Emmie||Boston Newborn Photography

Look! It's baby girl Emmie, just nine days old. Her full name, Emilie Katherine, is in honor of two of her great grandmothers.I'd like to declare her amazingly perfect. (I have a feeling her family will agree :-) )

Here's Emmie wrapped in a blanket knitted for her by one of her grandmothers. She's wearing a ribbon headband that I actually discovered recently in a box of doll clothes from when I was a little girl.If baby Emmie looks a touch familiar, it may be because of her family resemblance to big sister Claire. Claire was part of my first year package, where I get the joy of photographing a little cutie three times during their first year! Now, as a bonus to getting to watch Emmie get bigger, I also get to see Claire as she adjusts into her new role as big sister.

Despite their parents saying that at times Claire would proclaim, "My mommy, my daddy," Claire was so sweet and gentle with Emmie. To get a pretty background for their family photos, we ventured to a nearby community garden. And although Claire wasn't so interested in continuing the photo session by this point, a dandelion revived her a bit. As well as snuggles and tickles from daddy of course. On the way back to their home, I asked Claire if she was excited about summer treats. She declared, quite simply, "Ice cream. Happy."

Baby Emmie is going to have a fantastic sister to teach her all the joys of summer.

Congrats to you four - so excited to be on hand for Emmie's first year!

With love,

Ceilidh

Postscript for you all:

Do you have a little person arriving soon? I suggest booking ahead of your due date to ensure session availability. 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 Instagramand follow me there for new adorable-ness every day!  #willowbabydaily

Willow Baby Studios specializes in newborn and baby photography for Boston area families.

I’d be honored to capture lovely photos of your favorite people soon. 

Gettin' Social||Boston Family Photographer

Hey Friends!

Did you know:

1. I'm a huge dork and frequently haven't heard of ___(fill in most anything) reference in pop culture?

2. That I love organizing things?

3. That I will make a decent fool of myself in the name of laughter?

So! How do these things tie together? Well, for one, it's my excuse for only recently catching a ride on the instagram train. Which I did earlier this year in earnest, but lately I've been displeased by how my feed looks as a whole.  Following some research came the realization: OH! there are ways to make everything look more cohesive. So my organizing and visual mind is super excited to present an updated feed that I'm hoping looks gorgeous as a whole and gives you some extra loveliness in your day.

So, I imagine that the first thing on this blog gave you any necessary visual proof of my self-proclamation (yes, I was clearly playing super heroes with Finn, and we happened to lose track of time, and yes, the property manager stopped by and I opened the door looking like that - well, minus the duck face), but if you're still wanting more...

little boy and I taking selfies.... clearly I found TJ Maxx's finest....

Being a parent has helped me to embrace my dorkiness, partially because lack of self-consciousness makes parenting more fun and partially cause I'm often just too tired to care. Have you had any standout dorky moments lately?  Please share - I'll laugh with you, I'll laugh at you, you'll laugh at me, and the whole thing will be absurd and hilarious :-)

Love,

Ceilidh

Postscript for you all: 

Want to find out how dorky I will be to get a genuine smile or laugh in the name of a great photo? Let's take photos of your family this summer!  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, to check out the new and improved feed officially starting tomorrow, please jump on over to Instagram and follow me there to see  #willowbabydaily

Amira, Darling||Boston Newborn Photography

Oh, this darling girl! Just five days old, and snoozy as can be. Her name Amira has a few different meanings in Arabic - cultivated, noble, and, though her parents are hoping she won't find out too soon,  princess.Her smushy lips! Her perfect toes! That gorgeous hair! What an amazing little person she is!

Her beauty isn't surprising.....  though both her parents were born and raised on Roosevelt Island, NY, her momma is Indonesian and her daddy, Colombian.  Ready for their story? It's quite remarkable....They have known each other since second grade, though their love story started much later, of course. There is even a photo of them in grade school, the first photo of them together, that some friends found for them when they began Amira's baby book. And now, they have their own little sweetie, who will someday be in second grade herself. How special to have known your partner as a child, and now be raising your own together....As if all that isn't enough special, one grandma was also on hand for the photo session, so I can now present a photo of three generations of beautiful, kind females. The look of adoration on grandma's face as she snuggles with her daughter and grand baby makes me feel also sorts of sappy-mushy.

Welcome to this world, little one.  It is even now that much better because you are here.

-Leigh Standley

With love,

Ceilidh

Postscript for you all:

Do you have a little person arriving soon? I suggest booking ahead of your due date to ensure session availability. 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 Instagramand follow me there for new adorable-ness every day!  #willowbabydaily

Willow Baby Studios specializes in newborn and baby photography for Boston area families.

I’d be honored to capture lovely photos of your favorite people soon.

