Matilda [Family]

This family has been with me since their youngest was a newborn. It has honestly been so much fun watching their boys grow over the past 4 years. One of my favorite things is you allowing me the chance to continue to capture memories and moments for you and welcoming me into your lives to showcase your love and connections with each other. For this one, we did an outfit change, which I don’t do very often BUT we wanted to head to the beach at the end of their session and the outfit change was definitely a game changer in the final outcome of their gallery.

This session also gives such a good idea of what it looks like in all sun conditions. In the garden it was overcast. At the beach, it was raining at first and then the sun came out a little bit and then fully came out at the end. I adjusted my editing to accommodate a lot, but theres just something about that natural glow of sunset, especially at the beach.

Want to book a family session? Head over to the contact form and lets chat!

xoxox,

Nina

Chelsae [Maternity]

When mama said she wanted to add a more casual look at the end of her session in addition to the two gowns from my client closet, I was actually pumped and they ended up being some of both of our favorite images! Your maternity session is YOURS! If you want it to be casual, cool. If you want to wear a gown, awesome. If you want to do a self love session at the studio, amazing. Whatever YOUR vision is for your session, I am just here to capture it and bring it to life!

Ready to book a maternity session or a bundle? Fill out the contact form on my contact page to inquiry and set up a phone call with me!

xoxo,

Nina

Lily [Smash Cake]

When mama reached out about doing Lily’s smash cake session, she wanted something neutral, simple and maybe with florals. I had her go through my Instagram and send me a couple different sessions I have done so I could get an idea of what to throw together for her, and we landed on florals, with a honeycomb theme. I generally provide the outfits and the cake as well as create the set based on your choice of theme or inspo BUT mama brought this little dress and it was absolutely perfect for the theme.

Check out some more of her session!

Interested in booking a smash cake session for your baby? Fill out the contact form and I will be in touch to set up a phone consult with you!

xoxo,

Nina

Tiana [Maternity]

When mama first reached out, she originally was looking at just booking a newborn session. However, after we went over all the bundles, we were able to squeeze them in for a maternity + newbie bundle. Which I am sooo glad we were able to make it work. They absolutely killed it and mama to be is absolutely stunning.

Buuuut lets touch base on the maternity + newbie bundle for a minute. This is probably one of my most sold bundles BECAUSE you get to capture your maternity session as an add on to your newborn session and it includes 8 digital images! This allows you to capture and forever remember the short period of time of you growing a human, but save most of your budget for your newborn session.

Also, can we talk about this SUNRISE sunshine! Ugh! Im obsessed. More sunrise sessions please.

BUT enjoy some of their favorite images from their gallery!

xoxo,

Nina

Confetti Minis!

Confetti minis are honestly so much! I generally say to make sure your child is at least 3 but these two did soo good for being barely 1 and 3. Some was eaten, some was thrown but there were a lot of laughs, a lot of dad wrangling tiny humans and overall, so much fun!

Pro Tip! Use big pieces of confetti or glitter for easier clean up, because you will be cleaning up for years! Also, little kids do soo good so it’s totally okay to have mom or dad throw glitter/confetti into the air over them so that they laugh and see it!

xoxox,

Nina

Teddy [BeanSprout]

What is a Bean Sprout Package? The BeanSprout Package is what I call my one year package! It is a full newborn session, sitter and smash cake bundle. The newborn session generally takes place within the first 21 days after baby makes their way earthside. You choose 2-3 colors to incorporate into your session and I plan and style everything. For Teddy, mama wanted blues and green with a slight American Flag mixed in for grandpa! So we incorporated the American Flag scarf throughout all three of Teddy’s sessions!

The full newborn session includes my entire newborn workflow; naked, wrapped, family.

The sitter session takes place once baby is fully sitting unassisted without help. This session usually takes place between 7-8 months. A lot of parents want this session right at 6 months however, most babies are not sitting fully unassisted until closer to 7-8 months. We want baby to be stable in their sitting and not wobbly so they dont get too tired throughout the session but also so you can relax a little bit without worrying about trying to catch your baby the entire session. This session also includes 3 sets; wood drop in a prop, plain/fabric backdrop in an outfit, and nakie on the bed.

And finally to round out the year, we do a smash cake session. This session takes place around 11M to make sure we have your ordering appointment in time for baby’s birthday. If you want to wait until closer to baby’s birthday, that is cool too! I am here for you and whatever you want from the session. For the smash cake, you choose the theme and I plan and style everything. Mama wanted to keep it simple with a hint of Teddy Bears and neutral balloons! The smash and splash also comes with three “parts”; baby with the set, smash and the splash (because who wants to take home a sticky kid?).

