Motherhood

Last Week in Studio: Little Sitters, Siblings, Parents, and New Arrivals

Offering adorable baby milestone sessions as well as posed newborn photography featuring sibling, parent, and family setups, Sarah shares highlights from last week's sessions! 

Howdy, friends! Today's blog post is a fun one because you get to see last week's sessions + what makes them special. Welcome! Let's get started!

Big Brother Link | Newborn Photography with Sibling

This sweet big brother, named Link, could not have been sweeter during his sibling portion of little sister's newborn session. Link is not even two years old, yet, either, so this is a great posing idea for sibling. These images are included in the "full' newborn collection, but are also available as an add on in every other collection I offer, such as the wrapped mini, bean bag mini, and petite sessions. My favorite part of this setup is how clean and classic all the colors are; I adore timeless and vintage inspired sessions, so the lace headband, ivory wrap, cream flokati rug, and simple white shirt and dark wash jeans are the perfect outfit for a sibling and newborn baby girl setup. Link was especially special to me because he was so tender and soft with his baby sister.

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Mia at nearly 3 weeks new

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Mia is a brand new arrival who visited my Houston Newborn Baby Portrait Studio at just under 3 weeks old. Her session is special because she's the first baby who's mama booked my brand new session offering, called the newborn wrapped mini! Featuring gorgeous textiles, antique and rustic floor props, and full styling such as bonnets and dainty tiebacks, this is a great option for babies who are 30 days or newer. This is designed for parents seeking just a few stunning and unique images of their new cherub. These sessions are also special because they're under an hour long so you're in and out of the studio really quickly! 

Grady's Little Sitter Session at 7 Months Old

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Handsome Grady absolutely stole my heart! From the moment his mama brought him into the studio, he was all smiles. His captivating blue eyes and strawberry blond hair had me wanting to snuggle him the entire time! We did several setups, 5-6, and really showcased adorable outfits that are available to all of my clients. Full styling and accessories are provided for all little sitter sessions, including baby milestone photography. You may be interested in reading about 14 New Outfits in My Client Closet + everything you need to know about sitter milestone baby sessions. These sessions set themselves apart because there are (3) pricing tiers you may select from; this caters to different budgets and also offers affordable Houston Baby Photography to new parents. There's a mini, standard, or deluxe package.

First time parents Rachel & Brian | Family + Newborn Photography

Rachel and Brian were such a treat to photograph in studio! They visited when their little girl was just under a week old. I was completely impressed with them, too! Mom is a pediatrician and just finished her residency, right when having a new baby! They even were in the middle of closing on their house and moving just a few short days later. Talk about super parents, huh? For their parent portion, Mom wore a stunning blush top that looks lovely against the white light; Dad wore a classic blue button up. Adorned with an ivory wrap and soft, muted pink headband, their little lass is the perfect bundle of joy. Mom and Dad booked the 'petite' option on my pricing guide. This is the perfect collection for first time parents who would like lovely images such as mom with baby, dad with baby, and parents together with baby.

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Aria at 7 Days Fresh | New Earth side Arrival

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It's no secret that Houston Newborn Photography is my specialty and where I thrive! Nothing gives me as much joy as working with babies who are less than a month old; preserving this time for parents is incredibly rewarding and I cannot believe I call this my full-time job! Parent of being one of the best Houston Newborn Photographers (2016-2018) is offering beautiful setups that are not only unique and timeless but also showcase baby in the most precious of ways! Baby in a bucket is part of every session I do. Aria weighs just over 7 pounds and has a head full of gorgeous dark brown hair. Her tiny fingers, button nose, and sweet lips truly are stunning. You may be interested in also reading 7 Tricks to Rock Baby in a Bucket Pose, which also focuses on newborn safety and training.

Heidi | 8 Days old at 6 pounds

aquamarine newborn girl colors

Beautiful Heidi visited at 8 days old and her session featured tons of naked bean bag posing, which was Mom's preference. The main color in her session was aquamarine with teal accents. Her session is special because all of my newborn props are hand-crafted by incredible vendors all over the world! This headband, for instance, is from the UK and is from a great gal called Created by Carli. Her items are impeccable; while they are an investment, they set newborn sessions apart through creativity, unique looks, and also they're dainty and petite. My preference is for all the styling to fit my brand which is rustic, classic, dreamy, timeless. 

