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
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.
Egads…This makes me want another baby! The shots are beautiful as is the subject. Wonderful!
OMG – I LOVE the one where he’s arching his back. And the backlit feet. So, SO beautiful.
tara i absolutely love these, you are my inspiration!!
Ah, thanks for finishing the love story you started in the slide show! What beautiful photos of a beautiful baby boy!! You’ve captured the love pouring out of his admirers too!
Oh, Tara…you are *such* a light! Natural, amazing, joyful, pure, simple…wow.
these are simply wonderful…love the color one of his feet and the arched, wrinkled back shot! still your fave lens here, the 24-70? tfs!!
these are adorable. Have you ever thought about doing work for Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep? You should chech out the website, and see if it’s something you can handle. NILMDTS.org
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!
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!
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.
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!
omg!!!! totally blown away. they are beautiful!!
Great pictures, Tara. I love the one of the back of his head and his fist.
wow. that is all I can say, wow. you gave them quite a gift, Tara. :-)
absolutely perfect. his parents will be overjoyed to have these in their books (or on their walls!) for years to come!!
you did perfect T.
the arched back shot is so unique and so “you” also you made my day with the sock monkey photo.
What a lovely follow-up photo shoot Tara. It’s so nice to see Felix “the little watermelon” on the outside of his beautiful mama’s tummy. You captured the essence of newborn sleeping so perfectly. Thanks for sharing. Hugs, Eva
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!!
Something tells me I’m gonna be your design beeyotch for, ohhhhh, about the next 18 years or so ;)
I can’t even tell you how mucho I looooove these!
Oh. Wow.
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.
love the sock monkey!
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
This is some of the best work I’ve seen from you. These newborn images are inspiring. Great work.
beautiful! such treasures
WOW Belle! What treasures these pictures are for this family. Love the sock monkey. LOL I absolutely love the bending backwards shot. You are the best! love ya and see you soon!
Lovely baby boy !!!
And lovely name !!!
FELIX means FELIZ (spanish) = HAPPY ( in english).
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.
Stunning, amazing pictures, thanks for sharing! Love, Tonia (a Tipsy Girl)
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.
two words… YOU ROCK
I have a Felix! And have never met another one. Just had to comment on the name{the pictures are aweSOME, too, but you’ve already heard that}.
:)
LOVE that last one, but these are ALL awesome!
one word. Perfection..
You can do anything.. just be .. YOU.
so very sweet!
These are SO amazing. Those feet on the bed are simply gorgeous. Love them all!
Now THAT is how you shoot a newborn!!! Finally! I get so tired of looking at all those staged newborn photos & ultimately, you can’t ‘see’ the newborn at all! Great job Tara!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
oh my gosh, these are the most stunning newborn shots I have quite possibly ever seen! I LOVE the shot of his little arched back with tiny baby wrinkles. Totally amazing1
Lovely work as usual! Your site is always so fun to visit. You really inspire me Tara!
these are so amazing I can’t even tell you tara. i LOVE them.
Aww he is the sweetest watermelon!!! love those tiny feet!
amazing, amazing. but my FAVORITE is the one where his little back is arched and you can see all those sweet newborn wrinkles.
LOVE it.
A heating pad? BRILLIANT!! Why didn’t I ever think of that? Beautiful, sensitive, heart-tugging pics as usual.
Tara Whitney, you are an amazing photographer. I wanna be like you!
Stunning b&w’s! Gorgeous bubba!
oh my goodness, tara!!!!! these are incredible. your soft bw conversion on these is absolutely STUNNING. i so want to sneak in on my sleeping baby and photograph her again. :)
not sure the last time just viewing photos made me cry…simply beautiful.
these are really great! forget any pre-planning! for you it works to go “with the flow”.
momma will have a hard time choosing!