Michelle Bellofatto Photography

Dylan :: 1 Month | At Home

As I was editing through these images I found myself smiling and enjoying Dylan's sweet face, tiny toes, and ever changing baby expressions.  I also noticed that he was staring at me quite a bit during our shoot.  What an observant little man he is and those brown eyes are just captivating.

Dylan's mom and dad invited me up to their home in Santa Monica on a Sunday afternoon.  It was a very pretty October day and the light in Dylan's room was just right for our baby shoot.  We spent quite a bit of time together because as we all know, babies are unpredictible. 

Here are a few of my favs. 

Derek and Eileen, it was an absolute pleasure capturing Baby Dylan on film in his first month of life.  I'll have your online proofs ready very soon.  :)

     

     

Zoey :: 11 Days Old | At Home

The day came and we were getting excited for Zoey's debut.  The camera was ready, lots of texting back and forth to see how the progress was going and I got a little chill every time I spoke about the opportunity to photograph Zoey's first time meeting her parents.  It was all very exciting.

Well... I never got my chance to take Zoey's pictures on her "birthday."  Things just didn't work out as planned.  But--11 days later I arrived and there she was.... a beautiful, fluffy-haired, chubby-cheeked, pouty-liped baby girl.  This was to be my very 1st "girl" newborn shoot.  I had been dreaming about this for awhile.

I love photographing newborn's in the comfort of their own home.  The images can't get more natural and real than this.

Congratulations Kevin and Breanna!  I'm so happy for the two of you.  Love you both.  xo

Scroll down a bit to see Kevin & Breanna's maternity shoot.

 

Jayden :: 9 Days Old | At Home

On Friday I stopped by to meet Jayden.  Not only was he adorable, he was very alert.  After doing the last three newborn shoots, I've become convinced that baby formula companies are making baby formula with caffeine or maybe the nursing mothers are drinking a lot of the energizing stuff because these little ones do not sleep!  At least not when I'm around. 

It truly amazed me how alert and curious this little guy was while the camera was pointed his way.  And I'm not kidding, he smiled at me.  Really.  It wasn't accidental or gas, it was a genuine newborn smile.  Made me very happy.

If you are planning to have your newborn photographed, the best time to do this is in somewhere around 7-10 days old.  Usually.  And I say usually lightly, the baby will do a lot of sleeping in the early days so we can put him or her in all sorts of cute positions without disturbing them or making them mad at us.  ;-)

Oh and... Happy New Year!  It's the new year and I'm behind on blogging already.  Look for a post from me with the latest news and updates coming your way very soon.  Not sure when, but soon.

So here's JAYDEN- in black and white. 

He's just pretending to sleep here...

Nolan:: 10 Days Old | At Home

This is Nolan.  A mini linebacker.  Weighing in at 9lbs 15oz he made his dad proud as he watched his first Chargers game wearing his very own Chargers jersey. 

What can I say, this guy is edible.  Chubby cheeks and thighs, great big eyes and alert beyond belief.  The kid never slept.  So what if we didn't get any cute sleeping pix, we certainly captured his wee little personality.  There were times I even wanted to take him home.  ;-)

It was great fun hanging out with you Gene and Karen!  Thank you for letting me be a part of Nolan's first day's of life. 

 

Couch Family | At Home

What an amazing story this is.  I heard from Grandpa that this couple has waited eleven long years for the arrival of their beautiful son.  Eleven years.  A miracle since Kimberly and Ed were told they could not have children. 

It was touching to witness the love and adoration this couple had for their long awaited child. 

Kimberly and Ed's home was also amazing.  The yard was a perfect setting for our newborn shoot. 

Here are a few of my favorites from the day.

Thank you for having me over Kimberly and Ed!

 

 

 

 

I love Kimberly's reaction to her fussing baby. 

 
Mom looks absolutely gorgeous!

 

Sweet Baby Boy

I remember her saying how much she wanted another baby.  Somehow in my heart I know God would bless them again.  When she told me she was pregnant I cried with joy because their prayers were answered. 

She and hubby decided to wait and find out if they'd be adding another boy to their clan of two or if God would bless them with a girl.  I have great admiration for those of you who choose to wait for nine whole months to find out the sex of your child/children. 

Speaking of waiting, I think we waited a little too long to take these newborn pix.  This guy is a month old now and growing like a weed.  We were hoping for some cute sleeping pictures, but you'll see from these pictures that he was very alert and curious about the lady with the big black thing in her face.

If you haven't seen them already, check here for Heidi and Shawn's maternity pictures.  http://bellofattophotography.typepad.com/michelle_bellofatto_photo/maternity/

Big hugs and kisses to one of my favorite families.  xoxox

I love the look on his face and the gorgeous light in these color images.