How's everyone holding up since everything started? I feel like everyone's mental health has probably taken some sort of test during the last 5-6 months of this.  It's insane to think how quickly everything can change for people.  I would LOVE to know some stories of people who had their new babes right in the thick of things.  The fears, the anxiety, the impact that it had on their experience.  There were SO many newborns I wasn't able to photograph because of the virus. It made me sooo sad! But a lot of people are going to be doing sitter sessions or family photos in place of it. 

In addition, FALL PHOTOS will be announced shortly so keep your eyes out for that email :).  Well, now back to business here.. lol.  This story and family is one of my favourites.  The absolute raw, real, honest, truth of becoming a mother is here.  I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I did.  And let me tell you, this little babe is now 1 and he is STINKIN' CUHHH-YUTE!!

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"To say my pregnancy has its ups and downs, would be putting it lightly. 

We tried for almost a year to get pregnant. Let me be honest with you; everything I learned in grade 9 health class was forgotten. Thank goodness for google. But even that wasn’t helping us get the baby we hoped for every month. And month in, month out, it didn’t happen. 
 

I remember complaining loudly to my mom, how people around me just had to think about it and BAM, pregnant. Or they weren’t even trying. BAM, pregnant. Here I am, TRYING every. single. month. And every single month being disappointed. It took a toll on my mental health, and probably put an interesting strain on my marriage as we discussed if it was maybe one of us specifically that was hindering our ability to become pregnant or if we just had bad luck. My mom assured me when the time was right, it would work out. 
 

Fast forward a bit, still having no luck, we turned to science. I bought ovulation tests and tracked my cycle, learning a lot more about the human body than any grade 9 health class had ever taught me. Everyday I peed on a stick, sometimes twice a day to find out exactly the day I ovulated. Science is so so cool. 
 

During this time, my mom got sick. Really sick, really fast. All the thoughts about trying for a baby had vanished from our minds as we dealt with our current situation. I still tracked my cycle as it had become routine but honestly didn’t think much about it until afterward. 
 

We found out we were pregnant the same week my mom passed. It was a very very strange combination of emotions. Sadness and grief about what just happened, extreme joy for finally becoming pregnant then in the same thought, guilt for being happy about what we had. I struggled with these emotions a lot into midway through my pregnancy, and to be honest, I still do even 8 months post partum. 
 

My pregnancy itself was easy. I had the typical morning sickness and wicked heartburn, but I worked happily, my baby was thriving and I felt great for the most part. 
 

Then I was overdue. Probably the worst feeling at the end. You just want that baby out. And then baby’s like “nope, I’m staying here”! I had an appointment to be induced on a Monday morning, but this little one just needed a threat that it was happening on someone else’s timeline and he started to make his way out earlier in the morning of the scheduled induction.  
 

My only thing on my birth plan was: Mom safe, Baby safe.  And I’m glad that I didn’t have anything else planned because nothing went to how I had thought of how my experience would be. 
 

I laboured well on my own for about 12 hours. Then things got real. Baby’s heart rate was dropping and not coming back up. It was no longer safe to continue labouring on my own, I needed an emergency c section. Now. 
 

The whirlwind that follows that statement? Wow. I don’t even think I knew what was happening, it all happened so fast. Within an hour of the OB making that decision, I had signed whatever paperwork, was whisked off to an operating room, numbed (I hadn’t previously gotten the epidural - and how much fun that was at 3 min contractions trying to stay still!), and then the next thing you know baby’s out. The well oiled machine of a hospital C section delivered me of a beautiful baby boy. 
 

The first handful of hours after my delivery are still blurry. I know we hung out in a recovery room for a bit but I don’t remember how long, I don’t remember our first nursing attempt, I don’t have any photos of us except of the one from right after he was born. The only part of my experience I wish I could go back and redo would be that; more photos! And maybe push harder to see the c section performed through a clear sheet. Again; science is so cool. 
 

We’ve been lucky. My baby is healthy. He is loved. He is happy. He is an absolute joy to be around. 
 

Then post partum hits you sometimes with a one-two punch you’re just not ready for. 
 

Around the 1 year anniversary of my mom passing, I felt myself change. I felt angry. Sad. Defeated. Guilty.
 

I sought out help. I needed help. I knew the road I was on wasn’t the road I needed to be on. I’m still in counselling. I’m still dealing with things. And I will be dealing with my emotions for a while yet. But I’ve been given the tools and the knowledge to work through it and come out stronger. Post partum depression is SO SO common but it took me a while to get past my diagnosis. The stigma of it. But there is zero to be ashamed of. 
 

I’m in a place now where I’m enjoying my baby again. I’m happy to be a mom. I feel complete, that a hole inside of me was filled with his presence. I am so blessed and so grateful that I was chosen to be this little dudes mom. 
 

And if all you remember from my story is one thing, I hope it’s this; motherhood is hard. So so hard. But you have help. Talk to a friend, a doctor, a counsellor. But please know, you’re never never alone."
 

With lots of love,

Meghan and Elijah 

What I do, involves the smallest people on earth.  Involves some of the most fragile.  yes, this is newborns.  But you think about the family sessions that I have that are with grandparents.  Or when grandparents come to my studio to pick up the big siblings while the newborn session continues.   During the unknown, this wasn't really something I was willing to risk.  Sessions had to be cancelled and moved.  As of right now, no sessions are taking place until at least April.  Will that change? Right now, I don't know. Is the virus a hit to everyone? yes of course.  But I didn't realize how much photographing your new babies and your families gave me such a sense of peace and happiness.

It's been quite a few weeks since I've edited a session, and let me tell you.. I'm in a funk.  I miss snuggling babies.  I miss meeting new families.  I miss seeing families I've met already.  I cannot wait until this virus is over and life can kind of get back to normal.

Now that I've kind of put it out there what's going on with Krystal Cline Photography, in an effort to sort of get back into it, I'm posting a mommy blog.  They may not be every Tuesday for quite some time, as I think there are definitely more important things going on in the world right now over my blog posts lol, but maybe this post itself will give the new mamas who haven't had the opportunity to take newborn photos, a chance to see that though the world seems to be falling apart, they just created and brought into the world such a miracle.  And any hard times they're having in this world of unknown, can be related to someone else. 

With that, I introduce to you, my next mommy Brittany.  We hit it off right from the start and I have seen her quite a few times since her newborn session and every time it's amazing.  It's people like her, that bring me SUCH pleasure and joy doing this. 

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"I want to share the struggles, all the struggles no one wants to discuss. I had a pretty average pregnancy. It wasn't horrible but it wasn't stress-free, it was just typical nausea, carpel tunnel and RLS lol but despite my physical symptoms my baby was healthy and growing like a weed. Then came my due date which passed day by day. Finally 9 days overdue i was induced! THANK GOD!

nope I spoke too soon, 2 different inductions and neither of them worked so 3 days later, in i went for the dreaded IV drip. The one everyone speaks about on how awful it is and how intense your contractions will be. 12 hours later, contractions pretty strong but i was feeling good. The nurses offered an epidural before the doctor went into a surgery so i thought sure let's get that started. In it went and the better I felt. Until 1 hour later I could feel horrible pain, constant pain, excrutiating pain. They readjusted my epidural; nothing. They took it out and re-did it; nothing. Everything got worse and i couldn't sit still, i couldn't lay down, i couldnt get up, i was screaming, i was done, i couldn't do this anymore.

After 4 hours stuck at 6 cm, screaming and crying i was rushed for an emergency C-section. I had to get 8 more needles down my spine to numb me. I was terrified, I was exhausted and I just wanted to be done.

And then there it was, that cry that made all of this worth it and made me forget everything I was going through. "9.8lbs and huge" they announced (no wonder he wouldn't come out lol). I was sewn back up and pushed to my room. My husband went to walk my step mom to her car and i was alone in the room holding my son, so in love. The nurse came in and pressed on my stomach then immediately pressed my "need help" button on my bed.

