Chelsea [Family]

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

Hey! It's Me! -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

Matilda [Family]

This family has been with me since their youngest was a newborn. It has honestly been so much fun watching their boys grow over the past 4 years. One of my favorite things is you allowing me the chance to continue to capture memories and moments for you and welcoming me into your lives to showcase your love and connections with each other. For this one, we did an outfit change, which I don’t do very often BUT we wanted to head to the beach at the end of their session and the outfit change was definitely a game changer in the final outcome of their gallery.

This session also gives such a good idea of what it looks like in all sun conditions. In the garden it was overcast. At the beach, it was raining at first and then the sun came out a little bit and then fully came out at the end. I adjusted my editing to accommodate a lot, but theres just something about that natural glow of sunset, especially at the beach.

Want to book a family session? Head over to the contact form and lets chat!

xoxox,

Nina

Invest In Your Child's Moments: Why A Bean Sprout Package?

Photography sessions for some people can be stressful to think about because they are an investment. As a society, we spend so much time and money planning our weddings, but do we realize that that one day actually is the start to the rest of our lives as adults? Do we actually care about the marriage or do we just want to have the best wedding ever? You spend thousands of dollars on a photographer for your wedding, for one day, to capture every single moment and milestone, why do not we not value that same mind set as a society and as parents for our children too? Kids are expensive, sure, I know this, I have two littles of my own. But I also know that they grow up so stinkin’ fast and seriously, I am so happy I have all their milestones documented and hung around my house. So, lets start with the newborn session.

First things first, I only take a handful of newborn sessions each month, booked around your due date to allow for the flexibility in my schedule to accommodate the unpredictability of when baby will arrive. I also have to schedule around sitter sessions (a milestone you should capture) and cake smashes (a mile stone you should capture) as well as family sessions, freshies and births. That being said, reach out to me around the end of your second trimester, or beginning of the third, so you can make sure you have a spot saved in my calendar. Do I have some last minute spots sometimes? Sure, of course, but my newborn sessions are special and I love being able to style them to your wants and needs and I ALWAYS try to get something personalized for your little one, and this cant always be done with a last minute session, and I don’t always have availability.

Secondly, I style everything. I give you some say in a color palette of your choosing, but you do not have to bring anything (this is for all my sessions, minus family but I will help style you). I have wraps, blankets, bonnets, outfits, headbands, pants, sleepy caps, props, EVERYTHING. I have everything I need for your session. You show up, hang out, and just relax during your session. My goal, is to make sure you have some me time during your session. We just finished my client area, I am working on getting a streaming device in there also, so you can just veg out on the couch while I photograph your babe.

Thirdly, I love products. I absolutely love love love wood prints and canvases. I adore custom made frames without glass in them. Albums of your session just make me smile and seeing your proofs in a physical print make my heart oh so happy. I love everything about having physical products of your images, and I hope you do too. Digitals are great to share on social media, but physical prints and wall art are to die for.

Okay, I am actually legit rambling via text form here but booking a newborn or a Bean Sprout Package is so important in starting the procession of capturing all your baby’s milestones in their first year. Check out my Bean Sprout Package to not miss a single moment in their first year. Invest in your baby. Invest in your memories and their moments, because you cannot get them back. I cannot turn back time to get your 3 month old back to a newborn session, and I cannot change your 11 month old walker into a sitter. Capture those moments, you will not regret it or be disappointed.

xoxo

Nina - Your Metro Detroit Newborn & Family Photographer

What To Wear For A Family Session.

You finally decided to book your family session! Yay! We’re all so excited and then the stress of trying to figure out what to wear sets in and you start to panic. What do I wear? What do I put on my kids? What does my husband wear? Are we suppose to match? What colors do we use? What patterns are okay? RELAX! I am here to help! And I also know the stress of getting two toddlers plus a husband ready for pictures.

First things first, find one outfit you really want in your pictures and start there. I personally start with the baby or my toddler and find an outfit I LOVE, and coordinate the rest after. Whether it’s a solid dress that’s flowy to fit your little one’s style or it’s the perfect floral skirt you scored on clearance, start with one piece you know you want and filter everyone else from there.

