They drove through the night and arrived in the wee hours of the morning. My sister in-law and her family – who I rarely get to see because of the distance between us – visited for a few days before they continued north for Christmas. It is hard to believe but it was the first time I was able to meet my niece Elia. All of the trips we planned to go down had fallen through, and it meant I was way overdue to take some photos of her.

I photographed her around the house and got a few snapshots of daily activity, and went outside to capture a more simple portrait. She was fast, not quite walking but on the brink and as expressive as ever. I know it will be a while until I see her next and she will have changed so much, but I’m glad the family will have these photos to remember her at this stage. I think she’s just a doll.

For those of you who have little ones, or like me have the chance to visit them over the holidays, I thought I’d share my approach to documenting family at home. It’s so fun to have a collection of family photos to look back on, but it is not always easy to capture them. Before I tell you my rules of thumb, I should mention there are general rules of composition that influence every image. This includes: balance, color, rhythm, symmetry, flow and all of the other traits that can be applied to any visual work. Of course, I don’t stop and think of each of those items, but after studying art and training myself to think visually I would like to say it has become second nature. To simplify this for you, familiarize yourself with the rule of thirds if you aren’t already, and that will get you off to a good start with image composition.

If I didn’t lose you after that long-winded paragraph, here is my advice in three easy points to get you started on taking some killer family pics in the next few weeks

1. Use Natural Light! Use Natural Light! I’m guessing you don’t have a full lighting studio in your basement… but if you do, congrats you can skip to the next step.

Natural light is a great option because there is no extra equipment and it’s the most flattering (lightbulbs = different colors of light = strange skin tones). The easiest way to find natural light inside is to head to a window. You don’t want direct sunlight pouring through a window, but a soft generous light that fills the space. Don’t have a window low enough? Open a door or use a chair to make sure your subject is in the light. Above are two pictures illustrating the advantage of a subject facing in vs. away from the light source. The biggest different here are the lack of catch lights (the bright sparkle in the eye) in the image on the right. They bring the eyes to life and add depth to an image, so it is obvious when they are missing. While I love Elia with her little tongue sticking out on the right, her eyes are dark (aka. not facing the light source aka window) and the image lacks a vibrancy seen on the left.

2. Patience + Perspective go hand in hand.

Letting the picture come to you rather than forcing it to happen through desperate shouts to smile and say cheese takes patience. Plus, I don’t like the camera monsters formed when children are trained to respond to such behavior. While you are waiting for the right moment or allowing your subject to feel comfortable with the camera I like to try different perspectives. Elia pulled herself up and down while standing at the window seat and was clearly focused on squats and lunges instead of paying attention to what I was doing. No problem – I shot from above to capture her delicate eyelashes, tiny fingers and swirl of hair – details of life at this age that will quickly change as she grows.

3. Be Happy. I’m a big believer in keeping photos fun, so if that means letting the baby hold the rubber duck while they sit so they stay happy, go for it. If you are patient and willing to not push for photos but let them come to you then you will get the right shots. Sometimes this also means using your camera as a prop to play peek-a-boo or shooting from the hip (look mom no hands eyes!) so that you cross the barrier the camera can create between your subject. Also, don’t be afraid to take breaks, walk away and come back later when the time is right.

There you have it. Dust off those camera manuals and read up on shooting in manual, aperture or shutter priority so that you can start to make the camera do what you want. I hope that was pared down enough to give you a good start but with enough content to make it worth while! Happy Photographing

Greta loved sitting on this bench over at my house. She did not like when Jasper + Lexi barked… but she doesn’t seem too upset. Adorable

I could just stop and stare, and look at these pictures in amazement of this little newborn baby and the fact that his parents are some of my best friends. I photographed him last week and meet him for the first time at just nine days old. He’s small but he packs a punch, as his mom likes to say.

Mom.

When I first met Sarah nine years ago at cross country preseason as a freshman in college we were far away from becoming moms. I knew we were going to be good friends within a few conversations and I think she did too, after she got over the fact that I was wearing tall socks when we met. (it was cool in high school what can I say). Nine years later Sarah is one of my best friends and has been close by through my adventure of starting a business, always willing to offer advice, listening ear and encouragement which has meant so much to me. I can’t wait to be there for Sarah as she takes on a new role as a mom to little Kingsley, who is adorable beyond words.

