Eugene, Oregon newborn photographer: Welcome McKenzie!

This sweet baby girl is McKenzie. She had a bit of an early start in this world, which made things tough on her and her family, but I’m happy to report that she is doing great now and after some special care and attention from NICU she was able to come into the studio with her mom and dad for her newborn photography session. 

McKenzie’s parents, Brittany and Ryan, are friends with my sister and brother-in-law, so I have met them in the past, but it was many years ago—before babies were in the picture! They are a really sweet couple who struggled to bring their sweet girl into the world. McKenzie was finally conceived with the help of IVF, but then decided to arrive a full nine weeks ahead of schedule. I guess she was as excited to get here as her mom and dad were to welcome her! 

All humor aside, it’s always a bit of a scare with a premature baby, and there’s added worry and stress as baby has to stay in the hospital rather than coming home to family right away. Thankfully the pros in the NICU know what they’re doing though, and McKenzie is an amazing fighter! I’m so glad that she’s finally thriving and able to be home with the people who love her. Because of the uncertainties accompanying her premature birth, I was even more excited than usual to welcome her and her parents to my photography studio in Eugene, Oregon. 

McKenzie has grown so much since her birth. She was almost seven weeks old at the time of our newborn photography session, and is just now around typical newborn size, so that will give you some idea of how tiny she was when she first arrived. What a sweetie!

We decided to use lots of purple in McKenzie’s session, since that is one of the colors that represents premature babies, and then mixed it with a touch of gray. McKenzie did a great job of snoozing peacefully and looking adorable—two of the primary responsibilities of babies during newborn photography sessions! She has such a sweet little face and I loved being able to capture it up close and personal with my camera. We got some great photos, although I have to say I think my favorites are the ones with mom and dad holding her. Maybe it’s because I have some idea of what a long journey it’s been for them to get to this point, and of how relieved they must be to finally have their daughter safe in their arms. 

I feel so honored to have been the newborn photographer for this wonderful family. They are a brave, determined group of people—little McKenzie included—and I have a feeling they’ll be able to do just about anything together. They’ve already accomplished so much—and they’re just getting started! I’m sure they have many amazing days ahead, and I wish them happiness on every single one of them!