Alannah's Newborn Photo Shoot

Bailey's BFF is born

What a wonderful day for the Salas family. If you have been following my blog while we have been in Okinawa then you have read about them. I was honored when they asked me to photograph the birth of the their third child Aaliyah in March of 2010 and equally honored to be there when Alannah was born.

I was also there when the kids came to meet their new sister. It really was a special moment, and I was able to capture it all on film for them.

Christmas Card Picture Set Up

So I decided to take some pictures of the kids for our Christmas Cards this year. I had taken pictures of Leann's kids the previous day and just left the living room all set up to do my kids today. Here is what my living room looks like when I have a newborn session or a kid session with backdrops.

It's so much harder to take photos of my kids.

Bryson is always super easy. He always has been since day one, even at his monthly pictures and then yearly pictures he would smile on cue and we were in and out of the studio in under an hour tops.

Carter on the other hand is awful. His smile is fake and I can't seem to hold his attention very long. I very seldom get a great photo of him. I do have to say he has gotten just a tad bit better as he gets older.

Chase just doesn't want to sit still "PERIOD"!!!

A lot of you have seen these pictures already since I have already sent out Christmas Cards. Technically it's January 15th but like I said earlier I am backdating all these posts and writing them like they happened on that day. Sneaky I know!!

Anyway one special person who hasn't gotten this card yet is my BFF Lindsey Lou. Lindsey I planned on sending your card to you with the shirts for the girls but then realized your birthday was coming up and I was headed to Korea. Well, Korea was great but I didn't really see anything that I knew you would like or that might be your style so I am trying to find something for you here, though at the moment my favorite gift shop is closed. They have a huge shipment coming in from China and I am wondering if there might be something for you in that shipment so hopefully your gift will be headed to you soon and the girls shirts still fit them.

Taylor Grace Newborn Session ~ Okinawa Newborn Photographer

So today was Taylor's newborn session. I was so glad that my mom and sister were there to see just how much work goes into a newborn session. They are HARD and very time consuming!

Conversation with a (typical) Newborn

Me: Well hello bright eyes! I am so pleased to meet you. I am excited that you are going to share four hours of your day with me. I have been looking forward to holding you and playing with you. I have the house all nice and cozy for you at about 85 degrees, everything is quiet here, your mama is going to make sure you have a full tummy, and then I want you to just sleep sleep sleep. Sound good?

Five minutes pass.

Baby: HEY! WHERE IS MY MOM? A picture shoot is not how I had my day planned out. Your crampin my style lady.

Thirty minutes pass and we have little or nothing to show for it.

Baby: We need to have a one on one. I think you missed the memo. About a week ago, all was perfect in my world. I was warm, snuggled, it was quiet, I never got hungry, I never needed to be changed and my mom was always holding me. That all came to a rather abrupt halt on my birthday and I am still trying to adjust to the changes. While there are some advantages to being out of the womb, I am having to cope with quite a bit these days, the very least you could do to make this transition easier would be to hold me. What makes you think I can balance my own head on my hands and who says I want to? Please pass me back to my mother now. She’ll know what to do.

Me: Ahhhhh…yes….I do see the difficulties I am creating for you today. I am doing my best to make this easy for you but it’s probably going to get worse before it gets better darlin.

Baby: You say that as though I have no options here. I’ll have you know that I am firm believer in boundaries and I will enforce my lines as needed. If you continue to push me on this, I am going to have to give you a presentation of my power.

Me: I have no doubt that is true and I expect no less. I have learned to be a woman of patience though and am pretty determined myself. Unlike you, I have had years to hone my skills and you, babe, are brand new player in this grand adventure of life. That puts the odds in my favor.

Baby: Now I am getting very angry. Maybe you are unaware of the cards I hold. I can cry – very loud and very long. I can flail. I can refuse to be swaddled. I can insist on being fed every five minutes. If that doesn’t work, I can spit up on your best blanket and I can potty on everything you’ve got. But we don’t have to go there. We can stop all this right now. Pass me back to my mama.

Me: You do indeed hold all those cards. I expect you to play each and every one of them. When you fuss and flail, I will smile at you and think you a perfect little creation. When you insist on being fed, I will be your champion and ask your mommy to abandon her feeding schedule and give you all the nourishment you want. When you potty all over my stuff, I will gladly clean it right up. I am a persistent woman sweetheart. My own mama taught me that with children, you have to be willing to go farther than they are. I have learned that lesson well and I confess my strategy to you upfront. All is well baby. Just go to sleepytown now.

Hour one passes and the duel continues.

At the ninety minute mark, we still have very little to show for our efforts and mom and dad are breaking into a sweat.

Somewhere between hour two and three, after baby has insisted on being fed again for the umpteenth time, the conversation winds down.

Baby: I am feeling an odd sort of sensation now. It’s toasty warm, my tummy is more than full, and I am getting quite exhausted. Yawn…..still though….I have some fight left…..sssshhhhhhhhhh.

And then…there is a twitch…and a few sleepy smiles….and…out for the count.

And then…I lean down close and whisper this…

Me: Good night sweet thing. You put up a gallant fight today and I applaud your efforts. No one will fault you for abandoning your grand plan to unravel our photo shoot. You are sufficiently milk drunk now and can no longer resist my charms. Now I can move you into many different positions, switch hats and blankets and baskets and beds, and you will sleep in blissful oblivion and we will accomplish a lot in the final stretch of our shoot. I realize that you have given up several hours of your fine day that you can never get back but by the time you wake up this will be a distant memory. You will forget.

But know this little one…your Daddy and Mommy will never get these precious few hours of your life back either. Because of what you and I did together today…they will never forget. Sleep baby sleep.

My brother's family photo session ~ Okinawa Photographer

While I was in New Mexico my brother and his wife asked if I would take their family photos. We drove up to Cloud Croft and had a blast. They were very easy and I feel so blessed to be able to do this for them. Here are a couple of the shots that I got today.




If you would like to see more of my work check out my website at Dawn Hudson Photography.

Albuquerque Balloon Festival

Chase and I got up very early this morning and headed to the Balloon Festival with the Hein Family. Joseph and I went to high school with Ed and they were best buds. They graciously allowed us to stay the night with them and take us to the balloon festival.

Like I said before we got up way before the sun rose and headed to the field. Shannon called me around 330 when we were getting up and said she was at the hospital and in labor. I saw this balloon and thought it was quite fitting.

Apparently it was windy up higher and it was pilot discretion. A few did go up but most stayed on the ground. Which honestly was probably better for Chase so he could actually see the balloons.

Ed just found out that he and his wife Michelle are going to be having twins. When I saw this picture I thought it was perfect.

Carter loves Darth Vader.

The crowd one direction

and then the other.

This is the inside of the Jack balloon above.

This is Ed, Michelle and Daken. Their daughter was with grandma.

Daken loved the balloons

Ed and Daken.