Interested in a Bean Sprout Package for your babe? Fill out the contact form on my website to inquire! The optimal time to book is during your second trimester or early third to snag a spot in my calendar for baby’s entire first year!

xox,

Nina

Courtney [Senior]

I have so many things to say about senior sessions but we are going to keep it to a minimum with some FAQs!

1. Do you do senior sessions? I DO! And truthfully I love them as a break from families and babies. They are seasonal which is why you do not see them all the time as newborns are my main focus BUT senior season is upon us.

2. When do you book? I HIGHLY recommend booking the spring of your child’s junior year for the summer going into their senior year. Their senior year is soo busy! Getting it done in the summer allows the best break in activities for your to squeeze it into your busy schedules!

3. Can we incorporate my child’s extra-curricular activities? OF COURSE! Band, sports, drama, whatever your child is into and participates in, I will try to incorporate to the best of my ability and yours or your childs vision.

4. How many outfit changes are included? Up to 2 if you want/need them! Something “formal”, casual and/or sports/activity related.

5. How does the process work? Once you fill out the contact form I will schedule a phone call with you. We will go over all the things senior related and then once you are ready to move forward, we start planning. A week or so after your session I will have you come to the studio for your gallery reveal/ordering appointment to pick your favorite images and purchase your products. Turnaround time from your ordering to delivery is based on your products ordered.

Ready to find out more? Head on over to my contact form and let’s set up a phone call! I can’t wait to hear all about your almost senior and what your vision is for your session!

xoxox

Nina

Chelsea [Family - Studio]

Mama reached out and wanted to originally just schedule a milestone session for her twins who were turning two. She was a little worried about their ages and their little personalities and me handling it. They are 2 weeks apart from my youngest, so toddlers and I, are best friends. Dad ended up being able to get off work to attend the session sooo we threw mama in a dress in my client closet and dad was already dressed and ready to go, so we snapped some family images while they were all together!

And then we turned and focused on the babies and their little personalities :)

Studio sessions are always an option!

Want to know more? Fill out the contact form on my contact page and we can chat about your family session!

xoxox,

Nina

Brittany + Chris [Engagement]

I do not get a lot of requests for engagements or couples because it is not my “niche”. BUT I abolsutely love when y’all trust me with your vision and that I can do couples, engagements and weddings .. I just dont have a giant portfolio to back me up on that!

Brittany and Chris go to church with me and when they reached out about me capturing their engagement session I was not only so excited that they chose me, but that they trusted me and their vision explained to me enough that they trusted me with these memories and moments.

We had SOO much fun! We prayed before our session started and I almost fell moving what I thought was a couch but was actually a sectional .. and there is video evidence to prove it! (haha)!

All this to say, just because my niche is newborns through the first year and families, does NOT mean that I don’t want to be considered for your engagement, couple or wedding session! If you like me and my personality and think we would be a good fit, reach out! Worst case scenario I am not available. :)

Interested in hearing more about an engagement session or wedding? Fill out the contact form and I would love to set up a phone call with you!

xoxox,

Nina

Caribelle [Bean Sprout]

What is a Bean Sprout Package? The BeanSprout Package is what I call my one year package! It is a full newborn session, sitter and smash cake bundle. The newborn session generally takes place within the first 21 days after baby makes their way earthside. You choose 2-3 colors to incirporate into your session and I plan and style everything. This mama chose whites, pinks and greens and brought the most adorable stuffie flamingo for baby Caribelle. The best part of the bundle is we were able to incorporate the flamingo throughtout each session.

The full newborn session includes my entire newborn workflow; beanbag (naked), wrapped, family/sibling.

The sitter session takes place once baby is fully sitting unassisted without help. This session usually takes place between 7-8 months. A lot of parents want this session right at 6 months however, most babies are not sitting fully unassisted until closer to 7-8 months. We want baby to be stable in their sitting and not wobbly so they dont get too tired throughout the session but also so you can relax a little bit without worrying about trying to catch your baby the entire session. This session also includes 3 sets; wood drop in a prop, plain/fabric backdrop in an outfit, and nakie on the bed.

And finally to round out the year, we do a smash cake session. This session takes place around 11M to make sure we have your ordering appointment in time for baby’s birthday. If you want to wait until closer to baby’s birthday, that is cool too! I am here for you and whatever you want from the session. For the smash cake, you choose the theme and I plan and style everything. Mama wanted strawberries for this session so we did strawberries! The smash and splash also comes with three “parts”; baby with the set, smash and the splash (because who wants to take home a sticky kid?).

