Could Mikaela Be the Most Beautiful Girl in the World?// Pittsburgh Senior Photographer

It has felt beyond incredible to be back in the studio these past few weeks with all of you and your babies. And, no matter how big your babies get, they will ALWAYS be your babies. With that being said, here is the second of two of my pre-COVID session, post-COVID-induced-blur blogs!

I don’t get to photograph “big kids” very often anymore, but when I do, it’s a special treat. I started my career only photographing teens and adults. Believe it or not, I had never even really photographed a child until about 5-6 years ago. So, when I get to photograph someone older, it kind of feels like visiting your hometown after you’ve moved away to a different city.

Mikaela is an incredible young dancer. She came to me to create some images for her that highlighted her dance abilities, but with that fashionable twist I put on things, so that they could help her segue into modeling. I love working with dancers, because they have incredible flexibility and awareness of their bodies, and I love to work with that and mold it into more editorial poses that highlight that without being “dance pictures.” We spent a magical few hours in the studio listening to some of Mikaela’s faves like Prince and Ariana Grande. (Definitely a fun little reprieve from Baby Shark. Hahaha.) I am so proud of what we created and how wonderfully Mikaela posed and slayed it.

To top everything off, Mikaela was just recently signed MMG-NY! So, you know what that means…

***SNAPS FOR MIKAELA!!!***

Three words to describe the session: Simple, Fun, Stylized

(All of my portrait clients choose three words from a list of how they'd like to describe their finished images. You can click on any of the three words at the bottom of this post by the little tag icon to see past sessions that chose the same word. You can also see how different combinations of words lead to the creation of different images.)

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Monochromatic Magic // Pittsburgh Children's Photographer

Wooooo, boy. 2020. What a year, guys!

This is my first blog post in the green phase (…a sentence that wouldn’t have made any sense to me a year ago). Like a lot of you, I went through a bunch of stages throughout lockdown and the following months. There was the “drinking wine in my pajamas and doing jigsaw puzzles all day” phase. That was followed by the phase where I felt helpless and disconnected, so I did everything I could to be a helper to others and to reach out to people with love and support. Then, there was the phase that I’m still in: the “girrrrl, get your butt in gear” phase. No more wine day-sipping (sad face). No more pajamas all day (double sad face). After losing months of time, I am so excited to be back to doing what I love, even if it means putting on real clothing. Haha. Right before the pandemic hit us hard and we shut everything down, I had two sessions that I love love loved. Unfortunately, they were directly followed by the wine/pajamas/puzzle blur, so I never got around to blogging them. Now that I’m back in the studio and creating a ton of images that I’m excited to start sharing soon, I wanted to be sure to give these sessions their due.

We had such a fun day at the studio with Luca, Michael, and Alessia creating this series of images. Mom’s personal style skews more towards modern/streetwear and she was looking for some simple, classic black and white images to display in her home. That combination made my heart sing when I heard it. I decided to photograph the session on a black background and use some moody lighting to help elevate things and pump up the drama. For the first look, I chose a more casual, streetwear-centered wardrobe, while we got a bit fancy with the second. (I always like to have that variety and range in wardrobe for a session. A lot of times, our first intuition for a portrait session is that we want to get dressed up for the special day ahead. While that photographs beautifully and will make for adorable images, it can take us by surprise just how much we also love and end up gravitating towards images that are photographed in casual looks.) We mixed up the posing with some hard and soft (I’m a sucker for a “serious face” group portrait) and included some sweet poses to better show their adorable bonds as siblings.

I was so SO impressed with just how well these three kiddos took direction. Luca instantly understood everything I asked of him and nailed every pose. Alessia is so young and precious, but listened like a little adult and did amazingly. I was most blown away by Michael - what a ham! A lot of the time, the fellas won’t be as “into” the portrait session as the ladies, but Michael couldn’t get enough. HE directed ME and had multiple important wardrobe pieces that he wanted to be sure he was photographed wearing.

This one left me craving more black and white sessions. If you want some beautiful black and white portraits of your babes on your wall, please get in touch!

Three words to describe the session: Simple, Classic, Stylized

(All of my portrait clients choose three words from a list of how they'd like to describe their finished images. You can click on any of the three words at the bottom of this post by the little tag icon to see past sessions that chose the same word. You can also see how different combinations of words lead to the creation of different images.)

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Q&A with K&M // Pittsburgh Children's Photographer

These are such strange, uncertain times. Like you probably have been, I’ve been adjusting to my “new normal” and doing a great deal of reflection (as well as a great deal of spring cleaning and snacking!). While there have been some novel up-sides, like basically never putting on real pants, there is mostly just an eerie sense of absence and a nostalgia for the not-distant-at-all past. I miss photography. I miss the kids and families that I work with. I miss hugs and high-fives and Jojo Siwa dance parties at the studio. I am doing my best to stay connected with everyone. That sense of connection despite physical distance is what will maintain our sense of humanity and community. If you’d like to join my little community, we have a VIP Facebook Group. I’ve been posting games and other activities and just generally keeping in touch that way. We’d love to have you join us!

