A whole year watching Baby grow: Why milestone sessions are such a great idea | Charlotte Baby Photo Sessions
What ARE milestone sessions? As photographers, sometimes we throw around words that make perfect sense to us, but may not always be clear to clients! Milestone sessions are similar to what they sound like— sessions focused around milestones that baby has. I have done milestone plans a few different ways for my clients— one at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months or a plan with 4-8-12 months. There really isn’t one right way to document, but I’ll break down each session to give you more information about what milestone we’ll celebrate with your little one!
Milestone Session- 3 (or 4!) Months- What to expect at your Charlotte NC Baby Photo Session
3-4 months is one of my absolute favorite ages to photograph. This is typically when baby starts SMILING—and let me tell you there is nothing cuter than those gummy happy smiles! At 3 months posing is limited, so I will typically photograph baby in different sets laying down, and then some tummy time photos! 3-4 month olds can fit in most of those same newborn crates and props, so we will definitely do some of those as well! Props are perfect for outdoor photos if you want some outdoor options in your gallery. Here’s are a few photos from this little lady’s 3 month photos!
6 month photo milestone- let’s celebrate the halfway mark!
6 months is a big milestone for your little one! Halfway to that first year, where does time go?! At 6 months, your little one is probably starting to work on those core muscles— this is that phase where baby will start to practice sitting! Of course babies are all different, so some babies may be fully sitting around 6 months, and others won’t be able to sit un-assisted for a few more months yet. Usually babies are still filled with smiles and happy to see strangers, so this is usually a fairly easygoing session. I will typically photograph baby sitting independently (if he or she can!), as well as in a few different props— little beds, crates, buckets, etc are perfect to plop by into and make for the most adorable photos! We will also re-create some of those photos from above to make it all about baby’s facial expressions! Ready to see a six month gallery!? Check out how this little one grew!!!
9 months in and 9 months out…. where did time go!? | Charlotte Baby Photographer
9 months in and 9 months out already, seriously, where DOES time go? Time is a thief! Your little one might be on the move now- crawling or scooting.. or if you have some easygoing babies who are very content, this may not be the case yet! (My first didn’t crawl until 10 months or walk until 16!) Don’t worry if your baby is not on the move just yet, that gives you a little extra time to babyproof that house! By 9 months old, most babies if they are going to have stranger danger… this is where we might start to see it! Some babies LOVE me and other babies look at me with that side-eye— they are well aware that I am not you, and if I’m not you, I’m chopped liver!! I will do my best to get those giggles out and of course all parents usually make a fool and we do all the dances and sing all the songs together. I have a feather tickler we can use, bubbles, and stuffed toys to hopefully get a smile. 9 month sessions sometimes are lucky enough to capture those crawling photos, most are great sitters by now and a lot are cruising on the furniture by now so standing and holding onto a box is always a super cute shot! Check out this little lady’s sassy 9 month session. She just keeps getting CUTER!
The very FIRST birthday! Party time for the family!
YOU MADE IT! That first year I’m sure flew by, even though the days are long sometimes. Your little one has officially grown from that tiny bundle in your arms who didn’t smile or talk, to the baby you have in front of you who is probably loud and on the go! The amount that babies grow during that first year is nothing short of amazing. I am SO honored and privileged to watch these milestone babies grow. Your 12 month milestone can include a cake smash or you could do a portrait session like all the others! Your baby may or may not be walking, but we will do standing photos (maybe walking!) and little chairs that are the perfect size for a one year old. If your little one had stranger danger at 9 months, chances are it will still be here at 12 months, but like I mentioned before… we will try and pull out all the stops for smiles! And if not, those serious faces are something to remember too. <3 This little lady’s 12 month session is schedule in a couple of weeks….. so enjoy these other one year photo examples from babies in the studio!
Milestone Photo sessions- should you do them!? | Charlotte Baby Photo sessions
I’m not here to sell you anything. I would LOVE to do milestone sessions for you, if you would love to have photos documenting your little one’s growth throughout that first year. Do I think you’d ever regret having professional milestone photos done? Nope. You just can’t have too many pictures of your little ones in my personal opinions. Especially now that I’m looking at my giant 13 year old who doesn’t want anything to do with them anymore. They grow fast, they really do. What could you do with all those photos?! Well the beauty of my studio is that I offer custom albums or print collections that are PERFECT for collecting a few photos or images from each milestone and then I can create a beautiful printed piece for your family that showcases all the photos throughout the year.
If you want to book a session, reach out HERE! I would love to talk with you and serve your family with photos.
Here are some other blog links you might like—
https://www.erinwilwertphotography.com/blog/unforgettable-mothers-day-activities-in-charlotte-nc
https://www.erinwilwertphotography.com/blog/summer-photoshoot-ideas-for-charlotte-nc-families
You stay classy….. Charlotte. 🙃
