DIY Newborn Photography

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of photographing AJ, my best friend Angie's newborn.  I'm not a professional photographer but I really enjoy taking pictures!  I was really excited about the photo shoot since the last newborn I photographed was JD over 3 years ago.  The whole experience was wonderful.  I can't thank Angie and Alex enough for trusting me with their little bundle of joy, especially when I placed him in a little red wagon.  Here are a few of my favorite pictures of AJ.

DIY Photo Studio:
I found some great DIY photography ideas online, and set up my own studio at home.  Although I do have a Nikon D500 (DSLR) you would be amazed at how many of my pictures were taken with my iPhone!  You can pretty much use any camera as long as you have good lighting.  I set up the photo shoot in front of our large sliding glass door and also used my recently purchased lighting kit (under $100) from Limo Studios to add a little extra lighting.   Make sure to keep the room warm and be ready to take lots of little breaks, for feedings, diaper changing and the occasional need to hold a very precious newborn.

Note: I don't recommend using a table for newborn photography, but in our case we had plenty of people to keep little AJ safe during the shoot.

Bow Tie Baby Shower

My best friend Angie and her husband Alex are expecting the arrival of their first baby boy (they have three wonderful girls) any day now.  A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege of hosting a baby shower in their honor!  I definitely wanted a cute boy theme, but I was more interested in using Angie's favorite color, red.  Well I decided on a bow tie theme and used baby blue, red and lots of bow ties. 

My friend and co-host Veronica had the brilliant idea of using a kite in the decor!  This made perfect sense, not only because kites make me think of little boys, but because we would also be able to use bow ties on the kite tail!  I do not sew, but hand me fabric, an iron, wood dowels and a glue gun and I can make you a kite (I can even throw in a few fluffy clouds). Just don't expect it to fly!

We had tons of fun games for the guests to play, thanks to Veronica, and a photo booth with props which everyone tried at least once!

Angie and Alex loved their baby shower and I actually managed to keep all the details a secret until the day of.  We all had a really great time and we can't wait to meet baby AJ!

Vendors:
Cake by Baby Cakes
Cake Pops by Sweet Shop
Bow Tie Cookies by Torrance Bakery
Popcorn by Popcornopolis
Cupcakes by Sams Club
Invitation (not pictured) by Delight Paperie
Striped Bunting Banner by What She's Got
Quilted Table Runner by Veronica Gallo
Kite, Clouds and Decor by Adriana of Quaintly Garcia