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.

Laurel Highlands Newborn Session | Meet Eliza |

Meet the newest member of the Tetkoski Crew, Eliza! This gang is no stranger to the blog. You might remember them from their first daughter’s (Ellie) Newborn Session or their Family Session with their sweet cousins while they were visiting in Texas. I was so happy to hear that their brand new addition arrived shortly before my arrival in Pennsylvania and that we would get a chance to meet this brand spanking new Family of 4!

At Day 15, Eliza is adjusting well. Like any second child, she is adapting to her new surroundings and all the hugs from her big sister. I arrived at the Tetkoski home and Ellie made sure to introduce me to her new baby and to show me that they would indeed be wearing matching dresses for their first photo shoot as a Family of 4.

While Mama fed Eliza, Daddy, Ellie and I headed out to their big and bright backyard for a few shots of Daddy with his firstborn. They have the most incredible backyard and loads of beautiful landscaping so this location would be a breeze for a backdrop.

One thing I love about coming home for Spring Minis in the Laurel Highlands is just how green everything is and their gorgeous backyard was no exception. Daddy kept joking that we were shooting in front of the weeds but I told him to just trust me. And, I am glad he did because this green against Daddy’s blue shirt, Mama’s glow and her ginger hair mixed in with two adorable babes made for some magical images!

Like any firstborn, Ellie sure does love her baby sister but she might be having a little trouble adjusting to sharing Mama with her new bestie. As we ran around the yard, I made sure to capture a few of Mama with her baby girl to allow Ellie some one on one time with her #1 Mama. They picked dandelions and blew wishes into the wind. Ellie was over the moon!

And, of course we had to get a few of Jesse with his sweet little love, Eliza. She seemed so very comfortable lying in Daddy’s arms. She kept smiling in her sleep and when she grabbed onto his finger, I was more than happy to capture such a sweet image of this baby doll and her Dad.

Because we had captured Ellie’s Newborn Portraits at their home as well, I made sure to recreate a few of the photos from that session. Above, that’s Carly’s Spring baby, Eliza, on the left and her Fall baby, Ellie, on the right. How sweet is that???

The humidity was getting the best of all of us and we decided so head indoors to Eliza could have the spotlight for a bit. At 15 days young, this sweet baby girl didn’t make a peep throughout her session. She just laid on her favorite blanket and gazed at the natural light streaming through their back door. It was the perfect spot to capture those blue eyes and keep little missy nice and warm! We captured her toes and her “guns” and even a few sweet moments with her big sister.

I have always said that my favorite part of this job is watching these little beans grow up and seeing this family expand brings my heart so much joy. Congratulations to the Tetkoski’s on their bundle of joy! I hope to see you guys for play dates soon!!

 

If you would like to book your unique Lifestyle Newborn Session or even a Fresh 48 contact Angelina at therustienailhead@gmail.com. I love capturing those first raw and real moments for families that reflect the miracle that is bringing a new baby home!