This little guy smiled our entire session away!  He smiled as soon as we had him asleep on the bean bag, and went on smiling all the way through to the family portraits.  He even gave me a great big grin when he had his chin in his hands.  Mom and dad loved baseball, so we incorporated lots of adorable ball props that were perfect for their newest fan.  I had to share some of the sweet smiles we captured in their sneak peek today.  I can’t wait to show you the rest mom and dad!

Last week I was lucky enough to photograph four adorable newborn boys and it all started off with handsome baby R and his family.  I’ve known this family since photographing big brother H as a newborn just over a year ago.  H wasn’t so sure about the new little guy at first, but he sure was happy exploring the studio and hamming it up for my camera on his own!  With a few snacks, H gave us some sweet sibling portraits by the end of our family time.  Then, it was time for R to make his debut.  He too wanted to check out the studio rather than sleep the day away, but luckily I can get a newborn to sleep easier than I can get a toddler to sit still!  Mom had been wanting to do the branch shot for years so I was determined to pull it off… even if it meant a 6 image composite.  We even had dad pitch in to make it happen.  I think we nailed it!  I can’t wait to show you your full gallery, B family.  Enjoy your sneak peek.

I finally know how my clients feel when they tell me they have been thinking about their cakesmash ever since their newborn session.  There is something so special about a first birthday.  It is a time when the end of babyhood is palpable.  You feel proud of the little person your child has become while longing for the baby they used to be.

I wanted Grace’s cakesmash to be extra special for her to look back upon.  Let’s be honest, her cakesmash was for me as much as it was for her.  It was a way for my photography to pause and celebrate a time that was so full of emotion for me!

I started brainstorming ideas after the rush of the Holidays.  First, I got busy on Pinterest!  You can see my inspiration board below.

I kept thinking “how can I do a set that no one has ever seen anything like?!”  So, I decided I would paint her a backdrop.  I had been picking up the brushes here and there for custom sets for my clients.  The only way to create a complete original… was to do just that!  I painted her drop more quickly than I thought.  In about two hours, acrylics mixed with charcoal to create spring time in Paris.  I felt really good about it.  I almost cried.  Mariah did cry!  It felt amazing to create something for my daughter from my heart.  A teeny tiny little reflection of my love for her.

We spent hours here and there in the weeks before the shoot preparing the branches and stars that filled our background with touches of spring sparkle.  Next came the outfit.  I ordered this adorable onesie from Tutu DuMonde.  I waited until two days before the shoot to try it on Grace.  It had been sitting in the box for over a month.  It was too big for my tiny girl AND it was the same color as her fair skin.  It was not going to work.  I panicked a little.  “Why do I always do this to myself?!”  Always last minute!  Of course my schedule for the next 6 weeks was insanely busy.  I was fully booked at the studio, planning a commercial clothing shoot, banging out 3 written interviews for blog features, flying to Seattle to teach at the Chic Retreat (another blog post coming soon!), and had a first birthday party to throw, all before heading to Maine for a family vacation.  Definitely no time to reschedule and wait for a new outfit to come in.

I called my friend Ashley at Framboozled Accessories and she saved the day.  She went to the craft store that night to buy supplies and had 2 beautiful tutus for me to choose from in the morning!  Add to that a gorgeous custom headband from my friend Bethany at Blossom Bands and the stunning cake by the always AMAZING Sweet Indulgence and my friend Kerri, and we had a cakesmash that made me smile inside!  I have some pretty fabulous friends!  Grace loved every moment of it.  The whole studio team and Kerri Cupcake watched, and Mariah quietly captured some behind the scenes video that has me crying every time I watch it.  Thank you so much to everyone who made Grace’s first birthday cakesmash so memorable.  It meant so much to me.  I never wanted it to end.

So here it is, Grace’s Cakesmash, Behind the Scene’s Video, and in the tradition of this blog being my only baby books for the girls, my birthday letter to Grace.

Grace’s First Birthday Cake Smash! from Heidi Hope Photography on Vimeo.

Grace Isabel. Our joy. You make every day a little lighter. You wear a smile when you wake up in the morning, pointing at the photos of our family on your nursery wall. You always attempt to say everyone’s names as if you’re saying good morning to each of us. When I lay you in the crib at night, you give me one more smile as you pull your blankie up over your eyes. You are our happy, go-with-the-flow baby girl. Easygoing is an understatement! Where did we get you? You are a social butterfly who loves commotion and a good party. You’ll gladly crawl into anyone’s arms and giggle at the attention. Singing, dancing and music make you so happy. We adore your silliness, the sweet way you scrunch up your button nose just to get a smile from of us. We call you our little peanut, Graciebelle. That’s because you’re so tiny, which makes me feel like you’ll still be our baby a little longer. I’m happy about that, because in my head, you’re somehow still the sweet newborn we brought home from the hospital. When I’m working in the kitchen, I can usually find you right under my feet. You’re so quiet and quick in the way that you explore your world. The best part of my day is walking through the door after work. You get so excited, you can’t catch your breath. You scoot towards me as fast as you can for your hug. A laugh escapes me every time. There is no better feeling. You love dada (gaga) and your sister (who you call jeej for GiGi). You think they are pretty hysterical and they certainly love to make you giggle. If there were just one thing I would want you to know about your first year, it is that from the day you were placed into our arms, you have brought so much happiness and laughter to our family. We love you Grace, Happy Birthday!