Please do not show up with everyone wearing jeans and white t-shirts or khaki pants and navy tops, you will end up clashing. Also, avoid too many plaids and/or patterns. My moto is, coordinate but don’t match. OKAY NINA! BUT HOW!? It’s actually quite simple. Let me use my family session wardrobe as an example. I bought a black short romper with a train for my toddler and I KNEW I wanted to use it for our pictures. It had a floral pattern of yellows and greens. So, I found solid yellow romper for the baby to match, a solid green flowy dress for me and threw my husband in dark jeans and a solid beige sweater. We all had coordinating colors with one outfit as the “center piece”.

In addition, I would not put your toddler or baby in a really expensive dress or be too formal. If that’s you, and the look you’re going for, then awesome! but I also want you to be comfortable. Now, that also doesn’t mean to dress down. You want to be comfortable/casual but also cute. Mom, even if you don’t wear dresses or skirts often, I highly recommend a flowy dress or skirt. They’re cute and flow nicely while playing with the kiddos and you can still move around better than you can in jeans. Again, if jeans or leggings are your thing, awesome, but keep in mind what your end goal is for the outcome of your session. What you wear can make or break the style and overall look of your session.

Finally, if you have any questions or concerns, you can always send me your picks and I can help you coordinate. I love styling your sessions if I can, and I have some cute childrens outfits in my client closet we can use too if needed. DO NOT be afraid to send me a message or call me in a panic about your outfits because I WANT TO HELP! If I can make it happen and we need to go on a shopping date, I’m here for you. Your session is just as important to me, as it is for you!

Here’s a short list of some shops/stores I recommend to get your outfits from:

Shein, Lulus, Amazon, Old Nay, ZARA, H&M, Forever 21, Bailey’s Blossom

XOXO

Nina - Your Metro Detroit Family & Newborn Photographer

Your Birth. Your Home. Your Choices.

When you find out you’re pregnant the first thing we do is call our OBGYN and they make a first prenatal appointment with you and then, you deliver out of the hospital they are associated with. Did you know that home births can be an option? I photographed my first in home birth in 2020 during the highest point of the pandemic, and honestly, the experience was so surreal and life changing for me, I needed to write about it, again.

Having a baby in a hospital is so common now, we just assume it’s the only way. Your OBGYN never even asks you if you want to have a home birth and even if there is a midwife in the office, chances are she isn’t going to ask you if you want a home birth. But they totally are an option for you. Hospitals are stiff and in turn, can actually prolong your labor and how you birth. Did you know that the most common way and most natural way to birth a baby is on all 4s, hands and knees? and that laying on your back actually is the worst position for you to birth in, yet almost every single person that births in a hospital births on their back? Its true. But that’s not even the best part about what I witnessed during this home birth. This mama was STRONG. This mama listened to her body. This mama was prepared. This mama made choices for her birth. This mama has a great birth story to tell her daughter. Oh! and her midwives and doula were AMAZING and so so supportive. I want you to have a great birth story too.

Melissa, a midwife, from Melissa Michelle Birth Services explains midwifery so simply. She says, “midwives are essential in the care needed for family focused birth. From hearing the heartbeat to the first time to “graduating” your last postpartum appointment, a midwife is there. Care can begin as early as 10 weeks, goes through 6 weeks postpartum and takes place in your home, which allows us to build a strong relationship and really get to know you. A strong relationship and team is important to birth, it allows the mother to feel safe and secure and home is her safe place.” — I witnessed how important a midwife is during labor. Melissa was so supportive, knew when to step in a help to relieve some pressure and also helped the husband learn some techniques to be included in the laboring process. She stepped back when needed so dad was involved but also stepped in when she knew mom was having a hard time/contraction.

Lauren, a doula, from Root to Rise Birth LLC says, “through birth doula services, prenatal yoga, and childbirth education, my mission is to impact birth experiences and increase confidence through pregnancy, birth and postpartum. I will guide you to uncovering and discovering those instinctual capabilities rooted so deep within, for you to have a peaceful birth while providing non-bias support, love and compassion.” And seriously, the amount of love and compassion Lauren has during a birth is absolutely amazing to watch unfold. She even helps guide the entire family through the birthing process so even dad knows what is happening and what s going to happen next.

I cannot sing their praises enough and if I could go back, I would totally hire both of them and take some hypnobirthing classes, which this mama actually teaches/owns at Metro Detroit Hypnobirthing. She offers classes all around the Metro Detroit Area. For those of you who do not know, hypnobirthing is a childbirth education course designed to teach you how to work WITH your body rather than RESIST it and bring your baby into the world in the calm and gentle way that nature intended. These classes aren’t just learning how to breathe, they help you learn your body and what your body goes through in order to help aid yourself in the birthing and laboring processes.

