Laurel Highlands Portrait Session |Norah Lucia |

Hands down, one of my favorite sessions, to date! Jaime of Lonigro Photography and her sweet husband, Tony, welcomed a baby girl this spring and because Jaime has been one of my biggest cheerleaders, constantly encouraging and influencing me to chase my dreams, I just knew that I had to gift this sweet couple their first family portrait session. In years past, Jaime has collaborated with me on a few shoots and I couldn’t think of a proper way to thank her so pictures with their new little love seemed like a good way to show my appreciation for all her hard work.

Ya’ll Meet Norah Lucia Lonigro! This gorgeous little babe made her way into the world 2 weeks early with a full head of hair and the prettiest blue eyes you ever did see.  Weighing in at 7 lbs 7 oz, this little angel made her way earthside on April 27th and changed the Lonigros’ hearts forever.

Just shy of her 1 month, Tony, Jaime and little Nori met me at Keystone State Park for a quick photo shoot near the beach area. Unlike our fall minis where everything was vibrant with oranges and reds, the spring in southwestern PA had to offer bright greens and pretty posies as a backdrop for this family session. Though it was midday and the humidity was about to spike, this crew made the most of our short time together.

Because Jaime is in the portrait photography business, she knows how to get the most from a session and trusted me when I directed them to a plethora of locations around the property. These guys are outdoorsy to say the least. In fact, I am kind of hoping we all get to vacation sometime together because we dream alike and love the wild outdoors! Plus, I have a feeling that Lucy and Norah would have a blast together!

Norah slept the entire shoot. Not even once did she give me a glimpse of her baby blues but she peacefully dreamt in the warm weather and both new Mom and Dad were thankful for a little quiet time! That newborn life can be rough but these guys seem to have such a graceful grasp on the hustle that comes with having a third wheel! Jaime looked stunning, rocking that new Mama glow, the most perfect color red dress and her hair was beyond on point. In fact, I had a hard time believing that she hadn’t been to a salon that morning because let me tell you, I did not look that good when Lucy was 4 weeks old. Tony is one lucky guy!

We ended the shoot by letting little miss Nori don an adorable gray turban bow and it was insanely cute. I am just so proud and so happy for this little family. I’ve known Tony since he was a kid playing midget football for my dad. He even brought photo evidence along. Seeing these two become parents and following their journey to parenthood has been nothing short of beautiful. I am so happy for the these guys and I wish you all the most congratulations. Soak it all in because it flys by fast! Kiss Norah for me and let her know that I am already dreaming up play dates!

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Laurel Highlands Portrait Session | The Marmo Family|

Up next on the blog is another family from our Laurel Highlands Mini Sessions in Pennsylvania. This adorable family of three took time out of their holiday on Memorial Day to meet up for a quick shoot at Twin Lakes Park in Greensburg, PA. Meet the Marmo Family!

Could these guys be any cuter? Dad, Mike, is rocking that sleeve, Mama, Angel, has the biggest and brightest smile and their sweet baby girl, Penelope, is full of character. In fact, this little gal had the sniffles on the day of their shoot but still showed up smiling and making kissy faces at Mama and Daddy.

We met at Twin Lakes because I just love the variety of florals that are available there during the Spring. We ran across mountain laurels, rhododendrons and even hibiscus trees during our trek through the park. Spring sessions are all about capturing those sweet moments amongst the gorgeous flora that Pennsylvania has to offer and this session was just that. Angel and Mike took turns making funny faces at Penelope to try and make her laugh. They threw her in the air and gave her a ton of hugs and kisses.

After a short drive to the other side of the lake, Angel pulled out this sweet baby blanket with pretty botanicals on it and we gave Penelope her stuffed mouse toy so I could try to capture a few of just baby girl. I love how the stuffed mouse will forever be in these photos. It not only helps put a timestamp on Penelope’s age but it will forever be a memento of her favorite play toy. Because trust, she was not letting that mouse go once we handed it to her.

