This winter has been filled with snow days, family movies, snuggles, cooking, games, and books. After an insanely busy (and wonderful) fall, I allowed myself to relish the quiet season. I didn’t blog, I didn’t give my website the overhaul it needs, I didn’t do a bit of advertising or marketing…and it was simply wonderful. But, after a few months of actually sitting on the couch in the evening instead of at my computer, I’m ready to dive back in and get to work! I have lots of Spring sessions coming up when the snow eventually melts, so I thought I should finally finish up blogging the last of my fall sessions!
This little lady came to play on a gorgeous, colorful, fall day, and was fascinated by all of the bright leaves that fell around her! It was a bit chilly, but all it took were a few snuggles with mom to bring back that infectious smile.
If you are looking for a Methuen Baby Photographer, please contact Sarah Jordan Photography. Sarah Jordan is a lifestyle photographer serving the greater Boston area, specializing in photographing newborns, babies, families and children.
I photographed him BEFORE he was born, as a NEWBORN, then at THREE MONTHS, SIX MONTHS, NINE MONTHS and now a year. At each session, we made sure to embrace the beauty of the season – spring flowers, fall leaves, snowfall, the beach…I loved the way it all worked together, and can’t wait to see all of the images together in an album!
If you’re looking for a Salisbury MA Baby Photographer, please contact Sarah Jordan Photography. Sarah Jordan is a lifestyle photographer serving the greater Boston area, specializing in photographing newborns, babies, families and children.
As I saw down to catch up on blogging, I was a bit overwhelmed by how far behind I was. I haven’t even gone through the images from our family trip to Cape Cod last July, but for some reason I just couldn’t resist starting with my recent trip to Cali! I had an amazing girls’ week with my daughter, mother and sister in sunny (warm, gorgeous) Southern California. Of course we enjoyed the ocean breezes and sand in our toes, but it was truly all of the laughing, eating, walking, and shopping that made this such a fantastic week. Just looking through these images is helping me forget about the foot of snow currently outside my window. Well, almost…
And just for fun, here are a few iphone snaps from the trip!
This didn’t start as a Valentines Day photo shoot. Really, it didn’t. You see, Oliver wanted to hang up some paper hearts as decorations….and then I saw the tutu in her drawer as I was getting her dressed…and I just couldn’t resist. So this happened…
I distinctly remember photographing this beautiful little girl when she was just DAYS OLD. It was a hot, humid day, and my own morning sickness was in full swing. Holding, rocking and snuggling this little one made me even more excited to meet my new baby! Since then, I’ve followed along as baby girl grew into an active 6-month old, and now a beautiful, happy little toddler! I only hope that my daughter is half as cute in a few more months!
For a long time, I’ve wanted to offer a “watch me grow” package that captured babies at various milestones throughout their first year. I’m excited to say that I’ve finally found a way to make this happen – and parents are loving it! Families who book a Flat Rate package in 2014 are eligible for unlimited mini-sessions for the next year. These sessions are quick, fun, and a great way to document all of those important “firsts” – sitting, standing, walking, etc., along with a few “Mommy and me” or “Daddy and me” photos.
And since they don’t take long at all (the session below was done in just 10 minutes!) we can even bundle up and take advantage of that beautiful winter glow.
I’ve been lucky enough to follow this handsome little guy from the time he was in his MOMMY’S BELLY, then when he was FIRST BORN….and now he’s already 6-months old!
I didn’t plan on doing a 365 Project again this year. In fact, I had consciously decided against it. Taking a photo of my life every single day is rewarding, but can also be time consuming and at times stressful. So I entered 2013 with the intention of recording just one photo per week.
That plan lasted all of 2 days.
That’s how long it took me to realized that a 365 Project really doesn’t HAVE to be time consuming – or stressful! This year, I gave myself permission to miss a day here and there if inspiration didn’t strike. I also forced myself to let go of the notion that every image had to be photographically perfect. The goal was to capture images that reflected my family as they are right now – with true emotions, natural settings, and less time with Mommy behind the camera.
