A mom and dad look down lovingly with big smiles on their faces at their newborn baby girl during a newborn photoshoot in New Jersey by Nicole Hawkins Photography. #studionewborns #studioportraits #babystudioportraits #NewJerseyPhotographers #NJfamil

It was such a joy to work with this family again. I had the pleasure of documenting their kids nearly four years ago for Ezra’s newborn portraits. Mom, Jennifer, reached out to me to let me know that they had since moved to Pennsylvania and had a little girl. They were about an hour's drive from our Maplewood, NJ, studio, but were more than happy to make the drive for updated photos with me. Jennifer loved the simple, clean feel of their older photos and wanted new portraits with baby sister that would match.

We caught up via Zoom during their pre-session planning meeting. Mom let me know that baby Margot’s brothers loved her very much but were still learning to be gentle with her. This is common with new siblings, so I knew that we would still be able to create beautiful sibling portraits. She told me which lineup of photos she would like: some solo newborn portraits, a brother photo, a few of the three siblings together, and a whole family piece.

I chose outfits for the whole family from my studio wardrobe. She wanted a clean, white, neutral look to their clothing. Their photos from four years ago were hanging on the walls of their new home, and she wanted to make sure that the new work would feel cohesive with the old. Because we did all of our planning via Zoom, I made a few videos showing the different options for each member of the family. Mom liked all of the options, so I picked out my favorites and had them steamed and ready for when the family arrived.

At the time of our original session, I did not yet offer gallery installation to my clients. It was so wonderful to see how she had arranged their portraits in their new home so beautifully. I used my software to show Jennifer my picks for what photos to add to her wall gallery. I was able to show her where I would place them on the wall and even left a bit of room for an updated sibling portrait in a few years, and hopefully one more when the kids are quite grown—maybe even when the oldest boy, Jeremy, is preparing to leave for college. I truly enjoy working with my clients long-term and seeing their families grow and change. I am very excited to see how the new fine art prints turn out on the walls of their new PA home.