Atlanta Family Photographers | Decatur Newborn Photography

I had the opportunity to photograph this family when I flew home to Atlanta last month for a lifestyle newborn session. I enjoyed my time getting to know this family and how we could document their new addition to their now family of four. Newborn sessions are perfect for this type of storytelling!

Lifestyle newborn sessions take place usually right in your home and we use your home elements to tell the story of your new and growing family. During this newborn session we started out by taking lifestyle portraits of this little guy and some with Mom, and then had his big sister join the fun. We were able to get so much variety that incorporated blankets that meant a lot to the family, lots of snuggle time with the baby, their family dog, and of course playful images of big sister on her trampoline and playing “skies” with her Dad in their gorgeous great room with beautiful skylights.

Are you interested in a newborn session in Atlanta or the DC area? Send me a message and let’s see how we can document this new and important time for you and your family.

related:

Victoria’s Lifestyle Newborn Session

Did you know I also offer Fresh 48 Sessions?

Check out the Fresh 48 Newborn Session information here!

Kirkwood Atlanta Family Session | Tabitha Maegan Photography

Thank you for being here! I’m all about color and connection and I love sharing photos from recent family sessions on the blog. I think it’s a great way not only to show off the beautiful families I get to photograph, but to also show what a lifestyle family session gallery looks like. We move around a lot during our sessions and I try to get a variety of images of the children alone and with their parents, as well as a group family photo.

This session was with the Sunshine family in Atlanta, Georgia and I absolutely loved seeing them again. I had photographed their daughter when she was two days old during a fresh 48 birth place session and it was awesome to see how big she’s gotten!

This lifestyle family session began indoors in their home and we transitioned outside. Can we just take a few minutes to admire their front porch? Wow! It’s beautiful! I loved the lights and the swing and they helped tell this family’s story. We ended our session in their backyard and it was fun to see their daughter explore and play with Mommy and Daddy.

I’m currently offering lifestyle family photography in Washington, DC and love how much this city has to offer. If you’re looking for a family photographer in the Washington, DC or Atlanta area please send me a message. I’d love to photograph you!

DC Family Photographers | Lifestyle Family Photography

One thing I love about lifestyle family photography is the way moments organically unfold. As your lifestyle family photographer, I do pose and guide you into an area and work on getting your family close together. This is what helps to create beautiful images in your lifestyle gallery. During your lifestyle family session I do have a little bit of structure in terms of guiding, but I am definitely aware that toddlers are busy and they want to play.

The last time I photographed this family was when baby sister was just a two week-old newborn. During her lifestyle newborn session I captured so many adorable moments and got to document their new family of four. I couldn’t help but to include some photos from their newborn session!

Fast forward about 9 months, we scheduled another family session before I made the move from Atlanta, Georgia to Washington, DC. I was so excited to see how big these girls got and it didn’t take them very long to warm up. We sang songs, looked at the pond, and got to play with Mom and Dad.

I want your lifestyle family session to be fun and playful and I want you to love how the images tell your family’s story.

This session was at Winn Park in Atlanta and I absolutely love shooting here. It’s a hidden gem in the middle of Atlanta and there are several areas in the park that are great for variety in the photos. There is a little pond, a waterfall, and beautiful foliage. I photographed this family of four (also with two toddlers) as well as this sweet family and love photos from all of their sessions!

Please send me a message if you think you’d like to schedule a family session either in Atlanta or in the DC area! I love when families book me as they add family members, or just when they need updated photos. I definitely miss my families in Atlanta and I’m happy to say that I am always willing to fly back home to book sessions and see how much my families have grown!

5 Things You Might Not Know About Tabitha | Tabitha Maegan Photography

Since you’re here on page I will guess that you are either interested in learning more about me as an artist and photographer or maybe you like my work and you are interested to book a family session. I have written a little blog post that may help you get to know me, by sharing 5 things I want you to know. If it’s your first time here, first of all thank you for being here! And head on over to this blog post to read 3 reasons why i am a lifestyle family photographer.