One of the things that The Great Pause has given me the time to do is catch up on my blogging. When people look back at whatever my legacy may be, they are never gonna say, “She was always so on top of her blogging!” Profuse apologies for that! ;)

After talking with their mama, I was so excited to meet and photograph Kaiton, almost 3 years old at the time, and his baby brother Milan, 5 months old, for so many reasons. First off, look at these two - how gorgeous are these boys?! I love getting to photograph kiddos with warm complexions like this, and I decided to use a white backdrop for the session so that all of that beautiful melanin would really shine and pop. Kaiton is such a genuinely sweet-natured, gentle child. He will absolutely talk your ear off, but it’ll be in such a quiet tone that you need to listen closely so that you don’t miss any of his important questions; he’s incredibly inquisitive and perceptive and mature for his age, and they ARE important questions. Milan is the smiliest little dude. I don’t often photograph babies as young as he was, so I was admittedly a bit nervous. (As much of a wildcard as kids can be in the studio, babies are even more so.) Boy, did I feel silly afterwards, because Milan was so happy and effervescent and patient with us. One of the things that I love most about this family is their commitment to encouraging and celebrating their kids’ authentic selves. We all know that’s my number one goal and reason for doing what I do, and hearing mama speak on the subject was heartwarming and took all of my words right out of my mouth. I seriously cannot wait to photograph these two again, if for no other reason than to have the opportunity to sit in their living room for a bit and let Kaiton further educate me on lawnmowers and vacuum cleaners and other devices of the noisy variety that pique his interest.

Three words to describe the session: Bold, Colorful, Fun

(All of my portrait clients choose three words from a list of how they'd like to describe their finished images. You can click on any of the three words at the bottom of this post by the little tag icon to see past sessions that chose the same word. You can also see how different combinations of words leads to the creation of different images.)

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Marco's Like a Rainbow // Pittsburgh Children's Photographer

Working with Baby Marco and his mama was such a wonderful, special experience. Mama has a chic bohemian style and a great artistic sensibility, and is a self-described “big fan of the rainbow.” Marco loves bold colors and is fascinated by the movement of light and shadows. I wanted to combine all of these things in a way that would honor both of them, while also creating unique wall art for their (perfectly) eclectic home decor. I always deeply appreciate when my clients trust my vision, particularly when I am doing something more outside of the box. For most of the session, I used colored lighting to create a lovely rainbow of shadows that kept Marco engaged and photographed beautifully. I toned the images to appear a bit on the warmer/vintage side in keeping with a more bohemian feel. Marco was a joy to photograph - pleasant and smiling the entire time and popping into these tiny poses that looked as if he was actually modeling, posing, and aware that these images will be around for posterity in the future, so he had better ham it up. (His reclined pose in the second to last image in this blog absolutely kills me.) Can’t wait to watch this tiny one grow and work with this family again in the future!

Three words to describe the session: Artistic, Colorful, Natural

(All of my portrait clients choose three words from a list of how they'd like to describe their finished images. You can click on any of the three words at the bottom of this post by the little tag icon to see past sessions that chose the same word. You can also see how different combinations of words leads to the creation of different images.)

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Annie Belongs Among the Wildflowers // Pittsburgh Children's Photographer

I was lucky enough to meet 3 1/2-year old Annie’s mama almost a year ago and have been hoping to photograph this gorgeous little one ever since. Courtesy of Annie placing in this past year’s #POSE4PICKET contest, I finally got my opportunity to do so!

Annie is such a multidimensional child. She is sweet and shy and can be more of a “quiet observer,” as mama described her. But, when she warms up and becomes comfortable - watch out! This high-spirited babe lights up and becomes a playful, vivacious chatterbox who wants to tell you all about her doggie, Hank, and her favorite episodes of PJ Masks. I really wanted to capture this duality in her portraits. Children like Annie are exactly why I love to do in-home consultations prior to portrait sessions and meet the children ahead of time. That way, by the time I’m actually photographing them in the studio, they know me and are more comfortable with me and we can create images that are more authentic and relaxed.

Mama has a great bohemian, eclectic style, especially in her home decor and there are gorgeous pops of fuchsia all around. For this reason, I decided that Annie’s session would have a vibrant fuchsia background to tie into the existing color schemes and pop beautifully as wall art in her home. I styled the wardrobe in neutrals, mustard, and light denim. I loved that the patterning on the mustard dress was leafy and so organic. And, y’all… when I saw that amazing layered frilly top, I audibly gasped in excitement.

