Personality Collection

You want to remember everything about this moment – the silly faces, the tiny features, the curiosity, the innocence. While we can’t help you keep them little forever, we can capture your child’s unique self, as it is right now, by showcasing their individual personality. We are now offering Personality Collection – simple, black & white images, in their purest form – for all ages! Mom contacted us because she saw we started offering these special sessions. She is familiar with our work since she went to a high school that we photograph. When they arrived for the session we saw that her daughter was very attached to dad. These sessions are set up for exactly these situations. We only use one background and no props, this gives us plenty of time to just sit and play. There is no rush to move to the next scene or use up time to change our lighting. It definitely took a bit for her to warm up. But after some songs, toys and dad throwing her in the air, she was ready to show us the smiles. However, smiles are not what this session is all about. We also want to capture the sweet profile, pout faces, silly faces, big eyes and detailed eye lashes, or round cheeks! There are so many other features to capture during this session other than smiles. We love getting to know all the details of a child’s personality. We ended up with great images and hope to work with her again. Maybe next time she will remember us, which will make her session a breeze. With two different packages to choose from, each personality collection includes 6 digital images & a custom 10×10 or 11×14 print. You have the option to add-on more or upgrade the print size for an additional fee. For more information, give us a call, or send us a message! #personality #photocollection #kidswillbekids #staylittle #YOU #stlouis #ravettaphotography
Rachel Ravetta   0     Children photography , Ravetta Photography , St. Louis Photographer

Baby Brother is finally here.

A baby brother is the best! We have been working with this family here and there for years. We did an anniversary session years ago. Then when they found out they were going to start a family we photographed some maternity photos. They decided to follow up that session with a newborn session. Every session with him is an honor because we get to capture the moments as he grows. Most recently, we photographed another maternity session. Their family is getting bigger! Once baby brother arrived we quickly set up a newborn session. These sessions can include the entire family or just baby. Mom and dad decided that since they had a special moment with their first son they wanted the same with their second. They decided to just have the session include mom, dad and new baby brother. This allowed them the opportunity to spend a bit of time with just the new baby brother. He was just wonderful for his first session. He slept and let us wrap him up to take various poses with mom and dad. We made sure to include the cute outfit that they brought with them. We have lots of wraps and props to use but welcome anything personal to your baby. These items make each session unique. Also, the children can use them later when they are bigger to show how much they have grown. Mom and dad are seasoned pros, making the session a breeze for them. We do offer a prep guide for new parents, but this couple came prepared with everything they needed. We also made them feel very relaxed because we handled everything. It was fun to chat about how big brother has been adjusting to his new little baby brother. We know this family will come back over and over again so we can see everyone as they grow. We are happy they found our studio years ago and look forward to working with them for many years.   #ravettaphotography #stlphotographer #newbornsession #studiosession
Rachel Ravetta   0     Children photography , Newborn Photographer , Ravetta Photography , St. Louis Photographer

A one year construction photo session

This is the 5 session we have done for Tyson and Sarah. We started with maternity and then they joined Steel in the birthday club. Of course, his newborn session was sweet and memorable. Each session between also gave us some things to remember, Steel just not giving us any smiles. Maybe one or two but he was really holding out during each session. Sarah said he smiles all the time but when he got the office he just froze. We were determined to break that streak during his one year photo! Steel’s one year session was amazing. He started off with his usual “I’m not interested” face. However, once we found out he loved those fake sneezes we were golden. He just laughed and smiled the rest of the time he was at our office. Sarah was so excited for him to show off his dimples and bright blue eyes. This time he even had a few teeth to show off too. The theme of his birthday was construction because he loves all things trucks. We encouraged Sarah to bring anything she wanted that he would enjoy having in his photos. Some decorations from his party and a few trucks did the trick. He may have knocked them over a few times but he loved having his toys during the session. They had purchased a wall photo from Steel’s newborn session to hang on the wall. They have been enjoying that for a year! Now it was time to replace it with a new family photo and Tyson wanted something bigger on the wall. They love the photos so much that they needed to prominently display it in their home. Since Steel was already taking steps we know that his 18 month session is going to be one to remember as well. We will be chasing him all over, an outdoor session might be best! We are excited to see you again soon Steel, keep smiling for mom and dad.   #ravettaphotography #stlphotographer #familyphotos #oneyearsession #birthdayclub
Rachel Ravetta   0     birthday club , Children photography , ravettaphotography , St. Louis Photographer

