family sessions, newborn, one frame, signature session Dana Pugh family sessions, newborn, one frame, signature session Dana Pugh

New

This is one of my favourite newborn photographs that I have ever taken.

Newborn photography is what I set out to do when I started. Bet you didn't know that...I thought that it would be a wonderful job. Cuddling with babies, curling them into little balls and taking the photographs that you see so many photographers do now. But, something happened very early on in my career...I think of it as one of the first steps towards learning who I was as an artist. I took a photograph of a baby all by itself(I can even tell you the exact photograph when this lightbulb moment happened) and as I took the photograph a little voice in my head whispered 'that baby looks lonely'.

Since that moment, I have moved further and further away from traditional newborn photography towards taking more images like this...which was maybe the 10th image I took upon arrival at their home. I don't like photographs of babies by themselves, generally, so most of mine have other people in them....even if it is just someone's arms holding them. There are, of course, exceptions to this rule(even in my own work, but mostly in the work of others). My friend, Ashley Skjaveland, has a talent at making babies look like they are wrapped in cocoons of love even when they are all by themselves. Even when it is just a foot or an ear. Seriously. It is a gift. It is a gift that I see so many newborn photographers struggle towards achieving but falling short of the mark...and I know that it is a gift that I don't have.

And, so I strive for moments like this. Moments where there is so much love there that you can't help but feel it...where the world stopped for literally a fraction of a second and this two year old boy gazed at his new baby brother in wonder. In that moment, I got to see the impact of this new life for both of them. So, even though you can't see the baby's face...it is one of my favourite newborn photographs ever. I think it marks a step closer towards achieving exactly what I want from a newborn session...

Of course, I have pictures of just the baby, too...but, this one sings for me :)

Felt like sharing a bit about my creative process...thanks for indulging me.

~ Dana

Read More