Annie loves the song “Wildflowers” by Tom Petty, and I hope that she eternally stays so sweet and free-spirited and forever belongs among the wildflowers.

Three words to describe the session: Natural, Artistic, Fun

(All of my portrait clients choose three words from a list of how they'd like to describe their finished images. You can click on any of the three words at the bottom of this post by the little tag icon to see past sessions that chose the same word. You can also see how different combinations of words leads to the creation of different images.)

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#BrotherlyLove // Pittsburgh Children's Photographer

Oh my goodness, y’all. This year’s busy season is getting the best of me like never before! To say I’ve been burning the candle at both ends is a bit of an understatement, and I’m paying for it right now - I came down with the worst chest/throat cold the other day and have been sidelined ever since. The silver lining in this cloud of congestion is that I’ve finally been forced to focus on the stuff that I’ve been slacking on while I’ve been running around everywhere, including BLOGGING. Holy cow, this one is overdue!

Before I get into talking about this adorable session, I want to mention that in the midst of my busy season (just because I apparently like to make things more difficult for myself), I’ve been preparing to finally publicly share the series that I’ve been pouring blood, sweat, and tears into for the past year. (As have all of the amazing folks involved with its creation.) If all goes according to plan, especially if I’m still stuck in my house, I should be posting it all on Monday. EEK. I’m equal parts excited and nervous and just SO ready to put it out there. Stay tuned!

These handsome, little fellas found their way to me via my auction donation to Women Who Rock, an amazing annual charity concert and event that benefits Magee-Women’s Research Institute. I swear, I meet the most wonderful families through my charitable donations. Enter Milan, 3 1/2 years old, and Miko, 2 1/2 years old, the most high-energy, hysterical, coolest little dudes. These brothers looove super heroes and action. During their consultation in their home, they got to show off their best Kung-Fu Panda impersonations, leaping around while karate kicking and chopping. I knew that these guys needed a really vibrant, fun, bright session to best capture their personalities. Milan and Miko’s family were in the process of redecorating their home when we met, with a plan to incorporate mustard-colored accents. I proposed that we photograph the session on a yellow backdrop. I could shift it in post-production to be more “mustard” and tie into everything and it would be a great color for a high-energy vibe. As a result, we created a stunning image collage for their entryway, with a gorgeous canvas gallery wrap of the image of the brothers sweetly hugging right in the center.

It’s always fun to see how the kids’ personalities transform once they’re on the set in the studio. Milan was a natural, posing like he had modeled a thousand other times before, while still interjecting with the occasional super silly 3 1/2-year old funny face. Miko softened in this really incredible, sweet way and I managed to capture his tiny, tender spirit. When they were together on set, though - that was party time. They just had such a blast together, which was heartwarming to be privy to. To top it off, Mom is also a female entrepreneur who owns her own salon, and as a result, these boys had the most FABULOUSLY-styled hair. I’m so excited to work with this family again next year and to watch these #brothers grow up!

Three words to describe the session: Modern, Artistic, Fun

(All of my portrait clients choose three words from a list of how they'd like to describe their finished images. You can click on any of the three words at the bottom of this post by the little tag icon to see past sessions that chose the same word. You can also see how different combinations of words leads to the creation of different images.)

Maggie is 100% Adorable // Pittsburgh Children's Photographer

I love donating portrait packages to auctions that benefit charities and other good causes. For the past several years, this has included an annual donation to Gemini Children’s Theater’s Royal Ball, which supports their ability to provide performing arts opportunities to children and their families in Pittsburgh. Fostering children’s passions and arts education is SO important. I’ve loved the art of photography ever since I was teeny tiny, and I’m so fortunate that I was surrounded with the support and resources to follow that passion.

This year, my tiny client via this auction win was (newly) 2-year old Magnolia, or Maggie for short. Maggie’s mom was just about to have a younger sibling (how exciting!), so this portrait session was this cutie’s last hurrah as an only child and a fun, special day for her to remember. Because of this, I decided that we would photograph the session on a bright pink background, her favorite color. Maggie is utterly full of personality, impish and upbeat, but simultaneously sweet and gentle. She also likes some pretty rad music, such as Lizzo, Brandi Carlile, and Paul Simon. Coming from a family that loves and plays music, Maggie also enjoys playing all of the various musical instruments in her house.

I have SO enjoyed getting to know this lovely family, and I can’t wait to watch Miss Maggie grow up. A couple of days after I delivered their prints, Mom delivered a healthy, beautiful baby girl. So, a HUGE “congratulations” to all of them, including Maggie, who is going to be a fabulous big sister!

