Maternity and Newborn Image Boxes by Captivating Imagery

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Tomorrow is my sister’s due date, so I have baby brain as we wait to find out when her little baby girl will make her debut. So it’s fitting that I am blogging about a new product today: maternity and newborn image boxes. These well-constructed boxes are wonderful keepsakes especially when you can’t display all of the photos you want to keep on your walls. This 5 x 7 box is perfect for a coffee table or book shelf so that the precious photos of your newborn are always within reach.

newborn photography

The box is secured with a closure on the side and the inside panel can feature a favorite photo or the baby’s birth date details.

image box closure

newborn and maternity photos

Each box holds 25 mounted 5×7 prints and comes with five prints so that you can fill it up over the baby’s first year.

mounted prints of newborn photography

The lustre coated prints are mounted on black styrene, so they are durable and nice to hold.

mounted prints

Image boxes can be a great way to display your wedding photos or family portraits over the years. I may even make one for myself with prints of our dog, Brownie.

stack of prints

If you or someone you know is interested in maternity or newborn sessions, please click here to find out more about our custom newborn photography. Thank you!

Oh Baby! More Newborn Photography by Captivating Imagery

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Ten years ago, I would have squirmed when someone handed me a newborn. When a baby found its way into my arms, it would cry! I’m just pointing this out because I realized recently that I’m a whole lot more comfortable with babies and I think I have photography to thank for that. While I mainly focus on weddings, I started photographing newborns about two years ago. I have to admit that my first newborn session was pretty nerve-wracking. I could sense the nervous energy from the parents and the baby definitely sensed it from me. Poor thing!

My nerves didn’t have anything to do with what was happening behind the camera, but with everything that takes place in front of it: making the baby and parents comfortable, figuring out how to get the baby to sleep, pose, smile! That’s a lot of pressure when you’re not really used to babies. Add into the mix the feeding routine and the little surprises that come with taking off their diapers and that about sums it up. In the end, the newborn portraits turned out great! And since then, I’ve grown more and more comfortable with newborns and what I can do to make the process fun and worry-free! I’ve really grown to love photographing newborns and hope to have one of my own someday!

baby portrait in a hammock

This post includes some sweeties from recent sessions that I haven’t had a chance to blog about yet. This set shows some of the neat props I’ve collected along the way and have also found that it’s fun to coordinate with parents and see what we can come up with.

baby portrait in knit wool hat
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Pittsburgh Maternity and Newborn Photography: Babies and Bellies

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Over the last year, I’ve had the pleasure of photographing some fantastic maternity and newborn sessions here in Pittsburgh. These sessions are a real treat as a photographer because it is amazing to work with expecting moms and their little bundles of joy. I love to witness the miracle of pregnancy and babies. So I’m excited to share this slide show with images from some of my favorite sessions. I will soon be updating my portfolio and packages pages with information about maternity and newborn sessions, but I didn’t want to wait until then to share this slide show. If you’re in the Pittsburgh area and interested in a maternity or newborn session, please send me a message!

If you’re interested in a maternity or newborn session, here are a few things to keep in mind. Timing is everything. The best time for a maternity session is in the third trimester, between week 32 and 36. The timing for newborn sessions is even more crucial because it’s better to photograph newborns while they are asleep. And you can only count on them to really sleep soundly during their first two weeks. I know that is a short time-frame, especially considering a mom needs time to recuperate from giving birth and adjusting to life with her baby. But if you can make it work, a newborn session within the first few days of life is so worth it! It’s best to contact me at the beginning of your third trimester so that we can start to talk about scheduling and preparing for your maternity and newborn sessions.

My introductory rate for each session is a $150 sitting fee. A web gallery with a minimum of 25 images will be available within two weeks of the session. There is a required purchase of $350 worth of prints or other products from the web gallery for each session.

The Birth of Imani, a Pittsburgh birth story

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I recently photographed the birth of my friends’ daughter.  This couple wanted to have their story documented so that they could always remember what it was like the day they brought their baby girl into the world.  I know that many moms would shudder at having a camera in the delivery room, but I have come to realize that a birth is such a miraculous experience that I begin to wonder why birth photography is not more common.

Ok, I know there are a few obvious reasons, but we’re talking about tasteful images of the first few moments of newborn’s life.  The photos leading up to the birth show such strong and beautiful emotions, and they are all a very important part in telling the story of the birth.

Jen was in labor for a very long time, and while she needed a lot of privacy during the more painful parts of her labor, she was ready to be photographed after she was fully dialted and about to go into delivery. Here are just a few photos from the start of the delivery through the birth:

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Jen looks amazing despite a long, hard day of contractions.

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This is it!  The baby is just about ready.

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Sean just said a prayer before the midwives begin the delivery.

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Jen is in between pushing in this photo when Sean said something to make her laugh.

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The midwives were so professional and attentive.

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They are looking into a mirror that is reflecting the first glimpse of the baby’s head.

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This moment was so touching.  Jen can finally see her little baby.

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Little Imani has arrived and she is precious right out of the womb.

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This is my favorite: their first family portrait.

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Little Imani looks up at her mom.  Their lives are forever changed.  Congratulations to the new family!  God bless little Imani.

Jen and Sean were recently featured on the cover of Expectant Mother Pittsburgh.  The photo is one from their maternity session.  I think it’s fitting that they are on the cover of this magazine as they are a couple that I really look up to as my husband and I begin to think about parenthood. Here’s the cover:

Expectant Mother Pittsburgh Cover