In came a second nurse, then yelling, then a doctor, then a surgeon, then the anesthesiologist and all I heard was "she's going to die we're moving her now".  They took my son from my arms, wheeled me into that white room again, stuck a needle in my arm and the next i remember i was waking up in a strange room, alone with a blood transfusion.

Turns out I had some giant blood clots stuck and during surgery I had lost 1.5 litres of blood (crazy I know). Fast forward a week. I'm home, I'm engorged and in pain lol and I'm changing my son. But wait...my shirt is wet? Did he pee on me? Why's there blood? My incision ripped open! Back to the hospital I went.

More blood transfusions for 24 hours and finally sent home only to have a nurse come to my house every day for 4 months to pack my wound and watch for infection. At the same time all this was happening I also lost a best friend who was furious at me for not attending her birthday party with my IV bag attached to me lol (ya, I know).

I felt lost, i felt hopeless and here's the part no mother wants to admit....I think i blamed my son. I felt distant. I felt like I was babysitting someone else's baby. I can't even describe the disconnect I felt but I knew eventually it was PPD and it wasn't me. I got help, I got a therapist and I worked through it and it wasn't easy by any means.

There IS a light at the end of the tunnel. No matter how hard it gets, no matter the physical and emotional pain you endure, your child still idolizes you and thinks you're perfect (this is something you have to remind yourself as a parent). That unconditional love is something that's unexplainable. You will be physically and emotionally beat down whether it be what I went through, or the sleepless nights, or the anxiety you feel from the non-stop crying and you can't figure out what's wrong, the first colds and flus....but Every. Single. Dark. Moment is worth it when you see the first smile, see the first crawl and steps, receive the first hug (actually they're all pretty great), hear the first I love you! BE unapologetic to the judgers, be strong when you feel like giving up and just do whatever works for YOU!"
 

Knowing that there are THIS many people who are reading these posts and reading another mommy's story and life and how motherhood has been for her, makes me soooo happy! I'm a couple days late this week because, well.. life haha The next blog post is actually from a model call that I did.  I wanted a baby girl in the studio sooo badly, because i had just gotten in some new props and items.  However, I was SO tired of pinks, purples, and whites, or creams, for girls.  This mama came in knowing the colours would be a little bit different.  We went with brown and blue and heck did I fall in love.  Blue on girls is just so soft, and pretty, and different!  Anyways - that's a different blog post all in its own :). 

Readers, meet story number 3, Ashley :)

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"I'm not ready to have kids yet." - that's what people say. I hear that ALL the time. I'm here to say, I fact checked that, and it's false. You can read every book, have every resource and have all the money in the world but if your baby wants to cry and puke and eat all night long - it will cry and puke and eat all. night. long. No amount of money will buy back your sanity after staying up with a baby for hours on end. I'm not even speaking from experience because my baby (THANKFULLY) slept very good at birth, ate on a pretty consistent schedule and is an overall pretty chill person. She is also the glaring opposite of me, her anxious and constantly over thinking mother. 

I thought I was pretty emotional before having a baby - WRONG. In the past year I have never felt so emotionally out of control. Mentally fatigued. Physically exhausted. And again - she's easy. Even when everything is going so so so right, I can't help but think of what could go wrong wrong wrong. 

I've gotten a lot better at controlling and tapering off those thoughts. I've learned alot about myself as a person since becoming a mother and it's only helped me for the better. 

My advice to new mothers is simply this: have zero expectations. Trust yourself. You're the MOM, you know best. It's okay to ask for help. And it's okay to not ask for help. 

Motherhood is the most exciting, saddest, happiest, isolating, exhausting, exhilarating, maddening ride of your life. Period. 

And I wouldn't change anything for a minute of pre-baby life because knowing me, I would miss her too much."

It made me SO happy to have soooooo many people message me on Instagram or Facebook saying "I love this and want to participate".  There's something so special about having so many different people come together on things they can relate to each other on. So, thank you to each and every one of you who shared your stories.  I cannot wait to post them all.  But with that, here is mommy number 2's story - Jessica ♥

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"Everyone generally prepares you for pregnancy and delivery by sharing their stories and experiences but very few people give you a realistic idea of your post-delivery process. My pregnancy had its challenges with high blood pressure and excess edema which led to me being induced three weeks early. My delivery went well and I gave birth to a beautifully healthy baby girl. Now, what I was not expecting were the challenges that followed in my own healing and recovery afterwards. I had expected to not be back to my normal self right away, but I could not have imagined still recovering almost 3 months after giving birth. As painful, and at times frustrating, as the recovery process was, I would do it all over again because having a daughter has been life changing. 

To say that motherhood has changed me would be an understatement because the changes that have taken place I did not even expect. Yes, the amount of love I have for this tiny little person is beyond words and I would do anything and everything for her but almost more importantly, she has made me a stronger, more confident and more understanding woman. This little girl who wakes up everyday taking on the world with excitement and enthusiasm has shown me that I am a lot stronger than I ever thought I was. Now, to say that every day is amazing, would also be a lie because there are definitely days where I wish I could sleep in, have a few minutes to myself, not have to worry about poo, just to name a few. I think as a new mom it has been important that I remind myself everyday that I am going to make mistakes, that things are not always going to go right, that there will be tough days but all those things are okay because I know that everything I do for my daughter is done out of love and what is the best for her and that’s all that matters. 

Motherhood is the most exclusive club in the world and every single experience shows such strength and courage. Women can literally do anything and everything and rarely (if ever) do we ask for recognition or praise. Well, as a daughter and now a mother, I am saying thank you to every single mother."

To connect with Jessica on social media please click here.

I've been photographing newborns in Mississauga for over three years.  In those three years, I've met over 150 families.  Some for newborn sessions, some for milestone sessions, some for family sessions, etc. Through meeting all these families, I've seen sooooo many different stories.  I've seen parents who have struggled with fertility, I've seen parents who have conceived while on birth control and were taken by complete surprise, I've seen parents grow closer having experienced a loss of their baby, a disability, an adoption, a surrogacy, same sex couples, single dads who are absolutely killing it and making it a known fact that they can do it all just as well, etc.  It truly has been a complete gift and honour to be able to do this. 

I've heard so many mamas say that it's been hard, worth it, but hard.  That "people don't tell you this, that, or the other".  They don't tell you about the healing, the hurt, the loneliness, the pain, and so on.  So.. I wanted to create this "place" of being able to relate.  Whether you want to talk to someone new, are curious on experiences, have questions about what might be "normal" or even just what to expect and really just get down to the reality of parenthood and motherhood or fatherhood.  Here is somewhere where you don't need to ask someone how it's been for them, or google what it's been like, but rather somewhere where you can just click around and find other (for the most part) local moms that you could feel comfortable with and who are going through possibly the same thing.

To submit your story, please email me at [email protected] or simply click here.  This is your story.  So whether you want to remain anonymous, share a long post, short post, detailed post with a lot of personal information or not, share what you're comfortable with and I'd be more than happy to feature you.  I will be posting Instagram links at the bottom of each post (for those mamas that agree to share) so all mamas and/or dads can follow each other if they choose. 

So, without further adieu, let me introduce to you, mama number 1.  My own sister.  Her introduction to motherhood story goes like this.. 

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Oh, motherhood. Something you can't prepare yourself for. The love, the sacrifice, the giggles, the milestones, the "firsts", and the exhaustion. I knew there would be sleepless nights and I knew it would he hard.. but the exhaustion of motherhood is nothing like I expected. Of course there is a huge change in the amount of sleep I get, but the exhaustion from the day to day stuff was a hard adjustment too.

I actually consider myself pretty lucky. I think I had an easy pregnancy and for the most part Lauren has been a pretty easy baby.

It's not always rainbows and butterflies. There are weeks at a time when Lauren wakes up every 30 minutes all. night. long. At first, I honestly felt like I'd never sleep again. I personally couldn't let her cry it out alone and so I decided not to sleep train. We have also been co-sleeping since she was about 2 months old, which made the night wakings a little easier to handle.

