Atlanta Maternity Photographer | A Park Maternity session with Amanda & Chris

Amanda contacted the studio to inquire about scheduling a maternity session at the park location. On the phone, she mentioned she was a little unsure about a maternity session since she wasn’t feeling that great being pregnant. We hear this a lot! When you’re expecting your first baby, your body experiences a lot of changes. Sometimes you don’t even recognize yourself when you look in the mirror!

After reassuring her that she would look fabulous and that I would make sure she didn’t look larger than she was, she decided to book her maternity session. She also chose to add on hair and makeup services as well. She was worried about what to wear, and excited to hear that we had an extensive wardrobe she could borrow from. We scheduled a time for her to come into the studio to meet and to look through the pieces.

During our maternity fitting, she was mentioned how amazed she was at all of the options available to her. She tried on quite a few dresses and narrowed it down to two of her favorites that looked beautiful with her blonde hair and skin tone. We discussed her husband’s personality, style preferences, and ideas of what he could wear. Due to the dressier look of Amanda’s choices, I suggested a simple button down and sent along the studio style guide for her to look over.

If you’re worried about whether we will have pieces that fit, you should know that our wardrobe has been curated personally by me. I’m constantly adding to it, and it has something for all heights and bump shapes sizes 0-14/16. Our shortest female client has been 4’10” and our tallest 6’2”.

The day of their session, Amanda and Chris drove from over an hour away. A lot of our clients come an hour or more, and we’ve had several from out of state! Chris is a pretty causal guy and chose to wear a soft blue button down shirt and jeans which looked great with Amanda’s choices. The ultimate goal is for you BOTH to feel comfortable in your choices and to feel like you look like yourselves.

At the beginning of our session, Amanda mentioned she was a little nervous, and Chris agreed. Guess what? That’s normal! I reminded her that nearly everyone feels this way and there was no need to be nervous. She looks absolutely AMAZING, and I walked her through how to stand and position herself for the most flattering angles to her body. Within ten minutes, she was laughing and having fun, and said that she felt so beautiful (truth!). Yay! Sometimes it just takes a bit to warm up. I promise to make your experience easy and stress free, and most of all - FUN. I want you to look back on your time with me and smile.

When Amanda and Chris viewed their proof gallery, they responded saying they were having such a hard time narrowing down the images for their final gallery because they loved them all!

Here are just a few of my favorites from their maternity session!

If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!

Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and birth photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.

Atlanta Newborn Photographer | Baby Natalie

Erin contacted the studio to inquire about booking her baby’s newborn session when her daughter was already a week old. We were able to fit her in right away as we happened to have an opening that week. Erin also asked if hair and makeup add on services were also available at the last minute, and to her luck - we had someone available! While we strongly recommend reserving your newborn session in advance, we understand that sometimes life and circumstances get in the way. We can’t guarantee we will have availability, but definitely check with us if this is you!

The morning of of their session Erin and her mother in law arrived at the studio with tiny six pound Natalie Wren. She had such delicate features and her name fit her so perfectly! Erin and I quickly looked through the wardrobe and she chose a simple blush dress to wear. She expressed relief that she didn’t have to worry about going out and finding something that would fit. We hear this all the time from our clients and have a wide variety of sizes 0-14/16 to choose from.

Natalie’s husband arrived a bit later, and when he started talking with his mother, I immediately recognized their accent…. Pittsburgh! I know it when I hear it immediately and said, “Wait a minute…. do I hear Pittsburgh?!” My dad’s family hails from Pittsburgh. I was born in Pittsburgh and am a Steelers fan by default. It was so much fun to feel like I was back home as we chatted while Natalie took some nursing breaks. Mike doesn’t love having his photo taken. When I asked him what he was wearing he said he didn’t know and gestured towards a bunch of button downs that Erin had brought from home. I said, “Well, why don’t you wear what you have on?” He looked at me incredulously and said, “What, are you serious? I can wear this?” When I told him “Absolutely!”, I think I might have been his favorite person on earth in that very moment. Moms, there’s nothing wrong with your husband wearing a comfortable cotton t-shirt. The color is what is most important, and it should be free of logos and pocketless. Our newborn prep packet will give you ideas of the color palette to choose, and your guy will love you for it. If button downs are more his style, have him go with that. Ultimately, my goal is for everyone to feel comfortable and like themselves. This seems so simple but it affects your entire session.

Natalie was a curly and sleepy baby and stayed asleep for the majority of her solo portraits. She needed to take a couple of nursing breaks and then went right back to sleep, Babies dictate the flow of my sessions. What works for one baby won’t necessarily work for another, so every newborn session in the studio is unique to each individual baby.