All of this information to say this, contact these women or other women in these fields in your area and inquire about a home birth. Most births do not need medical intervention and with the help of midwives, doulas and hypnobirthing classes, you can have the birth and birth story you dream of, not one your doctor wants you to have.

xoxo

Nina - Your Metro Detroit Birth Photographer

Maternity Session: When To Book

Are you expecting a baby? Trying to figure out if a maternity session is something you want to do? As a mom and a photographer, I highly recommend it. And you may be thinking, I don’t feel like I’m glowing or I just don’t have that cute bump all the other pregnant mamas have. Look, no one carries their baby the same, and no one “feels” good pregnant, but when you put on a maternity gown, do your hair and make up and show up to capture this session, I promise you, you will be so happy you made the choice to book this session.

FAQs

1. When should I book my session?

   1. You want to book your session during your second trimester for around 30-36 weeks. We want you to be showing enough to see your bump but not wait so long that you are overly uncomfortable closer to your due date.

2. Can my significant other and/or older children attend?

   1. Absolutely. Your significant other and your kids are gaining another member of their family too. We want to capture their excitement as well as yours.

3. Can I do the session by myself?

   1. If you just want to have a couple images of yourself to capture your pregnancy, that is also totally fine. I have mamas all the time book sessions just for them, because they want to capture this time.

4. Do you offer wardrobe?

   1. I do actually. I have a very small client closet but I am always looking to expand. If I have a dress currently that you want to wear you are more than welcome to use it for your session. If I don’t have one you like or in your size or your style, I have a photographer account with a great gown company and can always order you something to add to my client closet after your session.

5. Do I have to wear a maternity gown?

   1. Of course not. If you want to wear maternity jeans and a tshirt, you totally can do that. I want you to feel comfortable during your session.

Whether this is your first or 10th child, I highly recommend having a maternity session. It might not be something you think you want right now, but I promise you won’t regret having this time of your pregnancy captured in print, to have and look back on forever.

If you have any questions at all, feel free to contact me and ask all the questions. I can also add on a maternity session to a newborn session or a Bean Sprout Package for a smaller session fee. ;)

Your Metro Detroit Newborn and Family Photographer

xoxo

Nina

Family Sessions: What To Expect

You are thinking about or have already booked a family session but what should you actually expect and meet up for the first time? First and foremost, I want you to be yourself. I want you use my dress guidelines but also make sure that you are comfortable and true to yourself. I also want you to know, that if you have young kids, I probably will unintentionally ignore you, I don’t mean to but as a mom to three toddlers I tend to engage with your kiddos during our walk to the location to get them to warm up to me. I will greet you and ask you how you are doing and normal small talk, but a majority of my energy will be spent trying to make a connection with your kiddos.

During your session I will get your “Christmas Card” pose image first while your children are at their best listening ability and then we play. I always make sure to try as best I can to get you that super traditional posed, everyone looking at me and hopefully smiling image first, because I know that’s what grandma is going to want. As parents, we like the real and raw images of our family and that is what I love to capture most, your true family connection in love, snuggles and play.

“Christmas Card” Picture … everyone looking at the camera.

What does real connection look like? Well, this is one of the reasons why I like to spend so much time getting your kiddos to engage with me, because I want them to let go and little and have fun with you. If you have toddler - elementary age kids, I always like to play with a blanket, whether its running under it or swinging them in it like a hammock and I also love to play ring-around-the-rosie. These two things are almost always a staple in my sessions. I also almost always throw everyone on a blanket and have you sit really close to each other and have different family members engage with each other. This can be, dad giving one kid a hug, or mom kissing her baby on the forehead, or even just family tickles for everyone.

Snuggles!

I also always try to get images of just dad and just mom with the kiddos and I have 2 reasons for this; First is, as a mom, I do not have very many images of me and my girls as much as I have some of my husband and them or them by themselves. As a mom and a photographer, I always want to capture the moments and I never seem to get into the pictures, so I always do this for my families. Second, grandparents. I know I know, grandparents want the whole family image or just their grands BUT sometimes they want their individual child with their children and not the spouse. I also strive to get individual images of each kiddo and just the kiddos together. Your kids grow so fast, seriously time does not stop moving when you have babies and capturing each of them individual is so important to me, to watch not only my own, but also your kids grow every year.