Baby Rafael||Arlington, MA newborn photography

They waited. He grew. And now their darling tiny has arrived! Meet Rafael, only 7 days old....Here, this sweet boy rocks his first chullo, a traditional Peruvian hat. He really couldn't look happier or more cozy in it....I'm not sure if the amazing poet Mary Oliver was referring to a grown-up love, but I'm going to use her words with this next image because.... well...

He is exactly the poem I wanted to write – Mary Oliver

Each moment is sheer perfection: that yawn! those chins! the tiny fingers and delicate lashes.. and, of course, let's not neglect his uncanny ability to invoke Zoolander's blue steel.And now, here are his amazed, doting, and tired parents... maybe a bit sleepier than the last timeI saw them, but looking like quite the perfect trio now. There's really not much that is sweeter than new parents gazing at their teeny-tiny.Snuggly moments with momma....protesting the kisses a bit with some leg kicks.... Being adored by daddy, and confusing his nose as a place to look for snacks.... No silly boy! You've gotta hang out with momma to get the goods!Thank you, you three. It's been such a joy spending time with your adorable family, and capturing little Raffa's early days at home! Congratulations :-)

Love,

Ceilidh

Postscript for you all:

Do you have a little person arriving soon? I suggest booking ahead of your due date to ensure session availability. 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

Willow Baby Studios specializes in newborn and baby photography for Boston area families.

I'd be honored to capture lovely photos of your favorite people soon. 

Frolicking with Isla||Boston Children's Photographer

May your mind forever sparkle like a star, your heart remain pure as new fallen snow. And your spirit forever sense the wonderment of a child.   -Mary Summer Rain

Oh, goodness! Spending a gorgeous spring evening with this darling and her amazing mom? Pretty ideal.

My son and I met Isla and her mom last fall, and I've been - kindly nudging (or perhaps sweetly harassing? ;-) ) - them to do a session ever since. Lucky for me, after a month or two of rescheduling because the weather was refusing not to rain - or snow! - on our chosen session days, we got a beautiful gift from mother nature last week - I couldn't have asked for a more perfect evening for outdoor silliness with this cutie.

Sweetpea made a small bouquet, and after playing with it for a bit, presented it to me as a gift. I swear, Isla's mom picked her dress out to intentionally match the tiny flowers surrounding us. Although, it's a little hard to focus on that perfect coincidence with those gorgeous blue eyes distracting me.....Isla's mom is so sweet with her daughter - playful and silly, and completely enraptured with her. And clearly, Isla adores her mom so much - I captured so many amazingly cute interactions between the two of them, it was really hard to choose which to share!The one below won me over because of the way Isla's hand holds her mom's head in place as she smooches her. Kind of hard to take the sweetness over here.....My takeaway? The rescheduling couldn't have worked out better - what a wonderful evening with a fabulous duo. I'm so happy I had the chance to capture all these moments of you two!

Love,

Ceilidh

Postscript for you all:

Are you a single momma? I can't encourage you strongly enough to grab a photo session - I know there's all sorts of extra scheduling considerations, but having the very special one-on-one relationship between one parent and one kid captured is truly energizing, and, dare I say, downright magical. I often schedule a few months out, so please call me soon and I'll take good care of you, single mommas!

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

Happy Momma's Day!!!||Family Photography Boston MA

Hi there, dearest Mommas, I almost didn't get this blog post done in time because I kept nit-picking the size and order of the photos in the grids, and fretting about a momma having only one of her kids represented and one dad sneaking in because there were none with just the momma alone.In other words, I was obsessing over perfection and neatness. And if there's ANYTHING I've learned as a momma myself, it's that life - especially parenting- is so very far from either of those things. Like, miles and continents away.

So. I'm here, embracing imperfection in my work life in order to share with you something very important to me:

THANK YOU.

I am so amazingly grateful to all of you mommas who invited me in and showed up. You are all superstars and I wouldn't be in business without you ladies. I love that I arrive at your homes for newborn photos, and you are often looking stunning and fresh and made up, but you're worrying that you look too tired, or too big or your home is too messy for the photos. And then, I feel it's an honor to show you that everything - in all it's imperfect glory - is absolutely beautiful. Not one newborn session passes where I don't feel an immense awe at what you've just accomplished.....

YOU GREW A PERSON!

Over and over again, it blows my mind and brings me such joy.And you, mommas with multiple kiddos or bigger kids: wow! Are you in the midst of doing some amazingly hard work! Babies are hard. Toddlers are hard. Bigger kids are hard. And oh, man! Do siblings look amazingly hard....  It's all so hard, and yet you come before me with your adorable and wild bunch, and you laugh during the session. There is so much joy when you snuggle your kiddos. So thank you again. Thank you for choosing me as your photographer and letting me document your miracles. It is an amazing honor.Happiest Mother's Day to all the beautiful mommas that I've photographed in the past year and a half or so. You are very celebrated.

Love,

Ceilidh

Postscript for any mommas reading this that haven't yet had a photo session...