Three words to describe the session: Cute, Simple, Fun

(All of my portrait clients choose three words from a list of how they'd like to describe their finished images. You can click on any of the three words at the bottom of this post by the little tag icon to see past sessions that chose the same word. You can also see how different combinations of words leads to the creation of different images.)

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Georgia's Heart Will Go On // Pittsburgh Children's Photographer

I have been so very excited to share this session. Beautiful, little Georgia has been my studio ambassador for the last year and half, and it has been a highlight of my career thus far getting to know her and her family and watching this tiny one grow. She was always a bit of a ham in front of the camera. (You can check out her first session with me when she was only 1 1/2 years old - already living her best life on set.) In the past couple of years, she has grown from this chubby-cheeked, adorable, silly baby to a truly stunning little girl, full of personality, character, and poise (but, still, totally silly!).

Since Georgia has started dancing at Studio 19, she’s become so adept at pointing her toes and posing in this statuesque, graceful manner that photographs like a ~* dream *~. So, of course, there are many images that highlight that. But, she’s also still so little, and that youthful joy and innocence spills out in bursts of giggles and energetic hair flips that scream, “Lexi, click the shutter now, now, now!” Georgia also loves to do this somewhat interpretive form of dance where she enters a trance-like state and feels the music on this incredibly deep level for a 3-year old. Her current jam for this is “My Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion. The two images below where she has her eyes closed in her frilly pink dress were created by my just going along for the ride, as it were, as she dramatically performed her little heart out to the song.

I know that every time I photograph Georgia, I’m in for a fun day and for the creation of some gorgeous imagery.
I’m SO proud to have her as a POSE PGH Studio Ambassador.

Georgia also completely embodies just why I do what I do and my approach to photographing children. This child absolutely lights up once you get on her on the set. She’s only 3 years old, but she relishes in her “model moment,” and that has been my experience time and time again on this journey. If the portrait session is framed as their special day, a day of pampering catered to them, and the environment is relaxed and light and fun, children actually l-o-v-e it and you can create some gorgeous imagery beyond the old, stale “sit still and say cheese” stuff. Also, even being so young, she has developed such a strong, individual personality. She is, undoubtedly, her own (little) person. When a client books a portrait session with me, I really strive to get to know the children ahead of time so that I’m capturing their essence. That’s all that a photograph really is, after all: a frozen moment in time. As parents, there are so many moments and things about your babies that you wish you could freeze and hold onto forever: that look they give you when they’re feeling mischievous, the way they smile like their dad (but with a missing front tooth), that silly dance they love to do. That’s what I want to capture. In the Instagram era where it seems like everyone is trying to put things into these perfectly-composed square boxes, we need to remember the perfection in the tiny, imperfect moments. That’s what you really want to remember. That’s what you will remember. I hope that my images can capture as much of it as possible for you to look back on fondly years and years from now.

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Shortly after our session together, Georgia was officially signed to the Docherty Model and Talent Agency!

***SNAPS FOR GEORGIA!***

That's What Friends Are For // Pittsburgh Children's Photographer

Right now, we are smack dab in the middle of the #POSE4PICKET contest - the biggest giveaway that I host all year. It’s always so incredibly adorable and fun, and another wonderful opportunity to partner up with The Picket Fence, the best boutique in Pittsburgh.

If you like contests and giveaways, however, you will LOVE the POSE PGH VIP Facebook Group. I host smaller ones regularly in there where I give away prizes ranging from gift cards to mini-sessions. I swear, I have the most wonderful people in that group, and I love that it gives me the opportunity to get to know you better outside of the studio, too.

A few months ago, I held a VIP Group “Share the Love” Giveaway where two moms who were friends both won their own mini-sessions at the studio for their kiddos. They got to all come in and experience it and spend a lovely afternoon at the studio together. All of the girls are dancers at the same studio and it was really special to see the way that they encouraged one another throughout the sessions.

I wanted to photograph the sessions on a new bright red backdrop that I had just ordered, so I styled the kids in light denim and white to keep things editorial, but youthful and colorful. I also opted to light everything with a good bit of contrast in order to give the images some punch and make the vibrant colors really shine. The first set of siblings I photographed were Amelia and Nathan. Amelia has the most gorgeous blue eyes and disposition and Nathan was just a natural in front of the camera and so wonderful to spend time with. Their interactions when they were posed together were adorable - so easygoing and supportive. Next up were Sydney and Morgan, who wore the perfect twirly dresses for some fun dance images. Morgan is effervescent and sweet and Sydney is so gentle and kind. I wanted to capture that beautiful sisterly bond between them, so I photographed them in softer poses together. While our primary goal was to create some beautiful memories and wall art for their homes, we also made sure to photograph a winning head shot for each of the girls to use in the upcoming dance season.

