Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine’s Day from my family to yours!

Emily [Maternity]

This maternity session was nothing short of a dream! Mama and dad were 100% on board with everything and trusted the whole process from start to finish. From listening to tips and tricks on what to wear to just listening to prompts and everything in between. I get to meet their sweet baby this week for her newborn session and I could not be more excited to catch up, hear their birth story and capture their little baby girl!

I do offer a maternity - newborn bundle that allows you to capture your maternity session while being in budget and giving you a handful of digital images while actually being able to focus on investment during your newborn session, because let’s be real - no one wants a giant canvas in their living room from their maternity session but wouldn’t hesitate to have one from their newborn session. :)

Ask about the maternity add on when you book your newborn session!

Harrison [Newborn]

Mr. Harrison just turned a year old, so now is the perfect time to share his newborn session! Little man was NOT having it with any of my table poses, but that’s okay! It happens sometimes. In the event like Harrison where he just doesn’t want to do any of the “naked” poses, we wrap ‘em up, do my wrapped workflow, then family portraits and then try again at the end. Sometimes after being wrapped baby will settle, and sometimes baby is worse because they truly don’t want to be naked. And that’s okay. The only thing I can do is try sometimes! BUT I promise you this, even if baby doesn’t cooperate for the naked portion of your session, you will still get more than enough images in your gallery to capture your baby for products, albums and timeless images to continue to look at as they continue to grow.

Tessa [Sitter]

Capturing your baby’s first year is soo much fun and the sitter session is probably the most entertaining, I mean, obviously a cake smash is fun but the sitter session starts the capturing of your baby and their growing personality! Sweet little Tessa was soo good for her session too! Mama and her came in, and we rocked it and that was that.

Sometimes babies for their sitter session start with their stranger danger phase around that time because they done around 7-8M when baby is fully sitting unassisted. This is also when stranger danger can really start to set in so sometimes we need to give baby a little space and some time to adjust to the studio, me, the outfits their wearing, the lights being off, my camera in their face, etc etc etc. It is a weird experience for a 7/8M old, but Tessa was chill as a cumcumber and did sooo well!

So, if you are ever curious about a sitter session and if you should just wait to book your smash cake, I would say, book both! 1. because I offer a discount on your sitter session for booking both that and your smash cake together and 2. do it because their little growing personalities need to be documented.

xoxo

Nina

Zorawar [Full Newborn]

I try to work with an assistant when I have newborn sessions so that my parents can just relax and have a break BUT we needed to reschedule our session so I did not have an assistant on hand. However! Dad stepped in as my assistant and he did so well! I work with an assistant a lot of the time for a break but also because sometime mom and dad can be really nervous around posing newborns because they are not used to it. BUT dad stepped in and was an absolute champ. By the end of the session, he was moving with me and pretty much knew what I needed and was looking for before I even asked him to grab it.

So, what does a full session look like? Something close to the above :) We also attempt naked, wrapped and family for the full session and siblings if there are any big sibs.

Ready to book? Fill out the contact form here so we can start planning your session.

xoxo

Nina

Invest In Your Child's Moments: Why A Bean Sprout Package?

Photography sessions for some people can be stressful to think about because they are an investment. As a society, we spend so much time and money planning our weddings, but do we realize that that one day actually is the start to the rest of our lives as adults? Do we actually care about the marriage or do we just want to have the best wedding ever? You spend thousands of dollars on a photographer for your wedding, for one day, to capture every single moment and milestone, why do not we not value that same mind set as a society and as parents for our children too? Kids are expensive, sure, I know this, I have two littles of my own. But I also know that they grow up so stinkin’ fast and seriously, I am so happy I have all their milestones documented and hung around my house. So, lets start with the newborn session.