Lily Rose | 8 pounds & 7 days old

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Lily Rose is a completely gorgeous baby girl! At over 8 pounds, technically nearly 9, she was so squishy and chubby! Her cheeks and beautiful features are perfection! I adore this setup of her, which features cream, ivory, lace, and a wooden rustic bowl because we're able to see her face, hands, toes, and she looks completely at peace. When working with new arrivals, such as precious newborn babies, the sessions are very laid back and serene. Your baby should never be in distress or crying. I have years of experience and pride myself on finishing my sessions in 2 hours or less. 

Baby girl M | Lovely Lilac & Lavender 

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Baby girl M came for her newborn session at just over a week old. Weighing 6 pounds and having a breathtaking head full of hair, this little lady was the perfect newborn session! She slept beautifully for me and rocked each and every one of her poses. Her color scheme showcases many purple tones such as lavender and lilac. Soft, muted, classic. The quintessential colors for a dainty little lady! Her session was also a favorite of mine because her parents are long time clients! I've been working with them for years, so it was really fun to catch up with them during their fall family session, Mom's outdoor, natural light maternity session, and then see them again for the posed newborn appointment. 

Michelle & Jeff | Baby Plan Membership Clients

Michelle and Jeff were great to have in studio! On top of being wonderful and sweet, they're also baby plan membership clients with a maternity session add-on. This means they secured an outdoor, natural light pregnancy portraiture session, posed in-studio newborn photos, and I'll also see them for their little girl's 7 month sitter session and even a 12 month cake smash & splash! You may enjoy seeing their maternity session featuring two adorable fur siblings!

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father and newborn photography

Are you currently looking for a portrait photographer who specializes in stunning belly to first year sessions? Let's chat! I am always happy to answer any questions you may have. 

Sarah Borchgrevink Photography is a Houston Newborn Photographer specializing in gorgeous posed newborn sessions. Her studio is located in Northwest Harris County. In addition to breathtaking baby portraiture, Sarah also offers stylish natural light family photography as well as dynamic outdoor maternity sessions for expecting mothers and couples. Sarah joyfully serves the entire Harris and Montgomery county areas including Houston, Cypress, Tomball, Spring, The Woodlands, Kingwood, Memorial & West Houston, Katy, Sugar Land, Pearland, Richmond, West University and Rice Village.

Here's where Sarah's Houston Photo Studio is Located:

 

Pay It Forward Giveaway | Following Up on Jamie's Act of Kindness

one year photography session houston

Jamie is the featured winner of the March 2018 Pay It Forward Session Giveaway! See more about her story below + her adorable session by Sarah Borchgrevink.

Howdy, gang, and welcome, friends! Today's blog post is super special because it showcases Jamie's act of kindness. You've probably heard the phrase, 'pay it forward'. This means you respond to a person's kindness by being kind to another person. In turn, you 'pay it forward' through your own act of kindness. For instance, I've had a wonderful business year! I've been blessed with many super sweet and awesome clients; they're always so kind to me, really making my day! Everyone has different gifts and talents; this is part of the unique characteristics within the dynamics of human nature.

In response to my kind clients, I awoke with a grateful, giving heart. There are few feelings that are as rewarding as doing something nice for another person, just because. In March 2018, I ran a completely complimentary session giveaway in which I asked readers to share an act of kindness they've accomplished. I chose two winners and they receive a free session with me complete with full resolution digital files + stunning heirloom prints of professional grade quality.

Well, I was more than shocked at how many people responded! So much brightness is in the world; it's easy to forget there are still amazing, good, and beautiful qualities within others. I love this positive aspect and truly had a tough time narrowing down the winners. In full transparency, I thought maybe 1-2 people would respond to me, but over 40 followers took the time to share experiences, or even acts of kindness bestowed upon them. How inspirational is this? 

