Heidi Hope Photography

Farewell, but not for long!

heidi — Thu, 17 May 2012 14:29:54 +0000

It is just days, or perhaps even hours, until Shaun, Giuliana and I welcome our new baby girl into the world. With my due date approaching so soon, I thought I would check in with all of you for a little farewell. What else is a girl to do in between timing contractions?

It feels a bit strange to look ahead at the Heidi Hope calendar and see a whole month without any shoots. It feels strange to wake up in the morning and not have a to-do list I can barely manage. It feels strange to not have my brain buzzing with session ideas and the daily business of the studio. I’m a Libra, so I’m constantly seeking balance in my life. Unfortunately, I think balance is something mothers rarely feel. Especially mothers who are business owners! I must say however that focusing on the arrival of this baby has brought me some resemblance of balance in the past days. It has forced me to slow down and pay attention more to home and family. I’ve had to say “no” (which I’m not very good at). ”No” to over-scheduling, “no” to over-committing, and I even wearily said no to a publishing company and the chance to author a photography book (GASP) which has always been a dream of mine. It’s scary to say “no” when you’re a “yes” kind of gal. That’s why I’m so thankful for my wonderful team at the studio. They remind me that it is okay to prioritize. That sometimes “no” can mean “just not right now”. That it’s okay to envision how I want to spend this baby’s first year and make it happen for our family! And then they help me on a daily basis to run an amazing business AND keep that balance.

Of course you all know Mariah by now. She’s the super talented new addition to our team and in case you were fearing crickets on our blog (how on earth would you distract yourself at work??), rest assured that you’ll still be able to enjoy her gorgeous photography in my absence. The studio will also still be running as normal, but my camera and I will be HOME getting some R&R for the first time since starting Heidi Hope Photography back in 2008. Okay, well at least my camera will be getting some rest. If you have caught some of our recent previews, you know it is no wonder that our clients are going wild for Mariah’s work. Check out some of her recent shoots for HHP below as well as the maternity images of our family featured in this post!

2 year old N

Senior portraits

Mariah’s calendar for May and June is already almost completely booked so if you are thinking of a Heidi Hope Photography session during those months, it’s time to call the studio and get in while you can! Believe it or not, we are already talking about family photos for holiday cards with our clients, high school senior portraits are in full swing all summer long, and we’re booking well into the end of 2012 with sweet newborns and fabulous cake smashes! We’ll likely sell out our summer calendar as we always do, so don’t hesitate to call us up and get all the info you need to make a session with us a reality this summer.

I’m also still receiving so many inquiries for mentoring and class opportunities and want to update all of our photographer friends out there. 2012 started off at a crazy pace for our family (pregnancy, selling our home, moving twice, buying a new home… all while juggling our normal studio schedule, growing the business and continuing our volunteer work and mentoring). Needless to say, I haven’t had much time to plan a teaching schedule, but when I return in the summer I will be ironing that out for you all. I had a wonderful experience as a Celebrity Photographer on the Chic Critique Forum this spring and I do plan to do it again, likely in the fall. My last class sold out, but you can now sign up for a waiting list and be one of the first to know the next time a I host a class with them! I also plan to offer mentoring opportunities at the studio beginning in 2013 on a very exclusive basis so keep an eye out this fall for details.

In the meantime, sign up for my Chic Critique waiting list here!

As for me, I will be back shooting in July part time and then full time in August. I’m looking forward to having a few weeks away from it all and coming back inspired and excited to work. I’m looking forward to mentoring and teaching again along with picking up the camera and capturing all of the wonderful clients who are already on the schedule this summer. Until then, you will certainly catch a little photography of a personal nature from me, including glimpses of our new baby girl, big sister Giuliana and daily life around our new house. Shaun and I may even jump in for a few!

Now, there is nothing to do but wait for this baby! We can’t wait to share our good news with our Heidi Hope family :0)

~ Heidi

2-year-old N | New England Toddler Photography

heidi — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:15:51 +0000

“She loves balloons!” her dad said when we were planning N’s session. Having just turned two, it only seemed appropriate to surprise her with a bunch for her photoshoot! As you would with balloons, she ran, laughed, jumped and played with them, and I have SO many fun action shots. There weren’t many moments where she was standing still, but when she was, it was magic.

N was having so much fun, we breezed through a couple more sets. She loved playing with our vintage plane, and took a tea party quite seriously. I got my workout in, running with her and playing peekaboo!

Such a fun session. P family, enjoy your preview!

~ Mariah

Little C | Rhode Island Baby Photography

heidi — Tue, 15 May 2012 13:00:48 +0000

1-year-old Baby C brought some sun to the studio on a cloudy, rainy day! She didn’t stop laughing, clapping, and blowing kisses to the camera for her entire session. You might recognize her last outfit from one of our blog sponsors…The Measure! Love that little sundress.

One of the toys we have at the studio is a Tickle-Me-Elmo, and it never fails to make babies laugh, even if they haven’t been introduced to Elmo yet. “Well, I guess we need to get an Elmo now!” mom said at the end of the session, and it’s probably true- C was smitten. We apologize in advance to any parents who need to get an Elmo after sessions with us.