We ended the Marmo Session by just letting Mommy and Daddy love on their little girl. Daddy sang some pretty creative songs and Mama tried not to laugh at his version of the lyrics. Though she had a runny nose, Penelope gave us all the smiles she could and was such a trooper throughout the entire shoot. Mommy and Daddy tried their best to get little P to give us her signature “kissy face”. But, no such luck. At just over 30 minutes, baby girl was done and that was a ok with us. As you can tell, we had already captured a ton by then. But…

just to make sure we knew she was done, Penelope stood up in protest and let a few big fat alligator tears roll down her sweet cheeks. Though terribly pitiful and a little heartbreaking, these ended up being my favorites from their session. Why you might ask? Because just look at how cute she is. Even with a frown on her face, this kid just might be the cutest babe ever.

Huge thank you to the Marmo Family for trusting me to capture this sweet memory for you. I hope to see you all again soon. Play dates for Lucy and Penelope soon?

 

To book your unique family portrait session, email therustienailhead@gmail.com. My job is to document your moments, big or small and I aim to hit the nail on the head every time.

DFW Newborn Session: Meet Eleanor

Y’all this little girl is about to steal all your hearts. Meet Eleanor Kate Hamilton! Born on March 15th, I had the great pleasure of meeting this sweet baby girl on Day 11 for her first photo shoot. I am beyond thrilled to share a first look at Brenna and Jeff’s little peanut!

This particular set of photos was my favorite because this family just rocked it. Brenna has the brightest smile on her face and Dad, Jeff, cannot take his eyes off of their first born beauty. They all just seem so relaxed, right at home with their new baby!

I had the great pleasure of meeting this little lady’s Mama a few years ago through a mutual friend and way back then, I photographed her sweet pup, who now is long gone but still very much in Brenna’s heart. In fact, in the years since that shoot, Brenna has added a new pup to the family, Piper and this big sister is just smitten with the Hamilton Family’s new addition!

Weighing in at a solid 8 pounds, this little chunk was born with a full head of hair and what appears to be the prettiest blue eyes. So far, Mom and Dad say that her favorite thing to do is eat! Oh, and sleep! What a life!

Brenna and Jeff (and the new Grandma who was there to help) totally trusted my vision and invited me into their home to capture this lifestyle inspired newborn session. We kept it sweet and simple. I made sure to include lots of Mama loving on her baby girl and a ton from the perspective of little Ella in Daddy’s hands, as well as a few of Piper checking out her new roommate.

We had gorgeous light throughout the entire session and I love that each room in their house flooded with natural light in the afternoon. We managed to time feedings and shoot time perfectly. Not one tear was shed though we didn’t really give her a chance. If Eleanor looked even the bit sad, either Mom, Grandma, Dad or I would pick her up and give her hugs before she had a chance to get upset.

We ended the session by letting Eleanor just chill in her crib in her new nursery. Layered in pink lace ruffles and white bow, Eleanor Kate proved that she is in fact “more precious than rubies” and for that, I am thankful. Not only that this job allows me the pleasure of meeting and documenting such sweet baby’s first days in the world but that I know the joy their presence brings each family, especially the Hamiltons!

For information on how to book an in home newborn session or a Fresh 48 Session, message me, Angelina, at therustienailhead@gmail.com and we can discuss package details, due dates and dreamy baby poses.

DFW Portrait Session: The Lane Family

Y’all, Meet the Lane Trio! During our Holiday Mini Season, Mama, Hannah, reached out to book their first ever family portrait session and I was too happy to help them out.

We met at Bear Creek Park in Keller, Texas on a beautiful, but chilly, fall day. I was so glad that December was still offering the deep, rich fall colors. The trees were were vibrant yet the grass was towing the winter line and the contrast would prove to be the perfect back drop.

Mama and Daddy showed up with their sweet baby girl, Brielle. I was happy to learn that their little love was only a month older than our sweet Lucy. I immediately felt like Hannah and I were in a special club for having our babes in the same time frame.

