We may be a little late, but hey, better late than never yeah? Maybe? When I first got my camera in 2017 I started a calendar of doing a photo every month of my oldest. And then at the end of the year, I would make a calendar for our family members for Christmas. This has been a tradition for years now, and it is one of my favorite things to do now. It makes taking photos of my girls a priority at least once a month, to make sure I have something for their calendars!
This family has been with me since their maternity session with their oldest and it is so much fun to watch their family grow. I have captured so many memories for them and I continue to just be in awe of their family and the beauty in which they all are. The boys are adorable and mom + dad never fail to showcase their love.
This year they booked a mini session during my VW Bus Fall Minis this year back in October and while I am tossing around releasing all my mini dates for next year soon, I wanted to touch base on an important topics and that is “Is 15 minutes enough with my 2+ kiddos?” and the answer will always be YES!
Now, I get it, as a mom of three myself sometimes its hard to imagine your kids being good for a session for 15 minutes and listening, BUT we move so fast through prompts and posing that they actually THRIVE in this environment. I find it harder with just one kid for a mini than a family with multiple kids.
I start the session with very posed everyone smile and look at me and then go from prompt to prompt to prompt and then end with mom + dad/partner. We move so fast through prompts that the kids dont really have time to be bored AND they see it as a game!
So if you like the set or the location and are hesitant to book, JUST DO IT! Because you will never know if you dont try and I promise at minimum, I will have a handful of usable images for you at the end! ;)
xoxox
Nina
I know I know, Its only December but now is the time when all my late spring and early summer mama’s are booking their maternity and newborn sessions, so now is the time to tell you if you wanted to book a bundle, now is the time! But also, if you want to do an outdoor newborn session for your lifestyle session, that is also 100% an option in the warmer months.
For an outdoor newborn session I treat this as a normal family session but with an itty tiny baby. This is perfect honestly if you have older siblings, so they can run and play and have a normal family session experience but also if its just you, your partner and the babe!
Clara’s session was one of my first outdoor newborn sessions last year and it really made me just want to do outdoor newborns all the time. It was so fun, big sis was able to be a toddler, mom and dad were able to just relax and I still got to capture a handful of posed, wrapped in a prop shots!
Why book an outdoor newborn? Because its not traditional, you dont need to clean your home or make sure everything is perfect. We dont have to book a studio so theres no studio fee AND its just nice to be outside!
Lets go!
xoxo,
NIna
I let me kiddos choose their birthday themes and every year and this year for my daughters 3rd she chose the green monster also known as the G r i n c h! It was absolutely adorable but I had such a hard time figuring out where to go for her photos because her birthday is at the end of January so most Holiday set ups were torn down already. So I just did a basic studio session with a plain background and photoshopped one!
So, Happy December 1st!
Can I bring my dogs to the session? YES! I love it when you bring your dogs because I realize they are part of the family too, especially if they are your kids! I have captured this family and their dogs almost every year for the past 4 or 5 years and in the process they have lost one dog and got a new one. I LOVE being able to capture these moments and memories especially when things like losses happen.
As long as the location will allow dogs, you are more than welcome to bring them! Just bring someone with you to take the dog or plan on tying them up at some point so we can focus on just the human family too!
xoxo
Nina
As you should know at this point, I let my kiddos choose their birthday themes every year and with that, I do a photoshoot for them to the theme that they have chosen. All my kids absolutely love this! This year my middle chose Gabby’s Dollhouse!
Until next year for her, but did you hear? I am doing a Black Fiday sale for Milestone sessions to capture a fun themed session for YOUR kiddo in 2025! Interested in booking? Fill out the contact form on my contact page!
xoxo
Nina
When Amanda reached out to me about her maternity + newborn session I was so excited to hear her story. Her entire story is not mine to tell, but just KNOWING that this person wants to have this baby so badly and is SO excited about it, is sometimes just such a good change of pace. The amount of couples that struggle with fertility is so high and when one of those couples finally conceives a baby, the entire mood and excitement and JOY around this baby is palpable.
I cannot wait to meet this baby when they are earthside next month!
xoxo
Nina
Did you know that I offer an in home newborn session option? I DO! I actually have 3! I offer an in home lifestyle newborn session where your family is the center focus with minimal interruptions by me and just allowing your family to be as is with a new bundle in the home.
I also offer a FULL newborn session - this is a studio experience in the comfort of your home! I bring everything to you and you just relax while I work with baby. Get ready while I take the first couple hours to just capture baby in an outfit, naked or wrapped and then end with family - more relaxed as we are in your home and not the studio.
And then finally, I offer a petite wrapped session. This session is a baby only session and what Ms. Alessia’s mom booked for her!