As a photographer it can be easy to hide behind our camera and focus on other people but families are most comfortable with photographers they know!

I’d love you to hang around for a few minutes to read 5 things you might not know about me, and head on over to my contact page if you like what you see and you are interested in booking a family session! I’d love to meet you!

5 things you might not know about Tabitha

1. I studied psychology and have always been interested in human behavior and connection

There is something about people that really interests me. There’s actually quite a lot about people that interests me. Human behavior and connection are probably two of the things I enjoyed most throughout school. I would always get the best grades in psychology classes because that’s what I was motivated to learn. I incorporate connection in my work and you’ll see it in my lifestyle family sessions. I always want to make sure people are connected and I think it helps to tell your family’s story. The human behavior piece definitely fits into my photography style and I make the effort to pay attention to family dynamics as well as the attention span of the little ones. If the little guy would rather go collect sticks, chances are I will tell his brother, Mom or Dad to follow him and see what happens. Likely we can follow the child’s lead for a little while and get genuine expressions in the moment rather than forcing a pose.

2. I always wanted to be left handed

I’m serious! Is that weird?? Is anyone else right handed and wish they were left handed? I used to practice writing with my left hand on many many occasions just so I could improve my handwriting. Let me tell ya something – I’m actually pretty good at it! I always wanted to be left-handed. I’m sure it’s not too late! I don’t know if it’s because it’s less common and it’s like a, “you’re left handed?” thing, but it’s just something that I always thought was so cool! I guess we want what we don’t have, isn’t that right?

3. I have a food blog

One might think that a food blog and family photography have nothing in common, but my passion for photography is what holds those two things together. My work might not ever be in a food magazine or on TV, but I have so much fun creating a photograph that makes a dish look appealing. Not to mention eating the food. I mean, helloooooo I LOVE TO EAT! Although I do the grocery shopping, cooking, photographing, and eating, I do wish that someone could come behind me and clean the dishes. I am NOT a fan of washing dishes. But I can put that aside because working on my food blog is still so much fun! Head on over to Tabitha Talks Food to check out my work! You will find easy to make, delicious recipes that keep my heart and tummy full and happy.

4. I was born in the Philippines

In this blog post I mentioned that my mom would photograph our family to send to my dad when he was away on the ship. You can start to see how my love for photography began! I was born on a navy base in the Philippines and we lived there for a few months when I was a baby. It was pretty neat that my Dad was stationed there because my mom’s side of the family is also Filipino and Spanish. I went back when I was in college and it was such an interesting experience that I don’t know I’ll ever get the chance to do again. I was there for about a week and I think I seriously photographed everything I encountered! I also tried almost all of the food that was in front of me! Finding Filipino food is such a rarity here in Georgia so when I am craving Filipino food I’ll head into the kitchen and make a few dishes.

5. I have never moved away from Georgia

After leaving the Philippines when I was a baby, we moved to California for a few years. When I was six years old we packed up all our bags (who am I kidding, I probably didn’t help at all packing) and drove across the country to Atlanta, Georgia. I went to elementary, middle, and high school here. When I was applying for colleges I didn’t apply out of state and I ended up going to school in the city. Most people move away from home for a job or school, but I actually have been here since I was a child. If I were to move I’m sure it would be a great experience but Atlanta is my home!

Now that you’ve learned some things about me, I’d love to learn something about you! Leave a comment below with something you’d like me to know about you.

 I’d love to tell your family’s story so take a look at my family portfolio and see if we would be a good fit for a lifestyle family session!

3 Reasons Why I am a Lifestyle Family Photographer | Atlanta Family Photography

When I am thinking about my reasons for being a photographer I like to think about my “why”. I like to reflect about what it is that pushes and guides me to be a photographer and what I hope to accomplish each time I pick up my camera for a session. I make sure I speak and execute my “why” for each newborn, maternity, and family session I get to photograph.