For the first 5 or 6 months, I would wake up with her at night and feel so much frustration. I was so tired. I had no energy. So I started researching and reading about how to get baby to sleep without using the cry it out method. I found a few accounts on Instagram, one with a quote that read "sometimes your baby needs you more than they need sleep" I can honestly say reading that instantly changed my attitude towards those hard nights. I started to approach these wakings with the thought that she needed to feel close to me. She didn't understand how tired I was. She is waking me up for comfort, for love, and to know that her mama was still there.

I also started to be easier on myself. It was okay to be tired. And it was okay to feel frustrated. I'm human. But when I feel any negative emotions, I try to remember what (and who) I'm tired for. I try to remember that all of this is temporary. I remind myself of how lucky I am to be rocking my baby to sleep. I think she knows when I'm having a rougher time than usual.. because those hard nights when I wake up to her cries and look over at her, she's smiling at me. How on earth could I feel anything but love when there was this tiny human who is nothing but happy to see me, even at 2:30 in the morning.

I'm the sleepiest but happiest I've ever been in my 33 years on this earth. I was meant to be Lauren's mama. I will never take a sleepless night for granted. I will always wake up each morning with a heart full of so much gratitude. Because there is so much more to motherhood than losing a bit of sleep. And her little smiling face reminds me of that every single day.
 

To connect with Tara, and follow her and her story on Instagram, click here

Baby Brayden decided to make a little bit of an early appearance, which was totally fine with me! We ended up moving his session around to accommodate some things he'll have scheduled in the next few days after his session.  And, needless to say, I was thankful we did.  The day of his session Brayden slept like a champ, minus when I would touch his teeny little fingers.  For some reason, straightening these babes little fingers is not something any of them like! But, determination got me through it. 

I loveeeeed his Mongolian Spots.  This is such a common thing to see in Asian babies.  It's just the pigment's in their skin.  They almost always fade.  His were so prominent and perfect, I loved them. I love anything about new babies that make them stand out a little bit, or definitely love documenting something that will most likely fade.  This is another reason I almost never edit out a lot of the baby flakey skin. Once the flakes are gone they're never coming back! Why edit it out and when you can learn to appreciate it :). 

Can we also talk about the fact that he puckered those pouty lips as I was doing those detail shots.  Like.. come. on. CUTIE!

Below are some of my favourites from Braden's newborn session in Mississauga, at my studio. 

Baby Asher came in and didn't make a peep! I met his mama and daddy back in November for their maternity session.  They're such sweet people and both sessions went flawlessly.  This was their first babe so I knew I had to make sure that they had photos to always remember what it felt like when bringing home baby number one.  Because, let's be real, I have no kids.. okay fine.. but I've met enough parents to hear the story of "there's nothing like bringing home your first baby".

You don't know what you're doing! You have the baby, nurses are there, and then BAM! you're going home by yourself and thrown into the water.  Sink or swim time!  But these two.  They're so calm, patient, go with the flow, they're kickin' butt being first time parents.  

So world, I introduce to you, my first baby of 2020, the sleepiest of the sleepy.. Baby Asher.

-KCP <3 

Her mama has two boys already.  So she welcomed in her baby girl! The colours were all up to me! Minus the purple ;) her mama loved purple (which so do i so I wasn't mad).  I chose a blue and olive green! Two colours most people probably wouldn't think of choosing for a girl, but the blue went so sweet with a little bonnet and the olive green with the beautiful dainty halo!  When choosing your colours for either a boy or a girl, it's always nice to think outside of the box.  I find that the typical colours just seem to blend SO much with every one else.  When you come across a colour or an image that kind of catches your eye, it's usually because it's different.  Generally also, other colours photograph nicer! Surprisingly. So, when choosing your colours, sometimes it's better to say colours that you DON'T want rather than ones that you do because you'll definitely be surprised with what you find is "pretty" or looks good.  A lot of "boy" colours (blue and green and yellow) actually look STUNNING for girls. 

Baby Veoletta did not like to sleep haha! So we managed to get in some shots of her bundled up! That's the good thing about newborn photography is even when they're not sleeping, you can still squish em up tight and get them to close their eyes for a few minutes. 

Below are the photos from her gallery.  I had mom hold Veoletta's little feet to hold them in place while I positioned myself as she kept kicking those legs.  It ended up being one of my favourite images.  It's so neat to see how little babies are compared to their mamas or daddys.

This family, from the moment I met them for Mr. Gabriel's newborn session, we clicked! They were SO great, big sister Olivia quickly became my best friend and lucky for me, they booked a milestone package.  Meaning I got to see them every 3 months.  Gabe's newborn, 3 month photos, 6 month, 9 month and 1 year.  For the one year; however, we kind of changed and upgraded.  Not just to a "one year cake smash" but we did family photos.  They took the time, invested in what family photos include, and got a full session. 

Since they had come to me SO many times, they easily could have done his 1 year smash, and then booked a mini.  But they didn't. 

The difference between a mini family session and a full family session is night and day.  Minis are TWICE a year.  Fall and Christmas.  That's it.  They're about 15 minutes long.  What this means, is if your little one is having a rough day, unfortunately, there's not much that we can do.  It sounds harsh, I know.  And I don't mean it like that! But minis are back-to-back-to-back.  Session after session after session.  We can't come back to your LO after they've settled 20-25 minutes later.  Especially, they're meeting with me (usually) for the first time.  They have no idea who I am and I am all up in their business.  I'd probably hate me too lol! 

However, with a full family session, you can get a sunset.  You can get the posey pictures in the beginning while your littles warm up to me and get used to me. After about 20-25 minutes, they're usually good :).  Now, is when the fun begins.  I start to capture you as a family.  Not standing there and looking at the camera, because lets be real.. most kids are not doing this 90% of the time lol.  But you interacting with the kids.  Cuddling them, tickling them, all while I can capture their true genuine giggles and smiles.  THAT is what family photos are about.  In mini sessions, you generally don't get that.  Fine, you invest a little bit more for a full family session. But, you can get a gorgeous location, you can get happy kids, and laughter, and intimate connections as a family.  The most important thing to me is that.  What are YOU like.  Not what do you look like while smiling at my lens.  That's not YOU.  That's not your every day life.  Even if your LO is having a meltdown, i'll capture it! 

Ihope you enjoy these candid and lighthearted pictures! Giosa Family, it was so much fun to reunite with you every few months. Iwish you and your family nothing but all the happiness in the world.. and I REALLY hope to be able to see you all again so soon.

There was a slight catch, they weren't even in Canada at the moment.  This couple is from England! England guys.  One dad is from Italy and the other from England.  Never in my wildest dreams when I started this adventure 2.5 years ago would I think that a couple from another country would be asking ME to do their newborn photos. But, that's where always feeling like there is more to learn and grow comes in.  But anyways, they got into a little bit more detail when I asked them.  Obviously given they are a same sex couple, and wanting children, they went the surrogate route! Their surrogate who has a husband and children of her own, was their blessing and gave them their precious little baby. 

I was so lucky to be able to meet everyone! Both daddy's, a set of grandparents, and, to my extreme delight, their surrogate. I can tell you, the amount of love that was in my teeny tiny little studio was absolutely incredible.  I've seen parents gushing over their little one, I've seen proud grandparents who just want to gloat and talk about how perfect their grand baby is, but, let me tell you, I've never seen love like this.  Love for the baby, love towards each other, love towards their surrogate, love towards their son who is now a daddy, there were a couple times where we all kind of got choked up and couldn't believe what was going on, because it was just SO emotional.  I could only imagine how happy they were finally holding their precious little baby girl.  

So, world, I introduce to you, baby Sophia.