Interested in a Bean Sprout Package for your babe? Fill out the contact form on my website to inquire! The optimal time to book is during your second trimester or early third to snag a spot in my calendar for baby’s entire first year!

xox,

Nina

Heather [Self Love]

Heather and I have been friends, or better yet, we have known each other since 6th grade. I think our story is hilarious because we DID NOT like each other when we first met. I dont remember why or how it happened but we just did not like each other. We got paired up to make a KINDNESS poster which is the most ironic part of it, but since then, we have been friends ever since.

The rest of middle school and high school and she is still one of my only friends that I keep in touch with from high school. We were roommates together when we first moved from Marine City to Southfield (whyyyy we did that is still beyond me lol) and even after living together we still like each other.

When she said she would model for me for one of my content day I was elated! Not only because I have known her basically my entire life but that should would trust ME with a session and allow me to use it to help other women feel comfortable and empowered enough to capture their own self love sessions.

Curious about a self love session? Fill out the contact form on my self love page and I would love to set up a phone call with you to go over all the things! :)

Until then, enjoy a preview of what a session gallery looks like.

Ready whenever you are ';)

xox,

Nina

Aureila [Full Newborn]

Returning clients have my heart and Ms. Aureila is the second baby of this family I have had the pleasure of photographing. When I tell you that I love watching your families grow, I am not kidding. It not only warms my heart that you trusted me enough the first time with your baby, but that you loved your session, the experience and the product enough to trust me again! I also took a different approach to their family images because big sis was under 2! And I have tiny humans and totally understand that sometimes a snuggle is easier to accomplish than a sit and smile.

BUUUUT for big sis being as young as she is, she did so good with her sibling portraits and honestly, those were more important than the full family looking and smiling at the camera anyway!

xoxox

Nina

Ezekiel [Smash Cake]

Happy St. Patricks Day! What better way to celebrate than with this “Lucky ONE” smash cake session of Mr. Ezekiel? He did sooooo good! There are three types of kiddos during smash cake sessions:

1. Babies that absolutely love it and go all in

2. Babies that hate it and cry the whole time or don’t want to touch the cake at all

3. Somewhere in between - they are okay for some of the session but not the entire thing

This happens for a couple reasons and the most common is that baby is generally in a stranger danger phase for the smash cake sessions. I do my best to try and connect with baby upon arrival at the studio but sometimes it doesn’t work however, Ezekiel was a Bean Sprout client so this was his 3rd session with me during his first year, and also he was a champ with the cake!

xoxo

Nina

Bowen [Full Newborn]

Oh Mr. Bowen! When Bowen’s mama reached out to me to book his newborn session I was so excited! There is something special about people you went to high school with and graduated with that trust you enough with their bitty miracles to hire you to capture their memories. And to top it off, she asked if I could incorporate a small quilt that was made of his grandpa’s clothes because he passed before he was born. * cue tears *

Bowen was such a sleepy baby! He rocked every set. :)

xoxo

Nina

Meghan [Maternity]

I honestly think one of my favorite parts of my “job” is how nervous some of you are when you show up to your sessions but the amount of confidence you LEAVE the session with it, makes the whole experience worth while for both of us! This mama was down for anything but her nervousness was palpable, but by the end of her session, she was ROCKING it and posing herself and I am always here for that transition.

And if you’re here because you are looking to book a maternity session, all of mama’s outfit are in my client closet AND we can do an outdoor or studio session or a mix of both!

xoxo

Nina

Gimm Family [Fall]

Family sessions are some of my favorite sessions! I love being able to watch your families grow and also I love being able to just capture your chaos! Having tiny humans with each individual family is so different but your vibes are generally the same. I love capturing the different connections each family has with each other and also with their babies. I first photographed little man when he was like 17 days old and love watching him grow!

What to expect during your family session with me? ⬇

The overall message? We play! We run around. And I have 3 tiny humans of my own, so mama! Relax. Have fun. I get you!

xoxo

Nina

Andrit [Petite Wrapped]

Oh Mr. Andrit - Fun Fact! Sometimes our sessions do not go as planned and that is 100% okay! Mr. Andrit was originally suppose to have a full session BUT he was not having anything to do with being naked and was even a little fussy and touchy while in a wrap. IT HAPPENS! But! I was still able to adjust his top wrap and or props/backdrops while in the same wrap enough to fill a full gallery. I promise you, I have seen every. single. thing. that can happen during a newborn session however, I am trained and skilled enough to deal with these situations which is why hiring a professional newborn photographer who is trained in safety and different circumstances is so much more important than just hiring someone based on pricing.