 Keep reading to learn a bit about my style of photography and what drives my passion.

3 Reasons why i am a lifestyle photographer

1. Telling a story

When I was young, my Dad was in the military and would leave for several months at a time. My mom took photos and videos of our family and little things that made our family special. This could be anything from photographing the way we played on our swing set or showing off our new clothes and toys to show my Dad. All of these photos tell a story.

When I would go to my grandfather’s house in California I used to make it a point to sit in his living room and pick at least two or three photo albums at a time to look through. He would look through them with me and laugh so hard that he couldn’t even tell me the story about the photo. He recently passed away but I will always cherish the moments and the stories told through photography.

Photography gave me a way to learn about his life from several years ago, and gave me a way to also learn about my mom and her siblings. He actually told me that if it weren’t for my grandmother he wouldn’t have any of those photos of the family or his children. It’s so nice to be able to get closer with friends and family members over something that seems so insignificant but is actually very important. Situations, families, jobs, and experiences can be so different several years from now and being able to use a camera to document the moment and memory is a way to help tell the story. It might be hard to remember how your daughter looked and felt when she lost her first tooth. And you may want to look back at that silly face your son made when Daddy held him close.

Sometimes photographs can tell a story without words and I try to incorporate that every time I press the shutter.

2. Documenting memories

This relates to telling a story and really captures the moment in time. Take the time to think about what memories of your child you have and what you want to be sure to document and not forget. A good example of documenting memories is photographing your new baby during a lifestyle newborn session.

You might not remember how little her toes were or what kind of blanket she loved being swaddled in, but it’s important to have those photographs to look back on.

Maybe your little girl is teething and makes a funny face with a little bit of drool. That’s okay! More than likely I wouldn’t edit that out of my photo, it stays in to tell a story and document the memory!

3. Because life isn’t perfect

What I want to show in my lifestyle work is the viewer to be able to see the connection and the love. I do try to make sure everyone looks and feels comfortable, however I don’t want to take away from the family’s connection. I prefer connection over perfection any day. I don’t fix my hair to be perfect every day and 90% of the time my nails aren’t manicured or painted. Half of the time my socks are mismatched. It is interesting to see how my personal feelings are embedded in my work.

I love the documentary aspect of lifestyle photography and the way the details show life and don’t focus on perfection.

There is always a time and place for perfection but I hope to be able to provide the means to tell your story in a way that is specific and tailored to your family what is important to you right now.

Sometimes your child would rather look at you and sing than look at my camera. Sometimes your child wants to read a book with you and would rather read than sit on a couch for a stiff family photo. And I’m okay with that. It’s connection. And I can’t wait to meet you!

I’d love to photograph your family for a lifestyle family session. Check out my family portfolio here and send me a message on my contact form about how we can schedule your family session!

3 Steps to a Relaxed Newborn Session | Atlanta Family Photographers

When you book me for your lifestyle newborn session, the last thing I want to happen is to add stress. I actually want the opposite and want you to have a relaxed newborn session!

You’ve just had a baby that has maybe been home for a week or two. You might have a toddler sibling that is still getting used to the routine and that there is this crying baby that doesn’t know how to control their voice or emotions. Maybe it’s your first child and you want to have this special time documented and want to be in the photos too. I am excited to share with you a few things we can do for a relaxed newborn session.

3 Steps to a Relaxed Newborn Session

1. capture the details

   When you are preparing to have your new baby, you are also preparing the baby’s nursery. I’ve come across so many really amazing nurseries that have had so much time and energy put into them to look special. This can include special toys or handmade items from family members and friends, it can include a special theme, and it can also include special photos of family. With the wide range of what can be included in a nursery, I think it’s really important to make sure to capture the details, and I can’t leave the nursery details off the list.

   Capturing the details also means making sure you know how small your child is in his or her nursery, or the way they stretch when they are getting out of the swaddle.

   And of course, getting detail shots of the baby’s hands, feet, and their head of hair.