After we had finished with our session, I noticed that the blanket they’d brought from home was the perfect match to the dress Erin was wearing. I asked if they’d like to use it for the family portion, and they loved the idea. I welcome the use of blankets from home. This particular blanker was a soft muslin blanket from Amazon with blush and gold accents. I pulled a gold headband from my stock, and the whole look was perfection! You’ll notice it throughout the photos below. I love being able to tie in a personal piece for that extra touch. If you’re thinking about bringing a blanket, we’ll give you tips and suggestions about what kind to bring. If it’s a blanket that was knitted by a loved one, it might not work for all of the images but we can definitely incorporate it into an image or two.

Here are my favorite photos from Natalie Wren’s newborn session!

If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, baby or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!

Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and birth photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.

Atlanta Baby Photographer | Camille is ONE!

Allison contacted the studio to inquire about scheduling a First Birthday session for her daughter, Camille. She mentioned she found us on Instagram and absolutely loved our approach and style. Many of our clients first find us on social media and feel like they know us before they even come in!

We scheduled her session and also set up a time for Allison and Camille to come to the studio and look through the studio wardrobe. We have a limited wardrobe for children, and an extensive wardrobe for moms. Allison loved one of the studio dresses for baby girls and it was a perfect fit! She also found a lot of inspiration from our wardrobe and knew exactly which dress from her own closet she would wear. We also discussed options for what her husband, Trent, could wear that would work well.

We love being able to help our clients choose the best combination of clothing for their session. That's why we always offer style consultations in the studio or via email before a session takes place to help take the stress out of the planning! Their outfits complimented one another without overly matching or clashing one another, and their outfits looked perfect with baby Camille's dress!

Including a cake as part of a First Birthday session is optional! Many parents choose to include one, but we have some who skip it. It's totally your call! 

Because Camille had some food allergies, her Grandma made her a vegan birthday cake! I thought it was so special that her grandmother made it, and I absolutely LOVED how she decorated it. Grandma has some serious skills!  

We have a wonderful baker that we recommend that can work with food allergies should your baby have them if you don't have a Grandma to recruit, or just don't want to add baking a cake to your list of session day responsibilities. Our baker can even deliver the cake to the studio in advance of your session so it's here waiting for you and you don't have to pick it up beforehand! 

The day of their session, the family arrived and we got started with family and parents images! Miss Camille looked so adorable in her pale pink dress. Her mom brought a headband for her to wear, but that was quickly snatched off (as it is with most one year olds!) She was full of personality, and I just love her little bottom teeth and bright blue eyes She gave kisses to mom, snuggled her dad and had the sweetest expressions. We moved into solo baby portraits afterwards, and then changed her into another studio wardrobe piece for her cake smash!

We save the cake smash portion of a baby photo session for last so your baby can really dive into their cake and you don't have to worry about icing in their hair (or nose, or ears....everywhere!) Camille enjoyed playing with the icing on her cake and gave me some of the funniest facesI Her parents really enjoyed being able to stand back and watch her enjoy her birthday cake without having to worry about documenting it.  I love First Birthday Sessions, because I know parents will treasure the images they have of their one year old to look back on when they're all grown up. 

Here are my favorites from Camille's one year photo session!

If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!

Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and birth photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.

Atlanta Family Photographer | A fall session at the park

This family contacted the studio to ask about scheduling a fall family session. They wanted their session to serve as their son's six month milestone session as well. I always include parent and family images in milestone session galleries unless a parent specifically only wants images of their child. 

As a note: we don't always have last minute openings. We strongly encourage booking your session in advance to ensure you get an opening ESPECIALLY if you're hoping for images for your Christmas card! How early is too early to book? Most of our sessions this coming October were booked in April and May. Many clients schedule their baby's First Birthday session almost an entire year in advance. The earlier you book, the more choices you will have for your date. Weekend dates are the first to be snapped up, so if you're able to be flexible with a weeknight late afternoon/evening you have a much better chance of snagging a last minute date. 

Fortunately, we were able to schedule them with our last remaining date that month. We talked about where their son was developmentally. Not all six month olds are sitting up unassisted just yet!

For milestone sessions, some parents want to schedule their baby's session right at six months. Others prefer to wait until their baby is sitting up on their own. Whatever your preference may be is totally fine! If your baby is not sitting up confidently on their own, you should plan to be a participant in the session also. Safety is our first priority! If you prefer to wait until your baby is sitting up unassisted, we suggest you schedule their baby milestone session closer to the eight month mark. Most babies are usually sitting up with confidence at this stage. 

Mom dressed her family with the help of our style guide and opted for festive holiday attire. I loved her red dress, and the cozy sweaters she chose for her guys. She also chose to add on hair and make up services . Our team is comprised of the most talented artists in Atlanta, and they all do an incredible job. They are experienced and skilled at working with every skin type, tone, and texure,  and will apply makeup to enhance your best features with your preferences in mind. If you're a "barely wears makeup" kind of gal like me, they've got you covered!

Mom's completed hair and makeup was so natural, yet polished and looked perfect with her dress. Opting to add on these services is completely optional but our clients have told us that they loved having the time to relax and be pampered beforehand and that they felt so beautiful for their session. Most of our clients also plan a night out afterwards as well! 

