I have worked with this sweet family many times over the past couple of years. I documented little Parker’s first year, from her newborn session to her first birthday. Right around Parker’s first birthday session, her mama let me know that Parker would soon be a big sister. I was so excited to hear that baby Ryan had arrived safely and couldn’t wait to take her newborn portraits. I created a wall gallery with a photo from each of Parker’s first-year sessions (newborn, six-month, and first birthday), and I knew we would want to do the same for little Ryan.

The family had recently moved to Chatham, NJ, so we decided to do an easy-going session in their new home. I set Mama up with one of my preferred hair and makeup artists and arrived at their northern New Jersey home just as they were finishing up her hair. We looked through the outfit options that I had brought for her and chose a few of her favorites to use in the session. We went with a couple of gorgeous long, flowy dresses.

Before we started, I took a tour of their beautiful new home and selected the best spots for our session. I knew we would be framing one of the images for Ryan’s wall gallery of three squares, just as we did for Parker, so I chose my locations wisely.

It was a fairly cloudy day, so I supplemented the natural light with a touch of flash. When used correctly, a flash can be used with natural light in such a way that you would never know the flash was there. I bring a flash to every session just in case we need a little boost of light.

It was such a treat to work with this family again and see their new home. I love working with repeat clients. The sessions go so smoothly because we all know the process and what exactly to expect. I cannot wait to document Ryan’s first year the same way I did her big sisters.