2. Don’t Rush

   We know during our lifestyle newborn session we want photos. We want a photo of your new baby in her new dress or his new outfit. We know we want family members, and we know we want to document this special time. One thing that holds us back a little bit with our agenda is that

   the baby will do what he or she wants to do, when they want to do it. We can’t rush! We have to be able to go with the flow.

   Newborn babies need to be fed, they need to be changed, and they get cold. They are still figuring out this world and how to communicate. That is totally fine! We don’t want to rush these newborn sessions because they are lifestyle in nature. I like to allocate about two hours for newborn shoots which gives us enough time for the breaks. When these things naturally happen, I am there to photograph them!

3. Be Flexible

   I am kind of already saying this as I’m thinking about how to be relaxed for your newborn session, we also have to be flexible. We might think that we are going to change the baby into his new outfit and realize he had another idea and needs to be soothed and settled before trying to put him into this outfit that he doesn’t really care about. What I like to do at this time is continue chatting with the family. If there are siblings, I like to spend time with them and get them engaged in an activity. Maybe big sister wants to show me her new bedspread in her room. I’m going to follow her and take some photos while I’m in there!

   We definitely have a plan to have this lifestyle newborn session but sometimes things happen and being flexible will definitely help to be more relaxed at what can be this crazy time of your life!

   Think you might be interested in booking a lifestyle newborn session? Check out my newborn portfolio and then send me a message on my contact form and we will get your session scheduled!

What to Expect from your Lifestyle Family Session | Atlanta Family Photographers

When potential clients reach out to me about booking a family session I get really excited! I get excited to get to know the family and what makes their family special. People typically book a family photographer once a year at certain times, whether it’s the spring, the holidays, or to celebrate a new addition to the family. Or maybe the family books sessions through out the year.

I want to get to know the families briefly on the phone, learn everyone’s names, and learn about what the children like to do. It is also important to know how their children typically behave in front of the camera. Some children really love the camera and others might not want anything to do with me. It is always helpful to know this information ahead of time so I can be a match to the family’s goals and expectations of their family session.

Once I am able to gather details from the family that will help me capture the connection and tell a story through images, I mention to them what to expect.

Here a few things that I aim to do during your family session.

Here are 3 tips for what to expect during your lifestyle family session:

1. Have fun

   First and foremost, getting your photos should be fun! I know it can be stressful to figure out what to wear, or figure out the best location for your family, but hopefully I can take the stress out of that for you and share ideas for What to Wear. Aside from that, clothing doesn’t really matter. What matters is that your family has fun. Have fun!

   This family had two young children, that at times were interested in the camera and other times didn’t really care that much. It’s important that I keep your family close together while you keep your children engaged in fun! This can mean tickling your little guy, or seeing how he can pile up and hug on Mommy. It can also mean allowing your little guy to play with leaves and talk about the color or shape! Or maybe your little girl just wants to he held. I’m there to document that for you!

2. Follow your Child’s Lead

   Once we get the important shots out of the way, you know, the ones for the grandparents with everyone looking at the camera, we can relax a little bit. My favorite images are always the ones where we allow the child to naturally explore and get into something he or she wants to do. When we let the child lead the way, they will naturally be motivated to interact and play, and this helps to bring out natural expressions from the child as well.

   This little guy would stick with us for a few shots and then wanted to explore nature. He wanted to collect leaves big and small, and he wanted to look at the little bugs crawling on the stone. It was totally fine, we are at a park! Let’s have fun and allow me document your child’s interest at this age. Let’s let them lead the way! Sometimes if your child doesn’t really show interest or maybe there is something that you know he or she will like, we can plan an activity.

3. engage your child in an activity

   I was actually photographing Mama and baby girl for a little while when I glanced over and saw this little guy exploring the rocks and the water. Dad was already there supervising for safety so I encouraged Dad to stay close to the little guy and just be with him and that I would photograph them. And that’s exactly what happened. I didn’t need to set up this activity, it was already going with the two of them. You can see how engaged they were in this activity to find the bugs and look at the water. We didn’t really know this ahead of time or before the session that the child would be interested in just that, but the activity naturally unfolded. I love the way they are together and enjoying what they are doing.