Meet Jamie

pay it forward by sarah borchgrevink photography

Jamie is a super sweet mom of two adorable little boys! I've actually photographed several sessions for her and can attest she is truly a gem! In fact, I recently ran into her in Home Goods, ha, and she was so sweet to ask me about my own kiddos, and take the time to catch up with me! She also sent me an invitation to her son's birthday party, so it's really nice when your clients become friends. I am thrilled to know her! 

 

Jamie donated a year of breastmilk to the NICU

"Not every mommy can produce milk or have the time. Or maybe the baby is delivered early.

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I’m very lucky to produce plenty of milk. So on July 8th (im still pumping) as a celebration, I’m donating my entire freezer chest of breast milk to babies in need (hospitals, neonatal units)

Pumping is not always easy and at times, I just want to give up. Especially at 2 am when I want to sleep but the boobs are aching to be relieved. Or when I’m flying, gotta make a way to pump... even at the zoo,gotta figure out what to do, at my job, I work in the field, so pulling over in a parking lot to pump twice a day...and an occasional flashing to the person next to me cause I didn’t realize some one was in their car eating lunch!

That’s my biggest pay it forward! Donate all my frozen liquid gold to Houston’s littlest future scientist, nurses, astronauts doctors, and future photographers!!"

Highlights from Jamie's session

Jamie's request was really simple: a cake smash session with updated images of both her precious little guys! She chose the sunrise session time, which is currently around 6:30 A.M. We used a great, rustic location in Northwest Houston in an area called Cypress. 

sunrise children's photo shoot in cypress

Fun fact about this precious little one: 

  • Broccoli is one of his favorite foods so Mom brought along a stalk of it for him to hold and snack on during our session, ha! It made me smile and just goes to show how unique each kiddo is.

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A cake smash and splash is truly a super adorable way to work with a little one! I also happened to photograph big brother's cake smash and splash, so you may like looking back on those highlights, too! 

See the whole session below

The inspiration behind the giveaway

You may be wondering what sparked the inspiration behind giving away a completely free session. While I am a full time business owner, it is important to be kind and find ways to treat others well. Sometimes it's easy to lose sight of what's important, such as being a good person, having compassion for the world, and also thinking of small ways, such as a simple photography session, that you can impact others through your own gifts an talents.

I really enjoyed the giveaway and am looking forward to blogging the second half of the giveaway, which was the other winner! She is visting in August for a posed newborn session for her second son, so I cannot wait to meet her!

Get Inspired by three other acts

Here are three others acts of kindness that really gave me all the feels! 

"When I moved into my first apartment my now in laws gave me so much furniture to furnish my apartment as they were about to toss some and get new stuff. The only request they had was when I was done to find someone else who may need it if it’s still in good shape. They said they know almost all of their stuff in their first home was given to them by people and it helped them so much so I made sure to do what they asked and gave it away to someone who was moving into their first apartment. More recently we decided we weren’t going to have anymore children due to my medical conditions and we still had all of our baby stuff saved and stored for if we had another one. Well when we came to that decision I asked Patrick if instead of selling everything if we could give it away as a way for me to heal by doing some good since I really wanted a second. I ended up asking a girl in my neighborhood if she would like some stuff and come to find out her husband had just lost his job and their baby was 7 days old. I gave them all of the big stuff so that they wouldn’t have to worry about any of it. ❤️made my heart happy knowing it went to someone who truly needed it." - Tonya


"I am a mom of multiple miscarriages(3) and an infertility diagnosis. Many people and other women who were going through the same thing were a shoulder to cry and lean on for support. So after my miracle babies came into this world I have made it my mission to help any woman who lets me know that she had either miscarried or received an infertility diagnosis to make her feel like she is loved and is not alone by buying her flowers and something like a book that helped me and anonymously leaving it on her doorstep. It’s how I remember my three precious angels that I lost." - Alicia


 "As a teacher buying supplies for kids in my room isn’t out of the ordinary. Each summer, before I even know my kids, I take my favorite trip to Target and buy composition notebooks, glue sticks, crayons...for those students who bring zero or close to no school supplies. Throughout the year it makes me happy to hand them over supplies they don’t have. Their smiles are priceless." - Jessica


As always, friends, thank you for stopping by my blog! I hope you enjoyed reading about Jamie's session!

