the first days.

there is something about photographing a newborn. so fresh and new. so innocent.
the way they make little noises, the way they smell so sweet.
here is baby A. i could snuggle newborns forever.

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Nancy - What amazing lifestyle images!! This is such beautiful work of a beautiful family. Love their style…the swaddle blanket, the crib sheet, the chair. Love!!

Ann - Such a precious collection of images! The image of the sweet babe smiling in the crib is priceless!! :)

Lisa (Tout Petit Pixel) - So sweet and real :)

Megan - So, so sweet! I love the quilt that you used in the photos. They will love these!!

JennyO - Oh my goodness, so gorgeous! I love that you captured them in their own home and environment.

Jennifer witt - So cute! I love the bonnet and the quilt!

Rebekah - Love them all! Thanks again, Rachael!

Sarah C - What sweet images and such a gorgeous family!

Danielle - Rachael these are amazingly beautiful. What a great series of photos. I’m sure the family will love these.

Kerri - Beautiful family and session!

Hélène - What a great lifestyle session. Beautiful family!

Jo Clark - Oh I LOVE lifestyle newborn images and yours are especially wonderful. You captured the stage of this baby’s life and surroundings perfectly!

Sarah - Wow I love the crib shot with the sun…so pretty! Way to get the new baby love with creativity.

Anna - Beautiful session!! She is precious, and I love the variety in these photos!! The photo of her smiling melts my heart, so adorable!

Christy F - These are perfection, especially the series on the quilt! Beautiful!!!!

Julia - These are beautiful. I LOVE the first few shots with the quilt- great colors! They are all such sweet images.

Sandy - Beautiful – I love lifestyle photography with newborns, and these are nothing short of amazing, a beautiful family.

Robin - These are beautiful lifestyle newborn images, I love how you captured the light in these! Nice work!

Jenn Jones - Rachael, these are beyond gorgeous! I absolutely LOVE lifestyle newborn sessions. You did such a fantastic job. Gorgeous family.

SimonaN - Great captures – love the one with the baby’s legs/feet. :-)

stacey - So tiny and so precious. The quilt is beautiful and I am so taken by the second photograph! The photos with Baby A in the crib are fantastic! Congrats to the family!!!

Gina Wade - LOL- what great pictures. That family picture with the dog is priceless!

AshleyS - beautiful job–love the one of the light falling across the crib. :)

Christy Harper - beautiful images. I love the first one :0

Andrea - Wow- these are awesome! i love your style!

kelly garvey - love that blanket! love your lighting!

Melissa D. - Love these, especially the ones on the quilt!!

Susy - Beautiful lifestyle session! Great job!

mothers.

i recently asked my mom to pull out all the photos of just her and i from when i was under the age of 2. she came back with 6 photographs and said “you know, i was the one generally taking the pictures.”
as mothers, we often don’t want to be in the picture (believe me! been there!). there are so few images of me and my children together that aren’t cell phone images. partially because of self image issues, partially because as a photographer people want you to take the pictures! we get caught up in our daily to-do’s and things like taking a picture WITH our children just doesn’t seem to be a top priority in the day to day task.
thinking of this from a child point of view, what if something happened to my mother? photographs are all we would have to visually see that person who cared for us from our first breath of life. these images are so important, yet so often brushed off to the side as an after thought.
your kids don’t care if you’re too fat or too thin. no makeup or messed up hair. they see you as you every day of their life, and they still love you for it.
as women, we need to look past the surface and go deeper into the connection and bond we share with our kids. in the end, it is all they will remember.


in honor of mothers day, i am doing free (yes, you read that correctly!) very mini sessions. they will be held in loose park in kansas city missouri. i am asking people to come on a first come first serve basis between 6pm-8pm the evening of sunday may 13th. if there is great demand, i will set up time blocks for people to show up. please see this facebook event to “attend” and leave any thoughts you have on the messaging area.
you will receive two digital downloads of you and your children, or you and your mother for free.
all i ask is you consider bringing a monetary donation that will be given too the american widow project. this non-profit organization is for a “new generation of military widows” as 6500 service members have died since 2001, and over half of those members left behind a spouse. donations go to help fund their website, events, scholarships and grants, and education like DVD’s for military widows.
this is a truly amazing organization that is headed up by the very women them aim to help, widows of the recent wars. $1 or $10, anything helps.
100% of the donations will be given to AWP. more information on AWP will be at the mini sessions, should you choose to read more about this amazing group.


the american widow project

mini session rules
-session will take no longer than 10 minutes
-must be a mom with her children, or an adult child with your adult mother
-images will only be taken WITH the mothers in them. no kid only shoots.
-no dads. sorry guys! (there will be a similar fathers day session)
-two digital files will be given via download chosen by the photographer.
-have fun & print your image! it looks better on your mantle, not your computer screen.
-there is nothing to purchase or to be purchased. you will receive your digital downloads no later that 1 week after mothers day and that is it!
-again, this is the facebook event invite that you MUST click “attend” if you are going to show up.
https://www.facebook.com/events/432314500118932/

to show you that i am taking my own advice, here are some photographs of me and my children, take on easter sunday. and yes, i am pregnant! holden henry will be here (god willing) august 1.

modern lifestyle photographer (wedding & children)

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Kellie - What a great opportunity! I’d totally take you up on it if I was local, my poor kids are going to wonder if I was around at all when they were growing up since I’m in so few photos.