The day of the session we met at the park location at sunset. We started with family and parent images to get their son comfortable with me and the sound of the shutter, and I walked them through where and how to stand. Then I stepped back and let them be a family. That's what family sessions are all about - you and your crew together and having fun. My job is to help you out with some gentle directed guidance if I notice that you're having some trouble because you're freezing up due to the camera. Sometimes I'll dash in to fix some hair or turn down a collar. I'll also sometimes adjust how you're standing or positioned for the best and most flattering angles. No self inflicted double chins allowed over here. 

Here are my favorite photos from the evening of their fall family session!

If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!

Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and birth photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.

Atlanta Maternity Photographer | A Park Maternity session with Ruchita & Abhishek

Ruchita contacted us to ask about booking a last minute maternity session. She requested a location with fall leaves changing color and asked if this would be achievable. We never know when the leaves will decide to change each year in Atlanta. Sometimes it's early October, and sometimes it's mid November. So many factors influence this that we have no control over: the amount of rain, sunshine, and temperature over the late summer/early fall. We assured her that her maternity photos would be beautiful regardless, and suggested our park location. 

We strongly recommend contacting us in as far in advance as possible to book your session as we book up pretty quickly. This helps ensure we have available dates to schedule your session. That being said, there are times we do have last minute openings so definitely check with us even if you have waited until the last possible minute! Fun fact: we once had a maternity client come in at 41 weeks and she went into labor right after we finished up! 

Ruchita and her husband came into the studio for a maternity fitting a couple of days after we spoke on the phone since they booked a session so last minute. I love this time together because it allows us to chat and get to know each other a bit before your session! You will be more comfortable right off the bat having already met me when you're in front of my lens, and it's an opportunity for you to ask me anything as well! 

At the maternity fitting she expressed that was concerned we wouldn't have anything that would fit her well due to her petite size. and bump shape. She brought along a deep purple dress of her own that she was considering wearing during the session. I loved the purple dress on her, and we determined it would be one of her choices. We went through the wardrobe pieces, and she fell in love with one of our dresses that looked beautiful on her and accentuated her bump. It also transitioned well with her purple dress to provide a cohesive look to her final images.

Clients are welcomed and encouraged to use the studio wardrobe but it's definitely not required! We'll walk you through choosing what to wear from your own wardrobe too, with a super easy style guide to follow! Some clients also opt for an email exchange or a quick appointment in the studio to go over what they're thinking of wearing. We're here to make your life easier in as many ways possible! 

While Ruchita was trying on pieces from the wardrobe, I chatted with her husband, Abishek, about what to expect during the session. He was a little wary, admitting that being photographed wasn't really his thing and he was never sure of what he should do, where he should look or what to do with his hands. I reassured him I would take care of everything and give him direction through the entire session and that this wasn't something he needed to worry about at all! I guide couples through sessions together with gentle direction for natural interaction. If your guy isn't big on photos or is worried that he'll make a mess of things; tell him not to stress. I've got you! 

Ruchita didn't want to worry about getting herself ready so she chose to add on our hair and makeup services as well. Our team is amazing and experienced with every skin type and tone, and will create the perfect look that is tailored to you. So if you are more of a "barely wearing makeup" gal or want to glam it up a bit, our team has you covered and will enhance your best features! Most of our sunset clients plan a date night out afterwards to get some more mileage out of their hair and makeup services! 

The day of their session I met them at the studio where they changed into their first outfits, and then headed down to the park location. It was an absolutely beautiful (and a little bit chilly!) November evening. Abishek was a little bit nervous at first, but warmed right up and we had so much fun during out time together! I gave him several prompts for interaction with Ruchita and he took them and ran with it... and it resulted in beautiful images of truly authentic moments between the two of them.  I say it a lot... but I SO love working with my clients to ensure they have an amazing experience with us from start to finish! 

Here are some of my favorite photos from the evening of their maternity session!

If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!

Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and birth photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.

Atlanta Baby Photographer | A Mommy & Me Milestone Session

I have worked with this sweet mama since her maternity session, and love seeing her multiple times per year for sessions! She contacted me to set up a fall family session at the park location with the intention of using the images to document her sons's six month milestone AND have Christmas cards! She also elected to work with Margaret again for add on hair and makeup services.

We booked her session, and sent over our style guide to Jessica.  She (as usual) knocked it out of the park with a gorgeous tulle skirt and lace top. Griffin look spiffy in his outfit from Janie & Jack and sweet little moccs from Freshly Picked. 

The evening of their session, it was the perfect temperature outside. I love fall in Atlanta because it tends to be on the warmer side so nobody is freezing cold during sessions! Of course, this can change, but for the most part fall sessions are pretty comfortable for everyone. Since Griffin wasn't quite sitting up confidently on his own just yet, we started with mommy and me images. Jessica had brought along his baby blanket, and we had him on his belly for a few of those. If your baby can sit up for a few seconds at a time, we have a few tricks to get some images of them sitting up alone as well! If your baby can't sit up at all, no worries! There are so many other things that we can do and you'll have a beautiful and varied gallery regardless. We have many mamas who want a true six month session when their baby is six months old and just as many who want to schedule a milestone session for when their baby is sitting unassisted. It's totally up to you, and either will capture your baby in all their cuteness just as they are at that point in time. 

