Damon and Emma | Boho Maternity Session | Indianapolis maternity and newborn photographer

There’s something special about Indiana summers. Especially when they involve maternity sessions like this one.

I’ve known Damon since before he was born!

I remember his mom sharing that she was expecting with a small group of other young moms at a Bible study I was holding in my home shortly after Joe and I moved to Indianapolis.

I was expecting my second child at the time, so Damon’s mom and I experienced pregnancies at the same time. My daughter Bethany is the same age as Damon.

I’ve also known Emma for a long time!

She was in early elementary when our families met.

When Emma was a young girl, I had the privilege of capturing her family when her grandparents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary!

I was able to get some shots of Emma and each of her siblings individually, and this is one of my favorites of her from that special session!

As I have watched Emma grow up, I’ve always been encouraged to be around her. She is the kind of person that spills joy to everyone around her. She is full of joy and always has a word of encouragement for those she comes in contact with.

Damon’s mom could be described this way, and they say men often marry someone much like their mom. I’d say Damon has been doubly blessed to have a mother with these character qualities and now to have them in his wife.

I feel like you can just see that sweet spirit coming through as you view these photos, don’t you think?

Damon and Emma have been sweethearts since fourth grade!

How special to have been sweet on each other all through the growing up years and to see God lead them together as young adults! And now they are anticipating this new adventure of parenthood together!

Just as we were wrapping up the maternity session,

Damon made a special request . . .

He asked if we could do a few shots on the chair where he was holding both Emma and his baby boy. I absolutely loved his idea and we captured these precious heirloom photos for them to always look back and treasure this precious time.

When this little guy arrives, we plan to recreate this special scene. Keep watch for this special newborn session!

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Baby Azaria | Indianapolis Newborn Photographer

Little Miss Azaria’s arrival was greatly anticipated for several months, and her mommy and daddy were beyond thrilled to finally have her here.

Daddy was definitely smitten and couldn't help but sneak a kiss of her sweet little toes

Before Azaria arrived, we celebrated the special season of anticipating her arrival with a special maternity session.

You can check out all the unique and special elements to this awesome maternity session in my Indianapolis studio at the previous blog post here.

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Parent shots are always first so that Mommy and Daddy are fresh for the photos. We captured some beautiful portraits of Azaria with Mommy and Daddy.

Alexsis wore a gown from my client closet for some of the photos. Any of my maternity gowns can be worn when you come back for newborn photos! The gowns are all very versatile and can work both ways. You can check out all of the options in my client closet here!

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Alexsis wanted to recreate a portrait incorporating angel wings for Azaria to coordinate with her maternity photos with the angel wings. Both Alexsis and Azaria were the most beautiful angels. It was so sweet to connect the maternity photos with the newborn photos - connecting the time of Alexsis anticipating her angel to the reality of her baby girl being here earthside. What amazing heirlooms these will be for them as Azaria grows and changes!

For her maternity session, Alexsis requested a photo of herself holding a sweet little crown in the clouds

It was so special to pose Azaria with the crown that her momma held in her hands as she anticipated her arrival.

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Alexsis requested that sunflowers be incorporated into Azaria’s newborn session. Azaria looked so beautiful with these deep rich tones!

Alexsis requested the color yellow, and I made sure we incorporated it in some different ways. It didn’t matter what shade of yellow we used, Azaria looked beautiful in all of it!

We did a couple more set ups incorporating blues and pinks

Adding variety to a newborn session is important!

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Detailed shots will help Mommy and Daddy remember those tiny little fingers, the dimples in her knuckles, those sweet little toes, how tiny her little head was, the super soft hair on her sweet little head, and the newness of her little face. As Azaria gets older, it will also be a way for her to see how beautiful all her little details were when she was a newborn.

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Just as we were finishing up her session, Daddy mentioned that she would be pretty in purple.

So we got spontaneous and pulled together a purple set up. Boy, was he right! The purple tones really highlighted what a gorgeous baby she was!

