When you have a beautiful baby at home, calling it “love” doesn’t feel descriptive enough. You’re *obsessed* with your new little one and you absolutely adore watching them grow and discover the world around them. If you want to preserve the memories of this exciting time of life, Harrisburg sitter session photography is a great way to do that.
Harrisburg PA Baby Photography Session
What Is Sitter Session Photography?
Sitter session photography is a photo session that occurs while your baby is confidently sitting up on their own but isn’t yet crawling confidently. This generally happens around 6-9 months of age.
6 Month old Baby Photography near Harrisburg PA
Benefits of Sitter Session Photography
Why do we choose this particular time in a baby’s first year to take portraits? There are several benefits, actually.
Studio Baby Photography Harrisburg PA
Preserve a Beautiful Developmental Stage
Your baby’s sitter stage is such a fun time in their infancy! With sitting up, they can be more engaged with you and with everything around them, and it’s such a joy to watch their little eyes take it all in.
Sitter Session Baby Photography
Flexible Posing Options
A large part of why sitter session photography is so popular is its practicality. We can get a much better variety of poses and portrait options because your baby can sit up on their own and look at the camera. However, they haven’t yet hit the point when they’re mobile and wanting to explore. The sitter stage is a perfect opportunity to get precious baby photos you’ll love for decades without having to chase your baby around the studio.
Compared to their newborn days, your baby is showing so much more personality in their sitter stage! You’re starting to see some of their little mannerisms, expressions, and quirks. Now is a great time to capture those on camera so you can look back on them when your child is older and see when that sweet personality started.
What’s the verdict? Every family has to answer that for themselves, but for many, the answer is a resounding “yes,” sitter session photography is worth it! To get the ball rolling, contact my Harrisburg photo studio today and let’s chat!
So many of the photo sessions I perform are centered on a specific moment in my clients’ lives, and creating lasting mementos of this moment that they can cherish in the decades to come. That’s certainly the case with downtown Harrisburg high school senior portraits. Your child (or young adult) is about to launch a new life for themselves, and I’m here to make sure these portraits are the exciting milestone celebration they should be.
Want to make sure your teen’s senior portraits go as well as possible? Follow these tips as you’re planning and preparing.
Be Strategic with Outfits for Your Downtown Harrisburg High School Senior Portraits
Clearly, the outfits your teen chooses will make a great difference in the final look of their portraits, so it’s important to choose outfits wisely. It can be difficult to know what will and won’t photograph well. While planning your session, I’ll chat with you about my recommendations based on your teen and the look we’re aiming for, but here are a few other tips to keep in mind:
Choose solid colors or simple patterns over busy distracting patterns – we don’t want a shirt to steal the spotlight from your teen! The same goes for your jewelry: simpler is better.
Select outfits that are comfortable so your teen feels confident for their photo shoot.
Make sure the wardrobe feels authentic to your teen and their style.
When in doubt about an outfit, bring it! I can check out the outfits you’ve brought and give you my expertise on which ones will photograph best.
Leave Some Safety Time for New Looks
You don’t want to do anything *too* new on the photo shoot day. A fresh haircut is great, but make sure you schedule it for at least a week before your teen’s photo session. That gives it time to even out a bit if necessary and time for them to get used to styling it (or to fix it if they don’t like it). If your teen wants to try a new hairstyle or makeup look for their portraits, practice a few times at home first.
Work with Your Photographer on Props for Your Downtown Harrisburg High School Senior Portraits
During your teen’s high school senior portraits, props are a fantastic way to highlight who they are at this fun stage in their life. I’m always up for incorporating props like their sports jerseys, musical instruments they play, and props that align with their other hobbies and interests. We may even be able to take portraits with your teen’s beloved car or bike!
With props, though, you don’t want to bring any surprises to the photo shoot. Chat with me in advance about what props you want to bring so I can strategize the best ways to incorporate them.
