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

Full hands, but full of love!

Do you think that you have full hands? What about having a toddler and newborn twins, talk about full hand, but full of love! We knew that when the babies were born we would hear from mom to take some newborn photos. What we didn’t know is how perfect the session was going to go. Big brother was there to take photos with our bunnies so he patiently waited until his turn while his siblings had photos taken. We knew that we were going to match a few photos from the last newborn session so we started with those. Even at only a month old the babies were showing off their personalities. Leo was very chill and relaxed with everything going on around him. He also let us pose him in mom’s favorite squishy baby pose. Blair wanted us to know that even though she was small she had some things to say. We were able to also get a squishy baby photo of her, but she insisted that she be awake! The two photos are going to look great on the wall at home alongside big brothers. They each had a personalized blanket, which was a must to use in a few photos. Then we moved to photos together in the outfits that mom crocheted. These are going to be such special memories. Blair is just so tiny compared to her brother but we know that her personality is huge. Those brothers are not going to know what hit them when she is a toddler. We are so happy that we were able to meet the babies and also get some photos of big brother with the bunnies. He really had no interest in playing with them, which is better than not liking them at all. He did feed them some carrots and also pet them. Of course, this was in between happily running around the studio. It is going to be a pleasure watching these children grow and we are so lucky the family ensures these photo memories to us. We have full hands, but full of love for our loyal clients. Thank you.   #ravettaphotography #stlphotographer #newbornphotos #springphotos #studiosession #twins
Rachel Ravetta   0     Children photography , Newborn Photographer , 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

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

Newborn session, welcome to the world

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

Starting a family, with a baby girl

What would you think is the best way to celebrate your one year anniversary? Some couple celebrate by taking a vacation, others have a nice dinner out together, while a select group of people do something really special. Kim and Grant were in the select group of people that did something really special…they had a baby! They celebrated their first anniversary in the hospital with their little baby girl. Not many couples can say that. Kim reached out a few months before she was due to discuss the options for newborn photos. We went over what was included in the gift certificate they received from us, since we did their wedding photos. Then we also talked about the options of them coming to the studio or us traveling to their home. We are happy to do whatever it easiest and most comfortable for mom. Kim was happy to come to our studio and arrived ready to take some family photos. She even brought a few outfits for her daughter to wear. A mom that is really on top of everything! We started off with family photos so we could get an idea of how baby girl liked to be held, swaddled, etc. She was not excited for her photo debut. Kim realized that is was getting close to the time she usually eats so it was best to let her have something to eat. She was well aware that mom did not give her all the food she normally gets. She settled for a moment but then decided that she needed to eat the rest of it. No problem, best to have a full belly when posing for photos. That worked perfectly because the rest of the session she just let us pose her and get some wonderful images. Kim and Grant even said “yep, that’s the one that would look great hanging on the wall in her room.” They hadn’t even seen the photos, but knew they were going to love them. We look forward to working with them again as baby girl grows, hopefully they become members of our birthday club. Great job and good luck selecting your favorite photos!   #ravettaphotography #stlphotographer #newbornsession #studiosession #newborngirl #babygirl
Rachel Ravetta   0     family photography , Newborn Photographer , Ravetta Photography , St. Louis Photographer

Newborn baby girl is here and everyone is excited.

We receive referrals from past clients all the time. This one was a bit surprising because it came from a wedding client we worked with many years ago. She is now a photographer herself but mainly does weddings. When her good friend needed a newborn session she immediately mentioned us. Wow, even another photographer would refer us to friends. Sarah wanted to get on our schedule as soon as possible to get those snuggle newborn baby photos. Also, Sarah wanted to get some photos with the grandma’s while they were in town. We don’t often have a generational photo during a newborn session. It was very nice to see the family gathering in our office for Sophia’s newborn session. She is one very loved little girl. We wanted the family to relax while they were with us so we started off with all the photos that included adults. Sarah had a list of combinations, which was helpful so we didn’t forget anything that was important to her. Sophia slept the entire time we passed her from arms to arms during those photos. It was then time for her solo photos, she slept during those as well. She was just an angel the entire session. We were able to incorporate the bows mom brought with her. It’s great when parents come with stuff from home. Of course, we have lots I our studio to use but personal items give the photos a more unique look. Mom knows she would have a hard time selecting images so she picked our digital package right from the start. That includes all the images we take during a session. That was a great decision since it would be difficult to narrow them down. The best part of the session was when grandma came in the room and told Sophia she was going to be a star since she was doing everything perfectly. You’re a star for sure Sophia – the star of your family!   #ravettaphotography #stlphotographer #newbornsession #studiosession #babygirl
Rachel Ravetta   0     family photography , Newborn Photographer , Ravetta Photography , St. Louis Photographer