Finally, we let your kids go explore (within reason) and I always grab some images of just mom and dad. I think this is the most important part of your session and even if you don’t want me to do it, I will still do it because I have had more clients than not, tell me they are so happy I “forced” them to take those images because they didn’t realize how long it has been since they have taken pictures with their spouse/significant other. So this is always a must at the end of your session when your kiddos are over me and my shenanigans.

Overall, we have a lot of fun, laugh a lot, you snuggle and engage with each other and sometimes even forget that I am there, which means I did my job correctly. I will always guide you in prompts and some posing and some easy tasks to help with engagement and connection when needed.

So if you like to laugh and have fun and want to capture those cute connections between you and your significant other as well as your kiddos, I’m your girl.

I cannot wait to talk to you about what you are looking for in your session and meeting you soon!

Your Metro Detroit Newborn and Family Photographer

xoxo

Nina.

Smash & Splash: How To Prepare Your Child

Smash & splashes can be a lot of fun for both baby and mom/dad, but sometimes they can be a disaster. We all want that kid that loves their cake and smiles and laughs the whole time, but sometimes, that doesn’t always happen. There are a couple tricks to help get your child prepared that I am going to share with you but I also want to share with you some of my tricks in case we have a meltdown!

First and foremost, do not let the cake smash session be the first time your child tastes frosting or feels the texture of cake. Sometimes the sugar and sweetness from the frosting will put them off right away, and the texture of the frosting can be sticky and also start a meltdown. About 2 weeks prior to your session, make some cupcakes and let baby have some sensory time with it. They will be able to feel the different textures of both the frosting and cake as well as taste it, because we all know babies put everything in their mouths. If they are totally cool with it, awesome, don’t worry about the cake being an issue, if they do have a meltdown or don’t seem to like it, try again the next day or a couple days later, so they know that it’s okay and also can adjust to the feeling and taste.

Secondly, let me know ahead of time if baby has stranger danger and takes a while to warm up to new people. I always try to spend a few minutes, or more, when you arrive to get baby used to me. 8-12 months is prime age for your child to start developing a sense of anxiety around new people, especially if they do not attend a daycare or aren’t around many other people in general. Just let me know ahead of time so I can spend extra time getting your babe to warm up to me.

Third, send me their favorite song(s) or show so I can try and have something ready to go in case of a meltdown. Sometimes just singing “Baby Shark” or “ABCs” will do the trick and sometimes they need to see something on a screen or a favorite toy over my camera.

Forth, bring their favorite snack or puffs to hide in the back of the cake. Sometimes even with all prep work, they will not touch the cake and that’s totally okay. Hiding puffs or Cheerios in the back of the cake will allow me to capture your baby “grabbing” their cake, when really they’re just reaching for their snacks. I always have Cheerios readily available when needed but if your child prefers something else, bring it. No harm in trying all the tricks.

Also, start giving your child snacks while they are seated on the floor. Why is this important? When a baby is constantly put into a chair for snack or meal times, sitting on the floor in the studio with a cake in front of them can be another whole obstacle to tackle. I am not saying to give your child ALL the snacks on the floor because mess, BUT a few snacks here and there leading up to the cake smash is a good idea to make sure the smash cake session is not the first time they are eating while sitting on the floor.

Lastly, don’t stress, I got you mama. I handle everything from the cake to the outfit and set up. You express your theme, I will do the rest. I am more minimalistic when it comes to cake smashes because I want your baby as the front and center of the session, not the dramatic set up. Sure those set ups are cute, but I’m always drawn to how extravagant they are, and not the baby. I want you to see your sweet little babe.

Overall, cake smashes can be an amazing additional to your child’s first year milestone sessions but sometimes we have to do some work to get the amazing out of it, and that’s okay. And please remember, not crying is a WIN! Not all babies come in and are happy and excited and smile the entire time. But if your child looks at me, even with a straight face, and does not cry, MAMA that is a huge win for this age.

xoxoxox

Nina - Your Metro Detroit Newborn & Family Photographer

Books & Shows During Social Distancing.

Alright, the truth is, no one knows what’s going on in the world out there. We are told to stay home and out of crowds but for those of you who are not accustomed to staying home, I have some good news for you! I have been a Stay At Home Mom (SAHM) for 3.5 years now, and some days are obviously harder than others but the good news is, you can get through this!

