Who I photograph when I'm not hanging with the babies

That which is striking and beautiful is not always good,but that which is good is always beautiful. - Ninon de L'Enclos

I absolutely LOVE working with the babies and littles I usually spend time with, but that doesn't mean I don't also take photos of grown up people as well! I've taken on a decent amount of headshot sessions, and I'm excited to share a smattering of them with you below. Photographing adults is such a different experience.... It's true that they are certainly more cooperative than my smaller subjects, but they also tend to be varying degrees of self-conscious in front of the camera. I include myself in this: holy inappropriate expletive! - I am the *worst* at getting my photo taken - I talk awkwardly and make weird faces and just generally have a hard time feeling accepting of the whole process. It's a trust thing, I think, and it feels like a big deal to pay someone to take photos of you - ones you feel like actually look like you, and that you can not just tolerate, but really like.

I can't tell you how many people tell me before I photograph them - "Good luck, it's impossible to get a good photo of me." And then, well, we end up with some amazing photos. I think it's partially because I have never photographed someone without being hit at some point during our session by how incredibly beautiful they are.  Looking at my subjects so intently through my lens, trying to truly see them, and capture their best self, I never fail to feel astounded by how beautiful people are - I know this word tends to be thought of as a more feminine adjective, but I feel it about my male subjects too. 

You know what?  Even though I can't see you, I know that you're beautiful too. I have absolutely no doubt that you're stunning person, and I hope your day is filled with peace and laughter.

Love,

Ceilidh

Postscript for you all: 

Are you looking for an updated headshot? Or amazing family photographs? I would love to help you out with that!  It’s never too early to contact me about a future session – I'm already 1/2 booked for September!  Please call 617-480-0387 or email me at cwy@willowbabystudios.com  to schedule your session.

Also,  for extra cuteness in your life, please jump on over to Instagram and follow me there to see a little darling every day!  #willowbabydaily

My Birthday Boy||Child and Family Photography

yours is the light by which my spirit’s born...   you are my sun,my moon,and all my stars

- e.e. cummings

I am a momma.

After six years of this being an irrefutable fact, I still have moments where I pause in awe that this is my truth. 

I feel so very lucky to be a momma. 

So I present this post to you, my sweet boy. Happy happy birthday.I think the photo above was the second one ever taken of Finn. I didn't take it (I was busy getting, um, reconstructed) but the alert look and slight smirk has always struck me as uncharacteristic to a person only minutes out here in the world. And, as you may have guessed, this was only the beginning of awestruck moments with this tiny human that grew inside me for 36.5 weeks.

How wonderful life is now you’re in the world - Elton JohnI carry your heart (I carry it in my heart) – e.e. cummingsAnd I’d choose you; in a hundred lifetimes, in a hundred worlds, in any version of reality, I’d find you and I’d choose you.  -Kiersten White, The Chaos of Stars Sometimes, you exasperate me to no end. Sometimes I feel like if I step on one more lego, I will throw them all out the window. Sometimes, I'm already fantasizing about a glass of wine or maybe even a stiff drink by 8:30 in the morning. But good gracious, child, I do love you so very very much. I'm in awe of you. Your cleverness at constructing jokes and lego creations, your (sometimes elusive) sweetness, your humor. You are sensitive and goofy, tough and determined, and a pretty gifted shot with those nerf darts. Being your momma has pushed me beyond capabilities I couldn't have even dreamed I had. It has deepened my sense of gratitude thousand-fold, motivated me to push forward as a business lady (me! your artist momma!), led me to more exhaustion than I thought was really survivable, and brought me so much joy. Thank you, my darling boy, for giving me the job of being your momma. I celebrate you.

Love always, Momma

Postscript for you all: 

I'd love to bring the joy I feel when looking at photos of my son to you and yours. I truly think it is the best present you can give yourself, as a momma, to get beautiful, professional photos of your kiddos as they grow!  

It’s never too early to contact me about a future session – I often schedule a few months out – 617-480-0387 or 

cwy@willowbabystudios.com

.  

Also,  for extra cuteness in your life, please jump on over to 

Instagram 

and follow me there to see a little darling every day!  #willowbabydaily

The Fur Siblings||Boston, MA Baby and Pet Photography

Oh, the pups! I do adore my tiny human subjects, but I have a special spot for their older (fur) siblings. It's so important not to let first borns feel ignored when a new baby arrives, so I always love to include them in our family photo sessions. And so, this post is in honor of the first babies of many families....

My sunshine doesn't come from the skies/It comes from the love in my dog's eyes.

