Sweet Sophia......Revisited | Fenton Toddler Photographer

As you might have already heard, I had the pleasure of doing a shoot with, the ever-so-sweet, Sophia in honor of her first birthday. Celebrating that first year of life is really bitter sweet for a parent. It is bitter because it means that the first year is over. Your baby is not a baby anymore, she's a toddler........a "Big Girl". Although, of course, it is sweet for the same reason. You can reflect on how much growing your little one has done in the past twelve months, and all of the many many milestones that they have achieved along the way. Then you imagine all of the things that your pride and joy will do and how they will change within the next year, and the years to come.

I am so fortunate to be able to share in that joy with my clients, especially the ones who allowed me to share in some of the earliest moments of their child's life. Sophia is one of those children. When I first met her, she was a tiny little peanut, with a full head of hair and tiny little toes. She was so perfectly sleepy, and a quintessential little model. Fast forward to our recent session, and the little girl that WALKED in was quite a change from before. I couldn't believe how big she had gotten. As I mentioned, she was walking independently, and exploring EVERYTHING. She had traded in her skinny little newborn legs for big girl legs with adorably squishy rolls, and a lot more muscle. She maintained the same glowing doe eyes, and added longer hair with the most gorgeous wispy curls. She has only gotten cuter in the past year, and I suspect that such will be the case throughout many years to come.

Sophia definitely kept us on our toes while we were shooting, but she made the session interesting, and in turn, we got many unplanned shots that are so special because they really represent her personality. I couldn't have done it all without the wonderful wrangling abilities of Mom and Dad, and the help of my great friend, and occasional assistant, Lisa Kaul, who REALLY did an excellent job of entertaining Sophia..........along with the rest of us.............with her impersonation of a jumping bean. lol

Jackie, I am so glad that I got to be a part of another very special part of your family's history, and I cannot wait to watch as Sophia grows and changes. :)

I just LOVE this picture. Not only can you see from the "Then" photo that she has always been a thumb-sucker, but you just know when you look at the "Now" image that she probably spends many moments throughout the day in that position. :)

Just a bit of caution for photographers and parents.....if you do a cake smash shoot, (or invest in one for your child), double check that none of the embellishments on the cake contain a toothpick. Mom brought this cupcake as a last minute replacement for a cake that didn't quite work out, and I didn't realize until after we started shooting that there was a toothpick in the candle. Safety is always key when you are shooting any age, so try your best to make sure that you check and double check for any possible hazards. Luckily, no harm came from this oversight, but I would not want to push my luck in the future.

Contact Carri at:

email: carrimullins@carribethphotography.com

facebook: www.facebook.com/carribethphotography

phone: (248) 678-3601

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Sophia Turns 1

Many of you may remember sweet baby Sophia from her newborn photo shoot from last year. Well, she came for another visit yesterday for her one year photos, and we had some fun. She has only gotten cuter and cuter in the past year. We were a little sad that the original giant cupcake, that her mama intended on bringing, unfortunately fell apart, but I don't think that Sophia minded a bit. She seemed to like the frosting, but she was relatively cautious with the whole thing, and never really went crazy with it. Either way, she looked adorable in the tutu that her crafty mommy made. (Mama also made the super cute banner in the background. I LOVE it). I wanted to post a special birthday greeting for this sweet little girl, so HAPPY BIRTHDAY SOPHIA!!!! I hope that you have an awesome first birthday party, and REALLY dig into your cake this time. :)

Contact Carri at:

email: carrimullins@carribethphotography.com

facebook: www.facebook.com/carribethphotography

phone: (248) 678-3601

Andrew, Paige and Desiree | Fenton Senior Photographer

Thanks to an invitation from one of my photog friends, I had the pleasure of shooting three gorgeous young models the other day. Andrew, Paige and Desiree were all so fun to photograph, and just knew how to work the camera. I normally have a hard time narrowing down images to include in my blog posts, but with THREE models, it's nearly impossible to choose which photos to showcase without going overboard. Well, I'm afraid that I went a little overboard for this post because I just couldn't NOT show all of these. They were all fantastic. I am so glad that I had the opportunity to meet and shoot them all. :)

First, we have Paige. Paige is an exotic beauty. She is a natural in front of the camera, and her smoldering stare could stop traffic.