   I can’t wait to meet your family and take unique photos that help to tell your family’s story. Check out more images in the family gallery. If you think you may be interested in booking a session, please say hello on this contact form and we can chat!

10 Ways to Tell a Story During your In-Home Newborn Session

I love love love lifestyle newborn sessions.

Being a lifestyle photographer means helping to tell a family’s story and incorporating meaning and emotion into the image from the session.

Looking through my last few newborn sessions I realized there are some important detail shots that I tend to take that help to document the special time of welcoming a new baby into the world.

Here are 10 ways to use photography to help tell a story during your in home newborn session.

1. Include the Entire Family

Sometimes Dad’s aren’t particularly jumping to the opportunity to get their photo taken. I like to take a few photos of the entire family at the beginning of the session and then let Dad be on his way. 

2. Focus on the Baby within the Family Photo

While I still have Dad’s attention and the family is still together, I like to crop in tight to get a shot of the baby. This might mean moving the family around a little bit, but it’s a nice way to create variety within a family shot. The baby was awake for almost this entire session and I love this photo with her eyes open.

3. Photograph the Baby Feet

I don’t think I could have a newborn photo shoot without photographing the baby’s feet! The baby is so precious and new and getting close up photos of the baby’s legs and feet is so important. They grow so fast at this age so make sure you don’t forget that detail shot!

4. Use a Window

The master bedroom in this home had really great window light. Most of my sessions are taken with natural light when possible, and for those sessions I like to take some photos near a window. My focus is more on the baby and the family so it doesn’t bother me when the windows are blown out. 

5. Capture Connection

I typically like to schedule my newborn sessions when the newborn is 2-3 weeks old because the babies are more alert. When they are awake it tends to be a little easier to capture connection. Whether you are photographing the baby’s connection with the family or with the viewer, it can be a nice way to tell a story.

6. Peek In

For rooms and space that allow, I like to step back and take the photo that allows the viewer to “peek in”. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect way for the family dog to join the photo. When taking these peeking-in shots, you can frame the shot with the door and/or crib if the room allows.

7. Document a Feeding

When Moms are comfortable being photographed nursing their babies it gives me an opportunity to walk around from different angles and document this special time. Newborns naturally eat often so don’t be afraid bring your camera and document a few of these photos for the family to enjoy.

8. Photograph the Baby in Crib

This photo can be taken with the baby in their crib awake or sleeping and I think it helps to tell the story because this is where the baby spends so much of their time.

9. Encourage the Parents to Look at the Baby in Crib

Photographing the parents looking at their baby in the crib is another idea to tell the story with a different perspective and creates connection between the parent and the baby. Another thing you can do is have the parents put their hand on the baby. Babies are so small so I always like to incorporate objects, furniture, and people in comparison to document their small size.

10. Place the Baby on the Bed

Placing the baby on a clean bed and photographing them from different angles is another way to tell the story. This one allows you to compare the size of the baby and remember what they felt like.

If you’ve had photos taken of your newborn, did you get any of these photos?

If you’re a photographer would you add anything else to this list?

Leave a comment below!  

6 Photo Ideas for Baby's First Christmas

So it’s your baby’s first Christmas and you want to take family photos. Now what? Whether your baby is an infant, sitter or toddler, I’ve listed out 6 photo ideas for your baby’s first Christmas. If you’d like ideas about how to incorporate holiday items and family members that add to your family’s Christmas photo session, keep reading below!

1. lighting

The master bedroom in this home had quite a bit of natural light so we took advantage. We sat the baby on the bed and faced him towards the window. This helped to illuminate him and create catch lights in his eyes. I also loved that the bedding was simple so it naturally allows the focus to be on him!