Enjoy the images from Jessica and Griffin's session! I can't get enough of those suspenders and that bow tie! 

If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!

Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and birth photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.

Atlanta Maternity Photographer | A Park Maternity session with Rachael & Dillon

Rachael contacted the studio after being referred to us by another one of our long term clients. She told us that she'd gotten tons of recommendations, but we stood out the most to her because of our style and use of natural light, and because of our client service. Client service is SO important to us - we want everyone to have an amazing experience from first contact to end delivery, and we work hard to ensure that! 

After viewing our guide, Rachael elected to book a maternity and newborn session with HMUA add ons to both. She drove from Sugar Hill for her maternity fitting, and fell in love with so many dresses she didn't know which she was going to choose! She left our maternity fitting that day with some iPhone photos of her favorites to send to her family for a poll and emailed me later with her final choices. We are always fine with clients taking photos throughout their maternity fittings, but just warn them that iPhone color is crazily inaccurate and will not be truly representative. She settled on a lace gown and an off the shoulder blue dress as well. We chatted about her choices and I sent over the style guide so she could reference it for her husband.

Let's talk about guys for a minute. Maybe you're married to someone who loves to dress it up and wear a three piece suit. Or maybe you're married to a guy like mine who wears jeans and t-shirts. I want your guy to feel comfortable in what he wears, and like himself. So, don't force your guy to wear something that makes him feel goofy. While you're the real star of the show when it comes to maternity sessions, he has a pretty important role too, and your images will reflect if he's feeing uncomfortable with how he's dressed. Dillon is a pretty casual guy, and Rachael loves that about him. He chose to wear jeans and a simple v-neck sweater for some of the images and he looked great in it! We then switched him to a white t-shirt for her other dress since it had a more casual overall feel. 

The evening light was amazing when we arrived at the park location for their maternity session. A lot of couples tell me they love the images on my website of all the other maternity sessions but that they could never photograph like the "other" couples because they don't know what they're doing. Here's a secret: nobody does! It's my job to walk you through your entire session, and I've got you covered! I'll go over three simple "rules" that are easy for your to remember, and I'll take care of placing you in the best positions. No self inflicted double chins allowed on my watch! You may feel a little weird at first being in front of a camera, but I promise you'll walk away afterwards having had a good time. 

Here are a few of my favorites from Rachael & Dillion's session! I can't wait to meet their sweet baby boy when they come in for their newborn session! 

If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!

Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and birth photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.

Atlanta Baby Photographer | Baby John is ONE!

I first met Myra & John when they contacted us last year for a very last minute maternity session in the field. You can view those images by clicking here. Myra called us again to ask if we had availability for an outdoor session for her son's First Birthday session! I absolutely LOVE working with my clients as their little ones grow, and was so excited to meet John and see his parents again. Seeing maternity clients a year later as parents is really something special. Going from seeing them loving a baby they haven't held quite yet to seeing them as parents who made it through that first year ... I can't really describe it, but you can see what I mean by looking at the images. If you're a parent coming up on your child's first birthday, can I just say CONGRATS!? That first year is absolutely amazing and wonderful, and also incredibly challenging too. Sometimes I think the cake should be for mom and dad! ;) Speaking of cake - this First Birthday session doesn't have one! Choosing whether to include a smash cake as part of the session is entirely client preference. 

We sent over our style guide to Myra, and she asked to add on hair and makeup services with Megan again. I came to the studio a bit early to go through what Myra had brought for baby John as options. I loved everything she brought along, and she settled on this adorable white sweater with jeans and white tennis shoes. (In a few of the images, you'll see his sweater popped up to show his little baby belly which I absolutely LOVE) 

We headed down the street to the park location and got started! John wasn't walking on his own just yet, so Myra and John played the "pass the baby" game. You know, the one where your baby decides he wants the other parent to hold him every ten seconds? Yep, that one. Every baby loves to play this game... so if it happens during our time together, don't stress! We'll still get what we need! 

We had such a fun time together, and I switched things up often to keep John's attention. Most one year olds will give us about 30ish minutes for a session, and I keep that in mind going in. Once your baby is done, they're done - and they will let us know! Your job is to have fun with your baby, snuggle with them and each other, and I'll take care of the rest.

To see how much fun we all had, have a look at a few of my favorites! 

If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!

Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and birth photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.

Atlanta Maternity Photographer | A Gardens Maternity session with Erised & Dan

Erised called the studio to ask about booking a maternity, birth, and newborn session a month before her due date. We book up MONTHS in advance for the Birth Session, as most women reserve their session as soon as they find out they are pregnant, so we had to let Erised know that it wasn't an option for her as our wait list was already full as well. 