Their love is absolutely unreal.  She is definitely a lucky baby girl.  Below is their surrogate.  I could only imagine the heart it takes to do this for someone.  To be so selfless, is definitely something I admired from her.  She was the sweetest woman ever. And this little doll fit perfectly into her hands.  Definitely a moment I was glad to have captured.

I could probably go on and on and on about how amazing this session was.  Not only did we get through parent poses, surrogate poses, grandparent poses, family poses, naked poses, wrapped and prop poses, but we did it all within 3 hours and she didn't make a peep.  She was definitely one of my sleepiest, quietest, most easy going babies I've ever had.  And, trust me, I really don't mind fussy babies all that much, but I feel like she definitely did this for her daddies to give them exactly what they wanted from their session, considering they waited a long while to get her. 

Congrats to these two daddies and this family was the perfect example of love is love.  

So anyways :) I send out the form, and I get this mama who sends me back her questionnaire.  She tells me that they conceived their son naturally, but when trying again, it just wasn't working.  I feel like the topic of "not natural pregnancies" is always a hard one.  Having known a few people who have been close to me experience this, it hits home for me a little bit.  I know the strain and struggle it's going to put on your relationships with everyone around you.  You may be the type of person that is open and willing to talk about it, or you may be someone who likes to deal with this sort of thing on your own.  Either way, you had a hard time and that's that.  So, when I found out that this mama and daddy had to turn to some extra help, I knew she was someone I wanted in the studio.  They were blessed with their little Madelyn via IVF and this girl was amazing. Big brother was SUPER proud to have her along as well :) He was interested in her being wrapped and was NOT a fan when he had to leave for her session (once family photos were done).  

I am always so grateful when parents choose me to photograph their new little babes, but for this family, I was more than happy to choose them :) 

Mama contacted me through my Facebook Page when they were still cooking asking if I had ever done a twin newborn session, and my answer was no.  She graciously offered her little babes to be my twin trial run! haha i LOVED it.  They were SOO good and so cute, and soooo sleepy!  They are definitely staying up on my Portfolio on the website forever so you may have seen them a time or two! lol

Though they were identical, we were still able to tell them apart.  Their hair was always a bit different and one always had a bit of a longer face.  Separately was a challenge sometimes but put them together and you could kind of see the difference!! lol

Their mama is a pro at posting on their Instagram Account (give them a follow!).  I was also able to see them for a couple sessions after their newborn session at their sitter session AND a fall family session!  

But this particular time this past weekend, we decided to do their cake smash! Cake smashes are one of those sessions that are really a "hit or miss". You sometimes get little wee ones who don't understand why they're FINALLY allowed to dive head first into cake and they freak out, or you get the ones that are super happy about it and do the diving!! lol As you can see, they decided that it was "go time!". 

Mama had a little surprise for me once they were done with the cake - she definitely wanted in on the fun!! lol soooo she plopped her booty down.. and with two (almost) 1 year olds, her hands were a bit full.. soo Daddy decided to have a little fun with mama.. lol!

To check out their entire gallery CLICK HERE!

Yep! He got her with quite a bit of icing! The studio was a TEENY bit cake and icing filled afterwards, but this was probably the craziest, funnest, cake smash I've had lol I mean, how can it not be with TWO toddlers?!?

I can't wait to watch these little rascals grow and honestly can't even believe it's been a year already!  Honestly, doing what I do is so rewarding.  That moms and dads trust me to capture these memories for them.  I don't ever take it for granted and I love every second of it! 

I am now booking into June 2019! So if you're expecting, want a milestone session (whether it's a sitter session or cake smash), family session, or anything else - send me a message through my Contact Page!

<3 Krystal

It’s such an amazing feeling!  However, of all things to plan for, a newborn photographer may have been one of the things that you didn't realize was something that you wanted.  And now, you go BACK onto Pinterest, and see the hundreds of photos, styles, genres, poses, etc.  Google a mississauga newborn photographer in your area, and find there are SOO many.  You quickly realize that finding someone to do this for you, is probably going to be overwhelming and stressful.  This is not an easy task!  How do you choose someone in two seconds if it's someone you (probably) have never met, and are going to soon be caring for and holding your brand new bundle of happiness and love.  Your whole heart bunched up into just a ball of chunkiness.  Wouldn't it just be SO much easier for someone to point you in the right direction?? Well, lets do just that!

Choosing your newborn photographer is something you should not take lightly.  I've been doing this for over two years and every single time someone comes to me, they always say "You're going to be great when you have kids".  Or "you know all the tricks of the trade".  Or "how did you become so patient with them?!".  The truth is, being a newborn photographer is hard.  Like in my previous blog of Why I Don't Give Unedited Images, there is SO much work that goes into creating gorgeous photos for you guys. 

It's definitely not as simple as a click of a button and away we go.  Many, MANY, many, people will say "wow that camera is amazing!".  The truth is, yeah of course it's the camera that TAKES the photo physically, but it's me putting the baby into the shot compositionally correct, it's me that's knowing what angle to shoot from and where to put my light, and what system works best for me, and knowing the flow of transition poses.

That's all fun and all about how I take the photo but what about you? That's the most important factor.  How do you know you want ME? Well, time for a little self-reflection.  But nothing too crazy like the first day of class and you have to introduce yourself and your hobbies type thing.  Believe it or not, I HATED being forced to do that.  I'm such an introvert that speaking in front of 30 people was NOT something I looked forward to at all.. but anyways! :) 

Everyone is different.  Some people like bright vibrant colours, others like muted earthy tones.  Some people like "posed", other people like "natural".  This is a perfect example of why you should shop around what what style suits YOU! 

The importance of valuing the product you'll receive.  You see soooo many posts or "ISO" posts on mom groups or other Facebook social media groups with people looking for newborn photographers that "won't charge an arm and a leg".  When really, this is the last thing that you should be considering when choosing your photographer.  Price is obviously important, but if newborn photos is something you'll value and treasure forever, then you want something that 10-15 years from now when your little baby is graduating from one school to another, you're still looking at that image and you're proud.  It's one of those things that "dont happen twice".  Your new baby will NEVER be 10 days old again.  Value that moment, and treasure what that means.  I don't want to tell you "don't look at price".  But really, don't look at price!  Maybe because I am such a spur of the moment person, to me, if I see what I love, I want it.  And money will come back.  But your little babe being the little babe he/she is, won't. 

So, where do you start??  In Home or In Studio?

I think it's important to recognize what YOUR style is.  This is where you decide if you want your session in your home or in my studio?  Do you prefer more relaxed sessions, or posed session?  The photo on the left here is an example of a studio session.   In this session, mom and dad came to the studio to have their new little babe Hailey (who was my first wrapped mini newborn session).   In studio sessions are sessions that involved these "wrapped poses", the naked poses, the use of props, furs, buckets, baskets, etc.  I have a few different options for in studio newborn sessions.  In studio sessions usually last quite a few hours (generally between 2-4), as having baby super sleepy, is quite important.  But, that's also another factor that you don't need to worry about!  Prior to your studio session, I'll send you an entire prep guide in order to help with the flow of your newborn session.  But, babies aren't always so sleepy! They just look like it in the images ;) To view samples of styled in studio sessions, please click here.

Or, you can opt for the in-home lifestyle session.  The phone on the right here was an in-home newborn session.  This type of session includes literally just you (mom and/or dad, and baby).  Heck you can even have your fur babies in these sessions! These sessions are quick and simple.  They're generally about an hour.  You can have a variety of photos in your home which usually includes in the master bedroom, nursery, living area, etc.  Any room that has natural light though.  As I am not a "travelling studio photographer", meaning I do not bring my lights and props and bean bag with me, these sessions are simplistic and natural.  To view an example of a lifestyle session, click here.