It was a delight to my heart to make the connection between the maternity session and the newborn session. Both of these stages are a unique thread that ties the story of this precious girl and her family together.

Contact me here to discuss booking your maternity session. We can discuss your preferences for unique ways to incorporate some of the photos to line up with newborn photos when your baby arrives! Any time a maternity package is booked, a credit is given toward a newborn package!

The miracle of Charlie Joe, Part 1 | Rainbow Baby Maternity session | Indianapolis Newborn Photographer

Early in her pregnancy, Susanne contacted me to discuss booking maternity photos for a very special child she was carrying.

She and her husband Jamie had experienced the heart wrenching loss of a child in July five years previously. After this very difficult journey, she was now expecting and anticipating the arrival of a sweet baby boy.

She was really hoping to have some special snow maternity photos, but the weather in Indianapolis is not very predictable in the winter time, and you never know if you are going to be able to enjoy a beautiful snowfall or just have to deal with ugly dismal gray days all winter.

We planned for a maternity session as the holidays were approaching, but because of some family emergencies, we had to postpone. This was all in God’s design, because when we were able to reschedule, God gave us a beautiful snowfall and also allowed the temps to be agreeable for the duration of our session!

We started the maternity session showing how beautiful Susanne is in this colorful rainbow gown.

When she saw this gown in my client closet, she was sure she wanted some photos in this maternity gown to celebrate this beautiful rainbow after a difficult storm of loss.

Normally, you don’t think of rainbows and snow going together, but Jamie and Susanne made the rainbow look absolutely stunning in the snow!

We found some of the most unique spots as we walked around at the park on the east side of Indianapolis. Natural elements look quite different in the snow than they do in warmer seasons. And this provided us with some beautiful, unique photos for this sweet couple to cherish for always!

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We switched to this beautiful red gown after getting several sweet shots in the rainbow maternity gown.

Susanne looked absolutely stunning in this gown. The contrast of the red maternity gown against the snow really highlighted how beautiful this momma is.

This unique tree not only gave us some gorgeous shots of Susanne, but it gave us the ability to get some sweet shots of Jamie with her.

We walked on a bit further to the creek

and captured some beautiful shots with this unique background. The reflection of the snow and trees in the water created a beautiful backdrop.

It was a blessing to provide these heirlooms for Jamie and Susanne. They will always have these photos to treasure the time they anticipated the arrival of their sweet Charlie Joe.

Check out the next blog post for highlights from his newborn session!

Celebrating little Miss Violet | From newborn to first birthday | Indianapolis Newborn Photographer

When Jessica first contacted me and told me her dad gifted her with a newborn session to ensure she had a beautiful capture of her precious baby girl, my heart melted.

He UNDERSTOOD. He knew how fleeting that stage is and how important it is to make such an important investment.

Jessica and I started communicating and plans were formed for Violet’s session based on Jessica’s color and theme preferences.

We talked a little about what Jessica should plan to wear, and she chose a beautiful but simple dress for her photos with Violet.

We started the session with shots of Momma and Violet.

Parent shots are always first. We want mommy to be fresh for these special shots with her baby.

After we captured some beautiful shots of Momma and baby, Momma got to relax and settle in. We transitioned to a bucket shot with florals and lace and added a beautiful wreath for Violet to wear. Keep an eye on that wreath - it shows up again later!

Violet settled right in and we were able to get the most beautiful captures of how beautiful she was at this precious newborn stage!

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Time went by and Violet was growing! Jessica had such a special relationship with her dad, and they discussed making plans to invest in Violet’s first birthday session. He was planning to help with the investment. They were both excited as they looked ahead to that exciting milestone.

But then tragedy struck, and Jessica lost her dad when Violet was just 9 months old.

Jessica knew that investing in a beautiful capture of Violet’s big first birthday milestone was not only important to her, but that it was important to her dad.

