Eugene, Oregon baby and child photographer: 2-year mini with Ryder

I haven’t seen Ryder since I did his newborn session – two years ago! As a Eugene, Oregon photographer I get to see lots of my little clients as they grow up, and it’s always so much fun! It was great to see him again, although I can’t believe how much he’s grown. Although he’s getting so big, he is just as adorable now as he was when he was a baby. Love those brown eyes, the dimples in his hands, and that cheeky smile of his!

Ryder wasn’t over the top excited for photos, but he opened up to the idea eventually. It took the help of a fox friend he brought with him and my antique rocking horse prop to convince him that maybe posing for pictures could be fun after all. In my experience, two years old is when kiddos really start to assert their personalities and begin to play around with choices and boundaries. At this stage, they often either love posing for the camera or are not into it at all. And they make it very clear what their opinion is! As a baby and child photographer I’ve learned to roll with it! I keep a few items in my photography studio specifically to persuade children who have decided that photo sessions aren’t their thing. Toys, snacks—there’s always something there that will get them to crack a smile!

Bringing a toy or stuffed animal pal from home can be a good way to help a child feel a bit more at home in my Eugene, Oregon photography studio. Although I try to make it as comfortable and homey as I can, it’s still an unfamiliar environment and sometimes that can make a kiddo clam up. Having something familiar and comforting along for the ride can go a long way to ensure an enjoyable session. Ryder also loved being a cowboy on my wooden rocking horse! He even gave me a wave.

We went with really soft, neutral colors for this mini milestone photography session. Soft gray, denim, and just a touch of earthy green, cream, and brown. In this case, a bright orange fox didn’t quite blend with our color scheme, but it was an easy fix: black and white photos! I love the look of black and white photography, especially mixed in with some neutral or even more colorful shots. It was the perfect choice for this session as it allowed Ryder to have his stuffed animal buddy in the pictures, and still let us stick with our neutral, minimalist color scheme.

It was wonderful to see Ryder again for this baby and child photography session. He will be back in a couple of weeks with his mom and dad for a full family session. I’m looking forward to it! It will be great to have everyone together, and they’re such a good-looking group I know we’ll get some wonderful pictures. In the meantime, I hope you’ve enjoyed the photos of this handsome young man!