Birthday Cake Smash Celebration Darius

Birthday Cake Smash Celebration

Dariuscake smash celebration

What better way to celebrate a halloween baby’s first birthday than a halloween themed birthday cake smash celebration! Darius has some serious hair and he had a ton of fun with his birthday photo shoot. He obviously adores his big brother Frankie and the feeling is clearly mutual. Frankie was helpful and sweet with his little brother and he was just as excited to see him smash his cake as Mom and Dad! Can you even stand the cuteness factor???

A birthday cake smash moves pretty quickly and Darius LOVED the little monster cake that The Sweet Spot in New Milford made for him.

cake smash celebration
The bath part is a favorite of almost all the cake smashers and Darius pretty much looked like he could have splashed in the bubbles all day long.  I was so happy to have captured his personality and those big brown eyes for his first birthday. He was barely standing on his own when we did the cake smash but by the time I delivered the wall art and book his Mom chose he was RUNNING! I am so relieved that we did the shoot when we did – new runners can be a challenge and a work out!

cake smash celebration

CT Family Photos – Alex and Abby in Harrybrooke Park

CT Family Photos

Alex and Abby in Harrybrooke Park

Abby turned one last month so we got together to celebrate! We started at the house so that Oreo could be part of the action (there’s a saying about kids and dogs but I can’t quite remember how it goes…..) Oreo was a super star and we got what we needed there in no time at all.

CT Family Photos

We headed over to Harrybrooke Park, New Milford’s beautiful hidden gem and we took the wagon for a walk. There are so many studies done on birth order and sibling personality traits that I am sure you can find scientific date to back up almost any theory. Let’s just say that Alex and Abby are pretty close in age and big brother Alex is social and extremely verbal for his age. Abby was as mellow as could be and clearly loved EVERYTHING her big brother did and said. And he has a lot to say!

It is always tricky to know what is going to work for a photo session with such little children. The wagon was a hit and kept Abby in one place and Alex busy taking his sister for a ride. Sunglasses were cute props to wear and to hold and snacking on pirates booty wasn’t too messy (and the pirates booty smiles cracked me up!) Remember if you bring a toy, snack, cup or prop then there is a chance that it will end up in every picture. Pick a small traditional toy or something fun to hold, keys distract for a few minutes but don’t really add to the end result. We played music and sang songs but if your child likes to hold the phone and dance then be prepared to see that phone in the photographs!

Are you thinking about CT Family photos? This is the busy season so call soon for availability!

Family Photographer CT – Cake Smash Milestone

Cake Smash Milestone

Family Photographer Connecticut

Greta was scheduled for her first birthday cake smash with big sister Aine along to help out. Hands down one of the best aspects of my job is getting to know some incredible families. I feel honored to be the photographer that Ian and Kate have chosen to photograph their children’s first milestones. I love seeing how they grow and change and catching up on all the family adventures.

So, the family arrived with another fabulous Sweet Spot cake and we got down to business. A couple of cute outfits (Kate loves Hanna Andersson so I can usually look forward to something adorable!) Aine has been working on her British accent with some Peppa Pig so we got the music playing and let the girls dance a bit while we set up for the cake. I LOVE it when the birthday star gets stuck in to the cake! Greta was delicate at first but she ended up being covered in frosting. And sprinkles. Lots of sprinkles! Aine sat in to help with some frosting so we finally got them in the same frame 😉

Family Photographer Connecticut Family Photographer Connecticut
Like most one year olds Greta doesn’t exactly sit still for long and this is when I love to bring out the tub. Bubbles and warm water and most babies stay still long enough for me to get some close up portraits and capture the fun of the bath tub. That’s when I get the giggle images too – can you see Greta’s tooth? How cute is that!!!!

Family Photographer Connecticut Family Photographer Connecticut

If you are wondering when you should book a portrait session you can follow the milestone plan, schedule around a family event or reunion or just pick a time that works for your family. My summer shooting schedule is reduced to spend time with my family but contact me to schedule your family session. Believe me, time flies – I will have two in high school this year!!!

CT Family Photography sitting portraits

CT Family Photography

Finley – 6 months

 

Finley came to visit the new studio for 6 month sitting portraits with her big brother Nolin. They were frequent flyers at my home studio but this was his first visit to Bank Street. He was so excited to see his portrait on the wall in my office and kept checking on it while he was here.

You read time and time again about how family portraits boost the self esteem of children. It gives them an identity, confirms their place in the family and makes them feel like they belong.

“Displaying photos prominently in the home sends the message that our family and those in it are important to one another, and we honor the memories we have experienced,“ says Cathy Lander-Goldberg, a licensed clinical social worker and a professional photographer in St. Louis, Missouri and the director of Photo Explorations, which offers workshops to girls and women using portrait and journaling for self-reflection.

I guess Nolin feels like he belongs to the Planet Photo family too – he was thrilled to see his portrait on my wall and brought me over to “meet” him and Finley in the wall portrait multiple times during his visit! I think Finley is going to find that her big brother will be looking out for her, there is pride in his voice and a twinkle in his eye when he says her name.

So here they are now. Six months brings lots of changes in both a baby and a two year old. Nolin is chatting up a storm and Finley was part of the group!

 

I would love to welcome your family to the Planet Photo Family.

Specializing in CT Family Photography – Seniors, Teens and The First Year.

Milestone portrait photography 6 month sitting session

Milestone Portrait Photography

Greta is 6 months

I have said it before but you can hear it again…. I love the 6 month session. No stranger danger, curiosity for days, sitting up and so proud but not crawling away just yet. Six months is a portrait photographer’s dream come true. When Greta arrived in her Hannah Anderson outfit she did not disappoint – she is adorable!