Next up in choosing your photographer would likely be to look at their style in their portfolio.  This part of your selection process is just as important as deciding what type of session you want.  Why? Because, as a photographer, our goal is not just to give you photos to post for "likes", the goal is mainly for YOU to like them.  No.. correction.  The goal is for you LOVE them.  Love them enough that you'll want them displayed in your home, or at work on your desk, or give them to family members.  Planning to print your photos is something SO many people forget when choosing their photographer.  Whether you want an album or a table frame or a big wall collage in the nursery, printing your photos should definitely be something you take into consideration.  If you look at a lot of my work, I'm pretty "moody".  I like deep shadows and neutral colours.  I don't have a lot of bright pink, or bright blue.  I'm not an "airy" photographer.  I have a moodier style.  I'm pretty "rustic" you could say.   Something that you should definitely do, is contact the photographer(s) that you're thinking about selecting and actually talking to them about what your vision is to make sure that you're on the same page.  You can get a lot out of visiting websites and Instagram pages and Facebook, but you'll have more of a feel if you "click" with your photographer by having a conversation with them. It's important to reach out! :) 

SAFETY ALERT! This is a BIG factor when choosing your photographer.  Just like I mentioned above, I get that price is a HUGE factor, and I know that everyone has a different budget on what they want to spend.  But, I can tell you, the photographers that aren't charging an "arm and a leg" (.. which actually if you google the cost of an arm and a leg is actually A LOT and no where near what photographers are charging ;) ) are charging you what they're charging because they know the safety of your baby.  I cannot tell you how many online workshops I've completed, how many "pro" photographers I've studied and learned from, to learn the safety of your baby.  I know what signs to look for with the colour of your baby's skin, I know what positions to keep them in to make sure that their little lungs are getting enough oxygen, I know what pressure to use and where so that they feel safe and secure when they're with me. 

Take this photo of these two little identical twin boys (who are coming in for their 1 year cake smash this weekend!), I had a spotter holding their head; however, for the gorgeousness of the image, I edited her hand out.  Why? Because it was safe.  I knew that them being teeny tiny like they were, would not be able to hold their head up like this by themselves, so we composite the shot to create this.  

Before thinking price is the only factor, please remember that the safety of your little one should ALWAYS come first.   PRICE SHOULD NEVER TRUMP SAFETY.  I would rather know someone chose me because they trust me, rather than chose me because they like what I charge over someone else.  This is such an important factor, that I could (and maybe will) write an entire blog on this factor alone. 

Hopefully if you're expecting, after reading this post you'll either know 100% that you want me as your photographer, or that I don't fit stylistically into what you're looking for.  And that's okay!  Please be sure to email me via my contact page if you would like to get some more info and talk a bit more! <3 
 

This usually the process anyways, so I don't mind.  I put my wraps on her and away she went into dreamland.  Her mama chose to have whites, creams, and anything really light and neutral which with her dark hair and perfect skin, looked SO good on her!  I wrapped her in the "potato sack wrap" and away we went!  

These sessions are only 1 hour in length so really, having a good wrapping technique (and of course a sleeping baby), is pretty crucial.  The key is wrapping them nice and tight so that they feel secure.  Most times mom (or dads) say to me "when I wrap him/her they just wiggle out!".  Now, it's suggested not to wrap them as tight as I do for long periods of times, like for them to go to sleep for the night or what not, but for their session, it's perfectly fine :).  The way their arms are folded to their sides and their legs are "pretzeled" on their bellies is a similar pose to how they were in the belly so most times this is why they fall asleep - it's their position that they're used to!

Baby H was born on December 15, 2018.  So as soon as she was born, mama emailed and asked if she was still okay to do her session on January 5, 2019.  The good thing about the wrapped mini session is it's pretty good for babies even up to about 4 weeks old!  When you're looking for your newborn photographer, you'll see a lot of us have a "preferred time frame" of photographing your new baby.  The reason for this is because after a certain period, they're used to the outside world and they are more alert, they're growing, learning and developing SO quickly.  In order to get the cute poses that are posted and you see online, generally they're between 7-14 days old.  That is usually what is needed (or preferred) for nude shots because for those, baby must be veryyyyy sleepy.  But for wrapped shots, it's okay if baby is awake.  Because of my wrapping methods, they can't wiggle out, so if they're bright eyed and bushy tailed, I will just photograph that for you and you still get a full gallery of gorgeous baby!

Mom selected her images quite quickly after I sent the gallery over.  I love when mamas are excited and eager to view their galleries that they respond right away.  Mind you, she had a gallery of 20 Images to choose from!  Baby H did such an amazing job, it took no time to fill her gallery in the hour :) Below are some of my favourites from her session :)

If you're interested in booking a newborn session, whether it be a wrapped mini or a full session, please be sure to do so in your second trimester :))  Head on over to the "Contact" page at the top ^ and shoot me a message! :) 

So when this mama came to me, without hesitation, I said YES! I was sooooo excited.  On top of the surprise of her wanting ME to do these photos for her, the other surprise was that we didn't know what the gender of the baby was!  Let me tell you, 2018 was the year of boys for me.  I had SO many more boys than I did girls.  So, as I should have guessed, she had a boy.  And in came baby Liam! 

He may look sleepy and all cuddled and fun, but boy this little one gave me a run for my money lol.  Parents always come in saying that they want a specific picture, or pose, or have a specific outfit, but, as much as I will try, I cannot always guarantee it.  Liam was one of those babes that just didn't want the world seeing his birthday suit haha wrapped was his favourite way to be.  Every time we unwrapped him, Liam woke up, cried, pooped, farted, you guess it.. anything BUT fall asleep.  We managed to get in a couple naked photos for mom but he didn't make it easy on me!  That's part of what I love about newborn photography though.  You can have two babies, both born roughly around the same time, or you're photographing them at the same age (day wise lol), and they can be two completely different sessions.  One could be 2 hours, one could be 4 hours.  One baby could be sleepy and zonked out and one could be WIDE awake! You never know what you're going to get :) 

Liam's daddy is a Toronto Police Officer and I was So happy when they asked if we could incorporate something into his session.  Because Mr. Liam didn't want anything to do with the naked poses (which is where I was going to incorporate this lol) we had to improvise! And I'm quite glad we did.  This shot below is one of my favourites from his session.  I know that years to come, it'll probably be a neat one for him to look back on and see.  The badge of his dad :).  And it almost looks like he has a teeny little smirk on his cute face also :) 

Normally, if no siblings are in the session, I do parent shots last.  Again, these photos were some of my favourite.  The way a teeny tiny little baby looks with his/her new mom and dad and being the first person to get to photograph their "first family photo" (other than those taken at the hospital, which most moms are not a fan of lol), it's such a special moment that I definitely appreciate and make sure is something the family is going to love.   Heck, this is usually the photo which clients order for their canvas or gallery prints for their walls! That's not something I take lightly :)  Below is some more of Baby Liam's newborn session. 

As I always say - if you're expecting, book early! Session spots fill up quickly and once they're gone - they're gone! <3 

Krystal

These type of sessions are laid back, relaxed, comfortable, and generally MUCH quicker.  Quicker because baby doesn't NEED to be sleeping.  In a lot of photos it's actually nice to have them awake.  You catch their eye contact looking at mum or dad, you catch their newness that fades so quickly.  Newborn photography is really whatever you make it to be.  I love all of it.  I love breaking out and going to peoples homes to see how they've created a nursery for their little one.  To see what special things they've included in the room that mean so much to them. 

Baby Mateo's mom and dad booked their session well in advance.  We went for a lifestyle session rather than a posed in-studio session.  I couldn't have loved it more.   Mom and dad had just gotten their (ADORABLE) little pup, Gracie, when they found out they were expecting.  Two under 1 was about to enter their home :).  

When I got there, Gracie was soooo excited to have a visitor in their home. Luckily for me, I've always grown up with dogs either in my home or around me.  And all of them have either been big dogs or hyper dogs, so her furry ball of energy and constantly wanting to give me kisses was no problem here.  So, side note - if you're wanting a lifestyle session and are nervous about me being afraid of your doggy, don't worry :) They don't scare me! <3 . 

