Edmonton Maternity & Newborn Photographer {Baby Harrison}

Happy spring. The birds singing, the warmer days, after a long winter during one of the hardest years it as been so great for my mental health to be outside a little bit more. Sadly COVID-19 is still a real health threat and life isn’t quite as back to normal as all of us hoped it would be. The good news is that vaccines are here and I will be booking my appointment as soon as I am able to; my husband who is a front line worker will be able to book his appointment very soon which will provide an extra layer of defence for our family. With the current restrictions in place I am thankfully still able to photographer your families and babies by appointment only. Unfortunately I will not be offering my Mother Day minis this year given the back to back nature of them aren’t safe.

The green grass will be here before we know it and my summer and fall dates are already starting to book up fast. Now is also the time to book your 2021 grad session - you can view all my available openings and book online using button below for all 2021 session dates. I am still booking newborn sessions so be sure to book in your second trimester to ensure I have an opening available. All session deposits are fully refundable in the event any further Alberta health restrictions prevent me from doing session. Due this April? I still have a couple openings left and April newborn sessions are $100 off. Thank you so much to everyone who has booked and has trusted me to safely photograph your family this year.

I met this beautiful family for Kaylee’s maternity session during the February cold snap. I got my studio all set up for maternity portraits and we shot her session in studio, except for a few quick shots outside. Kaylee looked absolutely stunning in two of my maternity gowns and I am now hooked to studio maternity sessions. I was thrilled to hear that little Harrison arrived safely just as the weather was warming up and I met him when he was 9 days old for an in home newborn session. Wide eyed and awake for most of the session, by the time I was ready to pose him for his portraits he was nice and sleepy for me. I am so happy to have the opportunity to capture Harrison’s first year, it’s so amazing how much babies grow and change over the course of just 12 months. Kaylee and Adam thank you so much for choosing me to capture this special time for your family. Wishing you all the best as a family of three. {K}

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Edmonton Maternity, Fresh 48 & Newborn Photographer {Baby Maxwell}

Well here we are almost one year with COVID. To say this pandemic has been devastating to my small business would be an understatement. My newborn session bookings have been the hardest hit, particularly with new parents. I’ve been blessed to safely capture newborns of many families that I know well, but I have sadly not met many first time parents this past year. Why? Because your are scared, plain and simple. It is not an easy time to bring a new baby into the world, I also understand that the pandemic has affected many of our financial livelihoods. This is heartbreaking for me, not only because it affects my business and income, but because I am a mom of three and I know how precious and fleeting the first weeks with your newborn baby are. It is hard to explain to new parents how special these first day with your baby is and how much love you will feel for this tiny human. So many fleeting moments not captured. Baby’s tiny details, your first family photo to send to family that miss you so much, the way a new dad looks at the mother of his first child. It truly breaks my heart.

I am so lucky that with the guidance of Alberta Health Services I am able to currently offer safe studio and in home newborn session appointments. Your family and newborn’s health and safety has always been my number one priority and something I’ve always taken very seriously. I am closely following all COVID safety protocols including social distancing when possible, wearing a mask and washing hands frequently. My studio and props are fully sanitized between sessions and I only book studio sessions every 48 hours to ensure that I can fully clean and sanitize space between bookings. I have a strict sick policy, which includes closely monitoring the health of my own family. Session deposits are fully refundable in the event a health order prevents me from doing your session. When booking you can rest assured that your family and newborn will be safe.

I am currently booking all 2021 newborns, and March & April newborn sessions are $100 off. I usually recommend booking your newborn session in your second trimester, but given the situation we are in, I have booked many sessions after baby has arrived. I usually like to also book sessions for when baby is 5-14 days old, but I understand you wanting to keep baby very safe and having them get their check up or first vaccinations before going out in public. I am happy to offer my newborn sessions for newborns up to 6 weeks old. Little Max is featured below and was 1 month old on his newborn session date - as you can see I can still capture some sweet family moments and swaddled up posed shots even at that age. Don’t miss this opportunity to capture this fleeting time.

Trinity is a dear friend of mine and it is hard to believe but we worked together at two different jobs back when we were young professionals, and now support each other as self employed small business owners. I’ve been so lucky to capture Trinity’s motherhood journey which started a few years ago when Oliver arrived, back when I could still safely shoot Fresh 48 sessions in hospital! This time around we had to get a little creative. After a gorgeous winter day for Trinity’s maternity session (which included being very patient waiting for a parking spot!) we did a “through the window” Fresh 48 session when little Maxwell arrived, my first session of 2021 that went better than I could have imagined. We waited until Max was 1 month old to do his studio newborn session and we practiced social distancing to stay as safe as possible. Maxwell was definitely happier swaddled up, but even at 1 month old I was happy with the variety of set ups I could get. Trinity & Hugh, thank you so much for choosing me to capture this special time. Wishing you all the best as a family of four. Here are most of the images this family chose, a beautiful collection of fleeting moments. Enjoy. Kelsie.