Fall Family photos

Fall family photos are very popular. If you are thinking about having photos in the fall you would want to contact us early. Sadly we don’t know when the colors will change on the trees but we know when they do appointments will be gone. It’s best to guess a time and then we can always find the best area with the most colorful trees. But really it’s not all about the leaves in the trees. The photo is about the people in it, that is the most important part. We missed the leaves on the trees for these fall family photos because they changed and fell so fast. It really didn’t matter because it was all about the family with them anyway. They decided to set up a family appointment with us because they really like the school photo we took a few months earlier. We were happy to get them in as soon as possible before it became too cold outside. The morning of the session was a bit cold but not bad enough to move the appointment. We were ready to meet the family and get some great photos. Mom told us that dad wasn’t too excited about having photos. Really what dad is? However, he seemed to be having just a wonderful time! He wanted us to be sure and capture his sons haircut and had some fun expressions during the candid photos. The kids were great to work with and big brother was so helpful letting his little sister lean on him for support. The photo we got were exactly what they wanted. Originally they were just going to get the download of all the images but after seeing everything mom knew a couple of them needed to be on the wall. We are so happy that they enjoyed the session and we look forward to working with them again in the future. #ravettaphotography #stlphotographer #locationsession #parkphotos #familyphotos
Rachel Ravetta   0     Children photography , family photography , Ravetta Photography , St. Louis Photographer

Luella and her pumpkins

Are we allowed to have favorites? Of course we love all of our clients and enjoy spending time with them during the session. But after year and years of working with some we find the sessions are more like friends catching up. Rather than clients we work with for just a short time. It all started when we took photos of Alexis because her mom brought her to our studio. We photographed their wedding. Alexis and Dillon started a family and thought that our birthday club would be a perfect fit. We have been working with them regularly for the past few years as the children are growing. We sometimes take too much time talking that it’s more like friends catching up at a picnic together in the park than a family session. This birthday club session was for Luella’s 8 month. Alexis and Dillon decided to theme the photos with some pumpkins. They had all the right colors and sizes to put around Luella in the photos. She was doing such a great job of sitting, not great at standing just yet. Though dad let her try her best before she took a bit of a tumble, he had so much faith she could do it. Dad will always be her greatest supporter! My favorite part of the session was when we took a few photos of big brother pulling his sister in a wagon. For fun mom and dad jumped in pretending to struggle pulling the wagon. Just a fun moment and a cute family photo! Of course, we enjoy taking the regular family photos but throwing in a few fun ones is a nice change to the session. It also helps to keep the attention of the younger kids. After taking too many photos the kids didn’t want to sit still so yet again we took some time to chat. We really should schedule extra time for us to just have a picnic next time!   #ravettaphotography #stlphotographer #birthdayclub #familyphotos #parkphotos
Rachel Ravetta   0     Children photography , family photography , ravettaphotography , stlouisphotographer

Tips for a newborn session with siblings

We gladly welcome a new birthday club member. A house full of sweet girls for dad! We have enjoyed working with these sisters and can’t wait to watch them grow up together. We will see them often since they are all birthday club members. Each newborn session has been different for this family. Starting off with a quite in home session with the first one, a bit more chaotic studio session with baby two, and now a well planned and perfectly executed newborn session with baby three. Here are a few tips to consider for a newborn session when working with older siblings. Talk with the older siblings about ways they can help. They can listen to you and the photographer, or they can also help to get baby to sleep. We encourage them to be involved a bit because then that makes all kids more likely to sit for a photo and “help”. When siblings get the impression that they are helping they are relaxed. They feel like they are having a say in the photos which make them more natural and relaxed. Why would you want a grumpy face photo because we forced them to sit in a chair together? What if your older child likes to lay next to baby, that would be a more relaxed and natural photo. We are very flexible with our posing to get the biggest smiles. We can easily go between sibling photos and individual photos of the newborn. So fitting in some breaks for older kids is essential for the session to run smoothly. Snacks or a favorite toy is welcome so parents can focus on baby while the older kids have a break. Lastly, but probably the most important is to have your older children work with baby at home. We don’t want the first time they hold or sit next to them is during the session. Depending on their age they will interact with babies differently and it is a great idea to know that before the session. Do they like to snuggle a bit too much or do they push the baby away? The more interactions they have together the better for the session. We are excited to photograph your growing family. Contact us to start at the beginning with a newborn session. We are happy to give you all the tips and tricks to a smooth session with photos that last a lifetime. #ravettaphotography #stlphotographer #newbornsession #birthdayclub #studiosession #newbornwithsiblings
Rachel Ravetta   0     Children photography , family photography , Newborn Photographer , Ravetta Photography , St. Louis Photographer

Themed soccer family photos are the best

For those families that regularly take family photos it can be difficult to find a reason to take them again and again. Our birthday club members often throw a few family photos into the mix when they are together for the children’s photos. Why not have a theme or incorporate something the kids love right now. This family decided that since soccer was such a big party of their life they would just embrace it by turning the session into a soccer-themed photo. There were a few things to consider while planning this session. First of all, the location was important. We knew that in addition to soccer photos we wanted to take a few regular photos of the kids. Therefore, we needed a location that had not only soccer nets but also other options. This was taken during soccer season so finding a location that was not being used for a game was also a bit of a challenge. Luckily we were able to find the perfect spot, Des Peres Park. The next thing to consider was starting with soccer photos or the regular photos. When working with kids you don’t always get the opportunity to change clothes because they get antsy pretty quickly. Making the second half of the session a toss up if they will pose or just play. Keep in mind those play photos are sometime the best!  But on the flip side it can take some kids a moment to warm up to the idea of photos. Meaning the second half would deliver more genuine smiles from everyone. Knowing soccer was a big part of this session we started with those. There needed to be a bit of warm up time for little sis, but playing soccer with her brothers did the trick. Mom knew the best way to get everyone excited about the session. She arrived with lunch, treats and an excited attitude toward the fun they were going to have. Just a rock star mom with a rock star family! We are lucky to have them as a part of our birthday club. What theme will they come up with next? What theme do you want to do for your session? #ravettaphotography #birthdayclub #stlphotographer #parkphotos #familyphotos #fallphotos
Rachel Ravetta   0     Children photography , family photography , Ravetta Photography , St. Louis Photographer

Should you bring your pet, of course!