I’m proud to say that not only was this year’s project a success, but it was actually enjoyable! So much so that I’m going to continue daily photos for 2014, too.
This year was filled with so many amazing things that I want to remember forever – birthdays, recitals, my big baby belly, vacations, and, of course, a new family member! There were also lots of quiet, in-between moments that are somehow just as significant. Last year, I compiled all of my yearly images into a big album for my family to enjoy. That book has been well-loved this year, and I can’t wait to get the 2013 edition!
If you have a little time and want to see everything big, pretty and with background music, check out the full slideshow!
My baby. My love. My beautiful girl.
Julia is 9 months already, and time is moving in fast-forward. She’s growing bigger and more independent by the day – making me both incredibly proud and also a little sad. She crawls like a pro and is already trying her hardest to walk. I know it’s only a matter of time before she’s running around the house with her brothers, and she will realize that she doesn’t need to feel my heartbeat next to her 24/7. Until then, I’m clinging to those everyday moments that I treasure so much – the weight of her little body nestled up to mine as we sleep together in her rocking chair (her favorite way to rest), the sound of her belly laugh as she watches her brothers perform for her, the soft feeling of her little fingers curled around mine, and her beautiful smile. Her enormous, genuine, heart-melting, ever-present smile. No matter how big she gets, and how many challenges she faces, I hope she’ll march through life with that smile on her face.
Thanks so much to Holly Hess Baby Accessories in Scituate, MA for the beautiful baby bonnet! It’s hand-made, and even more gorgeous in person!
My sweet baby girl is sixth months old! Her smile is contagious, and her giggles make my heart swell. Watching my boys snuggle her, play with her, love her – I can’t think of anything more gratifying. Sometimes I wish time would slow down a bit, but the truth is that I have been soaking up every second of her babyness since the day we welcomed her into our family. The nice thing about motherhood the third time around is that I KNOW how fast this time will fly by, and I am much better at appreciating the little moments that are so easy to take for granted.
I’ve learned not to stress about the little things. She wants to snuggle all day? Ok with me! I didn’t really want to clean the house anyway 😉 She doesn’t like to sleep in her own crib? That’s ok – I love waking up to her warm breath and sweet smile cuddled in close to me! There is plenty of time for her to be a big girl. For now, she is my baby…and I know how fleeting this stage is.
I know I’m biased. I’m her Mama, so I can’t help it. But isn’t she just adorable?!
I love photographing three-month-olds, but it is always a lot easier to include Mom and/or Dad in the session since baby isn’t able to sit up on her own yet. Of course, for me, that’s a bit challenging since I’m always the one holding the camera! That’s why I’m incredibly lucky to have a friend who was willing to help me capture these images of me and my little girl – I’ll truly treasure them forever 🙂 Thank you, Casey!
Exactly one year ago today, I began the most intensive personal photography project I’ve ever attempted – a Project 365. For all of 2012, I captured one image a day that reflected something about my life. Most photos involved my two little boys, since, well, my life basically revolves around them 🙂 Of course, there were times that I wasn’t with them (like my sister’s wedding in Mexico!) and days when I chose to capture a different subject in my life, but looking at the completed project makes me acutely aware of the depth of my love for my family.
I’m not gonna lie – some days this project was just plain hard. There were days when it rained all day, the kids (or I) were sick, and it got to be 5pm before I remembered to drag out the camera bag. But then there were others where photo ops seemed to throw themselves at me all day long! Our family vacations, daytrips, days when the boys were happy and the sun was shining…it was often hard to choose just one image!
I learned a lot in the past year, and the lessons were not always related to photography. I learned to slow down and look around. To notice the little things – pockets of beauty where I least expect to find them. I learned the importance of capturing memories for my boys, since life can change in the blink of an eye. It’s already a bit hard to look back at the first few images of 2012 and remember just how dramatically they’ve grown in the past year.
