Sep
14
2014The birthing room is a sacred space. Hallowed ground where life breathes for the first time. A man and a woman are catapulted into the new roles of mom and dad. And hope cries loudly in the form of a tiny human.
I have never felt so honored to be invited into any space as to be Abigail Faith’s Greer SC Birth Photographer. I was awestruck by the entire experience.
When Allyson booked her newborn session for her third child, I asked if she would also like birth photography. A photographer herself, Allyson whispered an excited “Let me ask Jim!” And Jim said yes.
Labor began around 5 in the morning when Allyson’s water broke. We texted back and forth for hours of slow progression.
Around 2, I stopped in to begin telling this story with images. Pitocin had just been started and Allyson and Jim were enjoying each other’s company for this special time. An epidural brought relief a few hours later.
Jim and I headed out to grab a bite to eat separately and Allyson caught part of a Lord of the Rings marathon on TV. We were all anticipating a long labor through the night.
I pulled back in the parking lot to frantic texts saying we’d better head back now as she had progressed from a 4 to a 7/8 in just a couple hours. When I reached the room moments later, Allyson was doing her best to hold back the instinct to push while the nurses set up the room for birth and the doctor made her way over.
At 8:02 pm August 17, 2014, Abigail Faith made her debut. The hospital policy at Greer is to place the baby skin to skin with the mother for the first hour after birth. Those precious snuggles caused both the fogging up of my glasses and my camera viewfinder 😉
Since it was still early, big brother James and big sister Elsie came to visit. Abigail gave them some gifts. Then the siblings watched their new sister being weighed and measured, before heading home with grandparents for bed.
Abigail was 3 weeks early and having a hard time stabilizing her blood sugar so those final images are of Jim and nurse Lydia spoon feeding Abigail colostrum. Lydia was amazing for both mom and baby as was the rest of the staff at Greer Memorial.
I’m beginning to think that if I could only photograph one thing: birth might be that one thing. Allyson’s first response to the first draft of this slideshow (we messaged back and forth a ton to make sure every image showed just what she and her husband wanted shown!) sealed that deal. “Oh my goodness! They are amazing!!! You have totally found your calling! I can’t believe it was your first birth.”
Interested in having these precious moments when you first meet your child face to face photographed? Please don’t hesitate to contact me today. I only book 2 births every three months to protect my primary role as mama to 3 small children of my own so these slots could fill up fast!
Sep
10
2014My girls turn 5 today. I’m breathless with the weight of their childhood passing so fast despite the days (and nights) sometimes seeming to be so slow.
Photo by Rachel Accord
Photo by Rachel Accord
I don’t have a lot of words about these sweet girls… but I do have a ton of photos. So let me tell you a little about each girl and then let the images speak.
Aeralind Grace
My serious daughter. Love snuggles and affirmation. Introverted. Hilarious with her five year old logic. (“It’s okay, mama. We have to grow up. But when we do we’ll have babies and we’ll give you some to keep.”) Slowest eater on the planet. Perfectionist. Fearless on the bars at gymnastics. Daydreamer. Wants to know how the world works. Drinks life down with so much joy.
Photo by Rachel Accord
Bronwyn Hope
Vibrant. Serious leadership skills (“Mama, I just want to teach them how to play a new game, but they just won’t listen.”). Emotional. Dancer. Strong willed. Fierce hug giver. Learned to knit at 4 years old. Easy smile. Has never met a stranger and invites folks at the grocery store to her birthday party all the time. Compassionate: both of her siblings run to her for snuggles if they can’t find me.
Photo by Rachel Accord
Our Photo Session
The girls and I spent a morning at Taylors Mill, Due South Coffee, and Lake Robinson to capture them as they are right now. Then we finished with pizza with daddy. It was a very special day. 🙂
Our little foodies ordered shrimp and artichoke pizza. 😉
Sep
01
2014So I had this huge milestone a couple of weeks ago. My small business page on Facebook hit 500 likes! See?
Two weeks later I’m almost up to 520 fans! I started off this year with just under 150 fans. I am blown away by having all of you follow along in my adventures and encouraging me through the crazy up/down of owning a small business. Thank you.
I wanted to do a little something special to celebrate this milestone so I’m giving away a Baby Shower in a Box! You can enter if you’re expecting or your can enter to give it away to a friend (after maybe keeping a few pieces for yourself?). You can tag your expecting friends and have them enter too.
What’s in the Quiet Graces Baby Shower in a Box?
I’m so glad you asked! With a value of over $570, this Baby Shower in a Box is sure to delight any new mom!
Click below to let me introduce these lovely businesswomen who are teaming with me to bring you these awesome goodies in alphabetical order. But if you’d like to just jump in to win now, hop over to my Facebook Page and enter there. Make sure to share the giveaway with any expecting friends!
Read More»Aug
27
2014My friend and two time newborn client Teri Lee just wrote an unsolicited newborn photography review of Quiet Graces over at her blog. You guys, this is why I do what I do. Teri Lee made my heart swell with that feeling of knowing that my deep passion was meeting some of the world’s deep need. But she also gives you a glimpse of what it’s like to be my client. Thank you, Teri Lee, for blessing me with words. I’m so grateful. The following is that post in it’s entirety for you to enjoy.
