NEWBORN: A New Addition

Technically this family has more than an addition under construction, they have a whole house under construction in a great spot in Venice, CA which they designed as they are both architects. But in this case, when I say addition, I am referring to the adorable little girl they just welcomed into the world.


This shoot was super fun, not only because I had had the pleasure of previously photographing this lovely family for their maternity and holiday shoot and so we already knew each other...but also because they wanted to shoot on the construction site of their new home. It's not everyday you get to shoot using beaten up ladders and wheel barrows as your props for a newborn shoot! The results are great and really managed to capture the wonderful changes going on in this family's life.

I hope you enjoy these. I certainly enjoyed taking them!

NEWBORN: Quiet Alert

Ever wonder what it might be like to have Harry Potter's invisibility blanket? I have.

At a recent newborn shoot in Pacific Palisades I had the opportunity to be a fly on the wall. Everyone was so comfortable that I just melted away into the background giving me the wonderful opportunity to capture intimate moments in this family's new found joy. I couldn't be more grateful for the opportunity to be a part of that moment, with this lovely family.


And, while I think babies are often at their most angelic whilst asleep, this little boy wonder was in that wonderful quiet alert state for much of the shoot. I hope you enjoy these.



I love this last image because father and son are spitting images of each other, down to the expression and furrowed brow!

NEWBORN: Butterfly Kisses

It's wonderful to welcome in the New Year with a new life in the form of a baby. Fortunately I can do this vicariously by photographing precious newborn babies.

This gorgeous baby girl was born just a few weeks ago down in Orange County, but she already seemed to have settled into a comfortable routine with her adoring parents and as a result was in a very good mood for the photo shoot.


This is a credit to her parents, who though new parents, are handling the chaos of their new arrival with the attitude of experienced pros.


I think this last one would be great for a baby announcement card as she's all smiles.

NEWBORN - New Year Special

I love the arrival of the new year it is full of possibility. It is strange how this ritual of changing years makes you feel like everything can be better/different, when really it's just another day with a new calendar... But for those families welcoming a new baby into their lives, the new year has even greater meaning.

So, for all those babies born over the holidays, THOMPSON and SPRING photography has a great special for you. For a limited time we will be offering 3 complimentary custom wallet Accordion Brag Books with every classic newborn photo session booked. These Accordion Books slip easily into mom's purse or dad's jacket, and are also great for grandparents. Valued at $60 each, this is a total savings of $180. Offer expires February 1, 2010.


Mention "New Year Baby" and even if your baby isn’t due for a few weeks, book now and take advantage of this special offer. Or, if you have a friend who just gave birth, pass this on.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!

NEWBORN: Welcome Little Man

Most babies arrive in the world with little desire to do more than sleep, but at a recent photo newborn shoot in Westwood, this days old little boy just wanted to engage with the world. He was so alert, both a good thing and a bad thing when it comes to photos, since the lack of limb control while alert can be a little challenging.


Perhaps he was so alert because he stayed in mama's belly a week longer than most, and so just couldn't wait to see what this big world was all about.

But at the end of the day it's the parents' tenderness and love of these early days that always makes me melt. The focus at a newborn shoot is always the baby, but it's the parents' emotion that is magical when captured.

NEWBORN: Naked Love

For this recent newborn shoot I've decided to show you a few of my favorite shots that have a more dramatic fine art look to them.

The newborn baby was gorgeous and her room was stunning, but I took her out of context a bit more, because you can get real beauty from the unexpected. The gardener had just cut down a tree in the front yard of their lovely Pasadena home. When I saw the stack of logs I couldn't resist. Not all parents are open to such unusual settings, but in this case they were and the image below, just one of the many from that series shows that it's worth experimenting.

The following images are a bit more traditional, but suggest a more pensive, introspective mood that I love.

Newborn Girl: Fit for a Princess

Not all babies have even tempers, especially when rudely awakened from their nap. However, I recently had the pleasure of photographing a lovely little two month old baby, not quite a newborn, but very close. I was snapping away at her while she was sleeping and as I got closer her nap was disturbed. Rather than start to cry and wonder why her slumber was so rudely interrupted, she calmly acknowledged me and proceeded to comply with numerous wardrobe changes without the slightest complaint. The wardrobe changes are mostly due to the fact that since she is an adorable little girl and has already acquired little outfits fit for a princess.

Don't you just love the Cinderella shoes? These are just a few of my favorites.



I was inspired by the bonnet, so went for a more old fashioned look.

PRODUCT: ANNOUNCEMENT CARDS

You may have noticed I haven't been blogging as frequently lately. I've been working on the back office stuff and while not as fun as the creative aspect is still a must to take care of. Just a warning my blog posts will continue to be irregular as I'm also working on a redesigned website. Everyone loves the look of the current website, but I want to make it more functional for clients by adding a shopping cart to the proofing gallery.

I've also been looking into different products that people have expressed an interest in and am starting by offering birth announcement cards that are stylish and modern. So for now here's a sampling of designs I am offering.

Would love to know what you think of the designs.

AN ANGEL IS BORN

I feel so lucky when I meet a couple during their maternity shoot and then get to meet their little bundle of joy later on. It's great on many levels, for one there's already a certain level of comfort between the parents and me, which is especially valuable when you are working with a newborn and new parents, and the other reason is that I feel this allows us to come full circle from anticipation, to bliss.

This couple welcomed their little one a few weeks early, but luckily for the little guy he was 100% healthy and didn't need to be in an incubator. What's more amazing to me is that this little baby looks like an angel. Not all babies are cute from the start, most have to fill out a little to get that cute rounded cheek thing going, but this was not the case for this little one, who was simply born gorgeous!


I also had the pleasure of meeting the proud grandfather who dropped in for a visit on his way back to the East Coast. I'm glad I was able to snap a few pics with him as well, as it is great to see the love and pride across generations.



Meet the newest angel to grace our planet.

EXPECTING A SEPTEMBER OR OCTOBER BABY?

As summer approaches I remember that just a couple of years ago, I was pregnant at this time and getting myself ready for my son's arrival. So, in celebration of my son's Fall birth, THOMPSON and SPRING photography is offering a maternity special for mothers expecting this Fall.

Book your maternity photo session now with THOMPSON and SPRING Photography and receive a FREE newborn session and 20 wallet sized newborn photos (same pose), perfect for announcement cards. A $300 value.

Hopefully this special will help you remember the good parts of being pregnant during the summer.

Maternity Session must be booked for June, July or August 2009. Newborn session should be booked within 1 month of your child's arrival to really capture that newborn look. Offer valid until June 30, 2009. To book, click here.