Side note: How funny is it that we do that? All my pregnancy books talked about having a correlation with a celebrity who is pregnant and last year Kate Middleton, Kate Hudson, Cardi B, Joanna Gaines, Hannah and I all got to be pregnant at the same time. I assure you we didn’t plan it this way but 2018 produced some hardcore cuties.

Anyways…the shoot started off so good. Brielle was rocking her little red toboggan and Mama and Daddy were more than happy to wrap up and cuddle her to protect her from the chilly winds. Even with the dropping temperature, their little lady was a perfect angel. She didn’t make one peep throughout the shoot.

I made sure to snap a bunch of Mommy & Daddy loving on their little girl but also to capture a few sweet moments between each parent with Brielle. I found that the posed pictures were adorable but the candies were some of my favorites. New parents always crack me up because in an attempt to make their little love smile, they always make the goofiest faces and the result is simply magic!

I really enjoyed meeting this trio. They were sweet and kind, joking with me about how crazy it is to be new parents. They even sent us a Christmas card! Honestly, it was refreshing to meet people in the same stage of life as we are and I am thankful for their sage advice. Here’s hoping that Lucy and Brielle have a play date soon!

Laurel Highlands Portrait Session: The Shipley Family

Look who’s back on the Blog!! Andrew Shipley graced the pages of the blog just a little over six months ago when his Mama wanted to capture his 2nd Birthday Portraits! At 9 months pregnant with their second child, Mama, Emily, helped me chase her little guy all over Linn Run State Park in Rector, PA. Little did we know, all that running would push her into labor. Not 2 days later, Olivia made her world debut and turned this crew into a Family of Four!

Though I was sad that I missed the opportunity to see their newest addition make their way into the world, I was elated to find out that this Mama Bear wanted to have new portraits taken of the kiddos during our Spring Mini Sessions in the Laurel Highlands! This little lady was well worth the wait. Just LOOK AT HER!! Isn’t she the sweetest little thing?

 Andrew was acting his usual self, wild and a little bit crazy.  He was climbing trees and running around the reserve. Speaking of, the Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve at Saint Vincent College was so perfect for this little man. He was definitely in his element when we let him just run and explore this kid-friendly and interactive property!

Though he wasn’t necessarily her biggest fan at first, Andrew has come to love his baby sister. He was all about giving her hugs and tickling her belly. She, on the other hand, wasn’t feeling it. We didn’t manage to get many of them together though I kind of love that we got this display of real life brotherly-sisterly love! Sometimes you just don’t want to be hugged!

His Mama used to tell me that she could not get him to sit still for a photo to save her life. I am now under the impression that he may be saving all those great smiles for my camera and I am totally fine with it. Andrew is my favorite kind of kid. He is busy and keeps me on my toes throughout the entirety of the session!

We made our way to a swing near the entrance to the property and thanks to a little help from Grandma, we managed to get a bunch of images of these guys just enjoying the May sunshine! Props to Grandma by the way! She was a trooper throughout the shoot and we couldn’t have wrangled the both of them without her!

Grandma took Andrew for a short walk and I made sure to get a few of this sweet Mama and her baby girl enjoying some one on one time together. Emily had mentioned that her little lady hadn’t been feeling well lately so I made it a point to take a minute to stop and let these girls enjoy the breeze in the shade so Mom could love on her sweet baby girl.

And then, out of nowhere, came Andrew again! He came running up to me and gave me the biggest smile, as if to say, “Someone mentioned Dairy Queen for Good Behavior.”

It was getting hot outside and I wanted to wrap this up before we ended up with 2 cranky babies on our hands. We put a small pink blanket on the ground and Olivia put on a show. Her little curl was sticking straight up and I kinda love it. Add in that adorable yawn as if to say “It’s a Wrap” and we were finished.

I was so glad to meet this little lady finally, to see her wild big brother and I look forward to documenting these kiddos as they grow and prosper! Thanks for another wonderful day at the park Shipley Family!!

To book your unique portrait session, email therustienailhead@gmail.com to discuss your vision and Pricing and Packaging options!