Make Skincare a Priority
It’s so easy to fall out of your skincare routine, but your teen should make it a priority to maintain theirs in the weeks before their senior portraits. If your teen wants a facial, talk to your aesthetician in advance about when to schedule it based on their photo session, because some facials can cause irritation for a day or two.
With that said, don’t worry if your teen has some pimples during their photo shoot. Editing software is our friend!
The Ultimate Advice for Your Downtown Harrisburg High School Senior Portraits: Use Your Photographer’s Expertise
All the tips above are helpful but here’s the end-all-be-all: take advantage of your photographer’s expertise. I’ve been taking senior photos for many years and have first-hand experience with what works well and what doesn’t. When you hire me, you’re not just paying for my camera and my photography skills, you’re paying for my expertise. So, if you have a question, just ask!
Ready to start planning the outstanding downtown Harrisburg high school senior portraits your teen deserves? Contact Karissa Zimmer Photography today.
Newborn portraits are one of the most precious treasures for so many parents. Your baby is only this tiny once, and only for a short time, so these portraits forever preserve the magic of those first weeks with your little bundle of joy. If you’re growing your family, I’m happy to help not only by taking your newborn photos but answering your questions and helping you know what to expect. Check out these answers to your top Harrisburg studio newborn photography questions.
How Is Harrisburg Studio Newborn Photography Different from Lifestyle Newborn Photography?
There are two types of newborn photo sessions: studio sessions and lifestyle sessions. Studio sessions are performed, of course, in my professional portrait studio. The focus is largely on your baby, with Mom and Dad included in a few portraits as well. These are the cozy posed portraits you see most often. A lifestyle session, on the other hand, is taken at your home and focuses more on your family as a whole. If you enjoy both types of sessions, though, you can have both!
Why Do Poses and Portraits Vary So Much from One Baby to the Next?
There are a few reasons for this. First of all, every family is unique and I want to create portraits that speak to their sense of style and suit their home. Second, it’s always a question of what the baby will allow. Your baby guides the session, and some babies are more comfortable in certain types of poses compared to others. Ultimately, your newborn portraits will be one-of-a-kind for your child and your family.
Why Is Harrisburg Studio Newborn Photography Expensive?
It’s true that newborn photography tends to be pricier than most other types of photo sessions like family portraits and senior portraits. This is because newborn photo sessions take longer, allowing time for your baby to settle and fall asleep as needed. Newborn photography also requires specialized training in baby safety and posing for newborns, as well as certain equipment like cushions, wraps, white noise machines or other items for helping babies to sleep, and so on.
Booking Your Harrisburg Studio Newborn Photography Session
As adults, it’s easy for a year or two to pass without our lives changing much at all. Your baby, on the other hand, will only be a baby for a short time, so you want to preserve as many memories as you can from this special, fleeting time. That’s exactly what I do! As a Mechanicsburg baby photographer, I want to help you know your options so I’m answering some of the top questions about sitter session photography.
When Should You Take Sitter Session Portraits with a Mechanicsburg Baby Photographer?
Sitter sessions are meant for a specific developmental stage: when your baby can comfortably sit up on their own but they aren’t yet walking and, ideally, they aren’t crawling yet either. Generally, this is between 6-9 months of age.
Why Take Sitter Session Portraits?
A sitter session marks a fun point in your baby’s developmental journey, but it’s also done for logistic purposes. At this stage, we can get all those adorable seated poses but your baby isn’t so mobile that we’re chasing them around the studio or struggling to keep them in one place. It’s a “sweet spot” for baby photography!
What Sitter Session Outfits Should I Bring for My Baby?
As a baby photographer, I have an abundant client closet with beautiful baby outfits for my clients to wear, so you don’t need to worry about planning outfits. In fact, I’ll custom style your entire photo shoot, from the sets and props to your baby’s outfits and accessories. However, if you want portraits in a particular meaningful outfit like an outfit you wore as a baby, bring it along and I’m happy to use it.