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Edmonton & Area Family Photographer {Choosing the best season for your family session}

Well I am back for my 6th year photographing beautiful Edmonton area families. I am so lucky to still see many of the same families year after year, a huge shout out the the amazing families that have already booked their 2021 session date. I absolutely love seeing your families every year and sessions naturally become easier and easier as we all get to know each other a bit better. While I am starting to transition my business more towards newborn photography, I am still offering family sessions to any Edmonton and area family looking for updated family photos. The good news is that once I have photographed your family once, you will always be able to book again, but at some point in the next year or two I plan on only taking new newborn clients. If I have photographed your family I want to remind you how much your referrals mean to me, if you have any friends of family looking for a newborn or family photographer I sincerely appreciate you sharing my info.

This year I have a couple new packages available for family sessions. My Heirloom package sessions are offered on Friday, Saturday or Sunday, are 1-2 hours and include 20 images of your choice. New this year I am also offering a Keepsake package which is offered weeknights only (Mon-Thurs), are 30-60 mins and include 12 images of your choice. Hopefully one of these packages works for your family.

Sessions all take place 1-2 hours before sunset. All sessions you can see on my updated website have been shot at this time, aka golden hour, and this is to ensure that your photos have the most gorgeous light, color and contrast that isn’t available mid-day. I know the thought of keeping your kids up 1-2 hours later than usual is scary, but trust me I will give you all the prep you need to make your session a success. My sessions are pretty laid back and fun and rarely do I get cranky kids I can’t get some genuine smiles out of.

Your photo delivery has also changed a bit in 2021. This year you will receive a soft proof gallery 2 weeks following your session. Soft proof means that your photos will be cropped and color corrected only. Once you place your order I will apply more hand edits, including skin retouching, and your final high resolution professionally retouched images will be delivered 3-5 days later via your private online gallery.

Choosing when you to book your session depends on many factors, including the season and look you want, what nights of the week work best, how late your kids and stay up. I hope the following images and tips help you choose the time of year that works best for your family. Don’t ever hesitate to reach out if your have any questions at all.

Winter Family Photos

Winter family session are offering in November only. The average temperature ranges between 0 and -6℃. The sunsets in November between 3-4pm which can be convenient for families with little ones who can’t handle staying up too late. All of my family sessions are within 1-2 hours of sunset and in winter we can get that beautiful golden light as early as 3pm in November. Temperature is usually the main reason for rescheduling as I tend to reschedule if it is really windy or if the temperature is below -8. Some of the reasons I love winter family sessions are the adorable array of touques I see on little ones or when families bring hot chocolate to share with each other during the session. There are also some amazing winter events in YEG that I would be happy to photograph your family at including the beautiful Ice Castles and Glow Edmonton; or we could hit up an Edmonton area rink for some skating or hockey themed family photos. In home sessions are also available this time of year, I’d be more than happy to come photograph your family baking Christmas cookies or snuggling up in front of the fire place. Snuggles to keep warm are what I love most and your kids will be more than happy to get nice and close during a winter family session. 

Spring Family and Graduation Sessions

Spring family sessions are offered in May to mid June. Weather can be fairly unpredictable (it snowed the year my daughter was born on May 7th and then 30 degrees on her first birthday!) but the average temperature ranges between 15-21℃. The days get a bit longer but no too long for little ones. Sessions will take place between 7pm in May to 8:00pm in early June. Some of the reasons I love spring family sessions is the light - I always seem to catch the most beautiful light this time of year. Plus- no bugs! The mosquitos don’t generally get bad before late May, but spring brings the beauty of summer with green grass and cherry blossoms by mid to late May. Spring is also the perfect time for grad sessions; I can capture the new grad the afternoon of graduation between the ceremony and banquet or the week or two before or after. Book your graduation session today by contacting me directly, spots are already booking up. 

Summer Family Sessions

Summer family sessions take place between mid-June and August. This short and sweet season can see temperatures between an average of 21-23℃ with spikes a lot warmer. Thunderstorms are the main reason for rescheduling. Summer days are long! On the longest day of the year in late June the sun doesn’t set until after 10pm. Session times will range between 8:30pm in June down to 7:30pm in late August. This can seem alarming to some families who’s kids are in bed by 7 (like mine!) but trust me, our session will be so fun and action packed that any kid can handle one later than usual bedtime - Don’t worry! I will also be sure to prepare you for this later session with my family prep guide that I send to every family when they book a session. I love summer family sessions! Everything is green, flowers are bloomed and we can dip our toes in the water in some locations. I find dressing for a summer family session a bit more laid back too (not as many layers and kids can even go bare feet!). I would love to go berry picking with your family ( I know a couple good wild spots) or even photograph you amongst the big blue sky and canola fields in mid to late July. The main con - mosquitos! I carry a good supply of repellent to every session and tend to avoid areas where they are particularly bad; you can definitely prepare for mosquitos but it is something to keep in mind if you have little ones who are really bothered by them. Families also tend to gather this time of year, so if you are looking at booking an extended family session book a date when every one is home. Overall summer is a very popular season for family photography for good reason, book early to avoid missing out!

