• the watermelon was a boy and his name is felix. •

first and foremost, thank you SO much for all of the wonderful comments and emails i received about design aglow, and the maternity slideshow i posted. i was completely, staggeringly overwhelmed by all of it! i feel really, really lucky and grateful and just have to say thank you. the support i get here on my blog surprises me all the time.

onto felix!

this is the first time i have photographed a newborn where i just let everything i have ever seen or thought about newborn photography fall away. i was anxious about a slew of newborns i had in june and july, feeling uninspired and like i couldnt do what they deserved, and a friend told me to just do it my way and not worry about it. so thats what i tried to do. i walked in to photograph felix with my big pillow, my heating pad, and a sock monkey. but without any preconceived notions of what i should do.

when i walked in, this is what i saw. a gorgeous little boy all sacked out in his mommas lap.

we chatted for a bit about his birth, how they were all doing as a new family, and then since he was asleep, i set him up on my big pillow, on top of my heating pad and his blanket. i just shot what he did, without moving him around too much. i love these.

then tia chris and tia sandra showed up (auntie chris is my website designer) so i had to get a photo of them totally enraptured.

i asked, “how is the light in your bedroom?” “oh, horrible.” mom said. um, kathy, i think you were not quite right…


and that, is alex, kathy, and felix.

and here is the sock monkey.

xo

tara

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99 Comments

  1. Thank you! I am a photography hobbbyist and I have done newborn shoots for my friends. Same ol’ Same ol’ baby curled up on black background etc. etc., blah blah blah, and I am bored each time—it never felt like I took the shots. I’m pregnant and due in September and was trying to think of a different angle for newborn shoots—and this is exactly what I love and want for my own shots–way to break the mold.

  2. There are no words! I am not a poster…but a multiple time a day BLOG checker. After a lump in my throat and tears in my yes…I had to post! You are freakishly talented. NEVER do it any other way then your way. Your work, thoughts and honesty on your BLOG are so inspiring. You rock!

  3. I cannot describe how awesome I think you are as an artist – boy I so want to be more like you. These pictures are just AMAZING, they brought tears to my eyes. I am in awe of your talent. Thank you so much for sharing so much of it with me (I should probably say us, the blog stalkers). I don’t comment very often, but you inspire me so much, looking at your pictures make me want to try harder, be better, and give more and I just wanted to say thank you!

  4. i’m usually an adoring lurker, but i thought you should know that these gorgeous photos made me cry. they are perfect. these are the photos i wish i had taken of my two girlies. you are amazing.

  5. awesome, awesome, awesome
    your work is inspiring
    i loved the story of how you just took classes and starting shooting, shooting, shooting …
    that is my dream
    perhaps maybe i will have the courage to follow it now …
    best wishes to you!

  6. You have an amazing gift!! I about came to tears over this pictures, and I don’t even know you or this little angel!! Congrats to the new family, and thank you for sharing them!!

  7. Oh, Tara. I hang out WAY too much with other photographers who are amazing and brilliant … our styles are completely different and I have been hatin’ on myself of late, wishing I saw things the way they do. I normally love to just keep it simple and pure … shoot what I see. Thank you for the reminder that simple can be beautiful. These are gorgeous and real, and I love, love, love them.

  8. Posts like this need warnings for mothers who haven’t fulfilled their desire to have children. These were absolutely stunning, sweet and I am ready for my fourth now. lol

  9. Tara~ Love them all especially the one in the bedroom just his feet. I can never get feet in focus with newborns. He must have been really out! Love that you just let it happen. Felix is so stinkin’ adorable.

  10. I’ve never commented before but I have to on this post (at the risk of sounding incredibly redundant given the 80 comments before mine)…

    These are the best newborn pics I have ever seen. I hate how all newborn pics are posed and look exactly the same. You have an AMAZING gift.

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