PRO TIP! If you have a super fussy baby, you can use the same wrap with a prop and a backdrop, add bonnets or sleepy caps and switch up your angles to maximize your gallery!

AND if you didn’t see them little man DID give me some good smiles too! , despite not being a happy camper most of the session! :)

xoxox

Nina

Macrame Swing Prop

Do you have one of the macrame swings but aren’t sure how to use it? I have used it for newborn, sitter and smash cake sessions and I absolutely love it. Below are some examples of how I have used the swing and some pointers.

First of all, if you have super high ceilings like I do and bolting the swing into the ceiling isn’t an option, you probably don’t know how to hang it! I have the BEST solution. I ordered an indoor swing stand from amazon! Then, to build it up I use the horseshoe posers from the transformer set from Modest Little Me Boutique. These also allow to add weight to the swing to stop it from swinging and rotating. Then ALWAYS have mom or dad or an assistant hold the swing to keep it still and have someone else stay close to baby to spot once baby is posed.

Pro tip to pose baby as a newborn; I also keep my legs under the swing so that I can use my shins to hold the swing in place while posing baby and then slowly remove my legs when I am ready to take the shot and have someone hold the swing still and another parent/person spotting/holding baby.

For sitters, I LOVE that they are able to move around a little bit. It causes a variety of facial expressions and it allows baby something to keep themselves occupied with.

And finally for smash cake babies, I love adding it to their smash cake set, instead of just having them in front of their set. It gives variety and depth to the gallery rather than just baby sitting on the floor for the whole session.

Overall, this swing is very versatile for newborns through the first year and all the milestone sessions in between. Mine is from Finn&Emma but there are other vendors like Luneberry.

If you have any questions please let me know! I would be happy to help you use your swing if you are waiting to use it!

xoxoxox Nina

Heyyy! It's Me, again!

Hi! I am Nina! The owner and photographer here at Blue Stone Photography! It’s been a while since I have updated my blog with my face in it, so here we go!

I am turning 33 this year and have 3 tiny humans, all girls and they are 6, 4, and 2! I have been married to my husband for almost 7 years (next month). My biggest goal for the 2023 year is to expand my teaching in newborn safety and also to grow my photographer community with styled shoots and content days! I am so excited to have already had one wrapping workshop this year and have one almost sold out content day for self love (boudoir) in March, and I am so pumped about it!

I also have a very strong relationship with Jesus and I do not talk about it much. I try to really keep my business and my personal/church life separate but the Lord has been dealing with me this year to start speaking out and allowing others to find their light in me as well. I know this is going to ruffle some feathers, but my walk with Jesus and a life of being saved isn’t actually a secret, I just don’t share it much openly.

But heres to 2023! And all the things the Lord has to offer for my business and personal life!

xoxox

Nina

FAQs - Sitter Session feat. Henry!

FAQs about Sitter Sessions!

1. When do I book?

   1. Book when baby is around 3/4 months to give us enough time to plan and schedule your session.

2. Is this a 6M milestone session?

   1. Not technically. Most babies aren’t sitting unassisted until about 7/8M old so we plan for between 7-8months

3. What if baby is not fully sitting the week before my session?

   1. IT IS OKAY! And PLEASE communicate that with me! I would rather push your session back a couple weeks and wait for baby to be ready than to have you come in just to capture it and not be able to fully enjoy the session and experience because we are needing to “catch” baby the entire session

4. Do I need to bring anything to my session?

   1. Nope! Part of the experience with me is that you do not need to bring anything to any of your studio sessions with me. You choose a couple colors that go well with your home and I will plan and style everything, including outfits.

5. Can I book a sitter session without a smash cake bundle or a newborn session with you?

   1. Absolutely! If you want to skip both the newborn and the cake smash and just capture the sitter session, that is TOTALLY okay! I would love that. It is such a great session to catch your growing baby and their personality blooming. I would highly recommend not skipping the sitter over the smash cake!

6. Do you offer bundles?

   1. I DO! I have my BeanSprout Package that includes a full newborn, sitter and smash cake sessions. I also have a sitter-smash bundle if you werent ready to book the whole first year at your newborn session or if you didnt book your newborn session with me. If you book a bundle, your sitter session comes with a handful of digital images and we do an ordering for your newborn and smash cakes!

Any other questions and feel free to ask! bluestonephotos@gmail.com