Children Archives - Ravetta Photography

Let’s take a walk together

We often go to parks or those typical locations for session. We love when it switches up a bit and let’s take a walk together. When you drive around your neighborhood do you see a nice wall, brick steps, maybe even some interesting landscaping. All of these things create beautiful and unique photos. We can meet near your home or perhaps there is a neighborhood you enjoy visiting. We walk around together and find areas to take photos. Of course, we are not up on porches or trespassing in anyway. Just using the surroundings to create the perfect photo. When you are part of our birthday club we have probably been all over the city. Let’s get out and go for a walk around your neighborhood. This is exactly what we decided to do for this birthday club session. It was decided to take a walk around favorite neighborhood, The Hill. We have been photographing on The Hill for over 40 years, there is always a new place that is interesting. The stone walls and cozy benches are perfect, not to mention the new Piazza has that wonderful water fountain. Since we were doing a bit more walking at this session we had lots of time to talk. We talked about the start of school, what fun travels happened over the summer and we couldn’t forget to talk about video games. All the boys love talking about video games, good thing we know a thing or two. However, they are always happy to teach us more. The weather was warm but not too bad in the shade. We could see that the smiles were getting a bit fake after a few blocks in our walk so we broke out some jokes to get him laughing. We have know him since he was a baby since he is part of our birthday club. There is one more session left in the club, but we know that we will still get a chance to see him. Perhaps around the neighborhood because it is one of our favorite places to go. #ravettaphotography #stlphotographer #thehill #birthdayclub #outdoorsession #summerphotos #photosintheneighborhood #letstakeawalk

One year birthday club session

It’s hard to decide which sessions are our favorites during the birthday club. One year birthday club sessions are very exciting. But do we like them more than the newborn session? What about the 2 other sessions in between? There is also the other 13 sessions after one year! The one year birthday club session is definitely up there with our favorite sessions. The kids definitely start to show lots of personality. The session began with some family photos. We knew that we were going to do a smash cake at the end so we wanted to be sure to get all the other photos done first. The family photos went very smoothly, giving them lots to pick from when making selections. We were hoping to get some photos of the brothers but big brother was on the move. He is very fast and since little brother hasn’t quite caught up yet we only got a few of those. No big deal since this session was the one year birthday session and that was the focus anyway. Our big one year old smiled and laughed during all his photos. He even bounced right back after a tumble in the weeds. It was like it didn’t even happen! He is so easy going just like mom and dad. We moved around the park a bit getting different scenery options. He isn’t walking just yet, maybe a step or two. This actually helped because he was fully entertained by use being silly after we gave him a spot to sit or stand. The last thing was the smash cake, or cupcakes. He was definitely more interested in the cake tray than the cupcakes. Big brother wanted to join in this one year birthday club session so we were able to capture a few of them sharing cupcakes – super cute! Even though we didn’t have a smash we still captured this one year session. The kids grow so fast so having these photos will be a great memory. See you in 6 months! #ravettaphotography #birthdayclub #stlphotographer #portraitphotographer #oneyearsession #oneyearsmashcake #smashcakephotos #happybirthday #outdoorsession

Rachel Ravetta 0 birthday club , Children photography , family photography , Ravetta Photography , stlouisphotographer

Summer sessions in the park

We have such a fun time during our summer sessions in the park. We know that it is hot and the kids are going to be a mess quickly. Therefore, we pick shade spots and work as fast as possible. Using just few locations with multiple poses allows the kids to play. Of course, if the kids want to move a bit more we are able to do that. Moving around is a luxury of the outdoor sessions. Indoors we are limited to where the lights are, but outside we can just move to a new location. The boys wanted to climb on the rocks in Tower Grove, all boys like to climb on the rocks. However, it was a very hot summer session in the park and the rocks are in the sun. We made a deal to take photos in the shade first before we did our climbing. The locations we picked gave us the chance to play peek-a-boo and slide down a tree. These areas kept the boys busy until we were ready to get out into the sun. A bit of climbing and then some races together really enhanced their personalities. We know our birthday club members grow fast when we only get to see them once a year. But these fun images help us get to know them even better. Some kids are ready to play with us while others want to just do their own thing. Either way we are able to capture them enjoying the sun during this summer sessions in the park. Since this family is part of our birthday club they know we are able to get those perfect images in only a short time. When working with kids time can be limited, the heat doesn’t help either. We worked quickly and were able to capture exactly what we needed. Looking forward to seeing you again next year boys! #ravettaphotography #stlphotographer #summerphotography #siblingphotography #locationphotos #towergrovepark #hotouthere

Rachel Ravetta 0 birthday club , Children photography , Ravetta Photography , stlouisphotographer

