{Jackson, TN family photography, newborn photography}

From my family to yours, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
We pray that your celebrations are blessed by the one who came to save us.
May the manger laid, cross hung, tomb conquerer be the center of your Christmas celebration.
JT Photography is on vacation until January 9th. I cannot wait to help you capture many new and exciting things in 2012. I can’t wait to get your family in front of my camera so that you have memories to hold in your hand.

I am looking for a newborn to photograph. The first person to mention this (or my facebook post) will get 50% off their newborn session fee!! Newborn sessions are the only sessions that I will book or photograph during my vacation!

See you in 2012.

{Jackson, TN newborn photography}

I don’t normally talk to strangers. I’m pretty reserved and keep to myself. But when I see a pregnant woman I can’t help but ask questions…like most people I suppose. When are you due? Do you know the gender? Is this your first? Standard fare. But then I usually progress with, have you had maternity photos taken? Do you have a newborn photographer in mind? A little forward? Maybe. But to me, I just want to know that the person has a way to capture the newness of life and the love of a family. Many times when I ask those last questions I am met with the name of a photographer in town. And that’s good with me. I am so passionate about people having professional photographs taken that I don’t mind when they tell me that someone else is doing their photos. I’m all about leaving a legacy and getting this point in time down in print. Since I am new in town I don’t suspect that people would have my name on their tongue for photos of their new babies, anyway. Most people don’t even know I’m here, let alone that I photograph babies and families, among other things. So, when I saw Nichole, I approached her and asked the standard questions and was met with an open opportunity to tell her about my photography business. I am so glad that she welcomed me into her home and allowed me to photograph her sweet six day old baby.

I’d like to properly introduce you to sweet Eva Grace. I shared a few sneak peeks with you on Saturday but I’d like to give Nichole and Brandon a few more photos to share with their family and friends of their sweet baby…and I’d like to tell her story. Everyone has a story, whether it’s dramatic or not does not matter…it’s YOUR story and you’re the only one who can tell it and share it with the world.

I think having a newborn in the house around Christmas can add so much to the season. You are instantly reminded of what happended two thousands years ago as our Savior came to the world as a baby. You’re reminded that Mary still had to wake in the middle of the night to feed him, she had to calm him when he cried and even change him when he was dirty. You see everything with a new pair of eyes. Even last night when five year old Naomi prayed “Dear God, thank you for making Christmas so close. It’s only 6 days till Christmas. I cannot wait to see you as a tiny baby. It’s so awesome. I can’t wait. Amen” it reminded me of how tender and fragile and amazing those little lives are.  Even the earthly life of our Savior Jesus Christ started as a baby.

Here are a few more photos from little Eva’s session. She didn’t fall asleep too hard so I didn’t get to try all my sleepy baby poses on Eva but I am so happy with the ones that she did allow me to capture. Here they are.

Eva has been loved since they knew she was coming. Nichole, Brandon and the boys were the recipients of that care and love before Eva arrived. Nichole had asked her grandmother to make her a quilt, not knowing that her grandmother had never made a quilt before. But her grandmother set to work and with the help of some friends made this beautiful Lonestar quilt. My cousin-in-law Jamie who is a quilt maker and has even designed patterns said, “It’s takes a lot to piece the top, you have to make sure all the colors are in the right spot and there are Y seams in it that is more tricky to piece….Gorgeous quilt, one of my favorite patterns of all time and it’s impressive that it’s the first quilt she’s ever made!” That’s love. Now their family of five can snuggle up under this gorgeous quilt and think of all the time and love that went into making it.

Nichole is a third grade teacher and her class made Eva a VERY special quilt that includes all of the students handprints in the shape of hearts and then each student also made an owl (one of Nichole’s favorite things) with their fingerprint. They took the time to make handmade gifts for their special teacher and her new baby. That’s love.

Eva is the first little girl in the family so Nichole made sure to give Eva a girly space of her own. I know how much fun it is to decorate a little girls room so I know Nichole must have had a blast dreaming up this space and making it happen. I love the black and white damask pattern with the hot pink. She had her friend cut out the tree and owls with her silhouette machine and many items in the nursery were handmade or given as gifts. When you spend that kind of time working on your babies room make sure to have your photographer take some photos of it for you!


This precious little girl is loved and doted on by everyone in her family.





What a great family. A great example of love and faith.

Thank you Brandon and Nichole for allowing me to come into your home and work with your little six day old baby. I had so much fun working with all of you. Thanks for letting me get a few new baby snuggles in as well. I hope that you like these images and that you’ll cherish them for many years!

