Amanda Shea Photography Blog, Seattle Professional Children's Photographer

Spring in full bloom...at least for a day!

After a long day of flights, layovers, driving, etc., I've made it home to Mississippi where spring is already turning into summer. Seattle's most spring-like day of the year so far was for this family's session! It was at least 70 degrees with barely a cloud in the sky. Amazing.

We met at the Washington Arboretum where flowers were blossoming everywhere. There were people everywhere, too, as it turned out, because a big plant sale was being held there that morning! We managed to find some quieter spots for ourselves and had plenty of beautiful spring green backgrounds for the photographs.

I was amazed at how much both of these sweet children had changed since last fall. This is their second session in the Beautiful Year so from October to April, you can imagine the difference ~ especially with the little guy! It was a treat to see the whole group again and how lucky that we had such a beautiful day.

Thanks R & A for another fun session in another wonderful season. I enjoyed seeing you guys again and look forward to sharing your slideshow with you soon!

Beautiful Year. Beautiful Baby.

I met this beautiful baby girl a little over a week ago and was completely taken by her stunning blue eyes. You'll see below that I had several opportunities to capture them when she looked right at me! The sunlight filtered in beautifully through all the windows of the house and it was wonderful. When photographing newborns inside at home, it's a dream come true to have plenty of sunlight available.

One of my favorite photographs from this series is of baby S's teeny tiny fingers curled up close to her face when she's swaddled in her pink-polka-dotted blanket. Her little hands and feet won't be this small ever again!

This is the first session of this little one's Beautiful Year and I already can't wait for the next one! R & J, thank you for inviting me over for such a fun session with your sweet new baby. I'll email you this week with your slideshow login. : )

Smiling all the time...

This little guy is one of the most smiley subjects I've ever photographed. This session was the third of his Beautiful Year series, and once again he was grinning ear to ear. Judging by the photos, I'd say it's thanks to his always-fun parents who kept him laughing time and time again.

Three cheers go out to this family for braving the cold weather yet again. We rescheduled this appointment for mid-April hoping to have a sunny spring day. However, we all woke up that day to another cold, overcast morning. Overcast weather lends itself beautifully to outdoor photography but we could have used a little more warmth! Nonetheless, the positive and upbeat attitude of everyone allowed for some precious photographs. In the end, the weather doesn't make much difference anyway. The session is all about capturing the love and connectedness of a family, and a very photogenic one at that. : )

R & S, thanks for such a fun session. Be on the lookout for your slideshow login!

Growing (and moving!) so quickly...

I met and photographed this little guy when he was only 7 months old. He finished the Beautiful Year around 18 months and is now an on-the-go 2 year old! He kept me on my toes nearly the entire session, which he was even doing at one, much to my amazement! That said, you can guess that one of my favorite photographs is the black and white one below of him running down the driveway. Yes, the shadow in that one is proof that we've actually had some sunlight despite our recent return to winter weather.

At the end of the session, we went inside to try some indoor portraits. The sunlight was beginning to go away at that point but I noticed a shot I had to go for: 2 year old J standing under a canvas portrait from his 7-month old session. What a change...and, of course, he's still so adorable.

Thanks for a great session, JM and S ~ I'll be in touch soon with your slideshow info.

Beautiful Sisters

Talk about dreamy subjects! These girls' sparkly blue eyes catch the light beautifully and they are just a complete joy to photograph. It was really fun coming back to their house after last seeing them in October when baby L was only one month old. Seeing how much they've both changed since then is so much fun for me. This time, L was grabbing her feet, had big smiles, rolled over and over and stood up with help...and older sister A has started talking more and more with a vocabulary that includes my name! We found incredible window light and I was in heaven...The girls were really cooperative, had contagious smiles and we even got a sweet photograph of them together (see below). Thanks for another wonderful session with your girls, T & J! Enjoy your preview!

At 3 Weeks...

I am so excited to post the first preview for a session! The weather for the day was forecasted to be sunny and amazingly, it was. The wonderfully bright light was perfect for our indoor session. We opened the windows and curtains and let the sunlight into the rooms. It was bright enough to provide just the right amount of light but was indirect so stayed soft and glowy for the afternoon. Three week old Baby O was alert for nearly the entire session...quite a feat for a newborn! His eye contact was such a treat, as you can see below. I feel so lucky to have photographed him in his first few weeks of life.

Something really special to me about this session is the way the family found me. I just wrapped up a year of photographing this little guy's cousin as part of The Beautiful Year, a series of three sessions over the course of a year. I watched her grow from 6 months to 18 months and to know there's a chance of cousin photos in the future makes me smile. I love the opportunity to photograph a new baby over the course of his or her first year...and then to do the same for a family member is really a special experience.

N, T and family, enjoy your preview ~ I'll have your slideshow online very soon!

Mon Petit Shoe ~ Display!

For the Ballard Art Walk in March, I was asked to be the featured artist at Mon Petit Shoe, an adorable children's clothing and shoe store in Ballard. Thanks so much to everyone who came to the opening on March 8th. There was a fantastic turn-out that even included some of the sweet children featured in the portraits...such a treat for me as I love the chance to see any of my little subjects again!

Well, as of last week, it looks like the show will be extended another four weeks! The Ballard Art Walk is the 2nd Saturday of every month so the next one is this Saturday, April 12th from 6-9PM, and the show will run through May 10th. If you didn't have a chance to see the show and the store the first time, you now have a second opportunity!

If you aren't able to stop by to see the photographs while they're up, be sure to make a trip another time and check out the wonderful store. You're sure to find a darling pair of shoes, a fun spring outfit or a perfect baby shower gift....and you'll, of course, be welcomed by very friendly faces.

Click here for directions:
Mon Petit Shoe
2236 NW Market Street
Seattle, WA 98107

The Blog is in Full Swing...and so are Spring Sessions!

I just returned to Seattle after being gone nearly the entire month of March. Don't think I wasn't photographing, though. : ) I had a few sessions while I was away, photographed at my cousin's wedding (just for fun), and captured some great moments with my niece and nephew, some of which I plan to post soon.

In other news: Seattle spring sessions are in full-swing and I will be blogging regularly! Check for preview images from each of my upcoming sessions. The blog will serve as a sneak-peek of a few images from each family's session...to tide everyone over until their slideshow is online!

Check back soon!

A few from the wedding:

The photographer of the entire wedding weekend was the incredibly talented Ben Chrisman (below). I always enjoy meeting other photographers and Ben gave me new inspiration. His images are truly stunning, and over the weekend, he sustained an amazing energy level day after day after day of shooting. Click on the link to see his blog, full of beautiful and moving photographs.