Children’s Milestones Worth Documenting with Photography
One of the things I think about a lot as a parent, is not wanting to forget each amazing stage that my children go through. How they look, how it feels within our family, what they love, and what we do as a family.
Do you have favorite milestones you want to plan photo sessions for?
Here is a list of a few of my favorites milestones that are worth documenting with a photo session:
Newborn
(They say babies don't keep and it's true...they will look different when you receive your newborn gallery as they're just growing SO fast). Having photos done in the very fist 48 hours with a fresh 48/birth space photo session and then at your home in the first two weeks after birth are an amazing way to document this precious newborn time that is so fleeting. I have a friend who barely remembers her son’s newborn phase as she was just SO exhausted, and she wishes nothing more than that she had photos to look back on of her son’s first few weeks of life.
6 Months Old
When your baby has just learned to tripod sit up, smiles all the time, and loves everything and everybody. This is such a precious time in a baby’s life. They look SO different than their newborn selves, and are still so reliant on the adults in their life for all of their care. Documenting their growth and your relationship will create such special memories for you and your babe.
1 Year Old
Yeah, you get to mark that first birthday with a fun photo session! Some kids can already walk, some are just standing, but documenting that 1st birthday milestone (and survival as parents) is HUGE! There are so many creative ways to have a first birthday photo session, including balloons, a cake, a special outfit, including important family members and favorite loveys. Creating images that really capture the personality of your child when they turn One will be treasured photos for your child as they grow!
Annual Birthday Sessions
We have a tradition in our house of photographing my girls each blowing out their birthday candles in a dark room, AND holding a big number balloon and taking a fun portrait of them. These are things that we can incorporate into a family session or individual children’s portrait session. Having these annual images to track the passage of time is valuable for their sense of self and a fun tradition to add to your family’s birthday celebrations.
Annual Family Sessions
Be sure you mark your kids growth and celebrate YOUR family over time. As the years go by not only do our kids grow and change, but so do we as parents. Capturing our relationships within our family unit with annual photos is a treasured experience, and creates beautiful artwork for our homes as well.
The start of Kindergarten
I remember when my youngest turned five and then started Kindergarten, I thought to myself, how is this possible? How is she already out of the toddler stage and is now a young school student. The mark of the end of preschool/start of elementary school is an important age to document with photos.
When they've lost their front teeth!
If you’ve read my blog or social media posts over time, it’s no secret that I LOVE when kids have missing teeth at their photo session. This special tooth less smile only happens once, and the big teeth will have grown in before you know it. So, when that beautiful and unique toothless smile happens, reach out for a quick family or child focused session! You will never regret having artistic high quality portraits of your child’s smile during this milestone.
The end of elementary school/start of middle school transition
This is a phase that I’m currently in with one of my children, and as I look back over the elementary school years, I can’t believe how much she has grown…and how long ago those early elementary school photos were taken. As she makes this leap from Elementary school student to middle school student, I really want to give her a special tween photo session to document this time and celebrate who she is. This is a time that we can all celebrate with our children, and really build up their confidence and self esteem too, which is so crucial for kids of this age group.
When your family gets a new pet
Every time our family makeup changes, photos are a great way to document that phase. Not unlike having photos done during the newborn phase, or if you adopt a child, having a photography session when you bring home a new pet is a great idea. Puppies and kittens are SO cute to have in family photos, and they don’t stay little forever. And, when they are tiny they are much more amenable to being cuddled by each family member for photos.
When Your Kids, Nieces, and Nephews Are In Highschool
Having images to document the growth of our kids and their cousins is over the years is a gift to each family to hold onto for years.
These are just a few of my favorite family and child related milestones to document with photo sessions...what are yours? I'd love to hear in the comments!