Dallas-Fort Worth Holiday Portrait Sessions: Reece, Katie & Rose

Up next on the blog are some of my favorite people in the whole wide world! Meet my brother-in-law Reece, his wife Katie and my absolutely adorable baby niece, Rose! Katie and Reece reached out about having their Christmas Card photo taken and I was so stoked to have a chance to snap a few photos of them with their little angel!

We met at their house in Dallas and proceeded to head to Flagpole Hill. Katie is a Portrait Photographer as well and had been doing a few of her sessions there this season. She was loving on all that afternoon light and considering this is just around the corner from their house, it was the perfect spot to set up shop!

Right out the gate, we managed to snag a bunch of photos of them just loving on their baby girl. Katie was loving the dark greens that were scattered around the park and against her purple dress and Rose’s pink cheeks, the fall foliage would serve as the perfect backdrop. They even managed to recruit a friend, Kristen, to come along and sing songs for my niece and keep Rosie in stitches during our shoot.

Last year’s photo featured this adorable rocking chair and Katie wanted to make sure we got another one of Rose sitting in it. I love the progression images. It is so neat to see just how big Rose has gotten over the last year. It is crazy to think she is going to be TWO soon. Time really needs to slow down. As much as we love watching her grow,  I just want to freeze her at this perfect age. She’s starting to talk and running all over the place but she still wants to be held and she never leaves home without her “WUBY”.  She is seriously the sweetest baby girl.

Their Golden Retriever, Dutch, aka Rose’s best pal, managed to make his way into a few photos and I am so glad he did. We weren’t sure about bringing him along just because he’s a bit of an adventurer but I am so glad he came. This pup has been with Reece and Katie since I first met them and I couldn’t imagine their family without him.

We ended the shoot by taking a small stroll up the hill and stopping for a few images of this trio in a huge clearing amongst the tree line. I am so thankful for this opportunity because I have always admired Katie’s work and I consider them asking me to be their photographer a great honor. I have never met more driven and passionate people than Katie and Reece. Whatever obstacle they choose to tackle, they put their whole hearts into it and I am inspired daily by their commitment to God, family and hard work.

To check out what this Mama has been up to, head to www.fotolanthropy.com. Katie heads a nonprofit organization, FOTOlanthropy, in Dallas, Texas that devotes time and energy into capturing stories about those who have overcome adversity.  Browse their site for more information on how you can nominate someone for their next story or purchase anything from the shop (genuine leather camera straps, tote bags, luggage tags, journals) and 10% will be donated toward their cause!

Reece and Katie recently made headline news when their documentary, Travis: A Soldier’s Story was released on Netflix! If you haven’t seen it, make time and get tissues. It’s uplifting and light-hearted and totally inspiring; definitely worth watching with the whole family! For more information on this film, Travis Mills and his story, check out our  previous blog. It’s jam packed with exciting news about the Mills Family and what they’ve been up to recently. Besides being on Ellen!!! and meeting the President, the Mills Family recently welcomed their 2nd child, a baby boy, appropriately named Dax, after the two medics that saved Travis’ life overseas.

 

Dallas-Fort Worth Holiday Minis: Brit + Mia

Dallas Fort Worth Holiday Mini Sessions are in full swing and I could not have asked for a better dup than this Mama and her sweet honey child, Mia, to be my first sessions of the season! We met in Keller, Texas for a fun day with the Thompson gals! (you can see all the flowerchild greatness here.

This isn’t these gals first rodeo with The Rustie Nail. I actually consider Mia to be one of our Milestone Sessions because I have been photographing this little lady for quite awhile now. I’ve had the pleasure of shooting her Christmas Photos and every now and then a fun floral themed shoot in the Spring, including the Sunflower field disaster shoot. It has been such a joy to see her grow up over the years!

Mama, Brit, arrived with 2 of the most adorable little outfits for her baby girl. One was the gorgeous lace dress and the other was a simple black tutu and a jean jacket and both looked absolutely perfect on Miss Mia! This Mama always hits the nail on the head in the fashion department which is why I always look forward to these sessions so much!