Anyways, we started their session in what's usually my favourite spot - the master bedroom.  There's just something I find so special and personal about photographing new parents in a room that's really so private to them.  Gracie came along for the ride of course :).  We got quite a few photos of baby Mateo and Gracie together.  She was so gentle with him.  She also did pretty well with listening :) The treats in my hand MAY have helped a bit but no one REALLY can tell right?? lol 

We slowly moved on to Mateo's nursery where there was perfect lighting, the cutest little rocking chair, and a room FILLED with love.  Mateo was about 6 weeks at the time of his session so he definitely was not wanting to sleep, but that was totally fine with me.  We tried for a few minutes just so we didn't have flailing hands but he was not having it.  No problem! :) You just give mama her baby and let her snuggle away.  

This family made it so comfortable.  Sometimes you wonder what it's going to be like going into someone's home that you've never met before.  You don't know if you're going to click with them or if you're just going to have a very awkward hour and a half lol I'm pretty decent at just going with the flow but sometimes, you never know!  These guys, it was easy peasy.  They did what I asked, they didn't look awkward, they were freaking ADORABLE as can be and really, made my job easy that day.  

So, if you're not sure what type of session you're wanting for your newborn session, THIS is an example of a lifestyle session.  In your home, no props, no poses, no fancy lights, etc.  Just you, your spouse, your baby, your pets, and if any, your other kiddos :).  I have had some families book both because they just can't decide between the laid back or the posed! If that's what you're interested in also, let me know :) That way we can work something out for you and your littles <3 

Here are some of Baby Mateo's newborn session.. (don't forget to check out Miss Gracie). 

I thought I'd come up with something new for the next little while.  Try it out and see if people enjoy it :) It's called a Wrapped Mini Newborn Session!

What might this be? Well, you see.. normal newborn sessions are between 2-4 hours.  There are MANY reasons to this.  Baby is fussy, baby is hungry, baby is cranky, baby has gas, baby doesn't like me (just kidding that never happens :) ), etc.  The list could go on and on about why a baby just will not fall asleep or relax.  This can cause a very lengthy session.  Also, these sessions are the more expensive (but worth it) sessions.  They give you more variety in your gallery, they give you more photos and more versatility, etc.  

But, not everyone wants ALL those photos and not everyone wants to hang out at the studio for that long.  So I've decided to do wrapped newborn sessions.  They're short and sweet.  One hour max, six images max, and all wrapped.  No naked, no parents, no siblings, etc.  They'll be quick and still fun and you'll still get those perfect little images of your new one.  Because these sessions are so short, for the time being, these will be ones that I will schedule on weekdays only.  The longer sessions will be weekends still (like they have been).  The reason behind doing these sessions on weekdays is so that I can fit a few people in one day if need be :) Since my weekend availability goes pretty quickly, at least with these, we can get a couple done in one day if we have to! 

Let me show you a few photos of what "wrapped" images look like.  I always forget that new moms and dads really don't always know what the heck I'm talking about when i'm referring to certain poses or session types. 

I have to admit, babies in buckets, boxes, and bowls are really my favourite.  Look at his precious little fingers. Gah! 

This wrap is the "potato wrap".  I don't know why lol maybe because they're all bundled up and look like mini potatoes.  Well i guess large potatoes since potatoes are MUCH smaller than babies - but you get the point haha! 

Angles - angles - angles.  This image here (above) I probably got about.. 10 photos just from this angle itself.  I can get his little toes, a profile of his lips, nose, and eyes, a close up of his face, etc.  There is so much versatility to these poses that you don't need to worry about missing out :)

With a variety of wrap colours (approximately 40 different wraps) you have PLENTY to choose from! The other good thing about the wrapped sessions is that because baby is usually more content when swaddled, these can be done with little ones up to 4 weeks old :)  So new parents don't need to panic when they book last minute newborn sessions because you can have beautiful photos even when you're "passed the desired newborn age".  

Currently, newborn bookings are being taken in 2019! With the holidays around the corner (YAY) why not gift someone a mini-wrapped session! I do offer gift certificates; however, they do come with expiration dates.  As I am continuously learning, growing, and expanding everything in my studio (hopefully one day even expanding to a bigger studio itself), my prices do change.  I am able to issue the certificate (for newborn sessions) for 10 months.  Meaning, it will expire 10 months after purchase.  The reason being (one being what I just said), but also, because you're probably not going to buy a newborn session for someone who isn't pregnant right.. right.  So it'll expire shortly after they deliver since the session won't be able to take place after that regardless.  I do not allow the funds to be transferred to another type of session, just because then you get into different amounts, amount of images, etc. It just gets messy so i hope y'all understand! <3 

Every time I press my shutter button on my camera, I will check the preview screen, i'll zoom in and take a look.  Are the eyes in focus, is the composition where I want it to be, is the photo too dark, is it too light, do I have to adjust my settings, and so on.  So many people think newborn photography is easy because the babies just sleep the whole time.  Wrong! :) But that's a topic for another blog post.   Now, back to what I was saying.  On top of making sure my photo in camera is exactly what I want it to be, there's a reason I'm looking for what I'm looking for.  I'm shooting for the edit.  I know what my edit is going to look like.  I can see the final product in my head before it's done.  I'll show you a photo of SOOC (straight out of camera).  This photo had no edited what so ever to it. 

You can see A LOT wrong with this (obviously) lol The left corner is extremely dark (shadows from the position of my light), the right corner well.. that's a wall haha baby is red and kind of blotchy, and though you may not notice it (I do because it's my work), the tip of the hat has a little point.  These are all things that once i take the photo, i like the composition of where baby is, the fingers are relaxed and baby looks comfy.  That's most important to me.  I like the shadows across his face and know that I'll bring those out more in post-processing. 

But, I will tell you there were probably about.. 10 shots of this exact pose, there were about.. 3 angles that I chose to edit.  So, out of 10 photos, 7 are "garbage".  Literally they will be deleted after the gallery is delivered lol

Though you may find this photo still cute if it's your baby, I never risk sending out photos like this.  Why? Because, this photo is not a clear representation of my work.  This isn't what I'll post on my website or social media, this is not a final image for me.  I don't want to take photos for you so that you can just "have them".  I want you to have the best photo possible.  I want the skin smooth, and the bonnet round, I want it to be perfect. 

So if you're ever photographing with me or even with someone else, the chances of someone giving you all the images are slim to none.  Basically because it's not what represents me or us.  It's not a final product.  You'd never buy a purse with a hole at the bottom so you can't put anything in it would you? That's what I compare this to.  I'd never post this because it's an image that's not complete or "usable".  Just like that purse wouldn't have been :) Now, the final image which is what mom and dad get:

He was such a dream baby!  Here are a few more from his gallery.  I was so happy this family chose me to photograph their new little one.  Mom is a freaking champ! She got her PhD like DAYS after having this cutie, she has a 2 year old, and Halloween was just around the corner.  Holy moly! lol

I am now booking newborns in 2019! I have zero dates available for January (for any type of session).  Please, please remember to book early xo <3

Krystal

It's so hard to believe that November is here and 2018 is almost coming to a close.  I've met SO many people this year, and I've seen SO many returning clients of mine.  There is so much that goes into being a photographer, but the most rewarding part of it all is building these odd "friendships" with people. They're your client's and they're not supposed to be your "friends" because that's when you get taken advantage of lol but I honestly can't help but feel like my clients are people I want to continue talking to.  I want to follow them on Instagram and Facebook so I can see the updates of the kids, or the relationships that I photograph.  

Baby Mason's mama messaged me after her Mason was already born, and gosh and I ever glad she did.  This is something that I honestly cannot stress enough, is book your newborn sessions early!.  Because I can only take a certain number of sessions a month, it's rare that I'm able to squeeze a last minute one in.  But Mason was an exception.  I had a date on a Thursday that I could plop him into and heck did he do me a favour of being such a great baby. 

