Marianne was comfortable, beautiful and having a great time, but the look on her face when Carter and her boys arrived to join her at her pregnancy session here in the studio was sheer happiness. She is so gentle and kind, and yes, this new baby is going to bring a little more chaos to their lives, but also whole lot more happiness.

 As a Niagara newborn photographer, I’ve compiled a quick list of links to help you guide you through the process of creating natural newborn portraits, how to choose the best photographer for you, how they’re created and some suggestions on what to do with your finished pieces.

How many images do you have of yourself and your family where you're all just sitting there, side by side, attempting smiles on your faces but your heart isn't really in it? One of the hardest parts of being a photographer is getting everyone in the right frame of mind, educating clients like you on what to expect when you get to the studio, and then helping you to forget the camera is there and just having a great time together as a family.

So, what happens after your portraits are taken? Let’s say you’re sitting on your chair, looking lovingly at the images of your brand new baby wrapped up cozy and beautiful on your computer screen from home. There are 25-30 images, and each one seems to be even more gorgeous than the next. You want to take these from a screen and put them on your walls, but you have too many questions...

We all have things that we cover our walls, bookshelves and coffee tables with. Maybe it is paintings that make us swoon or words that remind us of what we want for our future. Maybe it's magazines, novels or favourite movies. The most amazing thing that we get to fill our homes with are images captured when we’ve spent time with the ones we love the most.

Meet my youngest three little ones. To some, they may not be so small, but to me, no matter how old my kids are, they will always be my babies.I asked them some questions for this blog post, and here are their adorable, and somewhat questionable answers.

If you are not having fun during your annual family portrait sessions, then, my friends, you are not doing it right! Fun is a must have during all Reflections of Life sessions. Fun brings out real emotion and expression, smiles and laughs. Fun creates the memories that we want to last a lifetime.

My hope, my goal, for every family that I photograph is that I capture moments. Real moments. The kind of moments that when you look at the image, you can feel the emotional connection. The moments where they forget that my camera and I are even there. Beautiful, tender moments to the full of life, active moments. Each one the perfect reflection of your family, your love and your life.

Recently my family went through a very difficult time. We've been torn apart, and I don't know if we'll ever be able to rebuild what we've lost. At first I kept most of it to myself, but now I realize that being able to talk to my close friends, and asking for help, has made a huge impact on how I'm dealing with it all.

They say that the eyes are the window to the soul. When working with newborns, you don't always get a calm, awake baby. Even more so, you are not always able to capture awake images with eye contact. In those chance moments that you do, the results are always captivating. They are usually among the parents' favorite images in the gallery. They stop a viewer in his or her tracks, and elicit a reaction.

This little peanut is a true gift, as she's the daughter of a cousin of my husband's.  Stephanie brought her brand new, lovely daughter to our Grimsby, Ontario studio to create some natural, organic images of little Violet.  We took our time with her, allowing for baby-led posing and simple timeless portraits.

During pregnancy and leading up to the birth of your child, your life is filled with excitement, preparation, planning, anxiousness, and usually anything but calm. For first time parents, these emotions can be magnified even more because every step of the journey is unknown.