Erised chose the gardens location for her maternity session, and came to the studio for a maternity fitting. It was so much fun to chat and get to know her during our time together, and she chose two off the shoulder dresses to wear that looked absolutely gorgeous on her. Her husband wasn't able to attend the fitting, so we chatted about what he should wear and sent our style guide to her. Partners are not required to attend the maternity fitting, but many choose to. It's a nice opportunity for him to meet me and chat with me a little. Meeting me beforehand often helps guys have a smoother experience at our actual session since they've already met me and it doesn't take them long to get comfortable! 

The evening of our session, Dan arrived earlier than Erised did and we ended up chatting for about 20 minutes due to Erised being stuck in traffic on her way there from her hair and makeup with our HMUA team member, Megan. When she arrived, she was feeling a little emotional because she hates being late and was worried she had ruined our session time wise. I hugged her and reassured her that while being late isn't the greatest in terms of having enough time, I am a super efficient photographer and we would get what we needed with the time that we had! (Seriously: I am. You have to be when you frequently work with small children who decide they're done after 15 minutes) 

Erised changed into her first dress and we went through the options she had brought for Dan. If you're not familiar - Target has an incredible line for men! It's called Goodfellow & Co. and it's truly amazing for photographs. You cannot go wrong with their line if you're shopping for your guy. They have the best colors and textures and are on trend but in a classic way without being too over the top. 

Once they were both dressed and ready, we got started! The two of them are absolutely in love with each other, and it showed. I loved Dan's care for Erised and how gentle he was with her. I love how they look at each other in their images, and I cannot wait to see them with their new baby boy at their newborn session after he arrives!  

If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!

Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and birth photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.

Atlanta Newborn Photography | Baby Noah

If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!

Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and birth photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.

Atlanta Baby Photographer | A First Birthday Session

Veronica contacted the studio to ask about availability for a First Birthday session for her son, Axel. She told us she had just moved to the Atlanta area, and fell in love with our simple approach that keeps the approach on the baby as that's exactly what she wanted. She also wanted to include big brother in a few images as well. We booked her for a session and sent over our style guide and cake tips. (Yep, we have tips for your cake that help ensure a smooth and successful cake smash!)

Some families want to document their child's First Birthday but want to skip the cake. That's totally fine! These sessions are customized to your preference. We do have to say that there are very few things cuter than a baby covered in icing though... 

When the family arrived at the studio, I could not get over how cute the boys were! Axel had the most adorable little mohawk look going on, and I absolutely loved the outfits that his mom had chosen for him with the help of our style guide. She did such a great job mixing the colors and patterns for a cohesive look and needed no additional help from us. If you're still a little stuck after viewing the guide, please don't hesitate to ask for input! We are MORE than happy to schedule an appointment at the studio for you, or to exchange emails - whatever is easiest for your schedule. 

We started with individual baby portraits and then some of the brothers together. The faces that Axel made are SO funny... they make me smile every time I see them! He is definitely quite the expressive little boy. I also took a couple of big brother alone too, and then we moved on to the cake. Mom changed him into a romper she purchased from Janie & Jack, and it went perfectly with his cake! After his cake was presented to him, he wasted no time at all digging right in. Every baby is different when it comes to how they approach their cake, and that's the beauty of First Birthday Sessions. Your baby's session is unique to them and who they are. The expressions and reactions are absolutely hilarious and such a fun memory to have to look back on when they're older. Parents often tell us their favorite part was being able to be fully present and watch their baby rather than worry about trying to document it. 

Enjoy some of this little guy's First Birthday session images! 

If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!

Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and birth photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.

Atlanta Maternity Photographer | A Family Maternity session at the field

Ashley contacted the studio to ask about scheduling a family maternity session at the field location. She was excited to be expecting baby #3, a girl after two boys! We let her know we had a couple of dates available and then scheduled her maternity fitting appointment at the studio. 

Ashley let us know that she was pretty tall (5'11" to be exact) and that she was concerned we wouldn't have anything that would fit her. I'm a member of the tall girls club at exactly six feet with no shoes, so I TOTALLY understood her worry! I hate when dresses that are supposed to be floor length look like a midi dress on me and when sleeves that should be wrist length barely make it to 3/4 of my arm. Our wardrobe has been personally curated by me and fits a wide variety of heights and weights fitting size 0-14/ some 16. Our most petite female client was 4'10", and our tallest was 6'2". They all found something they loved and that worked well for their shape and tastes. If you prefer to wear your own clothing, that's totally ok! The wardrobe is not by any means a requirement. It's simply there as a perk to you should you wish to use it. We'll send our style guide to you to help with choosing the best clothing from your own closets and provide input should you want some. We love helping our clients look and feel their best in whatever way we can. 