-Unknown Poet

No one will invent and no one ever did/A happier pair than a dog and a kid. 
-Berton Fraley

The dog was created specially for children. He is the god of frolic.   - Henry Ward

When Finn was about three, he and I borrowed (okay, dog-sat) the remarkably sweet Walter-dog for a week, and it was pretty awesome to see them enjoying naps together. And amazing how they slept with their legs mimicking one another almost perfectly.... 
The only creatures that are evolved enough to convey pure love are dogs and infants.― Johnny Depp

The photo below with two pups looking right at me nothing less than a hard-earned miracle!

Thorns may hurt you, men desert you, sunlight turn to fog;
but you're never friendless ever, 
if you have a dog.  
-Douglas Mallock

To all the families with big, brave hearts that choose to parent a pup and a babe, what an impressive and lovely feat!  Thank you for the honor of photographing all your babies, the human and the furry alike!

Love,

Ceilidh

Postscript for you all: 

Do you need beautiful photos of your small people with their fur siblings? I would love to take them!  
It's never too early to contact me about a future session - I often schedule a few months out - 617-480-0387 or cwy@willowbabystudios.com 

Also,  for extra cuteness in your life, please jump on over to Instagram and follow me there to see a little darling every day!  #willowbabydaily

Pilfering the Crayons, or, Decluttering with Children

“The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less.” - Socrates Ah hahahahah! What a concept to introduce to my little guy, who eagerly accepts every sticker, lollipop and flimsy prize toy offered. And I don't blame him - new stuff is exciting! Treats are awesome! Prizes are validating! (and then getting rid of those things, well, the quote I've seen floating around the internet in various places - "I smuggle out broken bits of crayons like a drug lord" - rings pretty true. I've certainly hidden old coloring pages in between cereal boxes in the recycle bin.) But oh, how I love me a good empty bit of space, and how restful and joyous my mind feels when the clutter isn't around.

I remember the first time I realized I had way too much stuff. The last year of college - on a humid Boston day in late August- I was moving into a forth floor walk-up, and I hadn't suckered enough friends into helping me carry my boxes up the stairs. So I felt every. Single. Ounce.

I'd accumulated so much, and it sucked. It was literally heavy, but also emotionally so heavy - hanging on to so many things was weighing me down, bumming me out, and taking up energy that would be much better used elsewhere. I came to understand that the more stuff I had, the more I was responsible for: for lugging from one apartment to the next. For ensuring it stayed in good shape, was taken care of, was respected.

Years later, I became a mom. And we parents all know that tiny babies born in the US should come with their own storage unit, plus a spare attic or two for all the new items they come with!

At some point last year I stumbled upon a blog called Nourishing Minimalism. The writer of the blog, Rachel, discusses the difficulties of decluttering or embracing minimalism with kiddos around. She has some great ideas on how to get the children on board and Finn and I started the 2016 in 2016 challenge - can we get rid of 2,016 items this year? We're on our way!

I hope that these ideas make sense to Finn, so he spends less of his life and energy dealing with objects - wanting, buying, and collecting them - and so he never has to know the aggravation of carrying 8 million boxes up four flights of stairs on a disgustingly humid summer day in Boston.

Love,

Ceilidh

Postscript for you all: 

A material object that I do highly prize? Amazing family photographs. Truly some of my favorite possessions in my home. Do you feel similarly, but it's been dreadfully long since the whole of your family has all been in the same shot? I would love to help you out with that!  It's never too early to contact me about a future session - I often schedule a few months out - 617-480-0387 or cwy@willowbabystudios.com  

Also,  for extra cuteness in your life, please jump on over to Instagram and follow me there to see a little darling every day!  #willowbabydaily

Finn the Photographer||Boston, MA Family Photography

On Saturday, little boy and I decided it was time for his first-ish* official photography lesson.

I set him up with one of my old cameras, and we talked about the importance of using the camera strap, how to change the battery, how to take the lens cap on and off, and how to review a shot. We also went over pressing the shutter button down 1/2 way to focus. I left him alone for a bit to experiment, and a few minutes later he ran in to show me his first few shots: photos of his favorite page from last winter's lego catalog. "Okay, so, I took this photo of my booklip" (what he calls catalogs, magazines or instruction manuals) "and then I took this other photo of it, because I thought it would look better without my feet." Be still my heart! As a photographer, I agree that getting your feet out of the shot is a great idea, but as a momma, I prefer the first one because, well, adorable little boy feet. I showed him how to use the zoom on the lens, and he proudly wrapped up the booklip's session right after that, quite satisfied with his results. I told him about the magical light of golden hour (the hour before sunrise or sunset) and he excitedly said we should make sure to go outside that very afternoon.

