The Story of Kai

           Babies are absolutely wonderful.  I am always amazed at these tiny little miracles.

Birth Sessions are a little different than normal photography sessions; they normally take place in a hospital, they can happen any time, the space is small and sometimes dimly lit, and the event carries a multitude of emotions.  I wouldn't miss it for the world.  Watching these little ones take their first breath, the faces of the parents meeting their new little wonder, the little feet being coated in ink and stamped on the birth certificate.  the tiny hat , the snuggling, the first feeding, the first bath not to mention the lamb cry that escapes our newborn as they greet the world.  Being able to capture those moments in time through pictures, is what I love to do.

Tricia a fellow photographer with Labyrinth Productions, had asked me early in the season to be there with her and her husband Marcus for the birth of her fourth and last child.  I had taken Tricia's maternity pictures in the spring, so when the chance came to be there for their last little one, I was in.  The day finally came for baby Kai to make his entrance.  I had been there for hours watching my friend go thru the pains of labor, tears, laughter.

It didn't seem like Kai was in any hurry to make his appearance; but at 9:31 a.m.  he entered the world.  At a whopping 5lbs 14 ounces.  Believe me when I tell you he didn't come silently, he let the whole room know he had arrived.

Mom and Dad were exhausted, thrilled, and misty eyed as they greeted their beautiful little one.

In the all the activity, time seemed to stand still.

I watched him get measured, taped ,bathed, fed, oohed, and awed over.

I think momma is going to have a little heartthrob on her hands.   I am so happy to have been able to be apart of this beautiful day.  I am overjoyed for my friend Tricia and Marcus, and the rest of their kiddos, her daughter Tessa and sons Levi and Rune.  Kai made the perfect addition to this  sweet little family.

Welcome to the world Kai!  I can't wait to see what great things you do!

6 tips to have a successful in home studio shoot with your family

 

Groundhogs day is proving to be a true prediction of the weather here in Virginia.  It's cold outside.  Today reminds me of a line from "Cat in the Hat" -“The sun did not shine. It was too wet to play. So we sat in the house. All that cold, cold, wet day.” ― Dr. Seuss, The Cat in the Hat   So to warm things up how about a sweet little Baby born just this month.  Meet our newest additon to the Buzy Bee Photography Family,  baby Carson jinshik Bang born to Minah and Eddie Bang and big brothers Edison jaeshik and Mason joonshik Bang.  This session was special and unique.  Not only did I get to meet a sweet, sweet newborn, but we also brought the studio to their home.  When you have a new one and are juggling two additional little ones to boot, this is a great option for controlled chaos.  Not to mention protection from the elements.  So for today's blog I thought I would share 6 tips to having a successful in home studio shoot. To do an in-home session you need to have the following.  1.  Space for the shoot,  this really is an important factor to having a successful shoot.  Depending on how many people you have in your family, and their ages etc., space is crucial for creating a studio look.  In this shoot we used the Dining Room as our studio location. Since the boys were small, having a ton of room wasn't necessary for what we were going for.  2.  An area that gets great lighting,  I do come armed with lights, but If possible I like to incorporate natural lighting as well, depending on the time of day your shoot takes place.  This shoot was taken at late afternoon, so for the first part of the session, natural light was all that was needed.   If your session is taken in a room that doesn't get good lighting but size wise is a perfect fit, then the studio lights come in.  Man made lighting works great and you will get beautiful pictures so don't let a badly lit room discourage you, I like to have a little help from the Sun anytime I shoot.  3. A child wrangler, this is a life saver.  If you have little ones or pets, you can and will at some point lose your mind.  So having an extra set of hands to give out snacks, hugs, change out clothing, dry eyes etc. is an absolute life saver and really a must. Minah was lucky to have her husband and mother in law on hand to help love on her kiddos and bring forth priceless smiles.  If the natives are happy, everyone is happy.   4. Changes of clothes; Let's face it, accidents will happen, the great thing about being at home, is that it's not a big deal to change into a fresh shirt or pants or exchange a blanket .  No stress if there is a mess :). 5. Snacks.  This is really only necessary if you have little ones, but it does help the session run smoother.  6. Patience.  This is easy to say and so much harder to do, but it's necessary.  Be patient.  It's okay if it takes a moment for your kid to wind down.  It's okay if they aren't perfect. I have yet to meet anyone who is.   Getting good pictures doesn't always happen in the first 20 minutes, it may take that long to get everyone on the same page and in a good mindset.  I will take good pictures, but sometimes great can't be rushed . Minah, Eddie and the boys are a wonderful example of what you want in a home session.  They were prepared for the day and armed with hugs and love to wrangle all those sweet little boys and at the end of it all we got some precious pictures. I hope you have a wonderful day and take these tips into consideration if you ever want to do an in home studio session.