First things first, I only take a handful of newborn sessions each month, booked around your due date to allow for the flexibility in my schedule to accommodate the unpredictability of when baby will arrive. I also have to schedule around sitter sessions (a milestone you should capture) and cake smashes (a mile stone you should capture) as well as family sessions, freshies and births. That being said, reach out to me around the end of your second trimester, or beginning of the third, so you can make sure you have a spot saved in my calendar. Do I have some last minute spots sometimes? Sure, of course, but my newborn sessions are special and I love being able to style them to your wants and needs and I ALWAYS try to get something personalized for your little one, and this cant always be done with a last minute session, and I don’t always have availability.

Secondly, I style everything. I give you some say in a color palette of your choosing, but you do not have to bring anything (this is for all my sessions, minus family but I will help style you). I have wraps, blankets, bonnets, outfits, headbands, pants, sleepy caps, props, EVERYTHING. I have everything I need for your session. You show up, hang out, and just relax during your session. My goal, is to make sure you have some me time during your session. We just finished my client area, I am working on getting a streaming device in there also, so you can just veg out on the couch while I photograph your babe.

Thirdly, I love products. I absolutely love love love wood prints and canvases. I adore custom made frames without glass in them. Albums of your session just make me smile and seeing your proofs in a physical print make my heart oh so happy. I love everything about having physical products of your images, and I hope you do too. Digitals are great to share on social media, but physical prints and wall art are to die for.

Okay, I am actually legit rambling via text form here but booking a newborn or a Bean Sprout Package is so important in starting the procession of capturing all your baby’s milestones in their first year. Check out my Bean Sprout Package to not miss a single moment in their first year. Invest in your baby. Invest in your memories and their moments, because you cannot get them back. I cannot turn back time to get your 3 month old back to a newborn session, and I cannot change your 11 month old walker into a sitter. Capture those moments, you will not regret it or be disappointed.

xoxo

Nina - Your Metro Detroit Newborn & Family Photographer

Chelsea [Studio Maternity]

When this mama reached out to me, she told me she wanted more a classic, black & white studio look for her maternity session. They aren’t “stand in the field” type of people and that wasn’t really want they wanted. And listen, I AM HERE FOR THAT! I love being able to accommodate people in my studio but also, I love that she knew exactly what she wanted from her session. Do not do something outside of the norm just to please your photographer. If you don’t want to stand in a field and you aren’t outdoor people, don’t stand in a field and make yourself outdoor people.

If you think we can’t create magic in the studio, you’re wrong. I love studio maternity sessions. Classic and plain or elegant with gowns. You do you boo, and I am here to help you.

xoxox,

Your Metro Detroit Maternity Photographer,

Nina

What To Wear For A Family Session.

You finally decided to book your family session! Yay! We’re all so excited and then the stress of trying to figure out what to wear sets in and you start to panic. What do I wear? What do I put on my kids? What does my husband wear? Are we suppose to match? What colors do we use? What patterns are okay? RELAX! I am here to help! And I also know the stress of getting two toddlers plus a husband ready for pictures.

First things first, find one outfit you really want in your pictures and start there. I personally start with the baby or my toddler and find an outfit I LOVE, and coordinate the rest after. Whether it’s a solid dress that’s flowy to fit your little one’s style or it’s the perfect floral skirt you scored on clearance, start with one piece you know you want and filter everyone else from there.

Please do not show up with everyone wearing jeans and white t-shirts or khaki pants and navy tops, you will end up clashing. Also, avoid too many plaids and/or patterns. My moto is, coordinate but don’t match. OKAY NINA! BUT HOW!? It’s actually quite simple. Let me use my family session wardrobe as an example. I bought a black short romper with a train for my toddler and I KNEW I wanted to use it for our pictures. It had a floral pattern of yellows and greens. So, I found solid yellow romper for the baby to match, a solid green flowy dress for me and threw my husband in dark jeans and a solid beige sweater. We all had coordinating colors with one outfit as the “center piece”.

