Nashville Newborn Photographer | The Smith Family welcomes baby #2

I just loved spending a fall morning with The Smith family, capturing them in their new life with baby #2, a boy. They have enjoyed their time with a newborn and their 4 year old, being out on their land with their chickens, in their kitchen drinking coffee together... life together raising a 4 year old sweet girl who just became a big sister - who loves to read and put on makeup and be with her parents and baby brother. This time with littles is so fleeting (and exhausting!) and I love being able to give my sweet families their memories of this time that can go by in a blur. If you want your family captured, I would LOVE to chat!  

Nashville Newborn Photographer | The DeClue Family

Getting to enter a family's life and see them just a few weeks into their parenting journey, is such a fun experience. I love seeing them head over heels in love with this new human, a few weeks into their new lives, being entirely new people really, because having a baby changes you a million times over. I love thinking ahead to how she won't be this tiny for long. How they will grow into their parenthood. How as a couple they are going to change and grow together, raising a little girl. I love thinking about how soon she will sit up, then crawl, and one day walk. How in a few short weeks, the babbling and teething will come and she will say her first word. and how amazing it will all be for these two parents. If you want me to come capture your life with your new baby or as a family, please reach out to me here, I would LOVE to chat!

Nashville, Tennessee Newborn Photographer | The Guarienti Family

I truly believe, 100%, God selects my clients. He picks them out so beautifully.Brooke contacted me in August about a maternity and newborn session at her home and land northwest of Nashville. We captured her maternity session back in September on a beautiful summer day. I truly fell in love with this sweet family. Meeting them, they are so down to earth, loving, and kind. Truly trying their hardest to raise amazing boys (and succeeding!). Their older son is OBSESSED with baby brother, a truly good sign of good parenting (don't worry, you can be good parents and have an older son who isn't a fan like I did 🤣)We spent a morning just hanging out with together, chatting about all things newborn, politics, family, nursing and so on. It really is just a chill time of hanging out together. I don't force a tight schedule or rush the session, just go with the flow, stay as long as I need to. Let the toddler run the show 🤣🤣🤣If you would like maternity and or newborn photos, please reach out to me! I would love to connect.

Nashville, TN Pregnancy Announcement Video + Photos | Sarah + Tyson

Imagine finding out, unexpectedly, 9-10 months after you said "I do" that you were expecting your first baby. 🥹 Sarah and Tyson had the best surprise and announced it on their one year wedding anniversary. Even though it was a surprise, it was one they are excited to experience. We had so much fun capturing this sweet little announcement and wedding anniversary video for this special couple. If you are wanting a pregnancy announcement video, please contact me here! I would LOVE to chat! 

Nashville Newborn Photographer | The Morrison Family

Those days after you have your second baby... so much joy, your heart is SO full because you have TWO babies and you cannot believe it. But, it honestly comes with some heartache, that most people don't warn you about. The feeling of wondering if your older child feels loved still, how they are coping with bringing another baby into the home. It's really hard on a mama.I loved how this family loves so deeply. They love being together and sharing kisses and hugs and books. They are just so devoted to being together and loving one another well. I just absolutely enjoyed spending time with them, capturing these early years in their long journey of parenthood to come.If you have followed my work for some time, you know Im not super into posing. The only sessions with some light posing, are newborn sessions. And even then, I let as much organic emotion come through as possible. I try to take any candid photos that might come naturally as well.If you would like a newborn session, please reach out to me and let's talk! 

Nashville Newborn Photographer | The Morrison Family

What I loved and appreciated about this family was that they had such a deepened gratitude for having a baby, for becoming parents. It was quite like their biggest dreams in life had come true. They are already the most intentional parents, loving their sweet baby girl fully. Embracing life as parents together, as a team, a unit. Their new baby girl is the piece that bonds them now. I absolutely adore their film and photos and how it all came together.

If you would like to have a family video and photos done after you have your baby, please let's chat! 

The Morrison Family | January 2024 from Jennie Pyfferoen on Vimeo.

What age should newborn photos be taken? | Nashville Newborn Photographer

When is the best age to take newborn photos?

