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!

Advertisement

Laurel Highlands Holiday Portrait Session: The Jackson Family

Where do I even start? The Jackson Family is seriously tots adorbs! I met Mama, Jess, what seems like ages ago now, when we were in high school. By the time college rolled around, I ran into her again at Seton Hill University and we picked up right where we left off. Wildly enough, she met her hubby, Shane, at Seton Hill and the rest is history. In the past five years, they got engaged, married and welcomed a sweet baby girl, Jess’s Mini-Me, Lilly!

When Jess reached out to book her family’s holiday portrait session, I literally did a little happy dance. Not only was I dying to photograph her little munchkin, I was so excited that I was going to have the chance to catch up with Jess! Since I moved to Texas, visits with old friends are few and far between so I was pumped to have a little one on one time with her and her sweet family!

We met at Keystone State Park Beach area and surprisingly enough, it was bright and sunny! Though a little chilly, the beach area definitely had more of a summer vibe than a fall day! In fact, I scrambled a bit at first because it was so bright that I was having a hard time finding a shady area to shoot their portraits. After a short hike around the property, we found a few places to snap away!

Lilly arrived ready to go. She was dressed perfectly and made sure to give me her best smiles throughout the whole shoot. You never know how kids are going to react to having a camera in their face but I should of known that Jess’s little girl would be a total ham! She was all about putting her hand on her hip and batting those eyelashes!

By the time we made it to the beach, it only felt right to give Lilly a little time one on one time with her Daddy! Little did I know, this duo had an awesome trick up their sleeves. Daddy held out his hand and their little acrobat stood straight up on her tippy toes. It was the cutest moment. They both explained in their own Daddy-Daughter lingo that they has been perfecting this move for years!

We ended the Jackson’s photo shoot by writing their family name in the sand and sharing a few quick snuggles on a blanket on the beach! Lilly was just as adorable in person as I had imagined and it was so nice to see Jess and Shane again! I loved seeing the joy of being a family in their eyes and I wish them the happiest holiday season!

Stay tuned because we have a ton more to share from our Holiday Portrait Sessions in the Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania. These are some of my favorite sessions that we offer throughout the year and they sell out fast! If you would like to get on our Mailing List for early access booking, just shoot me an email at therustienailhead@gmail.com!

Fort Worth Lifestyle Portrait Session: The Tetkoski & Mosley Families

I had a really fun opportunity over Mother’s Day Weekend that I have been dying to share with you all! A former client from a session in Pennsylvania made their way down to Texas to visit a brand spanking new family member and I had the chance to document all the feel-good vibes at this family reunion.

Awhile back, I had the opportunity to photograph the Tetkoski Family shortly after they welcomed their newborn daughter, Ellie. Their adorable family portrait session can be found here for those who want a sneak peek at Ellie’s Newborn Session.

Dad, Jesse, has a sister, Alyssa, who lives here in Fort Worth who just had her first baby, a little boy named, Jack. It was past time these 2 baby cousins met so the Tetkoskis made their way down to the Lonestar state to meet the newest addition to the family.

Jesse’s sister, Alyssa, and her husband, RJ, invited me to their home for the chance to document these two little ones’ first encounter and it was beyond heart warming. Their pride and joy, Baby Jack, was a perfect angel while we took pictures on the front porch. Just look at how handsome this little guy is.

I managed to get the whole gang out front for a few pictures of everyone all together and we even snagged a few smiles from the little ones. I even got a few of the new Aunt and Uncle holding their sweet babes.

It was one of the first really hot days here in North Texas and I thought it would be best if we brought the babies indoors for the rest of the shoot. Everyone gathered on the couch for a few more family shots but not before I snagged a few of just the Mamas and their little ones. It was Mother’s Day weekend after all!

Onto the nursery pictures…This airplane themed nursery was full of so many perfect details. From the tiny Red Rider Wagon to the cow jumping over the moon on the night stand, I was getting so many ideas for my own baby’s nursery.

Both RJ and Alyssa lovingly doted on their little guy. It was so nice to not only meet these guys but to meet them as a Family of 3. They were beyond sweet when they invited me into their home and both Mom and Dad were such troopers during the entirety of the shoot. They followed my directions and seemingly made my job a piece of cake.

I am beyond thankful for this opportunity and I love that I got to be there for this sweet family reunion. I hope Jack and Ellie remain the best of friends and that there are more fun occasions to celebrate with this gang in the future.

Family Portrait Session: Meet Baby Sage

Hey guys! Meet the sweetest little family in the whole wide world, the Plourdes. Just a little over a year ago, Mama, Lisa, and Daddy, Jeff, welcomed their bundle of joy, Sage Marie, into the world. During our last trip back to Pennsylvania, I had the pleasure of meeting up with this adorable trio and capturing their Family Portraits.

We met at Laurel Valley Country Club in Ligonier, Pennsylvania. Lisa’s Dad is the Greenskeeper there and we had exclusive access to the property. It didn’t hurt our case that it pretty much poured down rain all day so we knew that no one would be on the course. In fact, we spent the majority of the day crossing our fingers in hopes that the rain would let up so we might be able to capture this family’s first portraits.

To our surprise, the rain did let up and the overcast skies held out for over an hour. The light was perfect, the baby was dressed and ready so off we went! Laurel Valley is a little slice of heaven in the Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania. This course was the site of a Major Senior PGA some years back and to boot, Arnold Palmer’s statue will forever look out over the greens from the Clubhouse. The greens would be the perfect backdrop for this trio’s portrait session.

I’ve known this sweet little family for quite some time now. The long story short is that my husband met Lisa when he first moved to the southwestern PA area and I knew Jeff as a fireman who came into the bar I worked at during college. We introduced the two of them at a Halloween party and then came the magic. They met, hit it off and tied the knot. Within a few years of wedded bliss, they were blessed with news of a baby girl. And, then came Sage, a giggly, gorgeous ray of sunshine!

This curly haired cutie just turned ONE year old and we can barely believe it. She is a quiet little thing with a big personality. Mom and Dad informed us that little Miss had just began to walk. They even remarked on her skills by saying “she walks like E.T.” which we all got a kick out of once we saw it in person!

Sage is a joyful baby. She is sweet and seriously so beautiful! It was so wonderful to see these guys together! Both my husband and I love Pennsylvania and seeing these crazy cats made us nostalgic for the good old days when we first met. We talk about coming back and living through all the seasons again and it makes us miss these guys so much.

Lisa, Jeff, & Baby Sage live in one of the most beautiful parts of the country. During our session, we got to see melting snow, old Dutch-inspired barns and the first signs of spring. I am so happy that I got to photograph this family during our last visit and I cannot wait to see them again! Lots of love Plourdes!!

Did you know that The Rustie Nail Creative Studio is heading back to the Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania in May!?!

I will be hosting Spring Mini Sessions on Sunday, May 27th, 2018 at two different exclusive locations in the Laurel Highlands! Sessions will be 25 minutes long, all images will be edited and delivered electronically and the price is just $80! We only have a few slots left so book yours today by emailing Angelina at therustienailhead@gmail.com.