She made this a priority, and contacted me to chat about scheduling the session.

She told me that Violet loved cows and that she thought it would be fun to do something with cows and sunflowers. I got to work with plans for a set up and choosing a cake design that would be a perfect fit for this request.

Every milestone session allows for up to three different outfits!

Jessica chose this gorgeous green jewel toned dress that complimented Violet beautifully! We started her session with this outfit.

Recognize that wreath? That is the same wreath she wore for her newborn photos!

We got several beautiful shots of Miss Violet in her pretty green dress and also in a second outfit with a sunflower top and distressed jeans. I almost couldn’t contain myself at how adorable she was in these outfits! But even more fun was capturing her fun personality and having a variety of sweetness, silliness and just plain cuteness!

Violet was very shy when she first came for her first birthday session

Her momma gave me the heads up that it can take a bit for her to warm up

Because I knew Violet needed some time to warm up to me, I had momma set her down and play a bit with momma right there. I sat down near her so she could see me, but she saw there was comfortable distance. I talked to her and gave her some time. We didn’t rush anything. After about fifteen minutes of letting her play and be close to momma and watch and study me, she began to smile little bits at me and her body language began to show that she was becoming more comfortable. We moved into the studio and I gave instructions for momma to set her down for her first set of photos. This allowed her to become more familiar with being in my studio and seeing me with the camera but still being very close to momma.

Before long, she was warming up enough that I could come closer and touch her just a bit or move her a bit to make sure the light was hitting her in just the right way to ensure we were capturing the most beautiful photos of her.

By the time we got to her second outfit with the sunflower blouse

she was completely warmed up and all of her personality started to shine through!

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And then it was finally time for the finale of the session - the cake smash!

Violet is known to not be a fan of getting messy

Jessica wasn’t sure if there would be any smashing of the cake.

Violet was very interested in the ears on her cow cake and eventually figured out how to pull one of them out and use it to play with the top of the cake. It was so entertaining to watch her play in her own way and for her unique personality to be on display.

And by the end, she definitely got messy!

She let her personality shine and she and Jessica will always have this beautiful celebration to remember her first big milestone. Jessica’s dad would be so proud and happy to know that she has these photos - these heirlooms to treasure for always.

A NICU miracle baby | Indianapolis newborn photographer

Brock and Miriam are a sweet couple that I’ve been privileged to know from the very beginning of their family. Their oldest daughter Anneliese was one of the first newborn babies I ever captured. Anneliese was followed by two little brothers, Charlie and Jacob, and finally with a little sister, Lilly.

It’s amazing how much growth I have seen since 2010 in crafting my art! I am so excited that as I grow and improve my skills, I can better serve you with the most amazing heirlooms of this precious, fleeting newborn stage!

With Lilly’s arrival, Brock and Miriam were sure their family was complete.

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Little did they know the adventure still ahead of them! When Lilly was five years old, they were surprised to discover another little Barlow would be joining the family!

We did a special maternity session as we were sure this child would make the family complete.

Little Miss Nora arrived and the whole family was in love with this precious new little family member.

So the Barlow family was complete.

At least, so they thought . . .

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God had one more surprise for them, and this time, their little one would take them on a very unexpected and difficult journey that would stretch and challenge them beyond anything they thought possible.

Miriam discovered she was expecting again, and among other complications, was diagnosed with placenta accreta. This condition is incredibly dangerous and life-threatening for the mother.

Baby Theo arrived on October 7, 2021 weighing only 5 lbs., 3 oz.

Immediately after his emergency cesarean section delivery, Miriam immediately underwent a complete hysterectomy.

Many long and difficult days were spent in the hospital as Miriam recovered. She was not able to be with her little baby boy in those first hours and days like she was with her other babies.

Eventually, Miriam was released to go home, but little Theo was still fighting and had a long road ahead of him. Brock and Miriam experienced trauma in many forms during those long, difficult days that Theo spent in the NICU.