The evening of their session, we met at the field location! Her boys were the cutest, and her husband wasn't really excited about photos. I asked him to give me 15 minutes of his time and then I'd cut him loose. He agreed, and was glad that most of our time together was simply him being a dad and husband. The vast majority of my dad clients don't really love having their photos taken. While I can't promise I'll convert them to loving it, i CAN promise that I'll make it as easy as possible on them. Just with a positive attitude and willingness to have fun, and the rest will take care of itself! 

During our session, it was SO hot outside, but we were fortunate that a breeze swept through a few times. I love movement in images, so I took full advantage of how it was moving Ashley's dress and captured some of my favorite maternity photos that I've ever taken with the wind and a dress. Ashley chose those for her final gallery, so it's safe to say she loved them as well! Here are just a few of my favorite images of this family's session! 

If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!

Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and birth photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.

Atlanta Newborn Photography | Baby Grant

I first worked with Brittany when her first baby was born! You can see big sister Ava's newborn session images by clicking here. I worked with them again for a fall family session when Ava was sitting up at our gardens location, and was thrilled to hear from her to let me know baby #2 was on the way and she wanted to schedule a newborn session for him.

Brittany asked to work with Margaret again for her hair and makeup - she's become such a big fan of our HMUA add on and has used them for all her sessions with us. When you've just had a baby, you're tired and sore, and sacrificing more sleep to try and get yourself ready sounds pretty much like the worst thing ever. Here in our studio, we take that stress away for new moms. I can't tell you how many of our clients have showed up in sweatpants and a comfy shirt. We'll get you settled with a snack, something to drink, and I'll whisk your baby to the newborn room to get started on the session. I want to clarify something that we are asked a lot: adding on HMUA services does NOT add more time to your session. I photograph babies alone regardless, and that's what I'll be doing while you're in the hair and makeup chair! 

Grant was a sleepy little babe, and only needed to nurse once during his session. However you choose to feed your little one - we support that! We have nursing pillows here in the studio for our mamas and our HMUA team are experts at working with new mamas. Your baby directs the show, so if they need to eat, I'll bring them to you to do so. 

I actually love when babies start waking up during their newborn solo portraits. If they're calm and not too hungry, they're usually wide eyed and curious, and make the cutest little expressions. I'm there at the ready to capture as many of those as I can. I love little yawns, stretches, tiny little sneezes, sleepy smiles, and puckered lips. They're just adorable!

As I was finishing up with Grant, Brittany was also ready to go. Daddy and big sister Ava arrived, and we got straight to work. When we have a toddler sibling, we always start right away with some family images and parent images. Depending on your toddler's personality and temperament that day, we'll take some sibling only images. Ava was a great listener and already used to "holding" Grant, so these images were very easy to set up and take in just seconds. We always have mom and dad right there for safety purposes. Sometimes a toddler just isn't feeling their baby sibling, and that's ok! We default to images of them together with a parent holding them. Our studio has a unique marriage of lifestyle and natural posing when it comes to our approach. During family time together in front of my camera you will often hear me ask you NOT to look at the camera. I want you to look at your newest addition, and to encourage your older child(ren) to interact with the baby. These are how we get the most beautiful and authentic images that really show who you are as a family and highlight the love that you all have for one another. It's the beginning of the wildest, and the best, ride of your life! 

If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, or family photographer - CONGRATULATIONS!!!!  I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!

Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and birth photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.

Atlanta Family Photographer | A Mommy & Son session with Lincoln & Gus

I first worked with this mama when I photographed a family session when they were just a family of three. They booked their family session as a birthday gift to their son, Gus - because she wanted him to have documentation of their love for him for the rest of his life. How sweet is that?! You can see their family session images by clicking here. 

When Ana had baby boy #2, she contacted the studio to schedule a mommy and me session. She worked with Margaret again for her HMUA services as she loved working with her so much the first time around. I was so excited to meet their new addition, Lincoln and squealed over how cute he was! He has the sweetest big brown eyes and is such a serious little guy. Big brother Gus is an incredible and loving big brother. I loved seeing how Ana and Gus' relationship had developed since the last time I had seen them too. I think that all of us moms wonder if our oldest child might feel a little less unloved or a little bit neglected when we have our second, but I think it's safe to say Gus is very secure in just how much his mama loves him!

Mommy and me sessions are a lot of fun. It's honestly you just coming in and loving your babies! I'll make sure that you're in the best positions and give you some guided direction for interaction if you need it. Most moms need no help when it comes to snuggling. A lot of moms worry that their children aren't going to sit still or are going to be too wild during a session. They might be running around and rambunctious, but guess what? That's normal! I always remind mamas we only need 1/800th of a second to get an image, and I have so many tricks and little games to play to get those sweet moments even if you have a wild one. I'm a mom of three, so trust me... I get it. My own home is organized chaos and the decibel level is off the charts sometimes. Nothing fazes me. I promise. 

These two guys were FUN to photograph! I ended up holding baby Lincoln on a hip while photographing just Ana and Gus together. I think it's so important for mamas of multiple children to have individual images with each of their babies, as well as together. While I love to photograph just siblings together, Lincoln wasn't quite stable enough to sit alone, and Gus wasn't quite big enough to hold him alone so we settled with Ana holding them while they interacted.

