It’s always been a dream of mine to have beautiful professional photographs of my newborn to commemorate such a special time. I started searching for a professional photographer who specialized in newborn photos early on in my pregnancy as I knew they have a tendency to book up well in advance. I lucked out the day Don & I went to have an elective ultrasound done at 16 weeks and I saw the amazing work of local photographer Sri hanging on the walls. One look at his online portfolio and I was sold!
After perusing Sri’s work, I decided to book him not only for our newborn shoot, but also for a maternity shoot, as well. These are his two specialties and he is amazing at both kinds of shoots! He works with his wife, Jana, who styles the shoots. Together they make a great team. Don & I are both pretty awkward when it comes to having our pictures taken and they made us feel so comfortable on both shoots and were able to capture these special times in our lives beautifully.
Maternity Photo Shoot
This is my favorite image from our maternity photo shoot last fall. We met up at a local forest preserve on a beautiful, crisp autumn day with the last of the turning leaves on the trees. I love Sri’s work with light in these photos!
We decided to bring our dog, Winnie, to the shoot since I hoped to use the photos on our holiday card and wanted to include our entire (then) little family of three. The photo on the left is my favorite picture of me and Winnie ever! I also love the cute bump shot we took with Winnie and Don peeking over my belly. Jana was a wiz at posing us for the best shots.
Sri did an amazing job capturing our love for each other and our joyful anticipation for the arrival of our little one. We hope to go back to the same location in the fall with our daughter Charlotte to take family portraits once again.
Newborn Photo Shoot
As much as I love our maternity photos, the newborn shots Sri took really showcase his talent. This is where Sri’s work shines the most! My favorite shot from the bunch (above) depicts little Charlotte’s angelic features and sweetness so perfectly. It takes my breath away every time I look at it!
Although it was a bit of a challenge to haul the family downtown when Charlotte was just nine days old and I was still quite tender from surgery, it was well worth the effort. We went to Sri & Jana’s studio which they have set up with babies in mind. They keep it warm and cozy so that babies can remain comfortable and sleepy for the best shots. They provided all of the props and accessories, which made it super easy for me as a new Mommy. How sweet are these shots?
We also opted to take some family portraits. Sri worked his magic again, somehow making us look like people who take good photos (seriously…we usually don’t) and who had slept some (seriously…we had not!). I love the shot of Don kissing his little girl. She’s such a little sweetie!
Something fun that Sri & Jana came up with was to add a “Made With Love” tag in both our maternity and newborn shoots for a then and now comparison. Check out that little smile! I think Charlotte knows how loved she is.
Check out Sri’s website to see his incredible work. It’s fun to see even if you’re not in the market for these types of photos. If you are and are local to Chicago I highly recommend Sri & Jana for incredible maternity and newborn photos!
I chose my favorites from both shoots for our holiday cards and birth announcements by Tiny Prints, my go-to website for custom photo cards. Their online software is easy to use to customize cards. I love how you can order special envelope liners, which are super easy to assemble. I also ordered custom stamps through the site for Charlotte’s birth announcement for a special extra touch. Both cards turned out exactly how I’d hoped and I couldn’t be more happy with them.
I hope you enjoyed this look at our maternity and newborn professional photos. I look forward to continuing a tradition of having professional family portraits taken every year, not just for our annual holiday cards, but as sweet keepsakes. Family is everything! ❤️
* This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are genuinely my own. *
