Austin Lifestyle Family Photo Sessions Home: This family photo session once again reinforces why it is so awesome to have your pictures taken in your own home: because it’s so much easier on you!!! Especially when you have two very active twin boys and a precocious but very caring big sister! It was so great to just hang out and relax in their home, using their space, incorporating their things, taking breaks for the kiddos whenever needed. Snack time even turned into the perfect little photo vignette! Most importantly, a few years down the road when they’re out of the whirlwind of the busy, busy toddler stage and fun colorful toys are replaced with smaller, more expensive electronic devices, they are going to have photos like this that capture what their lives were like was when the kids were little…here’s where they played…here’s how they ate, etc. In fact, the images that I love most of my own family are ones that surprise me with unrealized gems when I least expect it: I’ll be flipping through some old files and one image will stop me in my tracks: oh, my word! I forgot how much my daughter used to LOVE this toy.

My favorite playtime image from this family session came right at the very beginning HERE.

Oh, and one more thing: check out how the brothers pulled off the SAME pose laying down on the bed totally on their own and not even in the same room together at the same time. Twin connection!

[Austin lifestyle newborn photo session at home]

I’m not sure if I ever told you this before, but the sessions that sometimes make me the most nervous are those for clients that I’ve worked with repeatedly before. Why? I’m always a bit scared about successfully raising the bar. I think most photographers can relate to this, actually. But, the wonderful part (and this probably outweighs the nerve-wracking part) is that I’ve been able to get to know them more and more over the years and we are certainly more comfortable working so closely together. Our photo session rhythm just comes more naturally and it feels effortless.

Plus, I got the chance to help create and carry on some tradition photos. A few years back when I photographed their newborn son, we incorporated a beautiful blue sari that was presented to mom as a means to celebrate the arrival of her first baby. This time, we were able to revisit those images with her daughter, but she is wrapped in the sari her mom wore on her wedding day.  Now that just gets me all kinds of choked up. In fact, I kept tearing up at the session imagining these very images sitting out somewhere on baby girl’s wedding day (many, many years from now). I. Love. Tradition. My personal fav is HERE.

She was as perfect little princess and her brother was very much the loving and protective prince that day. They are going to have so many wonderful times and adventures growing up together.

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Finally, I wanted to mention mom’s hair and make up. Now, she is STUNNING as it is already, but she is also smart in realizing that with a newborn baby AND a very active little boy to get ready for the session, it’s much easier to let someone else take care of getting herself done up. I cannot recommend enough (and ESPECIALLY for newborn sessions) to hire someone to handle your hair and makeup before your photo session. Trust me, it is such a burden released if you know you are not going to be facing a bad hair day. And, if you haven’t been sleeping for the past few weeks because you just had a baby, you’ve got someone who knows how to make sure you look refreshed but not overly made up Katie with Modern Muse Beauty  knows how to do just that and make moms look like brighter versions of themselves. Good teamwork, ladies! S…you truly looked all kinds of radiant!

I am so glad I had Katie come and help me do my hair and face before our session. As a new mom, it is very difficult to find the energy to do these things yourself.  Katie was prompt, fun to talk to, and made me feel a little more like my usual self, rather than an exhausted and sleep-deprived zombie. I feel she was a key player in making the newborn session successful. Plus, it was nice to have a little pampering! I would certainly recommend her to anyone, especially before a newborn session. 

Austin Lifestyle Newborn Photographer

I very much remember speaking with this mommy years ago just after she had her very first baby girl. I think my schedule was full at the time, but somehow, I managed to squeeze her in and it has been my honor to work with them every year since! Three girls now! Wow! I love “knowing” the girls well enough and for long enough to be able to see similarities and differences in their baby features. While taking these newborn images, I would have flashbacks to the other two sessions…”Oh, in this pose she looks like L. But with this expression, that’s just like T.” Even cooler than that, is having watched each of the two older girls take on the role of big sister, one at a time. Mom and dad should be very, very proud of how well these two have done in their new jobs and how much they ADORE their little sister. It is so heartwarming! When going through their images today, I literally had tears in my eyes, sharing in the joy that is so obvious with these girls and among their parents. And perhaps I was also a little wistful realizing how much their family has grown and changed in just a few short years. The passage of time, as cliché as it sounds, is so very bittersweet.