TL;DR Any age is a good age for relaxed, natural newborn photos.

You have a newborn for all of 7 weeks. So when is this 7 week period, is a good time to take newborn photos?

It varies by style, for sure. If you want the posed newborn photos (I used to pose newborns for many years), you'll definitely need to do them within 10 days of birth. After about 5-6 years of posing newborns and then discovering my true inner self within documentary photography and videography, I now prefer the style of in-home relaxed newborn photos. I want to tell the story of what your baby preferred or did not prefer during their newborn stage.

Maybe they always had their hand up by their face. Or they make a scrunchy face often during the day. With offering newborn videography, I can also capture their little noises or coos. In-home newborn photography allows for baby to lead the session. We are able to capture any nursing photos (if you want), as well as how dad naturally interacts with your newborn baby!

There are many advantages to waiting until the baby is closer to 4-6 weeks old, especially if clients are hiring my to do videography. In the earlier weeks, baby won't interact with mom and dad much. But closer to 4-5 weeks, they are cooing and smiling and making eye contact. I give my clients the choice between photography around 2 weeks old or later, when they are more interactive. Because my clients can hire me for just photos, or for video+photos, that might alter their response as well. If they are hiring me for just photos, my clients tend to choose to have their in-home newborn session closer to 2 weeks, which is super precious.

2 week old Babies:

If you are wanting to capture that really young newborn stage, then this is the time frame for you! It is the most common time newborn babies are photographed. Babies are still sleepy, and curling up like they did in the womb. They are very snuggly and don't have any newborn acne, typically.

3-4 week old Babies:

This stage might offer some baby acne. If this really bothers you, you might put the session off until it clears. (I am very flexible with newborn bookings!). But for a photographer who captures real life, it doesn't phase me. However, how much acne can vary widely and a baby with worse acne, might be a situation to put it off a few more weeks until their acne clears. During this stage of development, babies tend to go through growth spurts and can be crankier and hungrier and needier.

5-7 week old Babies:

I love capturing babies most at either 2 weeks old, or in this 5-7 week window. They are more alert in this window and interacting more, which is great for video and for photos. Mom has had more time to recover from birth and everyone has fallen into their roles as mom and dad. Babies have filled out, they keep their eyes open more and they most likely are smiling by now!

Older Babies:

Don't let any belief out there make you think you have missed a magic window to capture your baby. The beauty of lifestyle photos, is that any time, is a good time to capture your life with your baby!

If you want newborn or even older babies photos, please reach out! I would love to help.

Nashville Newborn Photographer | The Morgan Family

This session was years in the making. Jillian has wanted to hire me forever and after becoming pregnant with #2, was able to convince her husband to have a newborn family video of their early days with a teeny new daughter. The film turned out absolutely amazing and she immediately booked her 2nd film 😂

They have an older daughter, who is completely smitten with her little baby sister. I loved highlighting that new relationship in their film and photos. They will always have precious video to remember the beginning of their daughters' sisterhood. How big sis would read and sing to her baby sister. Years from now when big sis is giving her little sister boy advice, this film is going to be 100x more meaningful. It literally makes me tear up thinking about it.

My 3 favorite things about this family film + photo session...

#1 How mom responded after seeing her film.

This is literally my MOST favorite part of the entire process. I LOVE filming and I LOVE editing but getting to experience mom's (and dad's) responses to seeing it, is just on a whole other level. Here are some quotes from her texts to me:

"I think my heart just stopped"

"I don’t have words… you truly have a gift!"

"I forgot about her baby Afro 🥰"

"I am going to watch it on repeat, truly amazing! Thank you SO much!!!"

"I am so thankful we finally did it!"

"You turned my ordinary into extraordinary!!"

"If I was rich, I would get one every month for the first year of life!"

#2 Dad's authentic chit chat with his new baby girl.

He is incredibly smitten and has this southern accent. His sweet but hilarious personality really shines through.

#3 Absolutely big sister and her love for her baby sister.

How she kisses her, talks to her, sings to her, reads to her and just organically shows her love. It makes me tear up every time I watch their film!

The Morgan Family | December 2023 from Jennie Pyfferoen on Vimeo.