Shanna Chess Photography

Aida and Aziz brought their gorgeous new baby daughter Aila to my photography studio in September. This little pumpkin was absolutely perfect! Many times clients will choose a single theme for their newborn photo session. But there’s no reason you can’t choose a couple! Mom asked for baby pictures with rainbow baby, moon and stars, and fall themes, and we were able to capture all of them. Aila was super cooperative as we changed setups, switched out props, and got her in and out of various swaddles. Since we were working with several different themes, we didn’t really stick to a particular color scheme. Mom just picked out whatever caught her eye and we ended up with a really fun and beautiful variety of pinks, purples, yellows, and neutral colors in addition to our themed pictures. When it comes to choosing colors and props, it really is all about how you’re going to use your finished newborn photos. Some people like to do complementary colors because they’re going to have several pho...

Happy first birthday, Olive! It was so fun to have this little sweetheart and her family back in my Eugene, Oregon photo studio again. I have been photographing this group ever since big sister Violet was a newborn. It’s been such a pleasure getting to know them and helping them capture the big milestones in their family’s life! This time we were celebrating their youngest daughter’s first birthday with a cake smash photography session. It was extra fun to have Jacoby and Violet with us too! For some reason, although I do a lot of cake smash sessions, it’s almost always just baby and parents who come to the studio. Maybe because they want the focus to be on the birthday boy or girl—but I think it’s a great idea to get family photos at the same time. After all, if you’ve got one kiddo being photographed already, what better time to get some adorable sibling photos, right? We even took a little time out to get individual portraits of all three kiddos plus some family shots. Olive was the...

Happy New Year, everyone! I don’t know about you, but it felt to me like 2021 went by in the blink of an eye. I had so much keeping me busy as a mom and as a photographer—all great things, and I’m looking forward to new experiences and memories in 2022! The new year is a time for new beginnings, so what better way to start it off than with a post about a newborn photography session? As a photographer who specializes in newborns, I’m lucky enough to be reminded of the blessings of new life almost every day. It’s just one of the many reasons I love capturing the first days with these sweet little ones! Nakayla and Joseph brought new baby brother Bryson to my Eugene, Oregon photography studio along with older siblings Braxton and Brooklyn. This was the first time I’d met this family, and I loved them immediately! They were so sweet and loving with each other, and big brother and sister did an absolutely stellar job participating in their little brother’s newborn photos! I also loved the...