But finally, after 64 days, Theo was strong and healthy enough to go home.

Brock and Miriam were able to surprise all of the big brothers and sisters as they brought him home for the very first time.

Shortly after his arrival home from the NICU, I had the wonderful privilege of capturing newborn photos of this precious little life in my studio on the east side of Indianapolis.

This sweet family that was now, without a doubt, COMPLETE.

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One year later, Theo came back to my Indianapolis studio for a first birthday cake smash session to celebrate his first year of life!

He is now a healthy, thriving little boy with so much potential!

Wanna know what the theme was for his cake smash? Check out the previous blog post here to find out and learn the story behind the choice of the theme!

Happy Camper Cake Smash | Indianapolis newborn photographer

Say hello to Mr. Theo.

He is the sixth child in his family and has quite the story of survival. You can read about his journey here!

In the meantime, let’s talk about the epic cake smash we had to celebrate his first birthday.

Theo’s family acquired an RV in recent years. With six kiddos, they decided it would be fun to plan vacations they can take in the RV and take their home on the road as they travel. It allows them to cut lodging and food expenses. As you can imagine, eating out on vacation with six kids can add up really fast!

Sometimes, they go to campsites around Indiana or nearby states and just enjoy a beautiful outdoor location to get away from home together. Other times they have paired up with friends and added to the fun of the adventure making memories with others.

They have also traveled to vacation sites across America and have found nearby places to park their RV and enjoy seeing different sites in the USA.

When Theo was in the NICU, his mommy and daddy and five older siblings took a special trip away for a short time to catch a breath and get a break from the trauma of everything that was going on in the NICU.

You can read more about that story on the next blog post!

When Theo’s momma and I started to discuss a theme for celebrating his first birthday, we landed on a happy camper theme. It was just so perfectly fitting for the experiences they are having together as a family as they take their vacations!

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As always, every cake smash session begins with one or two set ups that are separate from the cake smash. While doing the cake smash is fun and definitely the highlight of the session, you don’t want your baby smashing cake in all of the photos celebrating his first birthday!

Theo’s momma opted for just one outfit - a cute little burgundy and white striped shirt with some sweet little jeans. We left him barefoot for these photos because who doesn’t love seeing some sweet little baby piggies!

We grabbed a few shots of him in his little striped shirt with the backdrop for the cake smash to add variety to his photos.

He was all about the pinecones, and we laughed as he kept trying to eat them.

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We chose to have a cake that looked like a big stack of pancakes with a party flair, and this cake did not disappoint! It truly looked like an actual stack of pancakes with butter slathered between the pancakes and thick, sweet maple syrup on the top dripping over the side. The sprinkles on top added that party flair and the sprinkle colors of oranges, reds and greens coordinated with the happy camper theme.

What makes this cake even more amazing is that it was made by his very own grandmother, Paula!

When we first sat Theo in front of his cake, he wasn’t quite sure what to think

He kept looking at his momma wondering what to do

It didn’t take him long to recognize that there was some fun sitting right in front of him! Theo started playing with his cake and had fun smashing it and tasting it!

By the time we were done with the session, Theo had thoroughly enjoyed himself and some very special memories were made!

Click here to see the childrens packages available and contact me to discuss the theme for your little one’s first birthday! I am always excited to provide a theme that fits your baby and your family’s personality!

Capturing your family's story | Indianapolis newborn photographer

Brandon and Kaylee had a strong desire to become parents, but struggled to see this dream become a reality. They waited three long years to finally meet their first little one. Read their story in Kaylee’s own words below:

announcement photos used with permission

““We can’t keep our secret any longer!

This is our story.

It’s been 3 years filled with tears, hope, discouragement, faith, questions, trust and phrases like “will we ever be blessed with a child?” We’ve been asked numerous times “when are you guys going to have a baby?” or “why don’t you have kids yet?”

