You know the look. The faces, the hands, the rolled eyes.

At Christmas Time it’s even worse.

Not only do they have access to their own bodies, but they are able to utilize their presents as well.

Especially if items that are large enough to hide completely behind are unwrapped.

Add in the excitement of the holiday and it takes skills like a Hollywood Paparazzi to get a good shot.

Emotions run high and so do the spirits.

But every so often, you have to just deal with what you get. Sometimes, that’s okay though.

The images of the experience can mean a lot more than a perfect shot.

If you want images that are more perfect than what you feel like you got at your more recent holiday event, contact me.

We can take a set of images that will make you remember the holiday with pleasure.

To continue on reading the Story of…series, click on the following link to Amy Lenhart’s blog post.

This little guy is the son of a Firefighter. I love when I can integrate bits of the parent’s lives into the images of their newborn. It makes for great images but more than that, it makes for great memories. Props are great, but even better is when they mean something. The sleeping newborns, curled up in the same position as when they were in the womb, are so precious.

Nearly 7 months later, the little newborn has grown into a baby. He can sit up by himself now and is wide awake. The facial expressions are so wonderful and amazing. The personality is starting to grow and morph into who he will become as an adult.

Each moment is treasured. Allow me to experience the joy of seeing your child grow and change and capturing that growth in images you can share with them when they have children of their own.  Call or email me to set up your own All About Me! package. You won’t regret it.

The wedding dress has very much the same timeline. It usually begins as a dress that a princess wears. Either through a movie or a photograph, an image imprints in a girl’s imagination. It grows and changes through the years and changing fashions but always is “the one”. The same feeling you have when you find the right guy is the feeling when you put the dress on.

Then the wedding is over. The groom becomes a husband (no lesser of a being by any means!) but life settles into routine. The dress that you spent your life imagining has been worn and is now put away. In a closet or a chest, it is a piece of a memory of a glorious day that is in the past.

But it doesn’t have to stay that way. Something that is growing in popularity is converting the wedding dress into a christening gown. This allows you to bring back into rotation that dress that meant so much to you and create a new heirloom for your family. Fashion changes through the years and you don’t have to worry about convincing your child to try to wear your wedding dress.

Not only do you get to pull out your wedding dress and see it again, remembering that magical night, but you get to see your child in that piece of clothing that meant so much to you. And the tears fall once again!

Go check out the next blog post in our circle at Beth Lofgren Photography and see what story she is going to tell!

It can be difficult to remember the way their nose wiggles when they sleep. The way their eyelashes frame their eyes when they look directly at you that first time. The way that their toes curl underneath them as they lay down on their tummies.

Being pregnant while taking these images was an experience above and beyond any other session. Not only did I have my own little one growing and moving as I moved around these fresh babies, but I also had the wave of fog that rolls after birth. I don’t remember much about this session other than the amazing family I had the honor of capturing.

It helped reaffirm how important it is to capture those moments. You don’t want to have to try hard to remember your child when they are new to the world. I’m so thankful that the families here were able to encapsulate those early days of their newest child and so grateful that I was the one able to do so.

Get an appointment now to make sure that you don’t lose those images of your newborn. Visit Claire Hunter Photography to book your newborn session with me today.

Go check out the next blog post in our circle http://leebirdphotography.com.au/blog/?p=1034 .

We have welcomed our own new well-spring of pleasure to our world:

Emma Catherine Hunter

Born July 14th, 5 lbs 11oz, 19 inches long

Our precious Emma is such a trooper and has been a blessing to our family. After a quick and dramatic entry into the world, she has already had an intense life. These past few months have been busy and emotional, which explains the late announcement. Surgery at the age of 10 weeks is not something I would wish on anyone. A condition was discovered in utero and originally, surgery was planned to fix the problem when she was four or five months old. A scary infection caused the timeline to jump up a few months instead. The surgery was a success and already she is doing so much better. Having wet and dirty diapers to change has never looked so beautiful.

Big Brother Christopher is loving his little sister. He was afraid to walk in the door at the hospital at first. He has always been my sidekick and we were afraid of his reaction to the new family member. I swear he grew up into a big brother the minute he came through the door. He immediately came running to jump on the bed. It is almost as if as soon as he met Emma, he knew what he was suppose to do. He was so protective, didn’t want anyone to hold her and all he wanted to do was kiss her. No jealousy at all. I cannot wait to see what their relationship becomes.

Thank you for being here. Now that we are all safe and sound, I’m ready to get back behind the camera. Are you expecting a messenger of peace and love yourself? Email me at info@clairehunterphotography.com to schedule your own session.

When baby girl Charlotte came into the studio, she was already asleep.  Amazing little girl who slept for hours without eating.  I did not want to wake her incase she would not go back to sleep so we took a few images of her while sleeping and then she awoke.  Normally at a newborn portrait session, that is not something us photographers look forward to, but Charlotte was an exception.  Her eyes were open wide and she was staring right at me.  As if she knew who I was and what I was doing.