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#POSE4PICKET only happens once a year - so, please join the VIP Facebook Group! I might never have met these two amazing families without it, and I can’t wait to meet you someday, too!

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True Blue // Pittsburgh Family Photographer

This session was for another wonderful family that came my way courtesy of a charitable auction donation. I truly treasure the ability to give back to the city that has given me so much however I can, and donating my services to charity through auction packages is a fabulous way to do so and to meet so many new, fabulous people.

Little Annie, 3 1/2 years old at the time of our session, was a bundle of energy and cuteness. She picked out her favorite green princess dress to wear for her images, and danced and twirled the time away. Annie has gorgeous blue eyes, and I love that I was able to capture her literal “wide-eyed innocence” in her solo portrait. Baby Charlotte had the most adorable little smile, and you could really see the beautiful bond between the sisters during our time spent together. Charlotte definitely admired Annie and wanted to keep up with her, while Annie clearly adored Charlotte and was a loving big sister, holding her hand, guiding her, and snuggling her tightly. Mom and Dad mentioned potentially stepping in for a family image, and you knoooow my thoughts on this: DO IT! So, we created a lovely family image, as well.

As per usual, I aimed to match the family’s decor. Their family room is filled with darker blue tones and off-white. In order to create images that would still pop a little bit on their walls, I photographed the session with more contrasty, bright lighting and a white backdrop, but pulled everything back in post-production to be warmer and softer. When choosing the wardrobe, particularly for their group image, I chose tones of blue and gray, with a color pop of dusty pink for the baby. I love the harmony of how the colors all mingle so nicely.

Three words to describe the session: Simple, Classic, Sweet

(All of my portrait clients choose three words from a list of how they'd like to describe their finished images. You can click on any of the three words at the bottom of this post by the little tag icon to see past sessions that chose the same word. You can also see how different combinations of words leads to the creation of different images.)

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Simon Says, "Pose!" // Pittsburgh Children's Photographer

I soooo love working with the Arias family. They are so hardworking, inspirational, and gorgeous, and I love that I’ve been able to photograph their babes several times recently. After focusing on Princess Sienna last session, we wanted to shoot some beginner modeling images for Baby Simon this go-around. He is just the happiest, smiliest, most easy to photograph little nugget and we had such a fun, adorable day together. I still photographed the session in a very editorial style, which I don’t often get to do with the bitty babes, but it was a breeze with Simon, and I was so amazed with how well he gave me eye contact throughout the session. And, those eyes, man… the cutest! We were also able to create a few canvas gallery wraps for display in the family’s home, so that Simon could join his older sister in adorning the walls. Now, when you enter, you’re greeted by that tiny 4.5 toothed-smile as a 16x24 canvas, which is delightful.

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At the end of the session, we brought in Sienna for a few images. I was so overjoyed that I’d get to photograph her again - she absolutely lights up on camera. She needed some head shots that would help her win the pageants she’d been entering, as she kept coming soooo close and just narrowly missing the top spot. I’m elated to hear that the head shots we created together have been just what she needed and that she’s been routinely getting the highest photo score, winning “most photogenic,” and snagging first place in her recent pageants. (Sienna is a talented, little rockstar, but if you want your little one to do well in a pageant, you neeeed the right head shot. Sound like just what you need? Let’s chat!)

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I am also so ecstatic that, with some help from my images, Sienna has been signed to Click Models.
If you’ve got a gorgeous kiddo and lotsa hustle, we can make a great team.

***SNAPS FOR SIENNA!!!***

Orange You Glad? // Pittsburgh Family Photographer

I looove donating portrait packages to various charitable auctions around the city! Not only does it help raise money for a myriad of amazing causes, but it enables me to meet and photograph wonderful families that I might not otherwise have had the opportunity to meet. This family came to me courtesy of my donation to The Imani Gala, an annual fundraiser held on behalf of Imani Christian Academy. You can read more about it here.

The main goal of our portrait session was to capture a few adorable images for baby Abigail’s first birthday. We decided to also create some images of the whole family together, as well as some of just the kiddos, including Sebastian, 4 1/2-years old, and Marcella, 2 1/2-years old. Dad also really wanted to capture a solo image with the babe, and it ended up being one of my favorites from the day. Right before taking a “smiley” image, Dad kissed her on the cheek as I hurriedly snapped away. It was such a beautiful little unplanned moment, and went hand-in-hand with Mom wanting a more natural feel to the session.