When they came in for his session he was fast asleep.  I have a "workflow" of poses that I do.  Every sessions, they're generally the same flow from start to finish.  Transitioning from one pose to the next is what helps get those squishy little sleepy poses. The first pose I was going to do, was a no go for this guy.  He was breach.  Meaning, he was not as curled up as he should have been in belly :).  This made for his legs to be a little bit more "tense" and "straight" than what you'd usually get from a 15-day old.  However, no problem! You skip that pose and on to the next :) He rocked literally every second of his session.  He needed a bottle once and was out like a light.

Any newborn photographer will always joke that we get peed and pooped on and it's not a big deal, and parents are usually laughing and surprised that this is the case and ask "really?!".  And yes, really!! The outfits that I wear to these sessions are NOT what I prefer to go out in public wearing.  These are the clothes that when I get peed on multiple times in 3 hours, or have the mustardy yellow poop on me that won't come out, I don't care!! lol Needless to say, white is probably not my choice of clothing attire to a newborn session. 

HOWEVER, part of me saying he rocked this session is also because... I DIDN'T GET PEED OR POOPED ON!! lol I think I got a little pee but honestly, it was nothing! I was able to walk out of the studio not smelling like baby pee/poop! lol 

If you or someone you know is preggo and are debating whether or not to get newborn photos done, my suggestion is.. do it! This isn't one of those things where you can "get them done later".  Nope.  Once baby is about 4 weeks old, you're past the point of no return! Baby doesn't look the same, baby doesn't sleep the same, and baby just isn't the same because they aren't newborns anymore!  I get it, people say "it's expensive" and "I can't afford it with a new baby".  I am MORE than happy to do payment plans from the point of booking to session date.  Or even after the session date.  I'm willing to do this for you because I know it's important.  I cannot tell you how many people thank me later when they say "I wasn't going to do them but I'm glad that I did".  It's an investment.  It's a photograph.  It's something you'll look back on when your baby is having a baby, or when your baby is getting married or graduating from some sort of school.  It's memories.  People always spend money on materialistic things like purses, and tvs, and iphones, but why not spend it on that one precious little thing that once its born, you love more than anything else in the world.

<33 Krystal

I've had a TON of newborn sessions lately.  One of my most recent client's came to see my all the way from Peterborough.  I'm in Mississauga, so that trek was a heck of one!  And boy, am I ever glad that she did.  Baby Camden was the SWEETEST baby I think I've ever had (sleep and pee and poop wise lol).  He didn't pee on me or my props, he slept the ENTIRE time, and he let me curve him and mould him however I wanted to.

His mama is from Nova Scotia.  Which I adored.  Her sweet little accent and Camden's grandparents having one also, I knew they were going to be super fun to work with.  Grandma and Grandpa went exploring Ontario while his session took place, and honestly, it felt like I had known his mom for ever! 

She had also told me that when her babe was born he spent some time in the NICU.  Because of it, he received a bead for everything he had gone through.  It was pretty special to her to somehow include his little chain of beads that he received while there.  Once i put him in his "potato sack wrap", I knew it was a perfect moment to get those beads.  Against the white wrap and the cream rug, it stood out.  Holding those beads proudly, he rocked his whole session. 

After delivering his gallery to his mama to view, she went on to purchase a 20x30 canvas.  Guys, it was huge.  But she ADORED it and even ordered a few smaller ones.  I cannot express the importance of printing your images.  They're SO much more than something that should be stuck in a camera roll! Or a "once-upon-a-time" image as your Facebook Profile picture.  Ten years from now, whether it's a canvas, or a photo album, being able to look at something tangible and hold it and flip through pages, will be so much more sentimental and meaningful.  You never appreciate the value of it until it's right in front of you.

I cannot thank Camden's mama and daddy enough for letting me photograph his newborn session.  This one holds a special place in my big ol' heart :)) 

-Krystal <3 

His mama is my dear friend, and.. cousin! So Coulson was a little special one! :) His mama did not have the easiest pregnancy to say the least.  It's so hard to believe how fast the time goes! I remember meeting up with them to do their session, it was the beginning of summer and such a nice day out.  We went to a park in Milton (my favourite to photograph at).  

Then, come the winter time, we did her maternity session.  She had her hair done, her make up done, and chose a stunning red gown for the images. She was just about over being pregnant at this point, but she rocked her session!  It was FREEZING this day and the smiles on her faces and the love for her little babe, you couldn't even tell (minus the snow that gives it away!) 

Then finally, baby Coulson arrived!! It was not the easiest pregnancy for this mama; however, through all the triumphs and waiting and more waiting, he was finally here.  His big sister, Adrianna, was SO proud when his parents stepped out and I asked if she wanted to sneak in a picture with her new baby brother.  She wants to be kissing him and touching him.  You could just tell right away that she adored him. 

I love these guys so much! And really, as always, I am so thankful that they put their trust in me with their new precious little baby being! 

Love, 

Krystal <3 

I'm a pretty open and honest person and have no problem sharing that I am human, and I have had a rough month! BUT, luckily, seeing new babies, new puppies, and new people, always gets me out of the little funk that i've been in.  I honestly am so lucky that I really do have THE greatest clients out there.  And luckily for me, I get to continue to meet new people - both in the sense as I have never met them before, and the new little babies that are literally new to this world that I get to meet! :).  

I had a new type of client this month! Guys.. Odi and Blue were SO much fun! Odi (the black one) was MUCH more crazy than Blue.  He did not want to sleep, he didn't want to sit still, nothing.  Blue on the other hand wanted to sit still.. only problem was he would only want to cuddle in my lap!! Okay, normally i would have ZERO problems with this because like, hello, who doesn't want to cuddle a 9 week old French Bulldog.  Heck ya i do! haha! But when he's so sleepy and cosy and cuddly i just want to take pictures of him!! 

Brothers Blue & Odi (Blue - left, Odi, right) 

I learned SO much about these dogs through their mama.  It's so fascinating how such little beings can be and their health struggles and their bloodlines, etc.  I'm not usually a "small dog" person, but frenchies, they have me.  I loved them before and I love them even more! 

If you or anyone you know is thinking about getting a puppy and want "newborn puppy photos" send them my way! :) They, too, are of course better to be photographed during their first few weeks.  So, as soon as you know you're getting one, book your session! :) 

To check out their entire gallery click here <3

Love,

Krystal

This little lady is a perfect example of why you should follow the newborn prep-session guide! She was so peaceful and sleepy and wonderful! Her mama and daddy followed exactly what they were supposed to do in preparing her for her session.

I know a lot of people will say "oh s/he is a baby, they'll be sleepy the whole time".  I cannot express to you enough that this is not the case.  They're going to be tuffled with and placed in positions that they aren't normally put in.  They're also in another new environment.  Their "home" is really in mommy's tummy.  Then, they are getting used to their actual home.  So taking them out of their environment, again, and being handled by someone else, is not something that they're used to in their short little outside of womb life that they've had thus far.  

They're also going to be photographed likely in the morning.  Throughout the session, they are going to get hungry and have gassy bellies, and start to wake up.  Having them prepared for their session creates a smooth start to their session so that we can just top them up and finish off the session with ease.  If the session prep isn't followed, this can create a very fussy baby, a very hungry baby, a very tired baby, and a very tense baby.  Having baby relaxed and comfortable and ready to go is so, so, so, important.  

Mama and daddy came in for their ordering appointment, and decided they loved all of their images! I have a little surprise for them when their images come in! 

To see this little girlies gallery, click here

You guys, he was 20 days old and only 5lbs! Yes, 5!! I was all prepared for a little chunker at that many days.  Nope, he was teeny tiny and super sleepy.   His mama had contacted me after her sweet boy had been born already.  It is definitely ideal to book your session while still pregnant, but I get it, with baby brain, you forget!