In addition, I would not put your toddler or baby in a really expensive dress or be too formal. If that’s you, and the look you’re going for, then awesome! but I also want you to be comfortable. Now, that also doesn’t mean to dress down. You want to be comfortable/casual but also cute. Mom, even if you don’t wear dresses or skirts often, I highly recommend a flowy dress or skirt. They’re cute and flow nicely while playing with the kiddos and you can still move around better than you can in jeans. Again, if jeans or leggings are your thing, awesome, but keep in mind what your end goal is for the outcome of your session. What you wear can make or break the style and overall look of your session.

Finally, if you have any questions or concerns, you can always send me your picks and I can help you coordinate. I love styling your sessions if I can, and I have some cute childrens outfits in my client closet we can use too if needed. DO NOT be afraid to send me a message or call me in a panic about your outfits because I WANT TO HELP! If I can make it happen and we need to go on a shopping date, I’m here for you. Your session is just as important to me, as it is for you!

Here’s a short list of some shops/stores I recommend to get your outfits from:

Shein, Lulus, Amazon, Old Nay, ZARA, H&M, Forever 21, Bailey’s Blossom

XOXO

Nina - Your Metro Detroit Family & Newborn Photographer

Your Birth. Your Home. Your Choices.

When you find out you’re pregnant the first thing we do is call our OBGYN and they make a first prenatal appointment with you and then, you deliver out of the hospital they are associated with. Did you know that home births can be an option? I photographed my first in home birth in 2020 during the highest point of the pandemic, and honestly, the experience was so surreal and life changing for me, I needed to write about it, again.

Having a baby in a hospital is so common now, we just assume it’s the only way. Your OBGYN never even asks you if you want to have a home birth and even if there is a midwife in the office, chances are she isn’t going to ask you if you want a home birth. But they totally are an option for you. Hospitals are stiff and in turn, can actually prolong your labor and how you birth. Did you know that the most common way and most natural way to birth a baby is on all 4s, hands and knees? and that laying on your back actually is the worst position for you to birth in, yet almost every single person that births in a hospital births on their back? Its true. But that’s not even the best part about what I witnessed during this home birth. This mama was STRONG. This mama listened to her body. This mama was prepared. This mama made choices for her birth. This mama has a great birth story to tell her daughter. Oh! and her midwives and doula were AMAZING and so so supportive. I want you to have a great birth story too.

Melissa, a midwife, from Melissa Michelle Birth Services explains midwifery so simply. She says, “midwives are essential in the care needed for family focused birth. From hearing the heartbeat to the first time to “graduating” your last postpartum appointment, a midwife is there. Care can begin as early as 10 weeks, goes through 6 weeks postpartum and takes place in your home, which allows us to build a strong relationship and really get to know you. A strong relationship and team is important to birth, it allows the mother to feel safe and secure and home is her safe place.” — I witnessed how important a midwife is during labor. Melissa was so supportive, knew when to step in a help to relieve some pressure and also helped the husband learn some techniques to be included in the laboring process. She stepped back when needed so dad was involved but also stepped in when she knew mom was having a hard time/contraction.

Lauren, a doula, from Root to Rise Birth LLC says, “through birth doula services, prenatal yoga, and childbirth education, my mission is to impact birth experiences and increase confidence through pregnancy, birth and postpartum. I will guide you to uncovering and discovering those instinctual capabilities rooted so deep within, for you to have a peaceful birth while providing non-bias support, love and compassion.” And seriously, the amount of love and compassion Lauren has during a birth is absolutely amazing to watch unfold. She even helps guide the entire family through the birthing process so even dad knows what is happening and what s going to happen next.

I cannot sing their praises enough and if I could go back, I would totally hire both of them and take some hypnobirthing classes, which this mama actually teaches/owns at Metro Detroit Hypnobirthing. She offers classes all around the Metro Detroit Area. For those of you who do not know, hypnobirthing is a childbirth education course designed to teach you how to work WITH your body rather than RESIST it and bring your baby into the world in the calm and gentle way that nature intended. These classes aren’t just learning how to breathe, they help you learn your body and what your body goes through in order to help aid yourself in the birthing and laboring processes.