Big sister Aine was on hand to catch some bubbles and entertain her baby sister, siblings ALWAYS get the babies to laugh. I don’t usually recommend a sibling to participate in the whole first birthday celebration they can distract the baby from enjoying the cake, and of course they want to get in on the action, but siblings are ALWAYS welcome for part of each milestone session.

 

Call now to book your milestone portrait photography session in the studio on Bank Street, New Milford CT or on location in Fairfield County, Litchfield County.

See you soon!

 

 

Happy 1st Birthday – CT Birthday Photographer – Planet Photo

Happy 1st Birthday Olympia! CT Birthday Photographer Planet Photo

I was beyond excited to have Oly for her 1st birthday celebration. Her mom ordered a beautiful pink ombre cake from The Sweet Spot in New Milford – I always recommend them because their cakes are amazing and they are incredibly good value. They have done so many cake smash cakes that they know what works and they make the perfect size cake. Best of all though, their cakes taste fabulous!

Oly fell asleep on the ride over here but she woke up with a smile and was incredibly good natured from the get go. She is the only girl in her family so it was pink and girly all the way – perfect!!!

I love how the images came out – let me know what you think of beautiful (and very expressive) Olympia on her first birthday.

Love, Janet xoCT Birthday Photographer

I couldn’t pick a favorite so I put together a collection of images to show the stages of the cake smash session.

We usually start with some portraits in a favorite outfit; then move on to the cake smash (messy play) and we end up with a bubble bath. All the stages are fun and relaxed and we keep things moving to keep them interested. Oly loved her cake but not all babies do and that’s ok! Almost all of them love the bath and it keeps them in one spot so I can get some close ups of their face. Isn’t she the cutest???

 

 

6 months old! CT Baby Photographer – Planet Photo

Aine is 6 months old! CT Baby Photographer

I love it when I get to see a newborn client for the 6 month sitting session. Aine was an adorable newborn baby so I was excited to see her, Mom and Grammy again.ct baby photographer

Six months really is a wonderful time in the development of the baby, Aine was sitting securely so we didn’t have to worry too much about bruised heads. She has no concept of stranger danger yet and was as happy as a clam to play on the rug and smile at us all! She is starting to really respond to people around her and was imitating noises (raspberry noises of course!) and she was trying really hard to coordinate clapping her hands.  She is comfortable rolling over and getting into a plank position so we caught her just in time before the crawling starts. Photo sessions with a crawler are a workout for everyone!!!!

I promised a sneak peek but I couldn’t decide between these two….. I hear that Aine has an Aunt who will be crazy about the tutu!

Love, Janet xo

CT baby photographer

Regular check ups with a pediatrician include checking on your baby’s development and hitting milestones. They are all different though and some babies skip the crawling stage completely!

Newborn Session – A baby boy!

baby_boy_little_brother_family_0007Newborn Session – A baby boy!

Welcome baby Noah. It was such a pleasure to meet this beautiful little guy and see just how much his big sisters adore having him as part of their family. I have had the pleasure of photographing Noah’s big sisters over the last couple of years and it is so wonderful to see them all together. It was great to hang out with Kelly and Mike again…… and of course I am already looking forward to the next time!

Newborn Session - A baby boy!baby boy

A proud big sister

I love that Cora is wearing the same dress that big sister Ella wore at our Lighthouse Point shoot last year!

Newborn Session - A baby boy!Newborn Session - A baby boy!Newborn Session - A baby boy!

Family Studio Photographer – Sitting Session

Family Studio Photographer – Sitting Milestone Session for this beautiful baby girl

Check out those incredible big blue eyes….

Family Photographer sitting sessionFamily Photographer sitting sessionFamily Photographer sitting sessionThere is something so incredibly cute and special about the sitting stage. You feel as if you can see the baby in a whole different way – they hold their head up high and their personality can shine in a totally new way!

This was a very special little girl with a twinkle in her eye.  I offer the sitting session as an individual shoot or as part of the Milestone Package:

MILESTONES PACKAGE

Choose up to 3 sessions from the following momentous baby milestones. The perfect gift for a new family.

Choose the package that best suits your needs for each milestone session. When the three sessions are complete I will design a 10×10 lay flat press printed book with your favorite images from each session as my first birthday gift to your family.

Maternity | Newborn | Smiling | Sitting |Cake Smash

The approximate recommended ages for each are:

Around 7-8 months pregnant | Under 12 days | 3 months | 6 months | 12-14 months

 

New Milford Photographer – Brody!

New Milford Photographer – Brody Sitting Session!

Brody is a mellow dude, so of course we had fun taking some shots of him sitting and playing in the studio. His big sister Avery was on hand to help out and we had a little assisted walk around outside because it was such a beautiful day. He is mobile in a big way now, so next time won’t be quite as easy! Avery and my daughter Olivia have been friends since Kindergarden and they are already planning Brody’s 1st birthday celebration shoot. I am sure they have a pinterest board in the making with brain storming ideas for cakes and decorations so stay tuned for images of that!

Brody was around 7 months when we did this session and he was about 10 days old when I did newborn photos of him. I think it is clear that it is the same child but isn’t that blond hair amazing now – what a cutie! Next time you see Amber then check out an image she has of Avery at around the same age …….. twins!!!

If you are thinking of doing a milestone package then you still have the flexibility to choose a good time for your child – they are all very different! The sitting but not crawling phase can be oh so very short for some, but it does provide some great opportunities for portraits. My son Sam was content to sit for months (as long as we passed him toys and generally kept him entertained). Olivia on the other hand was in a rush to get to the next phase – she seemed to sit still for a day or two and then moved on to crawling!

These stages are so fleeting and it is so important to capture them all while you can.

We love you Brodster!

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