2. focus on the details

It wouldn’t be a Christmas photo shoot without some holiday items! I suggest keeping it simple for the shots with the baby. I love a naked baby because you get to see their adorable little body and chunky baby fat! Mom and Dad had some Christmas socks and a hat they wanted to incorporate so we decided to keep it simple so that the focus could be on the little guy and his first Christmas!

3. use lights

Mom had the idea to use the Christmas lights and I loved how they turned out! Little ones love putting things in their mouth so you’ll want to be a little close to them just in case they decide it’s a fun toy to put in their mouth. When you plug in the Christmas lights it be easier if you turn off the overhead light. This will help to create the natural look that isn’t too bright. Keep in mind these Christmas lights can get hot if plugged in for an extended amount of time so I would take as many shots as you can before the lights get too warm for baby.

4. include family traditions / keepsakes

Of course it’s the baby’s first Christmas but we also want to document this special time with Mom and Dad! You can get creative with these. If there is a tradition a family has during the holidays such as kissing under the mistletoe, feel free to incorporate that into a family photo!

5. wear family christmas pajamas

I typically wouldn’t suggest everyone wearing the exact same thing during a typical non-holiday family session, but with this being a Christmas theme, we can’t forget Christmas clothes! I just loved how adorable they are with their Christmas jammies. I might have to shop around this year just to have a photo like this!

6. minclude the pets

Pets are part of the family! Mom and Dad had this pup before the baby was born so it would be unfair to not include him in the family photos. I just love the pup’s reaction in the photos. Can you tell he is excited?

If you have any ideas about how to create fun and unique holiday family photos, I’d love to read your ideas below!

Looking to book your next family photo session? Send me a message!

in-home lifestyle family session | {jean family}

Lifestyle photography does not always mean that we have to have our session inside but in this particular case I was happy to offer it in their home. I feel that we got so many great shots of this beautiful family and I was happy to have their home as the location of the session. Home is the perfect backdrop for your lifestyle family session. There is something about being in in your natural space that makes it feel more personal and intimate. I met this wonderful photographer Dadiana and had so much time with her and her beautiful family! 

My goal as a lifestyle family photographer is to capture connection in a genuine and comfortable way. With children being different ages, there are several ways to make this connection happen. The little girls in this family are quite young so naturally we had a little tickle fight. Tickles can be such a fun activity that brings out natural smiles and expressions from the little ones. I thought it was adorable that the little one had ways to steal the show with her fresh expressions!

I think getting group shots of the family is important and we try to get those out of the way at the beginning of the session, but the rest of the time we really just carry on and I'm there to capture the connection. The two girls loved jumping on the couch and you can see they have such a loving little friendship already. One of their activities with Dad is to pretend he is a slide and take over. How fun! (Sorry Dad!). Lastly I spent a few minutes getting some shots of just Mom and Dad together. Aren't they the cutest? 

Check out another recent lifestyle family session on the blog. I loved incorporating this little guy's interest and love for chalk! If you're interested in booking a lifestyle family session with me or if you have any questions, head on over to my contact and faq pages. I'd love to be your family photographer! 

{stanwood family} | ponce city market | atlanta baby photographer

I had a new family reach out to me about taking family portraits for the holidays. The family previously had a lifestyle session in their home, and this time around they decided on an urban setting (which is also so much fun!). We went to Ponce City Market which is such a neat area in Atlanta. There are shops, restaurants, a nice rooftop, and lots of great surroundings, art, and decor. 

It was a little chilly in the morning but we were able to take many photos before the place got busy, which sometimes is hard to avoid on the weekends! This little guy was 5 months at the time and you can see so much joy in his face when he got to play with Mommy and Daddy. He had the cutest dimples and facial expressions. 

I'm already looking forward to the next time I have a session at Ponce City Market! 

It doesn't have to be a special holiday for me to want to meet you and capture your family as you are, wherever you like to go! Please contact me about booking a session if you want a laid back and relaxed family session! If you want to see what I've been up to, check out Daddy and Daughter playtime and Backyard Fun!