Sarah, a graphic designer, has a penchant for type and made the focal point of the nursery a large, lowercase, helvetica k. I think it was a good move and love the use of red through out the room. Sarah bought both the K + mobile on etsy: the k from : hindsvik and the cloud mobile from : babyjives.

Gabi has grown so much since I last saw her. I photographed her as a newborn and now almost a year later she’s turning into quite the little girl. Loads of personality, she smiled and laughed as her grandma entertained and wasn’t afraid to show her displeasure at standing on the grass. She was wonderful to photograph and I don’t know how you can resist her cute little grin! Gabriella, you are one sweet little girl.

This baby is adorable. One challenge with photographing between newborn and six months (or whenever they start to sit on their own) is that there is a limited amount of things they can do. However, it’s during this time that they start to be so much more expressive and responsive which is so much fun to photograph.

I think this set of four should be printed and framed together, don’t you? Look at that smile – it’s no surprise since he has such great parents

So glad it worked out to do this session yesterday and I can’t wait to photograph him again when he’s older!

I love paper goods. Delicate cards, notes, letters and the like entice me in a way I can’t describe. During my time working solely as a graphic designer I indulged in learning about the details and differences in paper (and there are many) and loved the projects that allowed me to try something new. I would pull out some of the paper sample books and flip through them and loved receiving the promo pieces the companies would send out. If I can count that as a perk of being a graphic designer, I would. It’s the little things, right?

Now that I don’t work regularly as a designer I have just a few printed projects that I work on. I love to combine photos and typography to create the perfect card. I order all of my cards through WHCC who does a great job with the printing and offers several paper options – including the pearl paper that you see in these photos of this baby announcement. It has a slight sheen and a warmer tone that (like a good frame) can bring out the best in the each image.

It was a surprise. Giuliana’s parent’s did not know I would be photographing her until they were given a session as a gift at their baby shower. I love to meet the friends and family of clients and it is always an honor when they refer me on… and this was such a situation. Last week I met the cousin of my past bride, Molly, in her Rochester home and photographed her new baby girl!

Little Giuliana was and absolute dream, and her dad worked some kind of magic to put her sounds asleep for some of the photos. I hope you enjoy this look into one of the first of many days of her life…

probably not quite ready to sit up, but with the help of mom she can try… we didn’t make her try that long with a face like that, however. There’s something about the picture that make me want to include it despite the discontent.

beautiful. I’m sure she’s going to grow up to be quite the girl.

A sleeping baby is a beautiful thing. I’m sure all of you parents out there would agree and have been through more sleepless nights that you want to count. In a way I think it makes this image even more beautiful. I photographed baby G yesterday in Rochester and she was not only adorable but easy to work with. I couldn’t have asked for more and can’t wait to post the rest.

If you are interested in scheduling a newborn session send me an email : hello at marydougherty dot net for availability and package details and I would love to hear from you.

Something special happens with the addition of a baby. A family changes and grows as it welcomes a new member and it doesn’t take long until you can’t remember what life was like before. You take on new roles, change your routine, and in a way it’s a reminder that you’re a part of something bigger, that life isn’t just about you but about those around you.

Last week I drove up to Rochester to the home of the G family and documented their beautiful new baby girl named Charlotte. While I was there, I was able to witness the interaction between a family and photograph not only her but the people around her. It’s those interactions and exchanges that take place between family members that often go undocumented or overlooked. They may sound ordinary – like a father holding his daughter, a mother quieting a cry, or a little girl holding her sister – but they are not. They are moments from a time in their lives that they will always remember… when they went from 3 to 4.

I sincerely mean it when I say it’s been a pleasure to photograph this family for the third time. I love watching them grow and documenting their lives while also getting to know them personally. So thank you for inviting me in to your lives and here’s a glimpse of their family:

Norah is the best big sister you could ask for. It’s amazing how quickly a bond between sisters can form and I think these two will be inseparable.

love baby details. so much changes in the first few months you have to document it before it’s gone

I can’t help but love Charlotte’s sad face, but don’t worry it didn’t last long – she has two amazing parents to take care of her.

there really isn’t anything else like a new baby. I photographed this beautiful two week old yesterday along with her family and look forward to posting the rest later this week. enjoy the preview for now!