Here's what we got on our first photo walk together.....proud momma says: he is remarkably good at keeping his horizons level!

I'm totally digging his composition in this shot!

slightly soft-focus, but he took this photo for me after I pointed out how pretty the golden light looked hitting the needles. Awwww....

role reversal.... now I have my own little documenter! (and look how cute my outfit looks from the back - love that coat!)

Oh, my little boy! Thank you for requesting this lesson. Such a wonderful afternoon indeed!

Love,

Ceilidh

Postscript for you all: 

Do you need beautiful photos of your small people? I would love to take them!  It's never too early to contact me about a future session - I often schedule a few months out - 617-480-0387 or cwy@willowbabystudios.com  

Also,  for extra cuteness in your life, please jump on over to Instagram and follow me there to see a little darling every day!  #willowbabydaily

*okay. The first time I let him use one of my old cameras was about 3 years ago. Slightly less involved lesson back then.....

Momma-in-waiting||Arlington, MA Maternity Photography

“No one else will ever know the strength of my love for you. After all, you’re the only one who knows the sound of my heart from the inside.”  ― Kristen Proby The magic of growing a person never fails to astound me. Yet another reason I feel so blessed to be a photographer - capturing growing bellies, and then tiny toes and delicate lashes.... Recently I got to meet the stunning momma above. She has next to her bed a small figurine of St. Anthony, the Patron Saint of Miracles - which I find pretty profound. She just radiates happiness and excitement as she awaits her little boy, the already beloved Baby R. The gorgeous and sweet Momma C is on the cusp of 30 weeks. (And yes, I'm also counting down till her little boy arrives, as I'll have the honor of being his first photographer:-) She is Peruvian, and her husband is French, and so their son will have the gift of being part of a trilingual family.I love imagining Baby R later in life, looking back at these photos of his parents and seeing how happy and excited they were to welcome him, and start their family.

Children are love made visible 

-American Proverb

And with that thought, I wish you all a lovely Monday!

Baby R, the world is busy getting ready for you - everyone is so excited to welcome you home!

Love,

Ceilidh

Postscript for my blog readers:

Do you need beautiful photos of your small people? I would love to be your photographer! Do you have friends with kiddos that haven't had a family photo session? I would love to be their photographer!  If you enjoy my work, please do share it - I love meeting new families.

It's never too early to contact me about a future session - I often schedule a few months out - 617-480-0387 or cwy@willowbabystudios.com  

Also,  for extra cuteness in your life, please jump on over to Instagram and follow me there to see a little darling every day!  #willowbabydaily

Hazel||Wakefield, MA Baby Photography

While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about.

-Angela Schwindt

So this little teacher is basically the cutest. See?

It's the sweet Miss Hazel, seven months, and working her way steadily towards crawling - and quite pleased with herself...Hazel does tend to be a bit more of a serious baby, although the pleased little grin above snuck out more than once. A sneaky bit of goofiness, not unlike her momma, who was blow drying the daffodils in an attempt to get them to open faster when I arrived. (This pleases me to no end - I find quirky moments like this to be the most endearing....)Snuggling time - giggles with momma & kisses with daddy - is seriously delightful. Might I suggest you look closely at the size of daddy's and Hazel's hands next to each other? The mini version next to the big version is quite remarkable. 

Hazel sleeps in the crib that her momma also slept in as a baby. Daddy made a few modifications, and thus the crib was able to host this newest generation. Much of Hazel's nursery is decked out in Peter Rabbit, which can be seen a bit here on her sheets as we show off the heirloom crib. (What you can't see are Hazel's bloomers - also adorned with a Beatrix Potter bunny!)

So, for this little teacher, some words of excitement about the beginning of her story....

“There is something delicious about writing the first words of a story. You never quite know where they'll take you.” ― Beatrix Potter

Love,

Ceilidh

Postscript for you all:

Do you need beautiful photos of your small people? I would love to take them!  It's never too early to contact me about a future session - I often schedule a few months out - 617-480-0387 or cwy@willowbabystudios.com   

Also, for more cuteness, please jump on over to Instagram and follow me there for new adorable-ness every day!  #willowbabydaily

A Different Kind of Tiger Momma||Arlington,MA Family Photography

And I’d choose you; in a hundred lifetimes, in a hundred worlds, in any version of reality, I’d find you and I’d choose you. 