Fall Family Sessions

Last but definitely not least - Fall. The ever popular fall family sessions take place between very late August to early November (if we are lucky - as we saw in 2018 fall can turn to winter very fast!). Temperatures are sweater weather nice with an average temperature that trends down from 17 to 0℃. Days start to get shorter which means earlier session times ranging between 7pm in late August to 5pm in November (prior to day lights savings), perfect for little ones. Cancellations are generally rare except for very cold days. The beautiful fall colors are the main draw, but they are honestly fairly unpredictable. My suggestion would be early to book between mid-September until early October - that would be the best bet in an average year. These session dates book up fast! In 2020 my fall was fully booked by April. What don’t I love about fall sessions! Bugs are generally gone, weather is fair and the warm tones really suit my editing style the best; mostly I love that I usually get to see the same beautiful families year after year. Book now - some dates are already booked!

I hope that this helps you decide when the best time is for your 2021 family session! It’s going to be an amazing year, I hope you will join me! 

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{Hello 2021} Edmonton Newborn | Maternity | Fresh 48 | Family Photographer

Ahhhh deep breath….I’m back and ready to put 2020 and the hardest year for my business behind me and start 2021 with fresh goals, fresh ideas, more confidence and hopefully a lot more newborn babies. First things first - A brand new website! And with that brand new packages for family, newborn, maternity, fresh 48 and baby sessions that I am sure you’ll love. 2021 family session dates are also now available for online booking - book now and get the date that works best for you. All images on the site are from the past year and a half - I felt that I have grown so much as a photographer in the past year and a half and wanted to show you the work that is the best reflection of what you will receive when you book a session with me.

2020 was going to be the year I grew more than ever, photographed the most babies, and did more studio sessions than ever before. Then COVID hit and we all know what that has affected so many lives and so many small businesses. Your family’s health and safety has always been my number one priority, and as hard as it is I will continue to follow all AHS guidelines which currently only allow me to photograph families outdoor or in studio. Crossing my fingers that restrictions will be eased on January 23rd and I will be able to get back to my in home newborn sessions.

When you book any session this year you can rest assured that your deposit will be transferred in the event a health order prevents me from doing your session. In studio I am currently following all orders which include wearing a mask and washing hands frequently. I also have an awesome disinfectant fogger from a fantastic local business Maverick Fire and Safety that I use before and after every session to clean and disinfect all spaces and surfaces clients come in contact with. As always, newborn props, wraps and backdrop are always washed before and after any newborn session. I allow 24 hours between each booking and always require clients to reschedule if an immediate family member is sick.

I’ve made some exciting changes to my studio as well, including new studio lighting and a more comfortable seating area for parents. I can’t wait to shoot more newborns, sitters and cake smash sessions this year.

Thank you so much to everyone who continues to support and trust me to capture your family safely. I am so passionate about capturing your memories and hope that you will take me a long for a ride with your family this year. Please check out my new website and packages and don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions at all. Together we will get through this all and I hope all of our sacrifices pay off soon and we can all get back to doing the things we love very soon.

Please enjoy some off my favorites below from 2020

Kelsie

Edmonton Maternity & Newborn Photographer {Baby Kensingnton}

Well with freezing temps this week it looks like the beautiful fall weather has finally come to an end. I have a few more family sessions to shoot and I will be in touch with each family with the option to shoot in studio or home if it does end up to be too cold to shoot your session outside. Crossing my fingers this means that we will have lots of snow for winter family mini sessions coming up on November 15. My 2020 family session dates are officially fully booked but you can still book winter minis or studio Christmas Portrait minis online now.

Now that my busy fall rush is coming to an end I will have a bit more time to catch up on some blog posts that I didn’t get to this past year. Before COVID hit I was photographing so many newborns that I didn’t have time to feature them all. Hope you enjoy all the adorable squishy newborn goodness coming your way.

I’ve known this beautiful family for a few years now after meeting them when big brother Maverick was born. Miss Kensington arrived just before Christmas and was my last newborn session before enjoying the holidays with my family. Hard to believe a year has almost past and I will be shooting her 1st birthday session soon. 10 lbs. of pure adorable squish, Kensington was an angel for her session and so full of adorable gassy grins. Michelle & Christopher thank you so much for choosing me to be your family photographer, it has been wonderful getting to know you all and watch your family grow.