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I met Melissa at church in a parenting class. I introduced myself like this: “Hi! I’m Teri Lee! I recognize you from your blog. I..umm.. found it through a friend of yours who saw I was trying to eliminate dairy for Carter and recommended it to me. Carter’s over there…yeah. He’s my first little one. Oh yeah! So I’ve read a lot of your blogs and it really helped me a lot and then I recognized you and I just wanted to say…hi.”
That whole introduction took less than 2 seconds because I was talking too quickly and it was just as awkward as you are imagining. 
Melissa and I live on opposite ends of town and have personalities on opposite ends of the spectrum in many ways.And yet, because of Jesus, we are sisters and I can feel it. I feel “family” when I’m around her, and it’s a gift to me. One of my favorite things about the Lord is that He puts His people in families. Not businesses, not a hierarchical systems, but a Kingdom of family. 
Melissa runs a small business on top of her full-time job mothering twin girls and their little brother. Quiet Graces photography specializes in newborn photography. Melissa has an eye for art, technical skills with the camera and editing software, and a gift for handling babies and their brand-new mothers. 
Melissa spends as much time rocking, bouncing and shushing babies to sleep in her arms as she does clicking the shutter. She holds tiny arms in place and waits and waits and waits for sweet infants to decide to keep them there before releasing her hand, finger by finger, from position. She takes accidents in expectant stride as the babies are diaper-less for most of the shoot. 
Melissa has patience with the over-tired, hormone-charged new mothers. She builds in plenty of nursing breaks, understands tears that come from nowhere and has much grace for all the different mothering styles good mothers practice. Her understanding demeanor is a kindness in those first days home from the hospital and is a gift in and of itself.And sometimes, when there isn’t a way, Melissa’s business, as well as her art and personality, are her gift as well because she sees Quiet Graces as more than just a means to a paycheck or a means to an end. It’s a dream, a calling and a gift she uses and gives and shares. 
Without Melissa, these little newborn moments can fade so quickly in a blur of a time period with no sleep and lots of round the clock care. They are the sweetest and most fleeting of times. When I look at them, I remember just how my Ella girl felt in my arms…how I felt holding her. That memory…I can’t describe its worth to me. 
The way Ella curled and snuggled just so has already shifted and changed. Her hair has grown and her sleeping face aged. She is already altogether different from this girl in the photos, but always, always, always the same. Always my girl. Always loved. Always a joy for my soul. 
The only thing I can think of more dear than the memories we create is a log of the times we want to remember. A way to build a remembrance of what God has done in our past to remind us of His grace and sufficiency for a million tomorrows.Bundled up in these photographs is a miracle of creation, gifted to an undeserving mother. A gift of joy wrapped in dark hair and her great-grandmother’s eyes. These shots remind me over and over and over and over that I will never be able to earn the love and acceptance of my God…and that I will never need to. 
When I see them, I am reminded of His Quiet Graces to me in the form of new life in my soul and in my arms. He is so good, and I am so grateful for this remembrance. **Obviously, if you are local, I would highly recommend Melissa Aldrich for all your newborn photography needs. Let her know I am your mutual friend. It would make us both smile.
Aug
20
2014Shelbie contacted me a little panicked. Little Finley William had surprised everyone with an arrival a few weeks earlier than anticipated. So many other photographers had told her they wouldn’t photograph a baby over 7 days old or that they were totally booked.
While it’s true that a newborn is the sleepiest and curliest from 0-14 days, I actually prefer to photograph in the 7-12 day range. At that point, mom’s milk has come in: a full baby is a sleepy baby. I have, however, photographed full term babies in this curly newborn style up to 20 days old and preemies up to about 42 weeks gestation (one of whom was almost 4 months old!).
And even if I’m not sure if a baby will sleep through the traditional posing of a newborn session, I will always be able to create some beautiful images. Your baby is beautiful regardless of their age.
As always these images are Photoshop magic for baby’s safety.
Finley arrived with excited and adorable older brother Cade. Cade was extremely ticklish and had a ready smile. I loved this 6 year age gap 🙂 Cade actually gave Finley his middle name: William. I can’t wait to see what other tricks he teaches this little guy.
Mama Shelbie bought this series as two 16×16 and one 16×20 canvases for her mantle along with announcements, mini books, and digital files. We made this preview in my iPad app to preview what it would look like on her mantle. I love being able to show you exactly what your fine art would look like in your space!
Finely’s mama followed all of my instructions on preparing Finely for sleep so I had quite a bit of time in the beginning of the session to pose to my heart’s content. And then the power went out. Which is no good when you’re a studio light photographer. Luckily it came back up again in about 10 minutes.
Little Finely had a good little snack and we rocked and burped and then took my favorite series of this little guy on the cable knit blanket.
Shelbie, thank you so much for sharing your boys with me. I can’t wait to see you in the studio again!
Are you interested in a pure simple session for the sweet little baby you are expecting? I would love to get to know you and answer all your questions over yummy Due South Coffee.