All of this information to say this, contact these women or other women in these fields in your area and inquire about a home birth. Most births do not need medical intervention and with the help of midwives, doulas and hypnobirthing classes, you can have the birth and birth story you dream of, not one your doctor wants you to have.

xoxo

Nina - Your Metro Detroit Birth Photographer

Scarlett [Petite Newborn]

Petite newborn sessions are a great way to capture your baby without being in the studio for an entire morning. Baby Scarlett was in and out of the studio in less than 60 minutes. :) She was just about 4 weeks old at the time of her session and I also love offering petite sessions for older newborns. Because they stay wrapped, they generally are great for “older” newborns to be able to capture this timeframe and keep them asleep.

This newborn session we got through 3 wraps; full potato, huck fin and toes peeking. With that, we got 3 sets with the potato wrap, one with huck fin and 2 with toes peeking. Enough variety in the gallery to create some wall art and enough different looks for mama to capture her baby teeny tiny but without having an entire session.

Interested in booking a petite session? Fill out the contact form!

-Nina

Breastfeeding: Things they don't tell you

Hiiiiii! If you are new around here, welcome! I am a 3x girl mama and I am a huge advocate for breastfeeding. I have successfully breastfed all three of my girls to at least 18M and coming to a slow end with baby E as we approach her 18M as well as her self weaning. I am not forcing her to stop BUT she is down to nursing once or twice a day and I know our time is slowly dwindling.

BUT when I started my breastfeeding journey with my oldest, I had NO idea what I was getting myself into. I knew I wanted to breastfeed because it was soo good for my baby but also because it was “free” and I didn’t have to buy formula. However, there are SO many things THEY don’t tell you about when you choose to breastfeed so here are a few things I learned that hopefully can help another mama.

1. Your milk does not fully come in for at least 3 days! You read that right, it is not something wrong with you, you are not “not producing” but your milk takes about 3 - 5 days to fully come in. And when it does, your baby can have a difficult time learning to latch because your breast is a different shape or your letdown could be too strong for them.

2. It isnt painful but it is uncomfortable. Like anything, any constant pulling or tugging takes a minute to get adjusted to that movement. It takes about a week or 2 for your nipples to adjust to the feeling of a baby nursing.

3. Your letdown can “hurt” and its a weird feeling the first time you have one. Your let down happens within the first minute or so of your baby nursing. Its a point during their nursing session where your body just eliminates ALL the milk, really quick (there is not a better way to describe it). If you have a strong let down, your baby can start to gag or choke trying to keep up with your let down. THIS IS NORMAL. And all you need to do is unlatch baby, allow your let down to do its thing, and relatch baby once your letdown is finished. (You can even catch the milk in a haaka or a clean bottle.

4. You should not bleed from your nipples. If you are bleeding from your nipples or baby’s latch is super painful, baby could have a lip or tongue tie or both. Your pediatrician or a ped dentist can diagnose them for you. I think even some IBCLCs can as well and will recommend a ped dentist for revision.

5. ASK FOR HELP! Breastfeeding is just as much mental as it is physical. Some babies will nurse every 2-3 hours for 30-45 minutes and some babies will nurse every hour for 10-15 minutes. There is nothing wrong with either way a baby nurses however, it can be stressful and feel like you have so many things to do. Ask for someone to help clean your house, bring you food or just watch baby so you can nap or take a shower.

6. Society still has not caught up with the times and your pediatrician cares more about the growth of your baby to determine if they are healthy and not how your baby is actually doing. Your baby can be small and not growing quickly but healthy. As long as baby is producing enough poopy and pee filled diapers, there is not reason to supplement just based on weight gain.

7. Finally for now, it is okay to stop if your mental health is taking a toll. Yes breastfeeding statistically can help with hormone balancing and connecting with baby BUT if you feel like your mental health is taking a toll because you are stressed or overwhelmed or have a lack of support in your breastfeeding journey, do not feel like you cannot supplement or stop breastfeeding.