Heirloom Photography

Heirloom photography is a southern tradition but we are happy to offer this style in our studio. Portraits that span generations are meant to capture children in a classic and simple style. The best age is any child that can sit unassisted into the teen years. Heirloom photography is a tradition done once per child at a particular age. However, you can do them yearly if you wanted. Heirloom sessions are unique and our goal is to provide your family with timeless heirloom prints to display in your home forever. Your viewing gallery will include many images and expressions. Once you make the selection of your favorites we can print them in black and white or color. You can even add the details of turning it into a digital painting. The work of art with every detail perfected will be a cherished memory for many future generations. We received a call wondering if this was something we could do because our client saw them online. She is a grandmother and wanted to have this southern tradition for her grandchildren. We have recently been photography sessions outdoors because the weather is nice. However, we have full studio that we can utilize at any point. We use a crisp clean white background for many different types of portraits, such as model photography and these timeless heirloom photos. During this session we were quickly able to capture some great expressions. This little girl was ready to smile and give us all sorts of facial expressions. It is going to be a tough choice for grandma to select her favorite for the wall art. Since we had a bit of extra time we included a few personality photos as well. Personality photos are done on the same white background but allow the child to pose, dance or jump around to show off their personality at this age. We really enjoy these crisp and classic photos, give us a call to set up your appointment today. #ravettaphotography #stlphotographer #heirloomphotography #studiosession #southernheirloom

Rachel Ravetta 0 Children photography , family photography , Ravetta Photography , St. Louis Photographer

Siblings having fun together

Moms of three have their hands full but we are happy to create a session of siblings having fun together. When mom can get three kids ready for photos and out the door on time we step up to the plate. We get as many photos as we can during the session. The goal of this session was photos of the kids individually and then all of them together. We actually started by taking some first communion photos of the oldest because the quick photos done on the actual day were not suitable for the wall. We were happy to create more wall worthy art for the family. Once we completed those in the church we headed outside. The day we selected actually turned out to be quite nice. It was a breezy July morning which greatly helped the attitudes of all children because they were not hot the whole time. Of course we also tried to find as much shade as possible. Photography of the siblings together was fun because we could see how they interact together. We were able to get some perfect smile photos. Then we had to have some fun by jumping around for some photos as well. During the individual photos that gives us a moment to get to know each child. The oldest was doing a great job of keeping up the smiles even though he had been in tons of photos at this point. We were able to talk about Minecraft and underwear to keep the laughs. Middle man is full of personality, he was all wiggles during his photos and quick to say this was going to wear him out for the day. We kept cracking up at the things he would say between photos! Little princess was all about it! She wanted to pose herself, pick some locations and also help her brothers get the perfect photos by fixing hair. Such a joy to work with this crew and we know we will get to see them again! #ravettaphotography #stlphotographer #summerphotography #siblingphotography #locationphotos #kimswickmo

Rachel Ravetta 0 Children photography , family photography , Ravetta Photography , St. Louis Photographer

Items your children love in a session

We know that sometimes taking photos each year can be daunting. However, don’t forget the items your children love. Yes, a beautiful photo with a park background or an urban setting is wonderful. But what about those photos that really show what your children love at this age. We enjoy seeing our birthday club members and we will take those “regular” photos during the session. However, we love when parents bring along something that will show personality. The session started off perfectly with some big smiles and easy posing. We walked around the park and learned all about Star Wars. James recently received a Star Wars Lego set and now he loved everything about it. He even brought one of the droids mini figures with him. This droid stayed in his pocket for most of the session but made his appearance from time to time. James wanted him to be in a photo, so of course we took one with him holding his droid with a big smile on his face. Being the great big brother that he is, James allowed his little sister to be in a few photos during his session. She wasn’t too excited about it, but those images of James telling her a secret and holding her hand are just priceless. The whole time we took photos James had no idea that mom brought him a surprise. She had purchased a toy light saber for him to play with during the session. When she brought it out he was shocked that she had it. He was even more shocked that it was his to keep! The excitement was undeniable. James had so much fun showing us his poses, battle faces and even his attack moves. Luckily he stopped right before slicing the camera with his light saber. These photos are perfect memories of James. We are delighted that we were able to capture them. What will it be next time? #ravettaphotography #stlphotographer #birthdayclub #parkphotos #starwarsfan

Rachel Ravetta 0 birthday club , Children photography , Ravetta Photography , St. Louis Photographer

Free newborn session

Our clients are important to us so we give a free newborn session to our wedding clients. Your session gift can be used within the first 3 months after they start a family. The gift does not expire, we are not rushing anyone. We just want to see them back in our office when they start a family. Sometimes we see couples back quickly and other times it is a few years before we hear from them. It doesn’t matter and we are happy to meet the new addition every time. This little girl was only a couple weeks old, the perfect time to take newborn photos. We got started with family photos, she loved to be wrapped up and slept the whole time. We were able to capture mom-baby photos, as well as, dad-baby photos. These were in addition to the perfect family photos. They even molded easily into the “strange” poses we use to hold the baby. We want everyone to look relaxed, the best way to do that is to have mom and dad work together to hold the newborn. It always seems that when it seems akward, it is actually a perfect photo. It was now time for mom and dad to relax. We wanted to try a few things with baby girl unwrapped, she wasn’t a fan. Her initials spell out SAS. Mom and dad said she is living up to the sass already. Even still we got a few photos in other wraps and hats that the couple brought with them. We have lots of options in our studio but always welcome those items that are special to your family. We broke out the soccer outfit for a few photos because dad is a big soccer fan. A small knit soccer ball even looked like she was going to kick it. She may have had a lot to say during the free newborn session but that didn’t stop us from getting great photos. We hope to have her as a new birthday club member! #ravettaphotography #stlphotographer #newbornsession #soccerfans #studiosession #growingfamily

