Hunter is four months old! His mommy brought him in for the first of a few sessions of his baby’s first year, and I just can’t get enough. His big open-mouthed smiles just melt my heart!

I also photographed Hunter’s big brother Jackson when he was a baby, four years ago. It was so fun to see the close resemblance of the two brothers! I should dig up some of Jackson’s photos to compare – they’re so similar!

Four months old is a fantastic age to photograph when you’re thinking about what milestones to capture during baby’s first year. At this age, babies are usually pretty happy and smiley, and they can hold their heads up during tummy time. This allows us to capture a good deal of variety in their four month photos.

Both of the outfits from Hunter’s four month session came from the studio wardrobe, which is available for all of our babies ages 1-12 months. Everything in the wardrobe photographs well, and you don’t have to worry about scouring websites or items arriving on time for your session. I have an addiction to buying baby clothes, so take advantage! 🙂

Wondering which milestones to photograph during your baby’s first year?

There really isn’t one “right” schedule. Some families want to remember the whole first year, from maternity and newborn photographs through sitting and the first birthday. Others choose one particular stage they don’t want to forget.

My First Year Anthology is designed for families who want to document multiple chapters together, while Petite Sessions are a simple option for individual baby milestones between 3 and 12 months. If you’re not sure which makes sense for you, I’m always happy to help you decide.

When I first announced that I was starting to offer Heirloom Portraits, Davis and Sawyer’s mom reached out right away. She excitedly told me she’d been wanting portraits like these of her boys, and my announcement came at the perfect time! We were able to get the boys into the studio recently, and I’m in love with the results!

Davis and Sawyer’s Heirloom Portraits went fast. They are old enough to take direction without too many shenanigans on my part, so they were in and out of the studio in fifteen minutes – can you believe it?!

Heirloom Portraits are a fantastic way to capture your child’s personality in simple, traditional portraits. The boys’ mom ordered a pair of beautiful artwork pieces to hang on her wall, and I dare say they’ll still be there when Davis and Sawyer have their own kids!

Heirloom Portraits are especially lovely during those early childhood years, but there’s no hard-and-fast age limit. Davis was already getting toward the older end of the age range I photograph most often when we made these, and I love them just as much. It’s really never too late to create a beautiful portrait of your child exactly as they are right now.

Don’t they look so handsome in their white button downs? And I love Sawyer’s silly side eye smile!

Thanks so much for coming to see me, guys! I loved having you, and I hope you enjoy the results for many, many years to come!

If you’re reading this and thinking about scheduling an Heirloom Portrait session for your child, reach out to me! These portraits will not only look great on your wall, but they would make for beautiful holiday gifts for the grandparents and other loved ones!

Christy Johnson Photography offers Heirloom Portraits in her Wake Forest, NC studio for families throughout Raleigh and the Triangle. Learn more about the Heirloom Portrait experience and current availability here.

Growing So Fast

We waited two years for this session, between Covid, travel, and my leukemia diagnosis, and we finally made it happen! I have been photographing this family since big brother Ishaan was just a baby. He and his sister Mira are growing so fast! Time really is a thief. They’ve grown into such great kids.

Parents Tanu and Vineet recently celebrated a very special milestone anniversary, and wanted to wear their wedding attire for their session. Tanu tells me she actually wore her engagement dress, because her wedding dress would weigh too much to carry around the arboretum! I think she looks absolutely stunning!

Their outfits are absolutely lovely, and their sweet dispositions made for a fun and easy session. I adore how the photos turned out! I haven’t photographed at the arboretum in a few years, but these photos make me want to head back there soon!

Raleigh Family Photographer | Growing So Fast

If you are hoping to get family photos this fall, please reach out soon! My outdoor calendar is almost full for the year, and I would hate to miss creating beautiful memories like these for your family!

Christy Johnson is a Raleigh family photographer specializing in newborns, baby’s first year, and beyond!