All final galleries are delivered in both color and black and white to my clients so they have both versions. I absolutely adored the images from this session in black and white and am choosing to share only black and white images below. Enjoy looking through a few of my favorites!

If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, baby or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!

Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and birth photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.

Atlanta Family Photographer | Melanie & her girls

I've known Melanie for a long time - we have daughters (our middle ones) born in the same month and year! I first met her before she was even married, and photographed a family session for them long before they had their third child. I was so excited when she contacted me asking to schedule a mommy and me session in the studio for herself and her girls.

Melanie wasn't sure of what to wear and expressed some concern about that. We sent her our studio style guide which is a short and sweet document that helps you pull together a cohesive look for your family. Don't think that you're limited to neutrals! We see plenty of color in our studio and on location sessions - the style guide covers the best palettes and mixing and matching colors/patterns too. If you're still a bit stuck after looking through the guide, or want to come to the studio for a style consultation - that's what we're here for! We have tons of mamas come to the studio to either borrow from the wardrobe or bring an armful of clothes for their family session. We'll sort through everything together and talk through it, and you'll leave fully confident in your choice. I'm a mom of three, so I know how busy life is with little ones! If you simply cannot get to the studio, we can chat via email instead with snapped phone photos of what you're considering. However you choose to enlist our help, we'll make it as easy and stress free for you as we possibly can!  

Melanie is seriously one of the kindest people I have the pleasure of knowing, and is such a loving and warm mother. Her older daughters are a bit on the shy side with new people. I work with a lot of children who are shy or have severe separation anxiety! Please let us know in advance of your session if you think this might be an issue, and we'll talk through some ways to make it a bit easier for your child. Their comfort and security is my utmost priority, and I have so many workarounds for every situation that pops up. These gals warmed up quickly to me and we had lots of fun together!

When a mom has multiple children, I always photograph groups and individuals. Each of your children deserve to have a photo of themselves with their mama to have forever. Sometimes one child might not be feeling it for a group photo, and that's perfectly fine! I also love to grab a few of just your little ones. Our flow is determined by our little subjects. With patience and positivity, we'll get everyone participating and having a great time. 

We played a few silly and goofy games to get the girls laughing and having fun. I always tell people not to judge me for whatever I have to do to get kids engaged and laughing. There have been instances of dancing, very off-key singing, jumping up and down, and making really weird noises that a baby finds hilarious for some unknown reason. Whatever it takes! 

At the very end of our time together, we piled the girls up in a chair together. I just love the dynamic of these three sisters... and the progression of the images. Baby sister was ALL DONE with the snuggles and let us all know! 

I can't wait to see these little ladies in the studio again for their second visit with Santa this year! 

If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!

Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and birth photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.

Atlanta Baby Photographer | A Mommy & Me session with Jessica and Theo

I first met Theo at his newborn session which you can view by clicking here.  He came into the studio at just a month old for our Santa event! I was excited to see him again at his six month milestone for a mommy and me session in the studio! 

His mama had her makeup done by our lead HMUA, Margaret. Add on hair and makeup services are available for sessions - just ask when you inquire! We have such an amazing team of the best in Atlanta who are incredibly experienced with every skin type and tone. They are true experts at enhancing your best features while keeping it true to who you are. They'll look at any ideas or inspiration you have for your look and tweak them to work best for your unique face. I truly can't recommend them enough! Fact about me: I don't wear makeup (I don't own any at the moment!) and I always tap one of the members of my team for their services when I have a special event or am being photographed myself. 

Not every six month old is sitting unassisted! Babies grow and develop at their own pace. When it comes to the six month milestone, it's really parent preference as to when they want their baby photographed. Some want it during their sixth month, some want it the exact date they're six months, and others prefer to wait until they're sitting alone - which can be between 6-9 months depending on the individual baby. There is no "right" or "wrong" time - your baby will be adorable regardless of when you choose to schedule their session! When babies aren't sitting up alone yet, we use mom's arms! This little guy had some of the biggest eyes I've ever seen and was SO cute and serious. I did get a few smiles out of him throughout our session. 

When you receive your final images, you have a complimentary black and white version of each image as well. I like both - but I'm always a fan of black and white to really make those details and emotional connection pop. 

If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!

Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and birth photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.

Atlanta Newborn Photograper | Baby Troi

Toya contacted us to book a maternity and newborn session with us. Unfortunately, baby Troi had other plans and decided to enter the world at 26 weeks. We stayed in constant touch with Toya throughout her extended NICU stay to get updates on Troi and how she was doing, and this sweet little fighter came home after a couple of months!

Toya let us know that she was being released, and we scheduled her newborn session to take place a few days afterwards. When moms who have booked a maternity session have their baby before their scheduled session, we transfer any funds already paid to a newborn session. Losing money should be the least of a preemie mom's concerns after going through one of the most emotionally difficult situations a parent can experience! 