Looking back on these 3 years we can see how God has worked everything out in His perfect timing. We’ve had these years to encourage, love, and grow in Christ together. We wouldn’t trade this trial for the world because it’s a lesson of patience and trust we’ve needed in our lives. We hope our story can be an encouragement to someone who is still waiting on their precious little one. God truly blesses in His timing!

We are SO thrilled for baby Unruh to join our family in April!”

— Kaylee Unruh

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What a delight it was to capture some beautiful maternity heirlooms for them as Kaylee carried their little one and they anticipated the day they would meet him! We enjoyed a sunrise maternity session at the canal along

the White River in downtown Indianapolis.

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And then, before they knew it, he was here.

Their hearts could hardly contain the joy this little one brought and the depth of love they felt for him.

Every time Brandon and Kaylee look at their newborn photos, they are looking upon heirlooms that take their hearts right back to all of those emotions of joy and love.

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Fast forward a couple of years…

and Brandon and Kaylee were gifted with another precious miracle! Grayson was now a big brother and Brandon and Kaylee now had a sweet little boy AND a girl!

Little Miss Harper was the sweetest addition to the family and it was an honor for me to capture her in the newborn stage while she was new to the world!

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Time passed, and Brandon and Kaylee discovered another little blessing was on the way, but unfortunately, they had to say goodbye to their sweet angel baby before their child ever came earthside. Going through this kind of loss leaves you with such a heartache that is impossible to put into words. It’s a difficult storm to navigate.

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In God’s perfect timing, He chose to give them a precious little rainbow

after the storm.

Little Miss Remington arrived . . .

. . . and the Unruh family had now grown to a family of five!

She was the perfect little bright spot that was so needed after such a difficult loss.

Returning to my studio on the east side of Indianapolis as your family grows allows you to have a beautiful consistency to your heirloom photos. Look at the precious growth that has taken place through the past few years!

It truly is an honor to walk with you as the story of your family unfolds, capturing precious heirlooms for you along the way.

Message me HERE to inquire about booking your maternity and newborn heirloom session!

Newborn photos - therapy for your soul

Finding out a little one is on the way brings a huge variety of emotions from one end of the spectrum to the other.

There is a feeling of joy and excitement that is impossible to put into words.

And yet there are so many fears and unknowns surrounding finances, health, and feeling overwhelmed by the amazing responsibility that you are facing.

There are challenges to your body physically that stretch you to a new understanding of what it means to love sacrificially.

There are emotional challenges as you face hormone changes and deal with postpartum.

All of this looks different for every momma and some struggle on deeper levels than others, but ALL mommas (and daddies too in their own unique ways) will face some of the hardest challenges you’ve ever experienced.

Sometimes, those challenges can crowd out the indescribable joy and delight of this new little person that has completely changed your life for the better.

Choosing to invest in heirloom quality newborn photos is therapy for your soul.

When you have nights of very little sleep and baby is extra fussy and your body is tired and sore, that can often be all that you see in front of you.

When you are struggling with postpartum emotions and have those hard moments and hard days, it is so hard to remember the positive side.

But when you catch a glance at any one of your beautiful heirloom newborn photos, it will instantly lift your spirits and remind you of this beautiful gift you’ve been given and the treasure that she is.

As your body heals and your baby grows and quickly changes, those difficult pieces of the first days and weeks of having a newborn will become blurred. Your memory of how beautiful and precious your little one was at this stage will be blurred as well, unless you invest in heirloom quality newborn photos. You want the memory of the tough pieces to blur and not be remembered, but you do NOT want the memory of your little one to be blurred along with the hard stuff. Choosing to invest in heirloom quality photos of your newborn baby will definitely be THERAPY FOR YOUR SOUL.

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Enjoy these highlights from little Miss Chikamsi’s newborn photo session at my studio on the east side of Indianapolis. Every time her mommy and daddy see these photos they will recall with fresh remembrance how tiny and beautiful she was at this delicate stage!