Booking Your Sitter Session with a Specialized Mechanicsburg Baby Photographer
Celebrate this beautiful stage in the adventure of your baby’s first year with custom sitter session photography! To book your session, contact Karissa Zimmer Photography today and let’s chat.
Have a baby on the way? Congratulations! Maternity photography is a phenomenal way to celebrate this one-of-a-kind stage in your family’s life, honor your body for the beautiful work it’s doing, and create mementos you will forever treasure. What type of maternity photo session is the best fit for you? Should you book a Mechanicsburg outdoor fall maternity photography shoot?
All of my maternity photo shoots take place on location, either at an outdoor location we can choose together like a local park or, for a more intimate setting, at your home. Both types of sessions have the potential for absolutely stunning and meaningful maternity portraits; it’s just a matter of your personal preference. To help you decide, let’s look at some of the pros and cons of outdoor maternity shoots.
Mechanicsburg Outdoor Maternity Photography
Pro: Beautiful Natural Scenery for Mechanicsburg Outdoor Fall Maternity Photography (or Spring or Summer)
I have the honor of living in an area with incredible natural beauty and with pronounced seasons that each have their own look, and I love taking advantage of this for my client’s benefit. You can have effortlessly gorgeous backgrounds in your photos.
The look of your outdoor portraits will depend on the location we choose, and I’m here to help. You and I can choose a location together based on the aesthetic you want for your portraits and the season when your session will take place. I have plenty of location recommendations around Mechanicsburg, whether you want vibrant fall colors, open green space, misty lakes, or even an outdoor urban look.
Con: Difficulty Taking Semi-Nude Portraits
Some moms-to-be love those semi-nude maternity portraits that showcase their baby bump in all its glory and celebrate their body for the incredible work it’s doing. These often turn out to be my clients’ favorite portraits in their collections, and rightfully so!
Taking these intimate portraits outdoors can be a bit uncomfortable for some women, though. Depending on the season, you might be physically uncomfortable and self-conscious as well about being partially undressed outside. Some moms-to-be prefer a photo session at home for these types of portraits.
Pro: Create Special Family Memories
An outdoor maternity session is more than just a means to an end for getting the maternity portraits you want. It’s an adventure! An outdoor photo session gives you and your family a chance to enjoy a new experience together in a park or other fun spot.
This is especially fantastic if you have other children you’re bringing into the portraits too. Your family gets the opportunity to not only create beautiful portraits but to make new memories together at the same time.
Con: Potential Weather-Related Challenges for Mechanicsburg Outdoor Fall Maternity Photography
The same thing that makes outdoor portraits gorgeous is the thing that makes them unpredictable: the outdoors. Natural landscapes are lovely but you never know for sure what the weather will do. There’s always a risk that you’ll need to reschedule or make accommodations for rain, strong winds, or other weather changes.
Pro: No Need to Prep Your Home
Lifestyle portraits at your home are always unique and special, and I tell all my clients that your home doesn’t need to be spotless by any means. Still, it can be stressful for some moms-to-be to have a photo shoot in their home, and some women just don’t think their home will be very photogenic. Maybe you’re still working on your baby’s nursery or other projects around the house and you don’t feel like it’s camera-ready. For some families, it’s just more comfortable to take their portraits elsewhere.
Con: Wardrobe Limitations
Some clients who come to me have been dreaming of their maternity portraits for months and have an idea in their mind of the exact wardrobe they want to wear. I love when clients are excited about their portraits! It’s important to keep in mind, though, that for outdoor portraits, your wardrobe will depend on the weather. For instance, for Mechanicsburg outdoor fall maternity photography, you’ll need to wear something fall-appropriate so that your outfit aligns with the fall aesthetic (and so you’re comfortable, of course).
Creating the Mechanicsburg Outdoor Fall Maternity Photography of Your Dreams
I love working with moms-to-be who are thrilled to celebrate their pregnancy and this special time in their lives with maternity portraits. Contact Karissa Zimmer Photography today and let’s start planning your dream photo shoot!