I sent mom my newborn questionnaire that tells me a couple colors you want me to use, which images are the most important, which prop preferences you have and which wood backdrops you prefer. I am able to bring “the studio” to you! The petite wrapped session is great if you just want to capture baby in this moment but dont want to spend a couple hours waiting for baby to be done. We capture about 2-3 wrapping techniques with 2-3 props, a flokati (rug) and I try to get a couple wrapped shots on the table as well if baby lets me!
This session overall time took about 2 hours. It took me about a half hour to set up and a half hour to pack back up and then about an hour with baby. This is such a good option if you want a studio feel but dont want to leave your house and dont want a full session just a couple images to capture how small your baby is.
xoxox
Nina
These two are some of my favorite sisters! And I ABSOLUTELY love how this black and white mini captured their little personalities. Sometimes with full color images you get lost in the clothes, the background etc but when you change an image to black and white it takes away so much of the distraction and really leaves you with raw emotion.
First up, little Miss Tessa! I have photographed this babe since she was a newborn - captured her entire first year and now I get to see her continually for family sessions and minis throughout the year. I LOVE being able to capture and watch your children grow, it is such an honor to be able to be brought into your lives to capture all the little moments that you keep and cherish forever.
Next we have big sis Willa! I have been photographing Willa since her first birthday and again, it has been so much fun watching these kids continue to grow and blossom into their own people. This is also a family that started off as clients and quickly became friends and these girls and my girls adore each other and its been so fun watching their relationships grow too.
Dont miss the change to capture their little personalities! I promise you they will change year to year!
xoxo,
Nina
One of my favorite things about family sessions, is that every single one of them is different. Even if I do similar poses and prompts, no two family sessions are ever the same. This was no exception. The more kiddos, the better and toddlers will forever be my jam. Bring me all your chaos!
I also always try and get a couple images of just mom and dad because without you, there would not be any kiddos.
xoxo
Nina
Is there anything better than just keeping it simple and allowing your family to just shine? No. The answer is no. Little Miss CeCe + her parents came to see me during a simple mini session and honestly, I just love the simplicity of the entire session. CeCe’s personality shines, you can see and focus on her and her smile and you can feel the love her parents have for her! Sometimes simple is better.
I mean, does it honestly get cuter than that?
xoxo,
Nina
Breanna (my make up artist) and I have been working together for a few years and her Halloween make up is top tier. 2 years ago we did skeleton family and witches and then last year we wanted to take a different turn and do something a little more family friendly, Alice in Wonderland, but from the live action with Johnny Depp!
I brainstormed and photographed the session while Breanna and her family modeled and she did their make up. Overall, we both were incredibly happy with the result!
xoxo
Nina
Our family has a recent obsession with The Nightmare Before Christmas movie and I am so bummed that I did not find it sooner. From the first time we watched the movie we were pretty obsessed; from the movie to the soundtrack. So this year while I was planning my content day for Halloween I knew that I needed to do a Jack and Sally.
I contact my MUA Breanna and we got to work planning and getting out models (Evan + Heather) prepared and ready.
Come the day of the photoshoot, it ended up being the perfect day. The models delivered on their outfits and 100% made it work and Breanna without fail knocked their make up out of the park and the location I chose worked really well for what we visioned for the session.
This is year 3 for Breanna and I being partners in a Halloween Content Day and I already cannot wait for next year!
Happy Halloween!
xxox,
Nina
Little Miss Olivia! I was able to watch Olivia grow over her first year with her BeanSprout Package! My BeanSprout package is a “My First Package” that includes a newborn, sitter (7M) and smash cake session. The Newborn session takes place at a studio or in your home, Olivia’s parents chose a studio for their session. For all my newborn sessions I ask my parents to choose a couple colors to incorporate and Olivia’s parents chose neutrals with a small pop of muted pink! And Olivia did sooo good!
Sitter sessions take place around 7M when baby is fully sitting unassisted! For these, I always recommend parents choose a similar color scheme as the sitter session so their overall galleries match as baby grows and images don’t look weird next to each other on their walls! Sitter sessions have 3 parts; wood backdrop in a basket, colored drop or white wood in a prop, and either another drop and outfit OR nakie with a layering piece.
Berry First Birthday for a theme to round out Miss Olivia’s first year. She was so happy and did sooo well! I tell my parents all the time if baby doesn’t cry thats a win, even if they dont smile. BUT we didnt have to worry about Olivia smiling - she really did so well.
So if you aren’t convinced yet to capture your child’s first year, I dont know what will. Is it an investment? yes. But will your baby be able to go back in time to capture these again? No!
xoxox
Nina
Hi! Im Nina! The owner and photographer here at Blue Stone Photography! I am so happy that you’re here! If you missed my about me page or you havent came across my social media pages WELCOME!
I have been in business for about 8 years now and have made the switch from posed studio sessions to more slow living and capturing your moments. I have been photographing my own family like this for years but I also went from being a sales photographer (products) to an all inclusive photographer (digital images are included in session fees). This switch was really hard to make but I also wanted to be authentic to myself and the way we live our lives.
