Me vs. the Sears Portrait Studio

While outdoor portraits and natural light usually work best for me, I've learned that there's a reason why so many little ones are photographed in a studio. I began to research options for an in-home setup and was surprised to find many low-key options that would have the capacity to help produce great photos. Affordable backdrop stands were all over ebay and many sites have instructions on DIY lighting diagrams. Thankfully, Santa was generous last year :).  It sat in a box under my bed until last weekend when my friend Stephanie volunteered her two adorable children for the purpose of testing out my new toy. I was very skeptical, but amazingly, my little stand and 4 foot roll of paper worked very well!

This is Charlie, Stephanie's precious 6 month old.

location, location, location

When my gorgeous cousin Emily was in town for her baby shower last month, we set aside some time for a pregnancy shoot. We spent most of the day at the LA Arboretum but by 4 o'clock, had both maxed out on flowers and peacocks. It was the end of the day and I wanted an architectural feel to balance all of the other shots of Emily standing near waterfalls and grass. This shot was taken in front of a bank; it's my go-to brick wall that I've used for multiple shoots. No studio required :)

Thank you, Emily, for the opportunity to help celebrate this amazing time in your life :)

Seriously, could she be any more beautiful?