The Magic of Photography

About two weeks before Annabelle was born, I received an email from the mother of one of my students.  We'd emailed back and forth before, and in the midst of our communication she mentioned that she was a professional photographer.  Of all the talents I wished I possessed, being able to take beautiful photos is at the top of my list.  The very  top.  So when she told me she took newborn  pictures, I jumped at the opportunity...because let's all just be honest here:  newborns typically don't photograph well.  No matter how beautiful you think they are, the photo doesn't do them justice.

So when Chanda of Chanda Holter Photography arrived at our house when Annabelle was nine days old, I tried to keep my expectations/hopes at a reasonable level.  Chanda and I had never met face to face before that day.  She is such a nice person!  She was on time and completely prepared, but she took a couple of minutes to scout out my house for additional props.

Then the magic began.  I handed over my baby and stepped back to watch.  Annabelle was sound asleep, and Chanda handled her so carefully and talked to her so sweetly. She would wait for the perfect moment to take each picture, and sometimes that required a lot of patience (poop, hunger and general fussiness are workplace hazards in her line of work).  It was wonderful to watch.  But the amazing thing was how she took everyday objects and turned them into this:

Or this, in which she took some fall garland and pumpkins I had laying around the house...

And then, to satisfy the girly girl in all of us...

But the two that I love most are the ones she took at the very end of the session.  Annabelle was hungry and fussy and not very cooperative, but Chanda somehow managed to capture these moments...

As I look at these, Annabelle is sleeping in her bassinet nearby.  She is six weeks old this week, and she has already changed so much.  I am so thankful to have these pictures to remember that very fleeting moment of her life.

I can't even begin to say enough nice things about Chanda and her business. Be sure to check out her website, chandaholterphotography.com, and see some of her other beautiful images. And if you do book a photo session, ask about the "brag book"...it is a fabulous way to carry multiple images with you--a great gift!