This is the second time I’ve gotten to photograph this sweet beauty! From Norway, Davina is a foreign exchange student living with friends until the summer (see Jonathan and Melinda Dade’s family portrait here!). I had a test shoot today with a wonderful MUA and when we couldn’t find any models last minute, I […]

A new little fresh baby around the holidays the ultimate Christmas gift. Coming from a religious background, newborn babies around that time of year pull at my heartstrings in a special kind of way. This little one was born a few days ahead of schedule (Christmas Day), and actually interrupted the decorating of their Christmas tree! When I got to their home, the top half of the tree had lights, and the bottom half was bare. It was a happy reminder of reality, the chaos, and the re-prioritized joy that a new life brings.

I wanted to bring out that aspect of her personality, but still show her tough side – the side that every mother or mother-to-be finds that she has: the inner goddess in all of us mothers that sheds our naive skin and comes forth post partum – braver, stronger, finally matured.

This spring marks 10 years (ten?! really?!) since I first met Lizzie, Buffalo-native, dreamer, romantic who never stops inspiring me to seek beauty, be true, and love fiercely.

You will know tiredness like you never knew it before,
And days will run into days that are exactly the same,
Full of feeding and burping,
Whining and fighting,
Naps, or lack of naps. It might seem like a never-ending cycle.

BONUS TIP:
Erin was about 3 months pregnant in these photos, which was not the original “plan”, and let me know ahead of time that she was expecting. These photos are a great example of how, through simple posing and styling, you can either maximize or hide any curves or pregnancy.

What’s a beauty portrait?

A beauty portrait is you at your gala-best. It’s you in your imagination when….

“When situation warrants professional and breathtaking… call Anna. Each one of the masterpieces Anna captured for me has made the news, been picked up by marketing teams, or is being used at a very high level. Rightfully so…”

Aside from a painted portrait of 19-year-old Dad (with a truly cool backstory), this family hadn’t had professional portraits done in years (apparently the last time was while someone went through a semi-goth faze and there was black hair involved…?) so I was, of course, delighted to photograph this hilarious and fun family.

When this brand new mother came to the studio with her husband and told me about her style and the little babe she’s carried, I was determined: we had to create something absolutely special for her and her husband and baby!

Her home is decorated in a contemporary and modern style, but is also full of antiques. She needed to be represented as strong and ethereal at the same time. We created some…