Family Portraits in Austin and Santa Fe: Change is Here to Stay

Good news! Family photos are different than they used to be. Having a family portrait taken doesn't have to look exactly the same as it did last year and the year before. (Or the same as your neighbors' for that matter). And why should it? You and your family aren't the same as you were years ago.  I believe family portraits should be artful documentations with playful interactions that are truly personal and unique to each family. Every family is different, so when I am asked to create a portrait my approach always varies. I was asked to photograph this couple with their one-year-old baby and their yellow labrador retriever  in a way that really documented their casual and loving spirit as a family. As I do with each of my clients, I spent some time with mom to find out more about what it was she and her husband were looking for with their session. She told me that their son had just recently celebrated his first birthday and they were looking to capture a portrait of him with the rest of the family. They wanted creative images of their son at this special stage in his life. I especially loved the baby's reactiveness to his mom and and dad as they played and the look of admiration his parents' eyes. The baby's curiosity of his dad's guitar sparked some playful images and I was pleased to stick around to capture  "bath time" memories.

I was grateful to be able to photograph this family in a relaxed manner that allowed them to be themselves; to forget what a family portrait was supposed to look like and to embrace a more meaningful and authentic series of images they could hold onto for a lifetime.

Norah Levine is an Austin children portrait photographer and pet photographer. She photographs in homes and on location. She also travels to Santa Fe, New Mexico frequently for sessions. Please view her website for more details www.norahlevinephotography.com

1 Year Old Portraits by Norah Levine in Austin and Santa Fe

When I receive an inquiry about creating 1 year old portraits I'm always excited... This is certainly a fun age to photograph, as little girls and boys are just starting to express their own personalities. I love their actions and reactions, their giggles and uninhibited exclamations of emotion. With this fresh, young energy there are also challenges with photographing 1 year olds. I'd say the single most difficult aspect is that they are usually incredibly mobile and never seem to hold still! This makes for a very active session for both myself and the parents. The session I'm sharing today was especially fun. The parents were such kind people and really wanted me to capture their daughter's beautiful personality in her 1 year portraits. We started indoors in her room and then moved the session outdoors for a more natural setting. I spent a lot of time in the crouched position for this session! This "little wonder" had a tremendous sense of curiosity. I just LOVE her big brown eyes and expression.

Sometimes I play more of an active participation in creating portraits, while at other times I play the role of observer. It is this change in perspective that allows me to present a variety of images to the parents. In some of the images from this session I wanted to show how tiny this little girl was in comparison to her parents. I enjoyed capturing images of this family walking hand in hand with their shadows extending before them- two long shadows and one short!  I am so glad they had me capture this special time in their lives as their little girl is growing so quickly!

Norah Levine is an Austin children portrait photographer and pet photographer. She photographs in homes and on location. She also travels to Santa Fe, New Mexico frequently for sessions. Please view her website for more details www.norahlevinephotography.com

Feels fresh like a newborn baby, Austin, Texas.

I'm pleased to present Nicolette, a delicate newborn baby here in Austin,  just 18 days old in these photographs. Looking at these images puts me right back to the moment I captured them. Tiny figures, tiny toes, wispy eyelashes and the fresh scent of a baby just gives me goose bumps. Photographing Nicolette was such a pure joy.  Just 18 days old! Normally I recommend photographing newborns no older than 10 days, but circumstances didn't allow for that to happen with Nicolette. The reason for photographing newborns earlier than 10 days is that they are able to fall into a very deep sleep, allowing me to photograph them and pose them without waking them. In the very first days, babies still have a strong tendency to curl their legs in, which is really sweet for photographs. Like all the photographing I love to do, patience is a key element to success and I was very pleased with the way the results of the session. It is an honor to be able to work with families during this exciting time in their lives. We had to wait for the baby to fall deep enough asleep for me to be able to photograph her. This took some time, but eventually she fell into in a deep slumber and allowed me to work with her in a few adorable poses. Nicolette's mother had purchased some precious newborn hats that she wanted her new little girl to wear for her session. (Etsy.com) For this session I used studio lighting equipment, which I set up in their home as mom was finishing the baby's feeding. Sometimes I use natural light, but for this session I chose studio lighting as my tool.  I photographed Nicolette in her home. It was convenient and comforting for the parents to not have to worry about packing up the baby and bringing her to a studio. We spent time in the comfort of their home amongst all of the things they needed for the baby and I think this was of tremendous value to the parents.

There is something extremely peaceful about photographing newborns. Sure, there are not so peaceful moments– like when the baby is unsettled, or when they have an accident (hey-that's par for the course and it doesn't bother me at ALL!) As a photographer, a peaceful demeanor is a must in this situation especially, despite the possible hic-ups. In order to soothe the baby I have to be calm and have a relaxed energy. The more calm I am, the more the baby can feel that energy during these session. And since the mother is always associated with food, it usually works best if I handle the baby for the posing as mom watches from a short distance as she keeps an eye on her new baby. It is important to me that everyone is comfortable, safe, and happy during these sessions. Nicolette's parents are delighted to have these high quality images to artfully treasure this important stage in their baby's life.

Thank you, Erin and Kyle for allowing me to create and share these images of  your amazing baby girl. Here's to an incredible first year!

Norah Levine is an Austin children portrait photographer and pet photographer. She photographs in homes and on location. She also travels to Santa Fe, New Mexico frequently for sessions. Please view her website for more details www.norahlevinephotography.com