We live a slower lifestyle - both my husband and I work for ourselves and we have 3 tiny humans that we homeschool. We spend most of our days at home or at the gym (socializing) and 3ish nights a week at our church. With having a slower lifestyle and a heart to slowly homestead, it just made sense to switch over my business to match me, because lets be honest here, I am my brand.
We want chickens but it hasnt happened yet but we do have a decent size garden in the backyard. Again, we homeschool and we make our bread as well as a lot of other basic necessities like granola bars, bagels and dinner rolls.
Making a switch to a slow living photography style just made sense so I can show up on social media and other platforms as myself without feeling like I couldnt share our sourdough journey, homeschooling life and everything else.
So this year, I really wanted to make sure I was real and authentic and raw when I booked our family session and a backyard session with smores the way to go. I am so happy with how these turned out and while we dont dress in nice clothes in the backyard, this is us. This is our real. This is how we spend a lot of summer nights - together, in the backyard with a fire and smores.
Want to capture your REAL and authentic family as you are? LETS GO! I am so ready! These are the moments your kids will remember and these are the moments you should remember too.
xox,
Nina
Mr. Luca - I have known his mama since we were kids! Our moms were very close friends and her and her twin brother were in the same grade as my little brother! When Gabbie reached out to me about capturing her newborn session I was sooo excited and honored… and when he came in, he did soooo good! And how adorable are his parents!?
Interested in booking a newborn session with me? Head over to my contact page and fill out the contact form! I cannot wait to talk to you about your session!
xoxo,
nina
Halloween has been one of my favorite holidays for as long as I can remember! I love everything about it. Spooky season, pumpkin flavored things, apple cider, pumpkin patches and apple picking!
Since becoming a photographer, I have been wanting to plan some sort of spooky season styled shoot for people and I had a vision for a little play on witches and with the launch of Hocus Pocus 2 last year, this was the perfect time!
Nichole, Nicole and Lynn did such a good job at listening to direction and making my vision come to life! Breanna, my make up artist, was amazing and killed their make up also!
Check out more and stay tuned for my styled shoot from this year - Alice in Wonderland theme!
Oh! We also did a skeleton family sesh last year, so set your alarms to see that next week Friday!
xoxo,
Nina
Lucas! The first image shows his personality in a nutshell. Some babies come into a smash cake session and they are PERFECT. They smile, they come right to me, they eat their cake, put their face in it and just LOVE the bathtub at the end. That was Lucas. But some babies need some more time to adjust to me and being in a new space. Some babies don’t like touching the cake, don’t like the taste of frosting or don’t like the fact that the bath is splashy. Babies are weird sometimes, and thats OKAY! BUT! If your child doesn’t cry, that is a WIN in my book! Why? Because we can try all the tricks in the book but babies will be babies. And while they may be super smiley and happy with you, that is not always the case during any of their sessions. So I try all the things and if your child doesn't cry, thats a win! They may not smash their face into their cake or smile for any of their images, but not crying and participating IS a win.
But that is not the case with Lucas, he was what every parent wants from their child during a cake smash session! Enjoy some of my favorite images from his session.
I am currently booking smash cake sessions into June of 2024 and FULLY booked for May 2024 already. Do not wait to book your session if you are interested in getting on my schedule for a smash cake session.
xoxo,
Nina
When I first met Alexis I knew that I was going to like her. She just has this personality that draws you in and makes you feel safe. She was one of the first people I connected with when my husband and I went back to the church we are currently attending (we took a short detour to another church but thats a story for another time). She LIVES her life for Jesus and honestly, she is inspiring. Her story about her husband and how the Lord hand picked him for her is incredible and a testimony you want to hear. But for now, they are expecting their first biological child together and to say I bawled when I found out she was expecting would be an understatement. I am SOOOO incredibly excited for Alexis and Isiah and big brother Bryson.
When I talked to her on the phone about her maternity session we planned an outdoor session but then switched to a studio session, and honestly, it turned out so good. Check out the highlights below!
Want to schedule your own studio maternity session? Fill out the contact form on my website and lets chat about your vision for your session!
xoxox,
Nina
Little Miss Olivia! I have a questionnaire I send out to all my moms when they book to get an idea of colors they want, if there are any specific props or poses they want me to try and accomplish or anything they want to bring to their session. Mom said that she loved the naked poses but she wasnt a huge fan of baby being naked and also really liked outfits. Little miss was pretty content when they arrived so I knocked out a couple naked images before putting her in an outfit, then added an outfit, did wrapped/props and then did their family images in an outfit. Mama is also wearing a dress from my client closet and is always an option for your session!
Check out more from Little Miss Olivia’s session.
Interested in booking a newborn session? Please fill out the contact form and I can’t wait to talk to you about your session. Mama also upgrade to a BeanSprout Package during their ordering so I will get to see little miss for her sitter and smash cake sessions as well this year!
xoxox,
Nina