Fall themes for your newborn session

Fall is a beautiful season that brings cooler temperatures, beautiful fall foliage on the trees, apple orchards, campfires and hay rides!

If you are expecting a baby in the months of September or October (and even November!), it is fun to incorporate a fall theme into your newborn session at my studio on the east side of Indianapolis!

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Sunflowers have a way of telling us that summer is ending and transitioning into fall. Adding sunflowers to your newborn baby’s fall session is s special way to remember the season you met this little piece of your heart for the very first time.

Pumpkins are such a fun part of the fall season!

Sitting around a campfire and making s’mores is a fun fall activity

If you enjoy this element of the fall season, it is special to incorporate your family’s love for this fun piece of the fall season into your newborn session!

Fall is a time of harvest - especially here in Indiana!

Your newborn session can include colors and textures that accent the season of harvest.

Fall is a time when school is starting back up.

If you happen to be a teacher like this little guy’s mommy and daddy, incorporating a school theme can be a fun way to celebrate your baby’s fall arrival!

Maybe you love hunting or just being in the outdoors and hiking in the fall. Choosing forest animal themes and backdrops make for some fun fall newborn photos.

These are just a few ideas of ways to highlight your baby’s arrival during the fall season!

Your newborn session is always curated specifically to your requests and any visions you have. If you have any requests that are different from what you see here, we will make it happen!

Baby names from A to Z

After being a newborn photographer for over twelve years, I have been amazed at how much variety there has been in the names of each little one that comes to visit me at my Indianapolis studio! Some of the names were chosen simply because the parents loved the name, and some because of a family or cultural background.

Here is a highlight of babies I have captured from A to Z!

I am only missing two letters of the alphabet - take a look and find out which letters are missing!

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A is for Asher

Asher can be a beautiful name for a boy or a girl!

Here are two little Ashers I’ve had in my studio!

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B is for Beau

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C is for Caiya

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D is for Denton

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E is for Esther

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F is for Fionnlagh

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G is for Georgia

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H is for Haddon

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I is for Irena

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J is for Jude

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K is for Koah

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L is for Laela

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M is for Margot

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N is for Nolan

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O is for Owen

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P is for Piper

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Q is for Quinn

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R is for Rhett

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S is for Sebastian

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T is for Taya

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V is for Violet

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W is for Weyland

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X is for Ximena

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Z is for Zeke

Baby Asher | Newborn pilot theme

It’s pretty common for mommas to reach out to me to book and plan for her newborn session.

But in little Asher’s case, his daddy was the one that reached out to discuss details as we prepared for his newborn session at my studio on the east side of Indianapolis.

Asher’s Daddy is a pilot based out of Indianapolis.

It was so special to honor his parents’ request for him to be photographed with Daddy’s uniform and hat.

Photos like this will always have special meaning because they are a symbol of a unique piece of your lives as a family.

In addition to the newborn photos with daddy’s pilot uniform, Asher’s daddy had a small handful of specific requests, and it was so fun to provide each request!

One of the first things Daddy requested was “froggy pose”

Asher was wide awake when we first got started, but he was content, so we let him wiggle about and wear himself out naturally so that he would be very sleepy in his own way to accomplish this pose.

Patience is the name of the game for much of a newborn session.

Once Asher was ready, we took advantage of him being comfortable in this pose and got a shot with a little hat and one without so that mommy and daddy had some variation for their photos.

The next request was a photo of Asher with his big brother and sister.

The kiddos did an amazing job and were so cooperative. We were able to get some beautiful heirloom photos that captured the sweet bond that is already there between these three.

newborn photographer

Asher had a special outfit customized with his name

This request was from momma! She wanted a photo of Asher in his special custom outfit.

Daddy saw a photo I had done with this set up and asked if I could do it with Asher.

So we pulled out the campfire s’mores tin and posed him in this adorable set up!

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Here are just a few other highlights from this special newborn session!