The decor in their home is mostly earth-toned with some gorgeous pops of color here and there. To match this, I opted to photograph the session on an off-white backdrop, but I still wanted to have some pops of color, as well. Mom delivered me my dream “color pop” when she showed me Abigail’s birthday dress for her party: a beautiful, vibrant orange number with lovely detailing. When choosing the rest of the family’s wardrobe for the session, we pulled colors from that detailing to tie everything together. Mom knew that she had a stunning green dress to coordinate with the green accents, and we outfitted the rest of the crew in tones of navy and white. I think that Sebastian’s green shoelaces were my favorite subtle detail.

I’m SO pleased with how these images turned out, and loved every minute spent with this family.

Three words to describe the session: Colorful, Natural, Sweet

(All of my portrait clients choose three words from a list of how they'd like to describe their finished images. You can click on any of the three words at the bottom of this post by the little tag icon to see past sessions that chose the same word. You can also see how different combinations of words leads to the creation of different images.)

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Sienna, The Little(st) Princess // Pittsburgh Children's Photographer

“Now presenting: Contestant Sienna Capri!”

This was my introduction to newly 3-year old Sienna, as she strutted through her living room, serving us her best pageant walk and smile. Accolades? She already has those in spades: pageant titles (Natural Elite PA Tiny Miss, Mars PA Wee Toddler Miss, East Coast USA Toddler Supreme Queen, + more!), brand repping for several fashion brands, being published in magazines, and a large, ever-growing Instagram following. Mom is one of the most adept, savvy mom-agers that I’ve had the pleasure of working with, and I am so impressed by the accomplishments, drive, and hustle of this entire family.

Sienna is simply adorable and a born performer. Between wanting to practice her pageant entrance and showing off the new tumbling exercise she had learned in class that day, she gave me a dissertation on her favorite Disney princesses and what makes each one of her dolls unique. Sienna’s favorite color is pink, and being that she is one of the most outgoing children that I’ve worked with to date, I decided to photograph the session on the most vibrant, hot pink backdrop possible. On top of this, the family’s living room decor is all neutral tones, and I knew that the pink would make for some gorgeous, statement piece wall art in the sunny space. We ended up creating a beautiful display of three 24x36 canvas gallery wraps that were almost life-size to little Sienna. Additionally, we assembled her first real comp card for her to use at various castings, as she is just beginning to dip her tiny toes into the world of modeling and acting, as well.

I love how these images turned out and how much of Sienna’s personality + sass I was able to capture. She really lights up in front of the camera, and I can’t wait to see this teeny diva grow up and continue to shine.

Three words to describe the session: Cute, Modern, Pretty

(All of my portrait clients choose three words from a list of how they'd like to describe their finished images. You can click on any of the three words at the bottom of this post by the little tag icon to see past sessions that chose the same word. You can also see how different combinations of words leads to the creation of different images.)

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This is what Sienna’s finished comp cards looked like. I think that the hot pink will really make a statement about who this little one is at castings.

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These are some quick snapshots I took at Sienna’s home when I was delivering her print order. These canvas gallery wraps are SO impressive, and I’m really excited to see them all hung up on the wall. (I think that Sienna is excited, as well. ;) )

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UPDATE!: They’re hung and look ahhhmazing!!!

Montana, Ooh Na-Na // Pittsburgh Children's Photographer

While I am super appreciative of all of my clients for choosing me to be the one they trust to photograph their beautiful babies, it is always incredibly flattering when someone from out of state finds me and makes the trek to the studio. So, imagine just how surprised and humbled I was when I received an inquiry all the way from Montana! 

These little girls could not get any more stunningly gorgeous. Emma, 9 years old, and Esabelle, 6 years old, are talented dancers who especially love to tap. Eden, 3 years old, looks up to her big sisters and loves to twirl and dance and pose around the house. We, of course, needed to include the baby of the family, Jette, 1 year old, for a lovely group portrait that ended up printed on a large canvas as the perfect gift for Dad. These girly girls were incredibly sweet: an adorable mix of shy, bubbly, poised, silly... I could go on and on. We wanted these images to be both personal heirlooms for the family and images that could serve as portfolio images/head shots for talent work. With this in mind, combined with Mom's personal style being more on the chic, classic side, I decided to shoot this in a really clean way, reminiscent of a late 90s designer denim advertisement. (I wardrobed them in shades of denim and white to stick with this vibe.) I knew that with their porcelain skin and light blonde hair, they'd just POP so gorgeously on a black backdrop, and I desaturated the images a good bit in post to make them look even more angelic and dewy. I really hope that I get to work with these girls again if they're ever back in the city - this session was just so dreamy and this family is so lovely!

Hair and makeup by Tori Bivins.

Three words to describe the session: Modern, Stylized, Sophisticated

(All of my portrait clients choose three words from a list of how they'd like to describe their finished images. You can click on any of the three words at the bottom of this post by the little tag icon to see past sessions that chose the same word. You can also see how different combinations of words leads to the creation of different images.)

