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 perfect fall wedding schedule

Such a beautiful wedding day for an even more beautiful couple! We were happy to help them put together a wedding schedule perfect for their event. You never know what type of weather to expect when you plan your big day down to a T, especially here in St. Louis. You can experience every season within a week, no matter the time of year! While we can’t control the weather our job, as your professional wedding photographer, is to guarantee your entire day runs smoothly. We can help you come up with a schedule, make a backup plan, pivot on a whim, and go with the flow of the ever-changing wedding day. Erin and Jeremy discussed multiple options with us about the timeline of the day. We started at the church with a few photos of the family arriving. Due to church entry limitations, we had told the couple we may need to add a few extra photos after the wedding. Everyone was prompt and ready to go so all the photos needed were accomplished before the ceremony. This couple smiled from ear to ear as they got married. The perfect ceremony at their parish had pews packed with family and friends. We quickly got to work afterward on the family photos as we planned in the wedding schedule. We knew from the start there would be a limit on sunlight for photos outdoors with Erin and Jeremy. But with the great schedule, we provided we ended up with more than enough time to capture hundreds of timeless photos. Late November typically brings freezing cold temperatures, and sometimes snow. Not this time around! There was even some fall color still peeking through! Jeremy, Erin, and their wedding party had a wonderful time relaxing together before the sunset! We even stuck around to take a few sunset photos. The evening was complete with Erin and Jeremy spending hours on the dance floor without a care in the world as they danced the night away together. The whole crowd was right there with them celebrating, laughing, and enjoying every moment. Congratulations!   #ravettaphotography #stlphotographer #weddingphotography #fallwedding
Rachel Ravetta   0     Ravetta Photography , ravettaphotography , St. Louis Photographer , wedding photography

Wonderful Winter Wedding

  Mandy and Jonathan came into our office to talk about wedding photography. We photographed Mandy’s brothers’ wedding and she knew that she wanted to talk with us about her winter wedding. Jonathan and Many were planning a wedding in December at the Ritz Carlton. They wanted to be sure that we could handle the venue, as well as, the tight time schedule. No problem at all! When we arrived everything seemed to be running perfectly on time. Everyone there seemed surprised and mentioned that nothing with Mandy is ever on time. She was excited to get married to Jonathan. As the guests trickled in we took photos of Mandy with her family and then did the same with Jonathan. Family photos with Mandy wouldn’t be complete without her dog, how exciting for the hotel to let her have the opportunity to take those photos. Besides he comes first to Mandy and had to approve Jonathan to take his place. We could see that they were both a bit nervous. Not about getting married, more nervous that everyone around them had what they needed and comfortable. They finally each took a few moments to themselves before the ceremony started. Separately of course, since Jonathan wanted to wait for the big moment of Mandy walking down the isle to see her. It was a special moment not only for Jonathan but also his son Jude, who was gaining a bonus mom. Following he absolutely beautiful ceremony Mandy and Jonathan snuck away to take memorable photos. After all the planning and worry on the timing of the event we ended up with extra time! It just ran so smoothly all night long. The night wouldn’t have been complete without the surprise dance the Mandy and Jude had planned. They had so much fun dancing together and the look on Jonathan’s face was priceless. They have really started a wonderful family bond! We wish them many more travels, after all that is how they met, so they should continue to travel together. Thank you for letting us capture these memories from your winter wedding and congratulations. #ravettaphotography #stlphotographer #weddingphotographer #winterwedding
Rachel Ravetta   0     Ravetta Photography , St. Louis Photographer , wedding photography

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

Family photo tips

How many things are you trying to do around the holidays? We would suspect, just like everyone else, you are trying to do too much. Decorating the house, holiday parties, presents to wrap, the list can be endless. Despite the long list we want you to add one more thing…family photos! Here are a few tips. Don’t miss the opportunity while family is together to have them photographed together. We are often working around school and work schedules. Get those photos done while the kids are on break, it’s one less scheduling problem in the mix. Whether you have a very large family or a family that can fit around one table, we are prepared to take your photos. Our sessions include the opportunity to take all types of different poses. Make sure to do them all while you are together, why not? When taking photos around the holidays there is always the thought of including the decorations or not. We love the idea of taking photos next to the tree or on the fully decorated staircase. However, if you are able it is a good idea to take a few without the decorations. These are the photos you will hang on the wall since they are timeless. Speaking of timeless, make sure your clothing is something classic and comfortable. You want to be able to move around easily. Especially if you have young children it might be best for you to get down on the floor with them. Patterns are not a problem but when selecting those just make sure someone else in the photo has that same color in their clothing. This will keep everyone coordinated but not matching. Is matching bad? Nope that is another option, everyone can wear matching colors or even pjs for a fun option. Next on our few tips for family photos, if you decide to have photos in your home we may need to move a few items to make room. We don’t often move anything large. But perhaps a chair, end table or even just the décor on top needs to adjust in order to make the photo perfect. We always put everything back where it was when we started. Lastly, have fun! Photos are all about spending time together. Don’t worry if the kids are a bit restless, we have seen it all. We are there to capture the photos not judge how your children are acting. Let them be themselves and let us capture it all! You can use these few tips to help create those wonderful family photos. #ravettaphotography #stlphotographer #familyphotos #holidayphotos #locationsession
Rachel Ravetta   0     family photography , Ravetta Photography , St. Louis Photographer

Alexis and Jack had a perfect day

Hopeful but unknowingly Alexis and Jack picked the perfect day in October to get married. The weather was amazing and the colors were at their peak. After working with them during the engagement session we were excited to capture more images of this couple. Alexis arrived in style with her girls and parents in a limo while Jack was having a friend go pick him up an undershirt from Target. Honestly, that was the only thing that they needed to adjust the whole day. Everything else ran perfectly smooth for them from start to finish. Alexis and Jack are so lucky to have a team of people around them to help in any way possible. They will be supported in anything they pursue together because the support was shown today at their wedding. A traditional ceremony started off the day with the right tone. It wouldn’t be a traditional St. Louis wedding without heading to the park for some amazing wedding party photos. As we mentioned before the colors were perfect so it was hard to narrow down to just a few locations. Each direction we turned there was another colorful tree to utilize in the photos. They have a great mix of the typical wedding photos sandwiched in between the laughing moments they shared all day. They had enough time between the ceremony and reception to even take time to relax in the hotel room before greeting everyone at the reception. We attended cocktail hour to capture those family members that haven’t seen each other in a while. They were not shy about taking photos which makes our job very easy! Alexis and Jack are going to have a hard time deciding what images to include in the wedding album. After working with this couple twice this year we hope to have the opportunity to continue our relationship into the future. Perhaps an anniversary session or when they decide to start a family we will be lucky enough to capture those moments too! #ravettaphotography #stlphotographer #fallwedding #weddingphotography
Rachel Ravetta   0     Ravetta Photography , ravettaphotography , St. Louis Photographer , wedding photography

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