Baby Alon was also born early as his due date was not until February! So that definitely helped with the sleepy vibes! :) He slept almost his entire session except for when he was hungry.  And one thing that I don't always get away with, he didn't pee on me!! 

This session became more and more special to me as the time went on and I got to talking with mom.  She told me that her parents were here from the states and that they had been fore a few weeks but were getting ready to go home.  Mama will be having little Alon all on her own, but she was so excited to have a little boy and I hope so so much that I'll see them soon for a milestone session! 

Here is a sneak peak of his gallery! Mama has yet to decide which images she likes so for now, just a little teaser!! :)

When we started the session, we started in mama and daddy's bedroom.  The room was so peaceful and quiet, and little Rose Mary was just in her element.  She has two much older siblings, who are both in high school, so you could definitely see their excitement for their new baby sister.  They were even joking around because big sister is taller than big brother, yet big brother is older than big sister! They tried to trick me but I knew there was a reason they were asking :).  Coming from a family with lots of siblings (all of us under 5'4), i knew something was up!

Mom was over the moon excited as well as she had quite the journey getting little Rose Mary, but my oh my, was she worth it.  We were done their session in about two hours.  We had some laughs, some cuddles, some nursing, and definitely some fun.  Rose Mary was about 1 month old at the time of her session, when I had seen them all again for the ordering appointment, she already had changed so much, that is really just reinforced why I love this so much!  It really is true about how fast they'll change and how their "newborn" look really doesn't last long.  Have them photographed because before you know it, they look completely different! :) 

To see Baby Rose Mary's entire gallery click [ here ]

- Krystal

Now that we've made it past the Monday Blues, it's not Too Cute Tuesday (totally made that up).  I wanted to get into lifestyle sessions a little bit!  A lot of people think that "newborn photos" have to be in my studio and with props and all these fancy poses and extravagant ideas and such.  I'm such a simple person, and simple photographer.  I try to keep things to a minimum and the focus on the new little bundle that has been given to you.  

I have done both lifestyle sessions and in-studio sessions.  I don't prefer one over the other per se.  However, I cannot ever explain how much happiness there is, when you walk into a home that just had a new baby.  Whether mom is holding the little one or whether the LO is sleeping or hanging out with dad.  Whatever the case may be, in-home lifestyle newborn sessions are SUCH a dream and a treasure.

Your home is going to change.  That's a guarantee.  Whether it's the home itself (if you move), the furniture (we all need a little updating every now and then), and the one guarantee is the people that live in it! When i come see you, whether your LO is 5 days, or 5 weeks old, they will never be that small again.  Your other kiddos will never look at their little baby sibling like they are that "new" again.  Eventually they'll just fight (let's face it we know that's the case lol).  

This family had their newborn session quite a few months ago now.  I've posted a few of their pictures on my Facebook (Krystal Cline Photography) and Instagram (@krystalclinephotography).  I walked in, and literally I felt like I had known them forever.  Their little boys were SO freaking cute! Mom and dad were scrambling, because they had just gotten a puppy before finding out they were preggo, they had two young boys, and whole heck load going on.  But, once we started, oh my.. the love in this house.  I wanted to move in! 

The little boys were best friends with their daddy, that was an easy thing to see, and oh my how their mommy loves them.  It really was so incredible.  You walk into these homes, and the families just welcome you.  You see how they mesh. The boys go crazy, because they're comfortable where they are.  You photograph their emotions.  You photograph the connections.  You freeze the moments for them that may be forgotten in the midst of new babies and sleepless nights.  You don't pose them, you leave them be and see what that'll bring.  You look at everyone looking at each other, and knowing that those people around them, are the ones that will always be there.  

You photograph the love.  That's what I like best about in-home newborn lifestyle sessions. 

To see Baby Eloise's full newborn session gallery click [ here ]

She was a wee little one.  So small and precious.  Miss Georgia.  You guys, she was a dream to work with! Let me just say, new studio space has been incredible for me! She slept the majority of her session, and made sure to pee all over me so I was soaking wet for the second half of her session, but she was totally worth it!! 

I can't wait to share her photos! I have yet to deliver them to her mama and daddy, but stay tuned guys, her cute little precious face is definitely worth it! 

If you're expecting in 2018, email me now! :)). I have sessions booked up until July! I cannot thank everyone enough!  My biggest goal is that you and I become comfortable with one another.  I don't want you booking a newborn session and being stressed out and worried about what goes on! If you have any questions, email me! Yes, I am a photographer, and a busy one.  But if you're my client, whether your session has taken place yet or not, you're my priority! And I gotchu! :) 

Stay tuned to see Miss Georgia's gallery - coming soon!  So for now, the cover photo will be of a new gorgeous mama who had her baby today!! Baby Coulson has arrived and his session will be up in about a month! 

Love always,

Krystal

I had NO hesitation in her coming in to my studio! Her mommy sent me a photo of her just days before her session.  She said "look what she did?! Is this fixable in photoshop or do we need to reschedule?!" I wish I had the photo guys!  Little Nora, being the crazy girl she is, decided she wanted to walk into something at her papa's house and have this HUGE scratch and scrape on her cheek.  Like, huge.  It was red and scabby and just not fun.  For a second I was like, oh lordddddddd help me! But once I saw the photo and this little girls eyes, I was like, heck no! We aren't rescheduling, I will work my magic and get that little oopsies out of the pictures! You should know, Nora's good side is the side her scratch was on! lol she showed it off like no tomorrow.. and made me work for it in post-processing! haha!

Her mommy's friend made her cake.  Holy heck! How precious it was!  The colours were perfect, the size was perfect, it was amazing! Believe me, the difference a pretty cake can make! haha 

Once we sat Ms.  Nora down to start at her, she sure did.  She went all in! Now most parents think their kids would be like, SUPER excited to "smash a cake" or to eat doughnuts.  That's not always the case lol  However, Ms. Nora was all for it! 

To see her entire gallery click ---> Little Nora Cake Smash (p.s. check out the one of her sitting ON her cake haha! and THATS how she feels about this session lol!)

Love always,

Krystal

Let me just say - - Oh Em Gee!! This little cutie has been one of my favourites to watch grow so far!! I've photographed him as a newborn, 3 months, and now 7 months!  His mama is such a sweetheart! I had some new props and was dying to try them out, so she let me borrow her little munchkin! It's amazing to grow with your clients.  

Malakai was one of my first newborns (I think he was 4th).  His 3 month session was a family session.  And now his 7 month sitter session was his handsome little self all on his own! 

His little smile, his eyes, everything about him is SO different! But he was an amazing sleeper at his newborn session, an amazing eater at his family session (haha!) and an amazing model at his sitter session! I'm soooo hoping his mommy wants a 1 year session with him because seeing the transformation of him has been something special.

Click the link to see his entire sitter session gallery (please click it and enjoy his friggen cuteness as much as I do!! lol)

See Gallery Here:  http://www.krystalclinephotography.com/mqwjze

Now on to the juicy fun stuff!  I have been doing this photography stuff for about a year and a bit :P It has been nothing less than amazing!  For the last year and a bit I have worked out of my teeny tiny little apartment.  All my client's loved it! Me, not so much! The worry that no one could be home, and toilet paper rolls filled, and dishes done! For anyone who is busy, knows that this is just one more thing to think about!

So after months and months of consideration, i did it! I moved into my own little studio! Dun dun dunnnnnn.  It's scary I'm not going to lie, but it's because of my amazing client's that I am able to do so! Here are a couple of photos! It'll be fun to show you as it transforms into something so friggen amazing! 

That big white chair in the corner, is BEYOND comfortable (FYI - for all you new mommies! you may fall asleep sitting there, and that's okay!)

This is the sitting area for any daddies that want to step away and close your eyes for a few minutes while I work my magic with your little ones! <3 

I live quite a crazy life, let me tell you!  And of course, just leave it to me to add some more on to my plate! But hey! I work well under pressure and I can't wait to see what comes next!

Love you all,

Krystal