{Jackson, TN Newborn Photography}

I am so honored to be asked to capture these first moments in a precious little one’s life. Sweet baby Eva is an adorable little lady doted on by her two big brothers and loving parents. She wasn’t too interested in sleeping (until I was ready to leave) but I am so excited about the images I was able to capture. Nichole and Brandon thank you so much for allowing me to capture this amazing time in your lives. Thank you for trusting me with capturing these memories for you. I have SO many photos for you to see but here are three quick little sneak peeks! Check back later in the week for more!

Eli was so excited to be able to take Eva’s picture with his own camera! Looks like I may have an apprentice!!
Ethan and Eli love their little Eva!! Such sweet big brothers!

Last year I had a sweet little newborn on my hands for the holidays. My sweet friend Katherine sent me an adorable santa hat, diaper cover and booties for Hannah…and I took photos of Hannah in the cute little ensemble…but I don’t think I ever shared those photos. for shame. So to make up for not sharing these photos for a year I’m going to share an obscene amount of photos of sweet little santa Hannah. Because it’s my website and I can if I want to. Because I couldn’t choose just a few. And because she’s just that cute.

hmmmm….

I had to share this because this is still the face she makes when she gets really upset. It’s funny how some things never change.

Who’s going to break it to Hannah that girls can’t win the Heisman? I guess you gotta have goals right?

Shocked? Surprised? Cold?




ehhh….


and the hat falls down again…


Thanks again Katherine! I hope you have a cute little Santa hat for some pics with Frankie…if you want to borrow mine just let me know

{Jackson, TN maternity photography}

You can’t choose your family. But sometimes you get blessed by whose in it. I married into a great family. I married into a great extended family. I have been embraced by both the immediate family and extended family and feel as though I’ve always been a part of them, even though I haven’t. Rachel is my husbands cousin. Now she’s my cousin (well, like 9 years ago anyway). Since Greg and I have been married Rachel has lived in India, Colorado and now is back in St. Louis. I was honored when Rachel and Matt asked me to photograph their wedding…back in the film days…and now they are getting ready to welcome their third child (first girl) into their family.

Rachel and I took all five of our kids to the St. Louis zoo the weekend I took the kids there alone. We had fun walking around with the kids, riding the carousel, the train, seeing some animals and an attempted two extra mini photo shoots. I talked to Rachel about doing some maternity photos and although she wasn’t too keen on the idea I was talking to her about how important I think they are and how her daughter will treasure those photos when she gets older.  I haven’t had many photos taken of me with my kids so I asked if Rachel wouldn’t mind taking a few. So we swapped a few minutes and by few I really mean like 2 to 4 minutes and not much longer. The kids were more interested in seeing the tigers than getting their photo taken. But these kids know their moms and know that if they just cooperate for a few minutes they get to be done sooner…plus a snack reward doesn’t hurt either. Jordan was not in the mood to be photographed and Xavier can move so fast that I’m impressed that I even captured him! Rachel and I both agreed that if all we got was one (maybe two) photos then we’d be happy. I got a few that I love and wanted to share them here.

Thanks Rachel for taking some photos of me and my kids. Thanks also for allowing me to capture you and your sweet boys and your beautiful baby bump!! Can’t wait to meet that sweet little girl…your boys are going to LOVE her!!!

I had no part in decorating, cooking, baking, or preparing for this amazing Dr. Seuss baby shower. I simply attended the party and took some photographs because it was such a well planned and beautiful party. I thought maybe some of you out there who may be planning a party sometime soon could use some ideas that the amazing Rachel and Katie used to make this super cute Dr. Seuss baby shower come to life. I am so glad that I was brave enough to take the kids to St. Louis by myself so that the girls and I could attend Jamie’s baby shower and so that we could see our family and some friends. Jon and Jamie are decorating baby boys nursery with a Dr. Seuss theme so it was appropriate that the shower had the same theme. Here are some of the details from this great baby shower!

Rachel made this great ABC print to hang in the little guys room.




And one quick photo of Hannah with her great Aunt Bonnie and Naomi with great grandma. It was so good to see them!

{Jackson, TN maternity photography, newborn photography, child photography}

I just finished my own “Little Blessings Plan”

I hope you’ll call me soon to set up your Little Blessings Plan

“The Little Blessings Plan is a way to document and capture memories
from your baby’s first year of life. Children change so much over the
course of their first year, let me help you “remember when” with
timeless heirloom portraits of your little blessing.”

A storyboard of images from 4 sessions at the completion of baby’s first year!

 Horizontal images can be used too.

What an incredible way to remember all those milestones of their first year.
Timeless heirloom portraits to hang in your home and to pass on to your little blessing when they’re all grown up.