As Allen baby no.3, this little soul was intent on making his presence known in a dramatic fashion from the very beginning. Angus Steven Kenneth Allen, (amazing name btw), arrived just after Christmas & delivered at home by his dad! This was not on purpose, however... lol. Thankfully, everything was fine & the new lil' bundle was brought into the world safe & sound.
I've photographed the family many times, so I was excited when Dana contacted me once again to document Angus in his first weeks of life. They have a beautiful property in Lansdowne ON, little farm & as I walked up to the door, I was welcomed by a few bahhhhs by the sheep in the yard, as they supervised my arrival.
I love these cozy 'At Home' Sessions. Hanging out in the family environment takes away some of the stress & we let the shoot develop naturally. I search for the best natural light & use those areas to create a soft & simple look to the photos. I always start with a few basket images of the new one, because who can resist a tiny baby in a basket? Not me. I would say that my style of newborn shoot is a bit of a mixture of posed & lifestyle. But hey... we don't all have to fit into a strict genre.
The front room in the farmhouse, with its wood stove & rustic feel, was the perfect spot for Gus to slumber as I captured his first professional portraits. I added a little bit of plaid for his 'nest' which seemed appropriate considering his name, lol. Also, a little bit of pattern goes a long way for styling a baby basket, I think!!
Big sister Paisley LOVES her new baby brother. She was so excited to get some photos done with him & I couldn't be happier to oblige. The images of this trio are some of my favourite of the day - taken by the big window in Paisley's room, with the softest light coming in off the snow outside.
Excuse me, while I share a few too many... lol.
This is the perfect type of session to get unwilling siblings involved too, because there isn't a lot of smiling at the camera & saying cheese. As I started the shoot, adorable Finnley advises mom & I that he had no interest.
'No Cheese', he said.
But as anyone who follows me knows, I'm not one for super smiley images; I believe they have their place in family sessions for sure - but I never force it upon ppl because I don't think it's what makes the photo. Sometimes it's the lack of unnatural smiles & straight on angles that makes the image much more magical. However -- we all love a big goofy smile every once in awhile... (see below)
Obviously I had a ton of favourites from this session. I love when I walk away from a shoot knowing I have some serious gems on my memory card. I love my job & my clients/friends & it's always a pleasure capturing these special moments in time.
Until next time...
- amy xo