Welcome little man, nice to meet you

It is not uncommon to get a call from a mother that is expecting months before the due date. We talk to them about the options for maternity photos as well as newborn photos after the baby arrives. Janna called wanting to know all the options available to them.  She and Daniel were just a month away from scheduling a newborn session! We photographed their wedding so they received a free newborn session. We were so excited to work with them again! Janna only had a few things in mind for the session. This gave us the opportunity to create some new ideas for her. We have so many options at our studio that can be used during our sessions. Of course, we are able to try and recreate a photo you have seen but we also like to get creative with our props too. We were not sure what we were going to get with Owen because he was not a fan of being swaddled or laying on his belly. But he really did love being held by mom and dad. Janna and Daniel were not sure they wanted to be in photos but we convinced them that even just a few are great to have later. Plus Owen loved being held so these images turned out perfectly. Owen was awake for some of the session giving us the opportunity to get photos with his eyes open. However, those sleepy baby photos are just the best so we tried a few times to get him to sleep, in the meantime, he gave us a huge smile. We couldn’t have asked for anything better. We know that it is a bit of a drive for Janna and Daniel to come to our studio so we enjoyed visiting with them. Perhaps next time we can meet you out your way!   #ravettaphotography #stlphotographer #newbornsession #studiosession #firstborn
Rachel Ravetta   0     Children photography , family photography , Newborn Photographer , Ravetta Photography , St. Louis Photographer

Boy, oh, Boy!

Boy (no pun intended) were we excited when we found out our recent wedding couple had given birth to not one, but TWO precious little boys! This session was one to remember, and for all the right reasons. Even before hearing their pregnancy story, it was evident that these two preemie babies were troopers! They are so strong already and there is no denying the unbreakable bond they will continue to grow upon. Tiny but mighty from the start! We love seeing past wedding clients return when they decide to start a family! During their wedding day we get to know not only the couple, but their entire family, on such an intimate level as we join in on one of the most important days of their lives. To be able to continue our relationship with them following their wedding, is definitely something we don’t take for granted! Hopefully this is the beginning of many more family sessions and memories to capture. It was so hard to choose our favorite photos to share of the two cutest little boys! They were wonderful babies throughout their entire session – the perfect duo. They took turns keeping eye on what was going on while the other one got some rest… silly boys. We were able to document so many photos in record time! I mean just look at them. Watching Jenna and Joe transition into parenthood demonstrates even more how perfect they are for each other! They are so supportive, goofy, and purely happy together. They make the perfect team and we are so glad we got to help them welcome their twin boys to the world! You would never guess that they are new to this whole parenting thing! You guys are naturals. Jenna and Joe, thank you for letting us meet your sweet lil’ babies! We can’t wait to see you all again!   #ravettaphotography #stlphotographer #newbornsession #newborntwins #twinboys
Rachel Ravetta   0     Newborn Photographer , Ravetta Photography , St. Louis Photographer

Baby Madison is here!

Little Miss Madison, where do we even start? Having photographed both older brothers as newborns and each of their sessions going so differently, we weren’t sure what to expect! Of course every baby is different and unique in their own ways, but she definitely set the bar high. She was completely content and perfect the entire time! Such a sweetheart already. Newborn sessions are beyond special. Even more so when the experience is extended to grandma! Not only does she lend a helping hand, but grandma is ALWAYS prepared with all the things. We love it because it makes each of their sessions unique to them! And no one spoils a child better than grandma, let alone the first born granddaughter. Madison already has a growing collection of bows (on bows on bows). Which for us, is perfect! She had one that matched every outfit – so adorable. Speaking of collections, both big brothers were eager to show us their assortment of toy spiders following the session! Eek! She is lucky to have such silly older brothers! Both the boys are literally always cheesing, it’s no wonder we captured a few smirks from baby girl during her first photoshoot! Middle brother was so helpful and excited to hold lil sister and big brother even came home early from school to join in a couple sibling shots. What a precious moment to capture and always look back on! With Easter right around the corner, how could you not take a baby basket shot with her Easter basket? Props to Grandma again for bringing it along; it was the perfect size for her to fit in! We can’t wait to see this family once again for their Spring Session with the ducks at our studio, just in time before Easter! Welcome to the family baby Madison!   #ravettaphotography #stlphotographer #newbornsession #inhomephotos #babygirl
Rachel Ravetta   0     family photography , Newborn Photographer , Ravetta Photography , St. Louis Photographer