Next, we have Desiree. She is the girl with the bright smiling eyes and fun personality. I could tell, while I was shooting her, that she feels at home in front of the camera, and she's a pro at directing herself into different poses.

And last but not least, we have Andrew. Andrew is not only an incredibly handsome guy, but he is also an athlete, and a gentleman. He pulls off the serious tough guy look flawlessly, but isn't afraid to be goofy, or shoot you an extra charming smile.

Andrew and Paige are a couple, and they are so cute together. I couldn't help but take advantage of an opportunity to capture them together. :)

Contact Carri at:

email: carrimullins@carribethphotography.com

facebook: www.facebook.com/carribethphotography

phone: (248) 678-3601

Sweet Sweet Sophia. | Michigan Newborn Photographer

Facebook is a wonderful thing. It put me back in contact with one of my best friends from middle school, and gave me the opportunity to watch as she, first, rejoiced at the announcement of her pregnancy. Then I was able to follow her progress, and comment on her adorable little baby bump. Eventually facebook led to her scheduling a session with me so that I could help capture those, ever precious, first moments of the life of her sweet baby girl. I, of course, was elated and flattered to be chosen to take part in this fantastic milestone in the evolution of a family.

Baby Sophia was quite comfortable where she was, in mama's belly, and decided to show up fashionably late, but she is sooo worth the wait. When I first saw her, I was in awe of her tiny size. At just under 6 lbs (after losing a pound after birth) she was a perfect little peanut. Sophia was an angel all the way through, and was such a trooper, putting up with all of the set changes and repositioning.

Of course, I couldn't wait to see what we ended up with, and in turn, had such a hard time narrowing down the pics for this blog post, but here are just a few of this adorable little angel.

Jackie, I hope you like your preview. There are so many more to come. Can't wait to finish up so that you can see the rest. :)

A special thank you to my great friend, Lisa Kaul, for all of your help during our shoot. I appreciate you being there to lend a hand.

The feather headband, pink petti-skirt (in the hat box), and the pink flower clip (in the hat box pic) are all the beautiful products of Cillerendas Princess Couture. They have some absolutely adorable products for girls. Everything is very well made, and the petti-skirt was very fluffy and FULL. I am more than pleased with everything that I bought from there. I strongly recommend that you visit their website, or you can also check them out and keep up with what they have going on, on their facebook fanpage.

This shot is so sweet because it was not posed at all. After handing Sophia back to her mama, so that we could change our setup, she instantly stuck her thumb in her mouth and started sucking on it incessantly. Being a mom to a thumb sucker, I am partial to the sweet comfort that babies take in such a simple pleasure. I ♥ this pic. :)

It's not an addiction, it's true PASSION!

I am a hardcore photography FREAK. I spend more time than I would like to admit looking at everything related to being a photographer, and running a photography business. I have spent countless hours looking at the work of hundreds of very talented photographers, and I spend days, even weeks, knitting things like hats and cocoons that I might be able to use in future sessions. Out of ALL of the things that I love so much about photography, there is one genre that has taken hold of me, and refuses to let go. NEWBORNS!

I L-O-V-E newborn photography. My mind can go on and on for hours, days, weeks, just thinking about photographing newborns. I cannot go anywhere without seeing things and thinking how great it would be to use them in a shoot with a teeny tiny, squishy little baby. I actually have to sit down and write out a game plan for newborn sessions because I have too many ideas to pack into one shoot.

Photography is a HUGE part of my life. I would even say, shamefully, that it does distract me from my family at times. My husband is truly supportive in what I do, but often comments on how I am addicted to photography. I would like to refute that comment by saying that the time I spend looking at and learning about photography is not because I am addicted. It is just a testament to my undying PASSION for the art of it all........but newborn photography specifically. I wouldn't be opposed to admitting to a not-so-slight obsession, but it is my passion that drives that obsession. I noticed this week that I actually get a knot in my belly when I look at newborn photography, because it ignites a fire in me, and I am always itching for another chance to do what I love best.

I wish that everyone had at least one thing in life, that they had a passion for, in the way that I do for newborn photography. My passion for newborns drives me everyday to become a better, more creative photographer. Right now I am not the biggest, most well-known photographer in my area, but I know that someday I WILL be known for what I love. There is no other job in this world that I would rather do, and I am so thankful that I have the opportunity to do something that makes my heart so happy, and brings joy to others at the same time.