I told Brit that I wanted to do something a little more bohemian for this particular shoot and she was happy to oblige. She even brought along a few dreamcatchers for the girls to twirl around with. And get this guys, she DIYed the dreamcatchers!! Is there anything this Mama can’t do??

I had such a good time catching up with these lovely ladies but I bet this won’t be the last time this gorgeous duo graces the blog! Stay tuned for the many adventures of Brit + Mia!! We still have a few Dallas Fort Worth Mini Session dates available for anyone who might be interested. Email therustienailhead@gmail.com for booking inquiries, packages and pricing!

Ellie’s Newborn Session: Part II

And, they’re back! Mama Carly, Baby Ellie and I had so much fun doing Ellie’s Newborn Shoot that we decided to extend their session so Daddy could join in on the fun. We met at Twin Lakes Park in Greensburg, Pennsylvania so we could capture a few photos of this adorable Trio!

Fall was really starting to kick in and you could feel the temperature dropping as we got closer to sunset so we decided to keep this shoot sweet and simple. I love shooting Newborns outside in the natural light because every little wrinkle and dimple is so perfectly exaggerated during that golden hour but I had no intentions of letting Baby Ellie get a cold. I assured first time parents, Carly and Jesse, that we would make it quick!

Because Mommy and Baby had a chance to do a full on photo shoot together already, I wanted to make sure got some photos of Daddy and his little lady. After snagging a few Family Portraits, I told Mama to hand Baby Girl over to Dad!

So he of course grabbed her up like a football and began snuggling his newest little nugget. Ellie was as happy as a clam cozied up to her Daddy!

Did someone say Daddy’s Girl? Just look at the way she is looking at her Papa Bear!

But as cute as Daddy is with his little girl, my all time favorite images from this set are the ones of these three together! Jesse and Carly are naturals. You can tell that they are over the moon with joy and Ellie seems all too pleased to be along for the ride.

This session was so fun and so easy. I had these 3 in and out of the park in less than 20 minutes! I had the best time getting to hang out with this adorable trio and I look forward to seeing them again! Congratulations Jesse & Carly!

 

Newborn Session: Baby Ellie

Just a little over a month ago, first time parents, Jesse and Carly welcomed this little lady into the world and while visiting back home in Pennsylvania, I got the chance to spend some time with Baby Ellie and her sweet Mama, Carly! We met on a dreary Wednesday morning at their home for baby girl’s first photo shoot!

I loved the black and whites of this munchkin’s shoot. Every single image looks so timeless and her little face, those pouty lips, those chubby toes, she just looks so perfect. This little one is going to be the cause of some major baby fever!

We propped her up on a bean bag in front of their dining room windows and Baby Ellie just napped the afternoon away basking in the sunlight. She was smiling during her dreams and giving us the biggest yawns. Props to Mama on her bow and diaper ruffle too. This Mama had all the right ideas when it came to dolling her baby up!

Once we wrapped up the indoor photos, we decided to bundle Ellie up in fur vests and swaddles and venture out into the yard for a few natural light photos. I always love this part of the shoot. I wanted to make sure to get a photo of Carly and her little love in front of the house, especially with all those leaves changing around their property. I just love the idea that one day, 20 years from now, Carly and Jesse will be able to show their daughter pictures of the house they first brought her home to that fall in 2017.

And can we talk about how fabulous Carly looks?! I may be prejudice because I adore redheads but this Ginger Mama is simply stunning! You can tell that Motherhood definitely agrees with her in all the right ways. She has all the right moves to calm her baby girl down in an instant all the while making it look so effortless. And that hair, seriously, both these babes are gorgeous! And yes I am still crossing my fingers that little Miss Ellie will sprout some ginger locks any day now!

Though the weatherman was calling for some pretty nasty stuff, we managed to get all our outdoor shots in with only a small drizzle coming down. We didn’t want to keep Ellie out too long anyway so once we had snapped a few photos in their front yard, we headed inside to see the nursery. Ellie’s room was adorned with butterflies and blankets embroidered in shades of lavender, perfectly fit for a princess.