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Morgan is the Sweetest! // Pittsburgh Children's Photographer

The old nursery rhyme that girls are made of "sugar, spice, and everything nice" was most definitely written about Morgan. This little one holds such a special place in our hearts after her session. She is so genuinely sweet and effervescent and we loved spending time with her!

Morgan is your average little girl in many ways: she loves singing, dancing, and princesses. And, don't get her started on Sidney Crosby! However, Morgan is unique and special in many, many more. She has an incredibly creative imagination and warm, pure soul. (She told Miss Lisa and I that we were her new girlfriends and that we would all go on a friend date to Target together soon - I just might hold her to that!) Morgan is also an incredibly strong girl. She was born with developmental delays and overcame everything to become a charming, independent, gorgeous young lady. She even has a yearly lemonade stand to help raise money for The Early Learning Institute and give back - what a HUGE heart this kiddo has!

I wanted Morgan's images to be very soft and pretty, creating a "princess vibe" through wardrobe, color palette, and retouching without being overly literal. I wanted her to feel and to look like a million bucks, and a fan blowing that lovely long, blonde hair around was the perfect addition. As you can see from the images, we had a day full of laughter and smiles, and looking at them takes me right back. I didn't realize when I selected that cupcake shirt from her wardrobe that it would be quite so fitting to her personality and the day we had together. Morgan is, undoubtedly, the sweetest.

Three words to describe the session: Cute, Whimsical, Pretty

(All of my portrait clients choose three words from a list of how they'd like to describe their finished images. You can click on any of the three words at the bottom of this post by the little tag icon to see past sessions that chose the same word. You can also see how different combinations of words leads to the creation of different images.)

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Georgia on My Mind // Pittsburgh Children's Photographer

While we have tons of fun during every session, I will say that this one, in particular, was such a blast! Georgia, 1 1/2 years old, is this tiny bundle of joy and exuberance, with beyond infectious laughter, adorably chubby cheeks, and dazzling blue eyes. She's a real character and she had us all cracking up for almost the full hour that we spent together.

Georgia's mama loves crossfit and takes Georgia with her. As a result, Georgia loves to work out just like Mommy, often alongside her, mimicking the different exercises. She has her own miniaturized workout equipment and can do squats and planks like a pro!

I decided to photograph the session on a white backdrop, use more contrasty lighting, and style Georgia in super vibrant clothing to emphasize the bright colors and let her personality shine. Once I saw the mini-workout equipment in their home, I knew that we HAD TO use that, and styled her a "workout outfit" with poppy neons to match. One of the outfits that I pulled had some intentional 90s flair to it. (I really can't help myself, guys. There's usually at least one every session.) When she was on set, it was as if she knew, and she popped into this corresponding pose that just screams "Whasssssup, boyyyeeeee?!"

We had the images printed on metallic photographic paper, including one that was used in an acrylic block portrait, and it was STUNNING. If your session is on the more vibrant side, metallic + acrylic is definitely the way to go!

I love every one of these images so dearly, and I can't wait to watch this little one grow!

Three words to describe the session: Cute, Fun, Natural

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La "Bella" Vita with Arabella + Kai // Pittsburgh Children's Photographer

I love, love, LOVED photographing these two vivacious little ones.

Arabella (Bella, for short), 6 years old, is an amazing big sister to her baby brother, Kai, who was around 7 months old when we photographed their session. Bella enjoys participating in pageants, fashion, and all things girly. She is incredibly sweet and extremely talkative and inquisitive. I so enjoyed just chatting with her for a bit during our in-home consultation and checking out her Monster High doll collection. Kai had recently begun crawling, and there was no stopping those wheels now that they were in motion - he was a little speed racer. Kai is also quite possibly the smiliest baby that I've ever met, and there was constantly so much joyful expressiveness in that little face + sparkly eyes.

I chose to photograph the session on off-white to match the family's wall colors, while selecting wardrobe that would make the kiddos really pop in contrast. I also made sure to include a beautiful white fur coat that Mom had worn as a little girl and passed down to Bella - I adore when we can incorporate a garment with sentimental meaning in the wardrobe, and it perfectly matched the sophisticated, wintery vibe we were aiming for. That photo of Bella is probably my favorite from this session. She looks like an old Hollywood starlet, ready for her closeup.

Three words to describe the session: Modern, Artistic, Sophisticated

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Red, White , and Blue with Sam + Claudia // Pittsburgh Children's Photographer

I want to start this one off by saying that I hope you all had the most wonderful holiday, whether that was Hannukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Solstice, Festivus - whatever. I hope that it was fabulous and that you got to spend some quality time with your loved ones eating way too much food! I have unfortunately been pretty sick for the past few weeks and fell behind on a bunch, including my blogging, so I'll be playing catch-up a bit. I felt this session was the perfect one to share heading into the New Year - pretty lights, shimmery party outfits, and joyful, little giggles!