Toya brought Troi in for her newborn session, and oh my! She was such a tiny and dainty little thing, and the sweetest. Troi also had a very independent personality and let me know when she didn't like being moved. She was such a deep sleeper once she settled and we flew through the newborn portion of her session.

Toya chose a simple dress from our studio wardrobe that she loved. Her husband, Troy (any guesses who baby Troi was named after?!) arrived during his lunch break and we completed the family and parent portion very quickly. I loved working with this sweet family!

Here are a few images from this amazing little fighter's newborn session! 

If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, baby or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!

Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and birth photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.

Atlanta Family Photographer | A fun mommy and me session with grandmas!

Oh baby Leo, you are the cutest!

I first met Melissa when she scheduled maternity and newborn sessions while pregnant with Leo! She chose the park location for her maternity session, which you can see by clicking here and came in again for Leos' newborn session (click here). I photographed Leo again when he came in for our annual Santa event and was thrilled to have them come in again for a special mommy and grandma session! 

Melissa followed our style guide recommendations and everyone was dressed so perfectly! I love the adorable romper she chose for Leo, and this session was honestly SUCH a blast. Leo was quite the wiggle worm, as are most nine month olds! I keep their interest by switching things up constantly and engaging them at their level. If your baby is shy, we'll meet them where they're at and quietly interact with them to draw our their personality. If your baby is rough and tumble and loves it loud, we'll amp it up a bit! Babies and kids run the show here at Lily Sophia Photography, and we love every second of it! 

If you're looking for a gift for your mom and/or mother-in-law that they will appreciate so much, this is definitely one of the best options out there! You're also giving your child an incredible gift as well - the memory of how much their grandmother(s) loved them and that special relationship between them. We've even had some grandmas book sessions for themselves and their grandchildren! You can call us to talk through the different options that will work best for your family.

Enjoy a whole lot of love and snuggles in the images below! 

If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, baby or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!

Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and birth photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.

Atlanta Family Photographer | Baby Jovette, three months (and cousin!)

Senhit called the studio to ask if we could fit her in for a  combined milestone and family session including a visiting cousin in a few images. We said, "Sure!" and fit them in for Friday morning that same week. Your chances of getting in for a week of session are usually much higher if you can make a weekday work. Weekend dates tend to be filled months in advance (but not always, so definitely check!). 

When the family arrived at the studio, we started with just the cousins. There's just a three month difference! They only get to see each other a couple of times a year at most since Canada is pretty far from Atlanta! 

Once we finished up with the cousins we took a few images of each baby alone and then moved on to just Jovette and her parents. She was such a smiley and happy three month old and lots of fun to photography. As most three month olds tend to do, she became sleepy and I asked her mom to hold her until she fell completely asleep which only took a few minutes. I really love capturing a few images of older babies sleeping whenever possible. 

Three month old/100 Day sessions are some of my favorites to capture! Be aware that your baby won't be as strong as a six month old, so images of them sitting alone are not possible. Parents will need to participate by holding their baby so we can have a wide variety of images in your gallery! Three month olds make so many adorable expressions and we'll also have them lay on their backs and tummy for some as well if they're up for it and can hold their heads up well. 

Here are a few of my favorites! 

If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, baby or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!

Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and birth photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.

Atlanta Newborn Photographer | Baby Cedar

Lauren called the studio to find out if we had availability for her son who had already arrived. She had thought newborn photos weren't something she wanted, but as she watched her baby change each day she knew that she wanted to preserve all the tiny newborn details as much as she could. Cedar was quite the chunker, so we suggested coming in right away. Each baby is different, but generally speaking: the larger your baby is, the sooner we want to schedule your session. As babies grow they become less curly, and bigger babies usually tend to become less flexible more quickly. One thing that bigger babies do have going for them is that they usually always sleep like rocks! Cedar definitely lived up to that during his time with me!

Lauren and her husband arrived at the studio and I set to work with photographing Cedar alone for solo images. I photograph with neutral colors so that nothing distracts from your baby and all their precious little features. Your baby won't be competing with props or bright colors while they're here. Because Cedar was such a deep sleeper, we moved through his newborn portion pretty quickly. He woke up towards the end and I handed him to his mom to nurse. Babies are fed as needed while you are here. Our sessions are laid back and relaxed, so if you need to feed your baby four times during the course of your time here, or if your baby likes to eat very slowly - please know that this is perfectly okay! Your baby's comfort is our top priority, and that's what we will work around. 

Once Cedar finished eating, we moved into the parent and family portion. Lauren and her husband chose to wear more casual clothing from home and followed our newborn session prep guide when making their selections. While the newborn only session can take a while and is more "complicated" in terms of getting baby wrapped and positioned just right, the parent and family part is a breeze. I'll walk you through the whole thing and give you some simple "rules" to follow and the rest flows easily, I promise!

Here are a few of my favorites! 

If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, baby or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!

Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and birth photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.