So welcome to the world, little one! You are the perfect blessing to your happy family and a beautiful soul.

(Don’t miss this sweet interaction between youngest and middle HERE ;-).

I did have a bit of deja vu coming back to do baby brother’s newborn photo session. Even though we were in a different house, the resemblance to his older brother as a newborn baby was just uncanny! The timing was pretty cool as I happened to show up during a visit from out of town grandparents. Love those side-by-side shots of dad+baby and grandad+baby. Again…those resemblances are uncanny! Baby brother was pretty much unfazed by anything we did that afternoon, lol. Love this shot of his little folded/tucked hand, too. I hope his mommy had a wonderful Mother’s Day snuggling with her two adorable sons!

I already knew these guys were awesome parents when I first worked with their family back when their eldest was a few months old. And now they are awesome parents to two sweet, beautiful little boys. I totally dig their style and laid-back nature. We had such a fun time at baby N’s newborn session…he made the cutest little faces! I love that we wore big bro out, too  ;-). Check out my FAV photo HERE and then my close 2nd HERE!

Side note: Clients and future clients – may I highly recommend getting a professional to do your hair/makeup for your photo session like this mommy did? Katie at Modern Muse Beauty does a fantastic job and honestly, it takes SO much pressure off of you before your session. Especially if you have small children…especially for a newborn session when you are trying so hard to get ready AND get a little one ready AND you are running on zero sleep. You can book her HERE – just select Pinkle Toes Session as the service needed and Katie will get in touch with you.

What? You don’t already follow me on Instagram? Well, you should because you never know what might happen on there. For example, back in December, as part of my 12 days of giveaways, I gave away some spring Mommy & Me wildflower mini sessions to some of my clients. And let me tell you, the wildflowers this year have been so amazing, it could NOT have been a better prize ;-). Beautiful mommies doing what they do, beautifully!

And now, all these years later, she teaches my little girl. I LOVE having a connection like that to someone! And it was so much fun to get to meet her family (especially her little boy who was born just before my own daughter). You guys are beautiful, Heather!

They drove in from Houston to do their session and we had big plans of working outside in colorful, downtown Austin. The weather, however, had plans of its own. Thank goodness they happened to be staying in the ultra fabulous W hotel and we were able to get permission to shoot in/around the hotel. We tried…we really tried to go outside for a few minutes. The wind that day was crazy and their beautiful spring clothes didn’t do much to save them from the chill so we had to move indoors. No matter. These guys are a pretty FUN family and we found plenty of ways to keep ourselves entertained even while in a little hotel room. Mom’s dress, by the way, um…LOVE! Also, HERE’s what every mom should do at least once with her children ;-).

…we tried to give him cake, lol! Oh, he was priceless, even when he was totally confused by the whole cake thing. Those bright, sparkly eyes and that charming smile…oh my…he’s a living doll! He has certainly blessed his parents with being one of coolest little dudes ever! It was an honor to celebrate your big-oh-one on your special, special day! Also, loved mom’s expert dodging of the cake at the end ;-). Too funny! (Another sailboat FAV!)

I feel like I’ve been with this family forever. We have certainly shared a lot of memories together over the past several years and it was an honor to help celebrate the 1 year birthday of their baby girl. For tradition’s sake, we revisited the same place we did big brother’s one year session, and even did a little bit of photo re-creation. Funny enough, I think it was just as cold as it was last time we were there, lol. And don’t miss this shot of speedy as she crawled up the stairs and out of sight, over and over and over again ;-). Oh, I do adore her!