Don’t have kids? Perfect, I am actually writing this more towards you! I have a list of shows and books for you to binge during social distancing!

Books:

1. The Bible - Read it, you need it right now. It doesn’t matter what version, amplified, King James, New Living Translation - Get one and spend some time in His word.

2. Harry Potter Series - 7 book series about a wizard, Harry Potter, who attends a wizarding school called Howgarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The series follows him through his school years while he struggles against a dark wizard, Lord Voltemort.

3. The 5 Love Languages - This book is AMAZING to help you understand yourself and your partner and how each of you feels love. Just because you feel love one way does not mean your partner feels love the same way. Especially with social distancing and being around your partner more, this book may help get through these “isolation” days.

4. The Maze Runner - 5 book series about a group of teenagers that get sent to a strange land and do not remember how they got there or anything about their lives except their name. One part of the land changes everyday, the maze, which they think is how they get out of “The Glade”.

TV Shows:

1. Grey’s Anatomy - Medical drama about Meredith Grey from her intern year into her years as an attending. It shadows her life and her friends, and there are about 16 seasons now. I got sucked in a few years ago, binge watched Netflix and now watching in real time (DVR).

2. Fuller House - Sitcom spin off of Full House with all the same characters except now DJ is raising three boys by herself in her dads house and Kimmie and Stephanie move in to help her raise them.

3. Last Man Standing - Sitcom where the main character, Mike Baxter, has three daughters. He tries to stay manly with his job at Outdoor Man but doesn’t always stay away from all the drama. This show is hilarious!

4. Manifest - American drama where flight 828 from Jamaica goes missing for 5.5 years and finally returns. The passengers have not aged and do not feel like they were gone any longer than their normal flight. The start having these visions they call “callings” that help and hurt them while trying to help other passengers and those around them.

I hope this helps some of you get through this social distancing. It doesn’t have to be boring and you don’t need to be stuck in the house. Head out to a local state park and go for a hike or a run. Go play outside with your kids.

See y’all soon! Good luck out there!

xoxo

Nina - Your Metro Detroit Newborn & Family Photographer

Update Your Images!

Alright, so this has been a topic that’s been super heavy on my heart the past couple months and I am going to get a little morbid but I feel this needs to be addressed. UPDATE YOUR IMAGES and I am going to tell you why.

You're getting older and so are your kids. They've moved out of the house and have children of their own. You have not updated your family pictures since your oldest was in middle school or younger and until now, you think that’s been okay. Your kids get school pictures every year and pictures with every sport they’re in, every season. Follow all that up with senior pictures, and its like you’re constantly spending money on pictures for your kids, but lets be honest, do you have any of those hung in your home? Do you have a recent family picture that resembles who you are now? Would your grandchildren recognize YOU in the pictures you have hung?

Listen, I am not saying that old pictures aren’t okay but those images are nice to sit down with your kids and grandkiddos to reminisce with. Truth bomb though, we don’t remember you that way. We love seeing your eyes light up when you tell a story about an image you see. We love hearing you tell stories about when you were younger and how different the times are. We love hearing about your wedding day and seeing the dress you wore. We love looking at those old pictures of you and your family especially when you tell us that we look like your great aunt, when we never met her. But those aren’t the images we want when you aren’t around anymore to describe them or point out those people. We want images of you of how you are now. We know who you are right now. We know what you look like right now. When we go through a box of pictures for those boards we are going to put up at your funeral or wake, we want images of how we remember you. How your grandkids see you and remember you. So update your images.

So, book an extended family session with all your kids and your grandkids. Book a session with just your partner. Book a session with just your kids or grandkids. Just book a session and update your images. Its not for you, its for us. We need you to have images for us so we can reminisce with them, when you’re not around anymore. We want to show our kids pictures of you, how they and we remember you. We want to sit down with our kids and grandkids one day and not have to guess who is who in a picture, we want to tell a story. We want to be able to show our grandkids you. If my grandchild looks like my mom, and (s)he never met her, I want current, updated images of my parents now, to show them. We don’t care if you think you don’t look the way you want, we don’t care if you think you’re “fat” or “not pretty anymore” or whatever excuse you have. Its not for you at this point, its for your kids. Do it for us. Do it for your grandkids.

UPDATE YOUR IMAGES!

With all the love,

xoxo

Nina - Your Metro Detroit Newborn & Family Photographer