Wasn’t I just cuddling this little guy as a newborn?  Gosh, time flies!  I’ve been keeping up with baby C on facebook, and seeing how handsome he is, I was dying to see him again for our next baby plan session!  Mom and dad brought the most adorable outfits and we headed outdoors for a fun 6 month session by the bay.  C loved watching the swans and boats while chillin’ in our cutest baby-boy props!  Enjoy your sneak peek mom and dad.  So great seeing you again!  xo

Baby S was my one newborn girl in a month of newborn boys so far!  You can see below, she was such a doll.  When I spoke with mom to plan our session, she said they loved soft, light, neutral colors and timeless photos.  I always love hearing that.  As much as we use props and color in our other work, lately I am most drawn to the simple newborn photos that really focus on the beauty of baby with their new family.  I think we captured that perfectly with S!  She started our session wide awake and we captured some beautiful family portraits that bring tears to my eyes.  You can actually feel how loved she is by the expressions on her parent’s faces.  And, check out that little dimple when she smiles up at them!  After that we captured all of the classics.  She even rocked a tutu, but we still kept it soft and classic.  We finished with more family portraits when S was curled up and sleepy… more favs!  Every bit of S was beautiful and so fun to photograph.  Enjoy your sneak peek.

We love designing adorable props and custom sets for our special sessions at HHP!  One of my favorite props this spring was our cardboard box airplane.  We recycled our WHCC boxes into a perfectly playful prop in just a matter of minutes.  Today, I’m going to share with you how I did it!

1.  First, gather your supplies.  You’ll need large pieces of cardboard (measuring at least 24-36 inches on the long side), packing tape, a box cutter, writing utensil, and paint of your choice (I used acrylic).

2.  Next, construct the outer perimeter of your box.  To make your perimeter, you’ll need 2 longer rectangles and 2 shorter rectangles of cardboard.  They should all be the same height.  Tape them together at the seems using packing tape.

3.  Draw a wing shape out of cardboard and cut out using a box cutter.  I used one wing to trace the other so that they would be the same shape.

4.  Score the base of the wing 1 inch from where you will attach it to the inner rectangle.  Bend the wing where you scored it and attach it to the side of the box using packing tape.

5.  Use a paper plate to trace two large circles.  Use a long strip of cardboard to form a ring and attach to one of the circles (as shown).  Tape the remaining circle on top to create a “sandwich”.

6.  Cut out and attach the propeller blades.  Again I used the first propeller shape to trace the second.  I went with a large teardrop shape.

7.  To make the tail, draw a large rectangle about 6″ taller then the overall height of your airplane.  Round the top edge.  Cut a slit 4-5″ from the top on the longer end.  Insert a large rectangle of cardboard to create a “T” shape.  Use packing tape to secure the tail pieces together and to the box.

8.  Make it pretty!  I used black and white acrylic paint to draw playful details on our plane.

9. Find adorable babies to place inside

Now get crafting!  ~ Heidi

Happy Birthday, baby J! This little guy has the sweetest personality, as you can see in his photos. He was hesitant of the camera at first, but quickly got into the photoshoot groove, playfully interacting with the camera for the whole session.

We’ve had a lot of nautical cake smash themes this year, but nobody had done an ‘under the sea’ set until this one! I loved making all of the creatures, and J was mesmerized by the fish swimming around him. Thanks to Sweet Indulgence for the friendly shark cake!

Best.  Baby.  Ever.  Seriously, this little guy rocked his session in record time.  He just sat and smiled at me.  He has 2 darling big sisters at home, so I think he fully enjoyed his time in the spotlight during a session just for him.  We kept things classic with a few fun props to mix it up.  I loved the tie and fedora mom brought along, but L looked just as adorable in anything we put him in!  L, come back and play anytime!

Remember this cutie with his planes and snowboard? Throwback Thursday is my good excuse to share more family photos from K’s session. We wanted the session to be really fun, candid, joyful, and kinetic, so we laughed, smiled, and kept things moving. Don’t you almost want to be a part of this family after seeing these? So stylish and fun!

~Mariah

R was one of the most beautiful newborns I have ever seen.  Her skin, her lashes, her rosebud lips…. perfection!  As soon as I saw her I remarked to mom and dad about how amazingly gorgeous she is!  Each time a new person in the studio came in to help us out, they said the exact same thing!  R started our session a bit alert but was quickly snoozing away on the beanbag.  We kept the whole session simple and timeless and focused on all of her perfect little features.  Enjoy your sneak peek mom and dad!