I had so much fun with these babes that we decided to extend our shoot so Daddy could join in on the fun! Stay tuned because Part II of Ellie’s Newborn Shoot is up next!

DFW Holiday Mini Sessions slots are still available to those of you who are interested! Inquiries about booking your unique session can be emailed to Angelina at therustienailhead@gmail.com!

Milestone Session: Jacey & Kessa

Hey there! This session is another one of my impromptu Laurel Highland Minis and I cannot wait to share because this session in particular is a part of our Milestone Series. I have been photographing these girls for as long as I can remember and I love being able to document the transitions they’ve made over the years! Y’all, meet Jacey & Kessa!

My longtime childhood friend, Jessy, and I had made plans to spend the morning at the park in downtown Latrobe, Legion Keener. Seeing that this place was a favorite pastime of ours, both Jess and I thought that this spot would be the perfect backdrop for the girls’ shoot.

We figured we could bribe them with swings and jungle gyms so long as they both behaved during the shoot. Which, thankfully, they did. Jace has taken on this older sister role with such grace. She helps with Baby Kessa and is constantly looking after her, holding her hand, giving her a hoist up somewhere she shouldn’t be, all the things big sisters do for you when you are too tiny to get in real trouble by yourself.

We walked behind the park and headed towards the train tracks above the Loyalhanna Creek. After walking around the tracks for a little while, we headed down a dirt path that led us to a clearing near the water. All the while, Jacey filling me in on school, boys, how bad Kessa is and all the usual elementary gossip!

Kessa, or “Goose” as I like to call her,  stumbled around the park, honking at any and everyone in her way. She was on a mission. If we turned around for one second too long, she would already be down a different path, taking off into the woods. She’s a handful, quite like someone else I know, cough Mommy cough. But, that’s what our mothers’ would call our penance. Payback for all their sleepless nights.

By the time we made our way to the water, Kessa was ready to get in. Nevermind that she was wearing white shoes or that Jacey was grossed out by all creatures residing even remotely near the creek, they both jumped right in. We had to stop Kessa from drinking the water a few times but she was loving it. She kept splashing around giggling at her big sister. And, we even managed to stumble upon a small waterfall!

Jacey resumed her big sister role and managed to help keep Kessa from diving in head first. Not one spot landed on either of their pretty dresses! Jacey especially loved showing off her “toothless” status since the fairy has recently come to visit. It really was kind of crazy seeing Jace being so grown up. I remember her running around in her diaper like it was yesterday. Isn’t it amazing how fast the time goes by!?

And Kessa, one minute, she was this teeny tiny baby who only slept and ate and now she’s this little human running all over the place with her precious blonde locks and those big blue eyes, constantly getting into everything. It’s time like these that I wish I could just freeze her at this age. She still wants to snuggle every now and then but she’s also craving her independence. She wants to do everything on her own…until she can’t. Then she is super sweet. Anyone say heartbreaker??

Both these girls need to slow down. I feel like every time I come home, they are 2 feet taller and ten times prettier than the last time I saw them. More than anything though, I am thankful for the opportunity to not just document their lives through photographs, I actually get to be a part of their memories and play with them. Since I am gone most of the time, I really try to make an effort and show them how much I love spending time with them when I am home and I hope these photos are a reminder of our time together.

If can’t already tell, Jess and I go back…like wayyyy back and I am so thankful for her friendship. I am even more thankful that she was the first one to make me an “Auntie”. Both Jacey and Kessa are such a wonderful addition to my tribe of little ones and boy do they know it. I don’t think it’s a secret that these girls have me wrapped around the finger. But, then again, who isn’t at this point? It’d be hard to say no to either one of these little princesses! Love ya girls. See ya soon!

For more information on how to book your unique portrait session or for more information on our Pennsylvania travel dates, shoot me an email at therustienailhead@gmail.com.

To see more of these Milestone Sessions, take a look at our other photo shoot with the Ray Girls! Or check out Kessa’s Newborn Session. It is seriously the sweetest set of photos!!