Although I won’t be doing a Project 365 for 2013, I will continue to bring my camera wherever I can. Watching my boys as they viewed this year’s slideshow for the first time was absolutely wonderful. They laughed, squealed, and smiled as they relived the memories of 2012. In fact, they’ve been talking about our adventures for the past hour, and we are already planning out an amazing 2013. THAT is my inspiration. I will continue to shoot with their giggles, happiness, and love in mind.
For those of you curious (and patient enough) to watch my culminating project of 2012, I present to you….
**The slideshow will take a minute or two to load (more if you are viewing on a mobile device), so turn on your speakers, sit back, and wait for the show to begin!
Cindy says: Sarah,
I cant express how much I enjoyed watching the slide show. I watched it twice and I told David he couldn't jump in to view it half-way....he had to start at the very beginning. :-) You have a beautiful family and you and Simon really are blessed! I look forward to future editions of Project 365! It brought us a lot of joy! xo on 07.27.13 @ 12:56 pm
Although she’s a year older than the LAST TIME we played together, this little birthday girl still has the same beautiful smile, mesmerizing eyes, and a fabulously colorful personality…just like this session!
Ok, so I’m a little behind with last week’s post, but better late than never!
Last week’s images include:
*sledding for the first time at Grammy and Grampy’s house
*Enjoying some outdoor time with sticks and dirt
*Looking for W’s in Dragon books at the library (I know, random)
*Oliver’s new obsession: basketball
*Bonding with our fish, Pickup Truck
The weather was so mild for most of the week that I’m starting to wonder if winter will ever truly arrive this year!
Brandy says: SO excited this pic won, it's my fave of yours! Love the runners up too! And may I say, brilliant marketing idea on your part? So creative! on 02.1.12 @ 8:21 am
Casey says: Very exciting! Three of my favorite SJP pics made it to the top three! Looks like everyone has the same good taste :-) on 02.1.12 @ 9:53 am
Nana Chris says: Although I am a bit partial to the precious little boy and his sister :), the top three are all awesome pics along with the other entries. This was a lot of fun.......thanks for doing this, Sarah! You are one incredible photographer!!!! on 02.1.12 @ 2:39 pm
Today was the first day back to school, work and reality for our family. As much as I love the relaxed pace of holiday break, returning to normalcy in the new year is always a bit of a relief. So, as Hudson waved goodbye and ran to his teacher, I loaded Ollie into the car for a morning full of errands. As I dragged him in and out of offices at City Hall, the bank, and assorted other necessary stops, I heard the usual comments: “Oh, he’s so blonde! What a cutie!” “Such a good little boy!” And, upon hearing that I am a photographer, “You must have SO many photos of him! You’re going to treasure those when he grows up.”
That last one got me thinking. While I DO have tons of photos of both of my boys, I don’t know if I’ve always captured the things that I want to remember most. What DO I want to remember most? Hmmm…well, I want to remember how Hudson looks when he first wakes up. I want to remember how the boys sometimes hold hands as they fall asleep at night. I want to remember how Oliver is completely, thoroughly, utterly attached to his blanket (otherwise known as Be-Be). The things that have become so ingrained in our everyday lives that I barely give them a second thought. But one day, when Ollie finally cuts ties with his Be-Be (hopefully sometime well before he goes to college), I’ll want to have images to pull out and bring me back to this sweet time in our family.
So today, when Oliver got up from his nap, I pulled out my camera. As he snuggled and laughed and played, I snapped away. And I’ve been smiling ever since.
Project 365 | Sarah Jordan Photography says: [...] you saw my post from a few days ago, you know that I’ve been thinking about challenging myself to focus more on the [...] on 01.7.12 @ 2:11 pm
Cindy says: Sarah, I cant express how much I enjoyed watching the slide show. I watched it twice and I told David he couldn't jump in to view it half-way....he had to start at the very beginning. :-) You have a beautiful family and you and Simon really are blessed! I look forward to future editions of Project 365! It brought us a lot of joy! xo on 07.27.13 @ 12:56 pm