It was great to meet you, W family! Enjoy your preview!

~Mariah

Happy first birthday baby N! Rhode Island first birthday portrait photographer.

heidi — Thu, 10 May 2012 18:30:43 +0000

This was teeny newborn N just a little less than a year ago:

And look how much he has grown! N was back again to celebrate his first birthday in style with a cake smash session. Mom brought in a favorite toy during her planning session and we used those colors to design a fun and colorful set that perfect for N’s upcoming party. We had a dark and rainy day in the studio, but all of these colors and N’s adorable smile certainly brightened up our day! Enjoy your sneak peek!

2 year old big brother F introduces his darling baby sister C! Massachusetts baby and family photographer.

heidi — Thu, 10 May 2012 17:37:59 +0000

Newborn baby C was the very last newborn I’ll cuddle in the studio before my own, and what a sweet note to end on. I’ve had so much fun photographing this family over the past few years. I first visited their home back in the fall of 2009 when big brother F was born. Last week, he was in front of my camera again, but this time introducing his darling newborn sister C. Mom really wanted some portraits of her two adorable little ones together, so we started the session capturing those portraits. Then when C drifted off to sleep she made her own debut. Mom loved finally being able to use all of the girly props and tutus this time around and I love the way those sweet sets turned out! Enjoy your sneak peek!

Awake and handsome. Newborn baby R!

heidi — Tue, 08 May 2012 14:55:14 +0000

Adorable baby R was approaching 3 weeks old at the time of our session. Like most babies at this age, he started our time together wide awake and wanting to eat, eat, and eat a little more! Newborns always call the shots at our sessions so we went with the flow, feeding and cuddling and taking some beautiful family portraits. I love the portrait of him in the nest with the beautiful hand-knit cocoon that mom and dad brought along to the session. R had the most amazing eye contact and I think you’ll agree he is quite handsome whether awake or asleep! Finally, after all of that play time, baby R settled in to sleep in my arms. It’s always the best part of the job to snuggle a sweet baby until they fall asleep. Lately, I’ve even had a little shelf to hold them on with my growing bump! Once R was asleep we created portraits with all of the classic sleepy poses, and R looked just as sweet dreaming away as he did playfully alert. Enjoy your sneak peek, we can’t wait to show you the rest!

Newborn Baby R | New England Newborn Photographer

heidi — Mon, 07 May 2012 18:00:45 +0000

Mariah, here! Heidi is off to the doctor for one of the last checkups before baby, so I’ll be guest-posting previews for her. It’s a blog takeover!

Baby R and his mom stopped by for a session last week, and he couldn’t have been more precious. He was born just in time- one of the last newborns to come to the studio before Heidi’s baby arrives!

Imagine getting this smiling special delivery at your doorstep? We’re smiling over here just looking at this! R was a champ through three sets, classic portraits, and snuggling with mom.

N family, congratulations, and enjoy your preview!

~Mariah

The H twins! | Rhode Island First Birthday Cakesmash

heidi — Mon, 07 May 2012 16:30:30 +0000

Mariah, here! Heidi is off to the doctor for one of the last checkups before baby, so I’ll be guest-posting previews for her. It’s a blog takeover!

S and C have been with Heidi Hope since they were in mom’s belly! As veteran clients should, they knew exactly what to do at the studio- smile, laugh, and be completely charming for the camera. We added a cake smash just for a challenge, and they didn’t miss a beat! Both loved the cake, and we loved the theme mom chose- rainbow ribbons and confetti to match their party.

H family, thanks for making us a part of the twins’ first year! Enjoy your preview!

~ Mariah

C Family Siblings | Rhode Island Family Photographer

heidi — Mon, 07 May 2012 16:00:37 +0000

Mariah, here! Heidi is off to the doctor for one of the last checkups before baby, so I’ll be guest-posting previews for her. It’s a blog takeover!

A, E, and little S were full of personality and sweetness at the studio last week. The girls had fun singing silly songs with us, and S just had fun running around the studio. When I say run, I mean RUN…he was fast, and strong! The girls actually had a hard time holding him back for this first shot!

The lavender ensemble mom picked out for their dressy look was spot-on. We love those little suspenders and tie, too! C family, enjoy your preview!

~ Mariah

The C Family | Rhode Island Outdoor Family Photography

heidi — Mon, 07 May 2012 09:00:49 +0000

All of my favorite sessions in one- family, toddler, and maternity! Roger Williams is now one of my favorite locations, too…it delivered beautiful light and flawless backdrops, as always. It took a little bit for the morning sun to warm up, but when it did, we had awesome t-shirt weather.

The C family chose a casual, classic wardrobe, and it matched their easygoing personalities perfectly. Mom wasn’t sure how little B would react to the camera, but we had him smiling and running around in no time. He loved tickling and kissing his ‘baby brother’, exploring the bridges, and talking to the resident ducks and geese.

C Family, hope you love the preview! Can’t wait for you to see the whole shoot.

~ Mariah