I am by NO means an expert just some of the things I have encountered in the past 6 years of nursing and having babies. :) If you have any questions for me, feel free to ask. I am an open book when it comes to breastfeeding support and my birth experiences.

Heres to you and your breastfeeding journey, whatever that may look like for you!

Photos by Erin Ryall Photography / edit by myself

xoxoxoxox,

Nina.

Ezra [Smash Cake]

My baby girl is 18 months today. When we found out I was pregnant with E I really really thought we were going to have a boy and truthfully I am soooo glad we have a full girl gang! BUT that being said, I had nooo idea what I wanted to do with her smash cake. For her newborn session, I knew I wanted darker, bold colors because her hair was sooo dark, but even before I knew she had dark hair I wanted darker, bold colors. We didn’t do florals or anything overly girlie with the big kids, so for her being our last baby and our last girl, I wanted to go all out with the girlie things. Florals and bold colors.

BUT her smash cake I still had no idea. I knew I wanted florals but I didn’t want pink and she looks good in blue soooo I decided on a super simple, floral and blue set up and of course, Charis Seed Creative came in clutch with the outfit!

This kid has hated my camera since the day she was born, but also, she LOVES food and did SO good for her smash cake! She went face first more than once, threw her cake off the cake stand and overall enjoyed the whole process.

I loove and cherish these images. I cant believe how much she grew in a single year. Capture your babies memories. You will never regret investing in these. You cant turn back the clock.

xoxox,

Nina.

Levi [Sitter]

Sitter sessions are seriously some of my favorite sessions. They capture your sweet little babe in the middle of their newborn and one year sessions. Their personalities are starting to show and they smile on cue for the most part. They usually arent too mobile so keeping them in one spot is relatively easy as well.

Mr. Levi was the exception to the rule. He was crawling already but he was an absolute doll baby. He smiled so many times, which was a huge win for me! He was awake but content for his newborn session and his older brother has never been a fan of mine (haha). BUT no crying is ALWAYS a win in my book!

Sitter sessions always consist of these three parts as well; solid backdrop in an outfit, outfit and a prop, tummy time on the bed. Outfits and props are always provided by me from my client closet to keep the day of session prep for you down to a minimum!

You also can always add on a sitter session to a booked smash cake session to capture this moment before your smash cake session and save $200 off your sitter session!

xoxoxox,

Nina

Tatum [Smash Cake]

This super simple smash cake set is a solid favorite of mine. I love that mama wanted to keep things super simple, white , a small pop of greenery and keep baby front and center! Which is totally my jam anyway! I never do over the top sets for my babies because I want your baby to be the center of attention.

I like big sets sometimes, but I always feel like they take too much away from the baby and just make the session more about how nice the set looks rather than the baby that is turning one. SO! I always keep my sets to theme but very simple.

And Tatum delivered on the smash cake part! She tore up the cake and splashed so much! Cake smash sessions are so much fun overall.

xoxox,

Nina

Benjamin [Petite Newborn]

What is a petite newborn session? A petite newborn session is a wrapped session where baby stays wrapped the entire session. This session is great for older newborns, little Benjamin was 5 weeks old, or if you just want a quick session to capture and savor how tiny your little babe is without a full session.

The wrapped session is usually about 60-90 minutes depending on your baby and their temperament, as well as if they need food, diaper changes, extra snuggles. :)

Little Benjamin was 5 weeks old for his session and he ROCKED it. He was a literal dream and slept through the entire session. Mama even asked if we could do some “mug shots” at the end since we were done in less than an hour, if my memory serves me right. So we did. :)

All that to say and show you, you CAN do a newborn session with an “older” newborn, however, a wrapped session may be your best option to capture them while they are sleepy!

xoxox,

Nina

Tara [Maternity]

This lady is absolutely stunning and rocks growing a tiny human! Tara and I met while we were both working at a bar in Mt. Clemens. We grew a friendship and then when life happened, we grew apart and when she reached out to me when she was pregnant about capturing her maternity and newborn sessions, I was sooo excited to be able to capture these memories for her but also to catch up! It had been YEARS since we’ve seen each other.

