The first year of your baby’s life is a whirlwind. One moment, you’re bringing them home from the hospital, and the next, they’re taking their first wobbly steps. A whirlwind of sleepless nights, first smiles, and moments so fleeting you wish you could bottle them up forever. It all goes by so fast and as a mom, you want to soak in every moment without the pressure of documenting your baby’s first year all yourself. While you tell yourself you’ll take all the pictures, life gets busy. Before you know it, your teeny tiny newborn is suddenly standing, taking their first steps. That’s where the First Year Membership comes in—a simple, stress-free way to ensure you have beautiful, timeless portraits of your baby’s most precious milestones.
This membership is for moms who want to be fully present. To be soaking in every moment instead of worrying about capturing it all themselves. Whether this is your first baby or you’re adding to your growing family, this membership will ensure a smooth experience for both you and your little one. Photography is about more than just images—it’s about preserving the tiny details, soft expressions, and moments that pass far too quickly. As your trusted Raleigh photographer, my goal is to ensure you feel comfortable, confident, and relaxed throughout this season of life.
Why Documenting Your Baby’s First Year is Important?
Every mom has heard it a hundred times: “Enjoy it—it goes by so fast” or “It all goes by in the blink of an eye.” And yet, nothing prepares you for just how quickly your baby changes in their first year.
Your baby will change more in their first year than at any other time in their life. From the newborn stage with their tiny fingers and sleepy stretches to the six-month milestone full of gummy smiles and curiosity, and finally, their first birthday, when they’re standing tall and ready to take on the world—each phase is special in its own way. The reality is, between feedings, sleepless nights, and adjusting to this new chapter, it’s easy to miss capturing these moments.
The First Year Membership ensures that you don’t have to worry about that. Instead of scrambling to book a photographer at the last minute or trying to DIY milestone photos (while juggling an overtired baby), you’ll have a plan in place, a photographer you trust, and beautiful, cohesive images documenting your baby’s journey.
What’s Included in the First Year Membership?
The First Year Membership includes three full sessions, designed to capture the key milestones of documenting your baby’s first year.
Sessions for Documenting Your Baby’s First Year
- Maternity Session (28-34 weeks Gestation): when your belly is beautifully round, and you still feel comfortable. These images celebrate the excitement and anticipation before your baby arrives.
- Newborn Session (5-14 Days Old): Your baby’s first official portraits, capturing their tiny fingers, sleepy stretches, and delicate newborn features. These images preserve the fleeting details that change so quickly in those early days.
- Milestone Sessions (3, 6, or 9 months old): This milestone session captures big smiles, bright eyes, and emerging personalities. Whether they’re sitting up, laughing, or just discovering their toes, this is a wonderful age to document.
- One-Year Session (first birthday): Your baby is now full of personality, perhaps even standing or taking their first steps! This session can be a classic portrait session or a fun cake smash to celebrate their first birthday.
For those who want even more coverage, there’s the flexibility to add on petite sessions at a special membership rate. This is a shorter session to document a milestone without the commitment of a full-length session. This way, you can customize your baby’s milestone journey to fit your family’s needs.
Maybe you want to schedule your three full sessions included in your membership as a Newborn, 6 Month, and a 1-Year but still want to schedule a Maternity Session. We can easily plan for your maternity to be a Petite Session.
What Makes the First Year Membership Different?
Stress-Free Planning
As a mom, you already have enough on your plate. The First Year Membership is designed to be seamless and stress-free. Once you secure your place, everything is planned out for you—no scrambling to find a photographer at the last minute or worrying if you remembered to book a session in time. You’ll receive reminders, guidance, and personalized styling to make each session effortless and enjoyable.
A Cohesive Story of Documenting Your Baby’s First Year
With the same photographer capturing each session, you’ll receive consistent, high-quality images that tell a beautiful, unified story—rather than a mix of uncoordinated images from different sources. Because I document your journey from the start, your baby becomes comfortable with me, making sessions smoother, more relaxed, and full of genuine smiles and expressions.
Exclusive Perks for Members
- Priority Booking – You schedule your sessions ahead of time.
- Discounted Add-Ons – If you’d like a maternity petite session or an extra milestone session, you get it at a special membership rate.
- Exclusive Access to the Client Closet – Choose from a beautifully curated wardrobe for mom, baby, and siblings.
How to Make the Most of Documenting Your Baby’s First Year
Many families join the First Year Membership not only to document these milestones but to create heirloom-quality artwork that they can enjoy for a lifetime. Within 1-2 weeks of each of your sessions, you will receive an email with a link to a proofing gallery with lightly edited images. You will have 3 days to choose a package and complete your payment (with your exclusive discount). From there, the final edits will be applied and final high resolution digital files shared within 1-2 weeks.
Products for Documenting Your Baby’s First Year
Now for the fun part… lets put these beautiful portraits on display! I love to help you choose artwork for your home or gifts for your loved ones. Your first year membership portraits are more than just photos—they’re timeless keepsakes that deserve to be on display and cherished.
I offer museum grade custom-framed artwork, heirloom albums, fine art prints, and a ‘Grow With Me’ framed composite. Each option making it so that you can enjoy your images every day. Imagine walking past a beautifully framed portrait in your home or flipping through a beautifully crafted fine art album, seeing your baby’s entire first year unfold in your hands. The Heirloom Album is the most popular choice for First Year Members, creating a tangible story of love, growth, and cherished memories—it’s a gift for both you and your child.
The ‘Grow With Me’ composite is a perfect way to to showcase your baby’s transformation over the year. It’s perfect for a nursery, hallway, or family space, this multi-image frame displays your favorite portrait from each session. One day, your child will walk into their own home and see this same portrait hanging on their wall—a tangible reminder of their first moments and the love that surrounds them.
Heirloom Albums
Deckled Edge
Matted Print
Grow With Me
Frequently Asked Questions About the First Year Membership
How do I book my sessions?
Once you join the First Year Membership, I’ll work with you to pre-schedule all of your sessions in advance. You’ll receive reminders and guidance along the way, so you don’t have to keep track of anything. Don’t worry though, these are all flexible dates and I am happy to work with you to adjust as needed!
Can I add on additional sessions?
Absolutely! While the membership includes three full sessions, you can add a Maternity Petite Session or an Extra Milestone Petite Session if you want additional coverage. This is a shorter session designed to document a milestone without the commitment of a full-length session. This way, you can customize your baby’s journey to fit your family’s needs.
What should my baby wear for each session?
I provide access to a curated client closet with soft, neutral outfits for baby and coordinating pieces for parents and siblings. I also offer personalized styling guidance for each session. In addition, I will send a “How to Prepare for your Session” email that will share links to some of my favorite shops. This email will be curated for the individual session we are planning for! In the meantime, here are some recommendations for mom and family!
Can I be included in the milestone sessions?
Yes! The whole family is welcome. I have even included furbaby siblings before.
What happens if my baby is fussy or not in the mood for photos?
Babies are unpredictable, and that’s okay! I allow extra time for feeding, soothing, and breaks when needed. With years of experience in newborn and milestone photography, I know how to work around fussy moments to capture beautiful, natural expressions.
Documenting Your Baby’s First Year—Together
Motherhood is a journey filled with firsts—first smiles, first giggles, first steps. While you’re soaking in all these moments, I’ll be there to document them beautifully, so you never have to worry about missing a thing.
I hope this have covered any question you may have!
As always, please contact me with any questions you may have. I am looking forward to seeing you soon. If you’re ready to secure your First Year Membership and get started documenting your baby’s first year, let’s connect! I’d love to help you preserve these memories in a way that’s effortless, meaningful, and timeless.
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