Babies and kiddos are always at a wonderful age for family photos - and I bet there are many of you that haven't seen just how beautiful you are when you gaze at your littles. So please give me a call soon - 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

Here Comes the Cute!||Charlestown, MA family photography

The cute is headed your way, at top speed!

Max & Harper are fast. Really fast. And it's no easy feat to slow them down. However, when necessary, here is one equation that renders them "still-ish". Have them run laps no less than four times. Then, get equal parts parents to children, throw in the incentive of small treats, and request their silliest faces. You'll end up with something that looks like this....

In other words, pretty frickin' adorable! I'm a huge fan of candid and giggles, but we also managed to get something less silly too.... although Harper's leg is still at the ready, just in case she needs to dash off somewhere....

Making this photo shoot happen was no easy feat. Max & Harper's mom transported a whole bag of outfit options and snacks, while chaperoning two scootering kiddos on a windy & chilly spring afternoon to the chosen session location. Upon arrival she promptly went into pig-tail making mode (not a hairstyle that could have fit under Harper's scooter helmet) all while maintaining an impressive amount of calm. Their dad conquered Boston (Friday!) rush hour traffic and the insanity that is city parking to make this all come together before the sun went down. I'm so happy they did!(It's possible one sibling was slightly easier to capture and keep still).Luckily, we were able to enlist less-squirmy sibling's help in "convincing" (eh-hem, squeezing her till she couldn't move) Miss Harper to sit still for a moment. A big thank you to the four of you for overcoming all the obstacles city living threw at us! I'm so happy to have had the honor of being your family's first official photographer!

Love,

Ceilidh

Postscript for you all:

Do you need some beautiful family photos? 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

And Gloria Makes Five!||Boston Family Photography

All four of them waited, and waited, especially the momma with her heavy, moving belly and then, after all that, after almost 42 weeks of waiting.... she's finally arrived...

Here's the most beloved baby Gloria. She joins two goofy big brothers ready to teach her the ways of their family....With these experts leading the way, she will undoubtedly become quite talented at making silly faces soon, pushing her parent's buttons in time, and, eventually joining her family in singing practice. (How cool is that?!)

I think this is how we are supposed to be in the world -present and in awe.   Anne Lamott

I briefly interrupt for a brief four year old interlude..... And now, presenting this lovely momma of three, who parents her brood with such an amazing base of calm.... I'm sure she may beg to differ, and certainly she must have her moments of, eh-hem,"cursing like a sailor" but she has such a relaxed and go-with-the flow attitude, that watching her roll with the chaos of all the kiddos is quite remarkable. And the daddy of the three kiddos? Here he is, being all good-natured, with an easy sense of humor. And lastly, the whole family of five... (it's possible that certain members needing a bit more corralling... any guesses?) A big huge thank you to all of you. And a big huge welcome to you, Gloria! I'm so happy that you arrived safely, and that I had the honor of capturing this amazing time for your family.

Love,

Ceilidh

Postscript for you all:

Do you need beautiful photos of your family? 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

Darling Naaz||Boston Newborn Photography

Ohhhh, this sweetpea was so uninterested in sleeping. But. My goodness.... her eyes! While alert newborns can be trickier to photograph than sleeping ones in certain ways, Baby Naaz's deep brown eyes were so full of curiosity and excitement that I was quite pleased to spend a bunch of time with her awake.

At six and a half weeks old, this darling is on the "older" side for newborn photos. But I always tell my clients that it's *never* a bad time to get photos taken, and that they shouldn't feel stressed if they miss that very early newborn window. True, it's harder to get certain poses, but in exchange, your newborn is more interactive, and smiley (or perhaps a bit skeptical, as seen below:-).

Naaz's photo session took place in a home brimming with love - on hand was an auntie, a cousin and one set of grandparents. And none of them could take their eyes off of the newest, littlest member of the family.

You know what makes any photo session sweeter and more fun?  A precocious and adoring 7 year old cousin with the cutest British accent.  I'm just saying - any clients that have one such cousin in the family, do invite her to our photo session, please! (Also, she kept calling her baby cousin her little sister, which is pretty believable, especially in this sweet photo of them).Like many (all?!) of the brand new mommas I meet, Naaz's mom was feeling a little.... uncertain about being photographed. But I can say without hesitation that she is downright stunning - there's the tiny detail of her gorgeous hair, and then that amazing fact that she just grew a human person! 

And finally, yes, this little darling took a snooze. And when her momma brought out this gorgeous necklace that we turned into a headband, I knew I had to pair it with a quote by a favorite artist of mine....

The day you were born, the world had to make room for a little more fancy. -Leigh Standley

To Naaz's whole family - I'm so excited that I will be seeing you again for her sitting session and first birthday photos! (Let's hear it for the first year package!!)

Love,

Ceilidh

Postscript: 

Considering the First Year Package for your baby on the way? It's such a joy for me to get to know your family by seeing you for three sessions during baby's first year. For more info please contact me at 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