-Kiersten White, The Chaos of Stars 

For the past two weeks, my lil' dude has been really into this tiger costume.

Last week he wore it to school on three different occasions, and I had to talk him out of wearing it to a doctor's appointment (logistically, not the most practical idea).

But, I love that he has taken such a liking to wearing it. I love observing his funny quirks and preferences. I love how he builds lego ships specially for lego legs (no torsos or heads), how he's developed a fondness for a particular plant hook (more on that below) and how recently, while eating pizza, he said to me, "Momma, no one ever does this but....." and then leaned down and gave his slice a kiss.

Hook story: he started fiddling around with a nondescript silver hook that had been used to suspend a hanging plant from the ceiling. He ended up choosing it as the toy (!!) he wanted to bring to daddy's house one weekend, and the following Monday his dad told me that Finn had started calling it "Hooky". And at one point over the weekend Finn said, "Daddy, Hooky is my best friend that isn't a person".

Yeah. So this guy. I find him so. very. endearing. He is clever, and bizarre, and getting big and so independent, and yet also still my little boy, who needs hugs and comforting. This whole parenting journey continues to be filled with daily challenges, and also abundant in these adorable, affirming moments - I feel so much gratitude that I get to be a momma, especially a momma to this silly little tiger.

I hope your Monday is filled with your version of endearing tiger quirks!

Love,

Ceilidh

Postscript for you all: 

Do you need beautiful photos of your little tigers? I would love to take them!  It's never too early to contact me about a future session - I often schedule a few months out - 617-480-0387 or cwy@willowbabystudios.com  

And, for daily cuteness, please jump on over to Instagram and follow me there for daily adorableness!  #willowbabydaily

Baby Penelope||Boston Newborn Photography

You are my sun, my moon, and all of my stars

-e.e. cummings

Oh, look! It's a new little person, the darling Miss Penelope. I think she's here to remind us of the amazing amount of beauty that exists all around. Looking at her tiny little hands, strawberry blond hair, and delicate lashes, brought me such a wave of gratitude for my job as documenter.

Penelope was alert for just a bit of her newborn session, as she was still needing a lot of rest after the tiring experience of being born. Her momma couldn't take her eyes off her sleeping babe, and watching the two of them snuggle up was almost too much.... just look at Momma's face - she radiates a calm joy that is remarkably beautiful. Could Penelope's daddy be more smitten with her? I just adore the sweetness of this moment.... To Penelope - I am so happy you arrived safe and sound, and that I had the honor of being your very first photographer. And to Penelope's parents - it's been a joy getting to know your family, and I hope to see you three again soon.

Love,

Ceilidh

Do you need beautiful photos of your favorite people? I would love to take them!  It’s never too early to contact me about a future session – I often schedule a few months out – 617-480-0387 or cwy@willowbabystudios.com  

And, for more daily cuteness, please jump on over to Instagram and follow me there for daily adorableness!  #willowbabydaily

The Magic of Flying||Arlington, MA family photography

what if I fall?

oh, but my darling, what if you fly?  

                                                                                                         - Erin HansonI remember the feeling of swinging as a child - like I really might suddenly become a winged creature and take off in flight. The magic of swings doesn't feel as potent now as it did then, but it is still a little adventure, the back and forth rhythm as soothing as a rocking chair, but with that amazing floaty feeling. Like so many of the magical feelings from childhood, I can't quite get back that sensation. But photographing this amazing little girl in her 5th birthday wings brought me big feelings of gratitude for being an adult, and observing her as she experienced the swinging magic.Here's to your day, my dear ones, and the hope that you see at least a glimpse of that old familiar magic.

There is a garden in every childhood, an enchanted place where colors are brighter, the air softer, and the morning more fragrant than ever again. ~Elizabeth Lawrence

Postscript for you all: 

Do you need beautiful photos of your small people? I would love to take them!  It's never too early to contact me about a future session - I often schedule a few months out - 617-480-0387 or cwy@willowbabystudios.com  

Also, for more daily cuteness, please jump on over to Instagram and follow me there for daily adorableness!  #willowbabydaily

One last note - this post is in honor of Sophie & her family - wonderful neighbors and friends who are moving away soon. Sophie & my Finn started kindergarten together, and her mom and I have spent many mornings corralling and coercing our kiddos on the walk to school. Finn and Sophie have developed a quintessential kid-neighbor relationship - yelling to one another from porches, planning spontaneous get togethers and adventures, running back and forth between houses way more times than is logical. We have been so lucky to have them next door, and we will miss them dearly.