and I brought a handful of outfits from our studio wardrobe for her to have more options. She ultimately decided to wear her own jeans and top for a more casual look, which looks great in their cozy nursery images. We made sure to create an image of Dad holding baby girl that shows off his awesome tattoos. I love how these turned out.

I took all of these portraits with a flash. There was a beautiful window in the nursery, but a balcony with an overhang diminished some of our natural light. I wanted to make sure we showed the gorgeous nursery details and that we had interesting light for a variety of looks in this one space. I cannot wait to take our next set of milestone portraits in a few months and see how much this little girl has grown.