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I was totally overwhelmed by just how adorable Sam, 2 1/2, and Claudia, 1, were when I first met them at their gorgeous home. Respectively post- and pre-nap, they were personable, curious, and a joy to be around. I knew that we would have a wonderful session together.

In their questionnaire, Mom told me that creativity was "welcomed and encouraged," which is totally music to a photographer's ears! I decided to take this opportunity to play around with some more creative lighting for a portion of the session, incorporating some vibrant colors (for vibrant kiddos!) and playing around with motion blur. In order to also keep the session simple + sophisticated, I photographed the kids in classic white tee/denim outfits on the black backdrop for a sleek, editorial feel. We kept blue as the thematically dominant color throughout in order to match the gray/blue color scheme of the family's home and unify the three different sets of the session. Lastly, we got to incorporate the blankets that the babes sleep with - their most cherished, fuzzy possessions! (Whenever possible, I jump at photographing little ones with their favorite stuffed animals + loveys. Those images tend to hold such sentimental value with time.) Keep your eyes peeled for the first image, where Sam is making the most hilarious "model face." It cracks me up every time that I see it.

We had the super colorful images from the first set printed on metallic photo paper as wall art for their home and HOLYYY COW, I loved them SO much! The colors absolutely jumped and danced off of the paper. I'll be sure to share a look at these on social media soon - I just had to print a few samples for myself from this session, too!

Three words to describe the session: Simple, Artistic, Sophisticated

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Little + Big Things with Meera + Arjun // Pittsburgh Children's Photographer

One of my favorite parts about what I do is really getting to know the families and the kiddos that I work with. I think that it's essential in creating custom portraiture that's expressive of someone's true self (even if that someone is only two years old). Each little one's personality is so different, and when given the opportunity to shine through in their images, you can really create some magic.

This was my second time having the privilege of working with this family. The first time, we photographed a modeling Comp Card/mini-portfolio for 6-year old Arjun (more on that later in this blog!). This time, though, it was his 2-year old little sister Meera's turn. And turn, and turn, and turn she did! Meera just could not stop her tiny, happy feet during her session. You can see her adorably dizzying dance on the second slide of the Instagram post below.

A post shared by Children's Portrait Studio (@posepgh) on Jul 18, 2017 at 8:57am PDT

For Meera's session, we decided to keep things pretty consistent with the session we had recently photographed for her brother - same background color and lighting. This gave their family the opportunity to display all of the images together in their home. We also had Arjun join near the end so that we could photograph some lovely portraits of them together. While Meera is an all-around joy of a kiddo to be around, my favorite thing about her was the mischievous, little twinkle that she got in her eye before she was ready to really ramp up the spinning and dancing, again. So happy that I managed to capture a few images with that sparkle!

Meera also just had a birthday a few days ago, and is now the big THREE.
Everyone be sure to wish her the happiest of years ahead!

Three words to describe the session: Artistic, Fun, Natural

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Now that I've talked about some adorable, little things, I'm SO excited to share the great, big things that have been happening, as well! Arjun has had some excellent opportunities since our session together and I'm super excited for this fella. In the same month, he was featured in Fashion Kids' Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful Issue AND chosen by Child Model Magazine as their FACE of the Day. Holy cow, Arjun! This merits many, many snaps.

**SNAPS FOR ARJUN!**

It's all about FACE! Winner receives $500 and invitation to shoot for our magazine, for feature in an upcoming issue! Enter your photo at childmodelmagazine.com​ FACE of the Day Arjun Arya Photography | Lexi Shapiro . . . #childmodelmagazine #childmodel #kidmodel #modelstatus #faceoftheday #photocontest #winner

A post shared by Child Model Magazine (@childmodelmagofficial) on Jul 19, 2017 at 1:12pm PDT

A Match Made in Pittsburgh: The Picket Fence + POSE PGH Loyalty Program // Pittsburgh Children's Photographer

We are SO excited to announce our brand new collaboration!

Starting today, visit The Picket Fence in Shadyside to pick up your loyalty card. For every $50 you spend at the best children + women's boutique in Pittsburgh, you'll earn a punch. Fill your card and you can redeem it at POSE PGH for a complimentary Basic Portrait Session in the studio for your children.

Check out The Picket Fence's website HERE to browse their selection.
Then, stop in to snag your card and start earning punches:
The Picket Fence
5425 Walnut Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15232

You can also learn more about the POSE PGH Basic Portrait Session HERE. 

Happy shopping!