How often do you have photos taken? A few times a year, once a year or has it been more than a year since your last family photo? Why would you wait that long to capture those smiling faces? We know schedules can be difficult but squeezing in a mini-session is all you need to do. After a few emails back and forth we were able to find the perfect time for this family to take photos. It was only a few days before the session but the timing was great between other sessions at the park. They asked if they could bring their pet, of course we allow pets! It’s encouraged to bring them along to be in the photos. Pets are family members! They are not just part of your day to day life, they are sometimes the best company for you and the kids. Therefore they deserve a space in your family albums. If you’re thinking to bring your pet to your photo session, here are few things to consider. Location options could include a local park or your home. Being outdoors or in a familiar place relaxes most pets more than being in our office. Don’t forget the leash and treats help keep them interested. Lastly, we encourage a few photos of the family without pets. This means we would have pets wait near a bench or tree. Perhaps a toy to entertain them while they wait. These ideas work well for kids too – minus the leash of course! If your pet is not a dog that can go outdoors then let’s talk about the studio options for your family. When a family has older children bringing the pet along gives them a job during the session because they are usually posed close together so the children help wrangle the pets in the photos. Kid love to show off how well pets listen to them, it’s probably likely that they are best buddies. If you have any other questions about bringing a pet to your session feel free to reach out. #ravettaphotography #stlphotographer #familysession #photoswithpets #familyphotoswithpet
Rachel Ravetta   0     Children photography , family photography , locationphotography , Ravetta Photography , St. Louis Photographer

Welcome to the world Luke

Welcome to the world Luke! We love to have you as part of our birthday club. Your brother has been such a great member and now we get to have you be a part of the Ravetta family too. We were expecting a call from mom since at the last session she said she was expecting. However, when we got it we were surprised. It just seemed like time went by so fast! Going into this newborn session mom and dad were ready for whatever we were able to get since they knew we were working with a toddler and a baby. Big brother may have needed some treats in order to sit down but once he did he was all smiles. We got some perfect images of the brothers together. Mom was happy to the great start of Luke’s first birthday club session. Honestly, with a toddler in the studio having to sit still for photos with his baby brother it went perfectly. The rest of the session was dedicated to Luke. Mom brought a few things that are special to them to include in the photos. We really like when parents do that because then the photos are more unique to the child. Also, it opens up the idea to bring back that item when they are older. Then we can take a photo showing how much they have grown. All of Luke’s photos are just wonderful because he slept so well and also tolerated the swaddles and clothing changes. We did use some calming techniques between a few photos but that’s no problem to get the results that we got in our photos. Since Luke is now a member of our birthday club we look forward to seeing him in just a few short months. Again, time goes by so fast but we are excited to see what type of personality emerges from this sweet little boy.   #ravettaphotography #stlphotographer #newbornsession #studiosession #brothers #babyboy
Rachel Ravetta   0     birthday club , Children photography , Newborn Photographer , Ravetta Photography , St. Louis Photographer

Hank’s summer session in the park

Another birthday club session at Ravetta Photography! We love meeting new families and photographing just about anything, but our birthday club sessions are so much fun. We get to see families at least once a year. During the first year we see our members 4 times. Each time we are amazed to see how big the children are getting. With so many sessions in the first year, we are able to utilize different locations during each session. Those winter birthday babies can have an outdoor session during one of the other times they visit. Hank arrived and he looks like a little boy. Of course, he is a little boy but this was his 8-month session. We could swear he looks and acts at least 1 year old. Hank is normally a little flirt, we remember from his 4-month session. But today he was a bit stuck on mom and dad holding him. Good thing we had planned to do family photos because we did those first. Hank warmed up to the idea of letting go to take his own photos. He did give us a few smiles but we had to bring out some of his favorite songs in order to make him laugh. However, the photos of him getting kisses from mom and giving dad a big hug are just precious. They really show off how he is acting at this age and stage as he grows. These are photos that will be cherished forever. It won’t be long before he is moving too fast to stop and give hugs. His one-year session is going to be so much fun since he will be walking, perhaps even be talking a bit more too. We are looking forward to seeing you again soon Hank!   #birthdayclub #stlphotographer #parkphotos #locationsession
Rachel Ravetta   0     birthday club , Children photography , family photography , Ravetta Photography , St. Louis Photographer