Welcome to the World, Mr. Shepard!
“Baby, baby, baby, baby, baby!” - June Cash, “Walk the Line”
Ok, different context (and now I need to watch that movie again STAT), but that’s what popped into my head, just this minute. A quote so simple, yet my husband and I toss it around a lot. Annnnnyway…
This real-life baby boy stole my heart. I had the pleasure of photographing Shepard at the ripe age of five days for a simple session where he was the star. Bonus: I was able to experiment with a lens my darling friend sent me when capturing those tiny baby details I love so much. (Thanks, Karl!)
A few things about this session that I think are important to note:
Mom held baby the entire time. How fabulous is that?! She was sitting in bed with him when I got there, and they barely moved the whole time. Easy-peasy, comfortable, and so very low stress. Baby was warm, cozy, and snuggly. Now, maybe for some sessions I’d move them around a bit or wrap baby up, but I really didn’t feel the need. I think going with the vibe of the the baby and family is key. Simple is often best, IMO.
The natural light where these two love birds were sitting just happened to be awesome. If they were in a bed in the darkest corner of the room, I would have moved them, but it wasn’t necessary in this case. Paying special attention to light is a huge part of the process of making beautiful and unique images.
For this session, I paid special attention to the baby details and capturing them in different ways. Oftentimes my newborn sessions involve the whole family, so details tend to be mixed in with the activities going on while I’m there. And, I love those sessions, but the quiet calm of this newborn session was something different, and it resonated deeply with me. It highlighted a few elements of making photos that I’ve always naturally loved: Sitting and waiting for the right moment, being still and searching for a new perspective, getting more and more into the creative zone with each click, capturing what is as a unique piece of art. It brings back memories of sitting for who-knows-how-long with my own babies, in complete awe of their perfect details, trying to capture every angle, piece, and part with my phone camera. I need more of this in my life.
A very special thank you to Shepard and his family for being so welcoming and easy. It was so much fun to walk in and feel like an old friend. He is one lucky guy to have so much love in his fresh little life.
BRING ON THE BABIES!! I have major baby fever. If you are looking for a newborn photographer in Columbus, Ohio and you like what you see here, I’d love to chat!