Rachel Ravetta 0 Children photography , family photography , Newborn Photographer , Ravetta Photography , stlouisphotographer

A one year session already?

The days go by so fast but we don’t realize how fast until we get a call from someone wanting to set up a one year session. How can we be doing a one year session already? We have worked with this couple a few times now. Engagement photos, wedding day, newborn and now the twins are one year. Yep, twins! We had no idea what to expect other than one of them was walking and the other was not quite there yet. Once kids start walking it is a game changer because we know attention is limited because they are on the move. After a series of emails to schedule, re-schedule and questioning the rain we were finally able to get together for this one year session. Mom had a few things in mind, we were happy to get those photos. What mom didn’t expect was that the boys would not be in the mood to smile. We know that happens sometimes but that is the beauty of doing the photo outdoors. We can move around to other spots, find things that interest the boys and even give one a break while we are taking photos of the other sibling. It was one of the first hot days of the season and none of us were ready. That made it a bit harder because everyone started sweating and getting red faces. However, despite the heat and boys that were not in the mood to smile, we were able to get some great photos. First of all, we got those smile by just letting them play! We may have broken out the bread pillow that mom said for some reason makes them smile. It was the first bread pillow I have seen and yep, it worked. Also, some movement helped during this one year session. I haven’t met a walking one year old that wants to just sit and smile. Trust us mom and dad, we will get those great photos. It might be a bit different than what you expected would happen during the session. But the wonderful photos afterward are all that mater. #ravettaphotography #stlphotographer #locationphotos #yearlyphotos #springphotos #oneyearphotos

Rachel Ravetta 0

Always on the move, walking….running

We enjoy all the different stages of our birthday club member sessions. We are often asked what we prefer – a session in the studio or outdoors. For the kids that are always on the move, walking….running and just don’t stop we definitely prefer outdoors. When we are in the studio the kids need to stay in a certain area where we put the lighting. Sometimes this helps keeps the kids still but most of the time they just want to move. We don’t want them to get upset because they have to stay in one area. An outdoor session is best because we can move with them. We pick a spot to take photos but then we can quickly get up and move to another area to keep the kids interested. This little guy was recently in our studio for a session with bunnies. He always has interest in our equipment. He got very up close to everything and looked carefully at all the parts. When we arrived at the park he showed interest in our equipment just like last time. But since he is always on the move he was ready to run around the park. We were able to get some perfect pictures with mom and dad, then also some fun images of them interacting. There were even a few running photos as he was passing by us running around some trees. It may have seemed like we were just chasing him around the park…mainly because we were most of the session. However, it only takes a few moments to get a photo. And those casual playful photos are sometimes our favorites. We look forward to running around in the park when he turns 3. Our birthday club members are so much fun and it is wonderful to get to know them more and more during each session. #ravettaphotography #stlphotographer #parkphotos #yearlyphotos #springphotos #twoyearphotos

Rachel Ravetta 0

A classic location repeat session

We photographed mom and daughter when she was expecting a few years ago. It was a classic session in a classic location, city hall. Mom wanted to do it again by having a classic location repeat session. We are honored to get another call to take family portrait. This time we were going to include the whole family. It was wonderful to see the girls again and meet dad and little sister. The session was not unlike every other session that involved lots of smiles, a bit of sass and a twist of ice cream bribery! The rules at city hall have changed a bit over the past couple of years. Instead of getting a permit and taking photos after hours they are closed to the public. Therefore, during business hours is the best. They suggested later in the day toward the end of the week. It was perfect, not many people wandering around. We were hoping to keep the session to 30 minutes but we had lots that we wanted to accomplish. The plan was to take family photos, the girls together and individual, mom with the girls and dad with the girls. We did it! We were able to get all of that done and even take a few headshots for mom. All photos taken in one area make the session run super smoothly. We are able to get a few more poses because we are not moving around too much. These images have such a classic look to them because of the marble stairs. Mom also dressed everyone in such classic black and white clothing that these are going to be timeless. Of course, we will need to update photos as the girls get older, but these will be classic forever. We love going to these classic locations and hope to bring others back more often to capture these timeless photos. #ravettaphotography #stlphotographer #locationsession #classicphotos

Rachel Ravetta 0