You may remember sweet Teddy from his Tribeca newborn session a few months ago. His parents had just moved into their historic Tribeca apartment and were so excited to welcome baby Teddy home. After the session, I created a custom album containing mama’s favorite newborn images to beautifully document that special time. When Teddy began sitting up, she knew that she wanted some new images to line the hallway leading to his nursery. Mom is a top wedding planner in NYC, and their home is absolutely gorgeous. 

During our pre-session Zoom meeting, I was able to see the hallway and create a vision for the types of images that would work in the space. While nearby clients typically come into the studio for their planning meetings, everyone is always welcome to meet over Zoom instead. I knew that we wanted portraits of Teddy for natural wood frames in the hallway, so I needed three or four complementary images that were of a small to medium size that felt cohesive and timeless. If they did not live in Teddy’s room forever, they needed to beautifully transition to a larger gallery in another part of this gorgeous apartment or a vacation home.

I started the session with very classic six-month baby portraits in a similar style that I would create in my portrait studio. I used the parent’s master bed, which was a perfect setting with their modern décor and crisp white blanket. I used studio light for these images because the room was so spacious. While the windows were very large and gorgeous, the depth of the room meant there was less room for light to bounce around and I wanted a clean and bright look that focused on baby’s sweet expressions, poses, and soft skin. Mama wanted to keep the images focused on Teddy’s sweet baby-ness, so we kept the looks very neutral and casual. Mama opted for a cream sweater she recently purchased that had a lovely texture and sweet details. Dad opted for a classic white shirt, which provided the perfect backdrop for some tender, intimate family portraits.

We also worked in baby’s nursery because the décor is so lovely, and it provides such a beautifully intimate space for mommy and me portraits. Mama spent time and energy envisioning what it would be like to welcome her baby into this space, and it was so special to document the joy I knew she felt with her six-month-old here. 

Historical Manhattan homes often have incredible window light in small rooms due to the high ceilings, and the light falls off quickly because there are no nearby walls for the window light to bounce off of. For these types of sessions, I position subjects very close to a large window, knowing we will create beautifully dramatic light with exceptional depth. These make for stunning black and white images and capture so much emotion regardless of the edit. We used a huge window in the dining area during Teddy’s newborn session, and we all agreed that if Teddy seemed up to it, we would conclude this session with some sweet family and father-son portraits near the large window again. It did not disappoint.

It was such a treat to be welcomed back to this family’s gorgeous Tribeca home for Teddy’s milestone session. I cannot wait to see these sweet images lining the hallway to Teddy’s room!