Sarah Borchgrevink Photography is a Houston Newborn Photographer specializing in gorgeous posed newborn sessions. Her studio is located in Northwest Harris County. In addition to breathtaking baby portraiture, Sarah also offers stylish natural light family photography as well as dynamic outdoor maternity sessions for expecting mothers and couples. Sarah joyfully serves the entire Harris and Montgomery county areas including Houston, Cypress, Tomball, Spring, The Woodlands, Kingwood, Memorial & West Houston, Katy, Sugar Land, Pearland, Richmond, West University and Rice Village.

Three Wardrobe Looks during One Maternity Session | Outfit Changes

Sweet lovebirds, Kendra and Mac, chose three different looks for their maternity session with Sarah Borchgrevink Photography! See highlights below + tips for styling.

Howdy, friends! Today's blog post is all about how outfit changes during pregnancy portraits. For instance, clients often ask what my policy is on outfit changes; do I limit them? Are they allowed? Have no fear! While one dress is perfect for a pregnancy session, I completely acknowledge there will be parents-to-be and expecting couples who would like to showcase more than one look. I love embracing your ideas and welcome outfit changes.

A few tips on styling:

  • Always start with the casual look first

  • Let your hair and makeup artist know you will be doing more than one look

  • Plan for changing time so your light looks wonderful throughout each portion

  • Wear clothing that represents your sparkling personality

  • Let your photographer know which look is your favorite so we can spend time as needed

Kendra and Mac are the sweetest lovebirds! Aside from being an adorable pregnant couple, they're also baby plan membership clients at Sarah Borchgrevink Photography. This in mind, I like to go above and beyond for parents who have booked not only pregnancy portraits, but also baby's first year of life. Of course, when you're a gorgeous as them any outfit looks great on you! 

For our time together, we used a location in Cypress, which is in Northwest Houston. We chose a sunset appointment so Mom and Dad could have plenty of time to prepare, especially since professional hair and makeup really enhance your session plus give you a huge confidence boost.

Outfit # 1: Casual T-Shirt and Jeans

The first outfit was a casual, simple look sporting adorable custom t-shirts saying 'new mom' and 'new dad'. These are great images for your baby shower, too! Having a new baby is super exciting and it's great to see parents who are proudly showing off their pregnancy!

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Outfit # 2: Cultural Reflection

The second look was still casual, and easy to change into, yet reflects this couple's culture.

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Outfit # 3: Formal gown attire 

Finally, the third look, seen below, is a formal and form-fitting gown which is a great addition during your pregnancy portraits! This shows your baby bump easily and truly highlights the feminine shape of an expecting mother. The warm, golden light looks fantastic behind Mom and even the wind helped us out by creating the soft, flowing hair below. Mom is truly radiant and glowing! This was my favorite look from our time together so we did lots of poses. There's a slideshow below if you're interested in seeing the full session!

maternity and newborn photography houston
newborn photography houston
pregnancy portraits houston

As always, friends, thank you for stopping by to read about a fun topic, such as outfit changes during your maternity session! I look forward to sharing photos of their newborn portraits soon! Have a great weekend, everyone!

Warmly,

Sarah

See the whole session before you go!

Sarah Borchgrevink Photography is a Houston Newborn Photographer specializing in gorgeous posed newborn sessions. Her studio is located in Northwest Harris County. In addition to breathtaking baby portraiture, Sarah also offers stylish natural light family photography as well as dynamic outdoor maternity sessions for expecting mothers and couples. Sarah joyfully serves the entire Harris and Montgomery county areas including Houston, Cypress, Tomball, Spring, The Woodlands, Kingwood, Memorial & West Houston, Katy, Sugar Land, Pearland, Richmond, West University and Rice Village.