Nikki - What a neat opportunity to honor mothers! I absolutely love these photos, too…

Amber - What a great way to give back. Everything you wrote is so true!!

Kerri - What a wonderful idea, Rachael. I know all to well how difficult it is to get in front of the camera!

Robin - Great images to cherish forever! Also a good reminder to have more photos with your own children. You look beautiful!

Krista Lund - love this post!
we are due around the same time. me EDD is 8/7. with a boy too!!

Melany - I love this post <3 So sweet!

Jennifer - First of all, you are beautiful and look stunning pregnant AND I love the name :) Also, I love your idea. I need to be better about handing the camera over. I almost only have pics of me and my boys from our annual fall photos.

julia - What a fantastic idea and offer! You are SO right- moms need to get in the “family” photos too! And you are making that possible! :)

Brit - just absolutely wonderful!

amy - oh what an incredible idea– i know i struggle with opportunities to take photos with my kids. invisible mommy-photogs no more! you are one gorgeous preggo lady, btw!

Jess Cadena - You look so beautiful Rachael! Love your dress<3 I'm right there with you, us moms need to jump in as much as we can!

Megan - How sweet!! What a cool opportunity :)

Reena - Your post really hit home with me; I am never in the photos with my children….I need to do this more often. Congrats on the new baby (when he gets here!) How exciting!

AshleyS - beautiful post–love the one of you and your kids. such a generous offer for the mini-sessions! I hope you get a great response!

Jessica Price - Excellent!

Jessica - Love this… so great to see you in front of the camera too :)

Beira - What an amazing project! This is so generous of you and yet, so important for the mothers. I hope you have a fabulous day! You look awesome

Jen Cooke - You look beautiful Rachael! You have inspired me to get in front of the camera more :)

Ilona - Great idea! Great photos!

kelly garvey - aww this is so neat

lifestyle newborn

i showed up to this session with nothing but my camera and myself. im so lucky to have beautiful people to photograph week to week! speaking of luck, met Kale.
Kale was born the evening of St. Patricks Day, totally surprising his whole family! he is a sweet little 6 day old who loves to cuddle.
Deanna, you’re gorgeous and make every new mother jealous!

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Gilbert Arizona Newborn Baby Photographer - awww…such adorable pictures!

Deanna - Rachel, I can’t thank you enough for doing these! We absolutely love them! You were so wonderful to work with and I appreciate you being patient while Haven jumped around!

amy - these are absolutely adorable! love love love the shot of the two of them on the bed. beautiful!

Monica Wilkinson - these rock my socks off!! Your lifestyle shots are so beautiful!

Katie W - I love them all but especially #4!

Tanzyn - WOW that mother is stunning!! Excellent photos!

Jo Clark - These are SO stunning…everything about them. My favorites are mom’s intense gaze and the one of the blanket curled up off the edge of the image. Gorgeous, gorgeous family and captures!

Lacey - Adorable baby and this mama is GORGEOUS!

Mikki - Beautiful family!! Love the one of big brother with baby. :)

Trudie - So gorgeous. I love all of these.

tamara - beautiful! love the one of the boys together. beautiful family.

Megan - Absolutely gorgeous! What a stunning mother :)

Tori - Gorgeous! Mom’s eyes are incredible.

Karyn - Just Love the second! Beautiful!

gena - These are beautiful. Everyone is absolutely just gorgeous.

Laura A - Absolutely stunning. The family will treasure them!

Janice - Everything about these photos is wonderful! Great work :)

Beira - Beautiful job!

Lisa (Tout Petit Pixel) - Oh I love the moments you captured… and this mama’s eyes are just mesmerizing!!

Katherine Durham - Gorgeous!!! I love each and every one of these!

Shawna Shenette - Gorgeous momma, and beautiful shots of her and her babies. Great work!

Robin - These are beautiful newborn portraits! I love the airy and clean look. Great job!

sara - what a gorgeous momma! these are beautiful, rachel! love lifestyle images :)

Elena - This is so great! I am so loving the lifestyle newborn approach! Lovely!

Gina Wade - WOW- the eyes on the mama and the beautiful kids… big brother is super sweet. Love them!

Julia - These images are beautiful! I love the shot of both little ones sleeping. So sweet!

Jes Gwozdz - So beautiful!

christina - just gorgeous, Rachael! I really love the moment captured in the first ♥

Jen Cooke - Beautiful!! What a gorgeous Momma!!

Hil C - Beautiful session! That second shot down with the two children – WOW!!

kelly garvey - love the lifestyle feel :)