I could not resist trying to get more images of her so I decided to go to the families home and do some lifestyle type images.  Due to Charlottes age, she would no longer be able to do the kind of poses we did in the studio above.  Once I got to the 2nd part of the session poor little Charlotte was full of reflux and was not very happy.  Who could blame her?  We waited about an hour and she was feeling much better so we proceeded with the session.  From that point on, all she did was sleep.  Her parents we so adorable and I just loved taking pictures of this happy  family.

If you would like to have a newborn session like Charlotte’s, you can email me at info@clairehunterphotography.com for more information.

For an upgrade that is! New branding means new site. The best part is you do not have to go anywhere. Everything is right here at your convenience. I hope you enjoy some of the new features that are now available at Claire Hunter Photography!

Now, I know it has been a while since I posted on my blog and I am a little behind, but I have been a busy little bee.

In case you did not know my husband and I are eagerly awaiting for the arrival of our little girl this month.

So, needless to say, at this time I am currently on maternity leave and will be returning to doing sessions starting September 12th. If you would like any information prior to my return please contact me at info@clairehunterphotography.com. I will be available to answer emails and will give a response within 48 hours.

Throughout my leave I will be updating my blog with recent sessions that I have neglected to post. Keep an eye out for some beautiful newborns that took place within the last few months.

Thank you all for visiting my new site and I hope you have a happy and safe 4th of July weekend!

What is a post without a image.

There is a saying “I have seen the light”.  Between both workshops that I attended I saw the light on what I needed to learn to further my newborn photography. Between posing and editing, I really feel that I have accomplished so much in this last month.

This workshop was with Amber Scruggs of Little Moon Photography. She is the queen of finding the light no matter what the weather looks like outside. I was amazed at how much light she found on such a rainy day. Thank you Amber!

Name: Gail Montgomery

Studio Name: Gail Montgomery Photography
Location: Baltimore Maryland
Website: www.gailmontgomery.com
Blog: www.gailmontgomery.com/blog
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/GailMontgomeryPhotography

About the image…
1) Why do you love this image?
A majority of my photography sessions are based on play, not the clock. Babies don’t work the camera on demand and you have to engage them. Baby H came to see me after his parents had a bad experience at a chain photography studio. Our session was relaxed and the flow went largely according to his mood – taking breaks when necessary and moving onto different activities as needed. We had a tremendous amount of fun and at the end of our session, his parents were so appreciative of the experience we had together and I know the real proof was in our resulting images. Custom photography isn’t just about an image, it’s an experience – it’s about capturing a little bit of personality and emotion in all that light and color.

2) What were your settings with this image?
ISO 200 F 6.3 SS 1/200 Studio Lighting

About Photography…
3) What do you love about Photography?
The emotion, the details, the truth, the way it helps you remember. Life goes by so quickly – especially with children! They grow and change so much from helpless newborn to strong willed toddler. I love how you can watch a baby grow through a series of images.

4) What type of Photography do you specialize in and why?
I tend to work with the 1 and under crowd. I love capturing the details of a tiny newborn, but my absolute favorite age to photograph is around 6-7 months. The personality really starts to emerge, you get these gorgeous smiles with big eyes and baby is able to maintain a variety of poses without running away. Well, sometimes they crawl away…

About your life?
5) What are your favorite hobbies and pastimes?
Playing with my son, photography & travel

6) Who or what inspires you?
My 3 year old son Wesley. Becoming a parent is hands down the best thing that has ever happened to me. I adore this little man so much and I would love to find a way to stop time! My attempts to document his every experience has played a major role in my journey as a photographer. I love watching him grow, but I want to remember every minute. Unfortunately, he has been growing really fast, time has been flying by and my memory isn’t as good as it used to be. Thankfully, my camera doesn’t forget!

7) Who are some of your favorite singers/bands?
Oh my goodness – can I just say I love it all? The Beatles, Bare Naked Ladies, Sarah McLachlan, Billy Joel, Norah Jones – all play on my Ipod regularly. I love oldies, classics, techno, pop and can be perfectly content listening to mainstream top 40 on the radio… and I love to sing along.

What is your favorite movie of all time?
The Princess Bride or maybe Forrest Gump – or just about any Disney movie – I could (and have) watched them over and over.

9) What would your ideal day be like?
Waking up in Walt Disney World – in the castle suite (a girl can dream, right?), starting the day with some room service Mickey waffles and then having the whole place just for my family and friends (and myself of course). A beautiful 75 degree day with blue skies and incredible puffy white clouds. It would be a picture perfect day having a blast in the Magic Kingdom together with lots of photo ops. Variations on that perfect day include a cruise, Hawaii, Bermuda, Paris, London – or a fall day at the park.

10) If you weren’t a photographer, what other profession would you like to pursue?
My first career is nursing – specifically Labor and Delivery. I guess you could say I’m drawn to babies. I love helping to bring them into this world and watch a couple grow into a family. As you work with the parents, they let you into some of their most precious moments and you become part of their family for a little while. It is definitely the happiest place in the hospital! Other than nursing, I’d love to swap places with Samantha Brown from the Travel channel and tour some of the best hotels in the world. I think I’d rather enjoy getting paid to be a tourist.

Be sure to check back next week for Kari Wright Photography