Her and her partner did absolutely amazing during their maternity session and when I got to finally meet little Harrison, he was nothing short of amazing and perfect too. (Stay tuned for that blog post soon).

Enjoy some of their field vibes and stony creek maternity session.

Okay thats all for now. I had a hard time narrowing these down to pick only a handful to share! :)
Unrelated to Tara, you can add on a maternity session to a newborn session to create a bundle and get $200 off your maternity session! Ask me how when you inquire :)

-Nina

Jackson [Smash Cake]

Mr. Jackson and his sports themed smash cake session. This session was a back and forth with me and mama for a while. We had a hard time narrowing down the theme but once we picked sports, mama said she had a ton of her husbands old sports equipment in the basement so everything we used for this session, is dads! (cue tears). It was absolutely adorable and amazing. OH! And little Jack did soooo good. He LOVED his cake, loved the smash portion and was overall a “dream” for his session. We even threw in some kissy pictures at the end because he’s a valentines day baby!

As you know, I always keep my cake smash sets very simple but to theme but this one, is probably one of my favorites :) I love adding sentimental items to any of your sessions.

-Nina

Teddy [Full Newborn]

Little Teddy was a literal dream for his session and what better week than the Fourth of July to share his session!? We finished an entire full newborn session in 2 hours from walking into the studio to leaving. That is almost unheard of in the newborn world especially with these 2022 newborns!

Mama reached out last minute and I was so glad I was able to get them into the studio. Mama told me they had an army bag that belongs to his grandpa to incorporate into the session and I am so glad we were able to make it work especially with an American flag scarf too!

The full newborn session is usually 2-3 hours of shooting time and includes table poses, wrapped and family. Teddy is just adorable and perfect and I am so glad and happy we were able to make his session work in my schedule. :)

xoxo,

Nina

Family Session [Detroit]

DETROIT! If you live in the surrounding Metro Detroit Area you probably also love Downtown Detroit. There is just something special about being downtown, so why not capture your family session in the downtown area? There are so many places to choose from and so many fun things to add to your session when using a downtown area, like grabbing a pizza and splitting it with your favorite people in Eastern Market.

When you book a family session with me I try and incorporate your entire family dynamic during your session. Whether you have a stronger connection with one kid or you do pizza night every Friday, or ice cream on Saturday afternoon or game night on Tuesdays, I want to be able to incorporate that part of your family into your session.

This pizza party was such a fun ending to their already amazing session. The kids had a blast, had something to look forward to at the end and I even was able to get some cute images of mom and dad alone … in addition to capturing the chaos of the kids dancing in the background too. :)

I want to capture your chaos. I want you to be you. I want you to feel comfortable and not feel forced to smile at me and my camera. Mostly, I want to just be a fly on the wall that is hanging out with you and your family documenting you being you. :)

So, if you want to have fun and just have a fun couple hours making memories with your family, allow me to capture those memories for you! I would love to be included and I would be honord to be chosen to capture memories for you to enjoy and relive through images over and over.

---

xoxox, Nina

Crew [Smash Cake]

Crew! When mama reached out about her cake smash session she said she wanted something neutral and not over the top. She wanted to make sure that little man was the center of attention and a giant, extravagant smash cake set was not going to overtake him. AND if you’ve been following my work for a while you would know that I always keep my sets simple and to theme but keep baby at the center of the image.

We went back and forth about what we wanted to do from my vision to moms and ultimately we settled on balloons and neutrals with a pop of green in Crew’s outfit.

He enjoyed his cake, loved to splash and overall was such a happy kid. I was so honored that mama chose me to capture this session for her. Check out some highlights from his session!

So, if you are looking for a photographer to bring your cake smash theme to life with a simple set, I’m your girl and I would love to talk to you about a session.

xoxox, Nina