Ela's Newborn Session by Leslie Whitaker, Shreveport Newborn Photographer

Ela is such a sweet blessing. Her parents, Lauren and Eli, are SMITTEN with her. Eli has the biggest smile when he looks at her, and when he looks at Lauren too.

I get so many parents who are having their second baby who regret not getting newborn images for their first baby, and they are determined to have the works the second time. We do maternity photos and newborn and sometimes even an extra family session, or in home fresh 48 session too! Don’t regret missing out on documenting these milestones. You can’t go back and do them, so make sure to get them done right the first time.

Don’t you just LOVE her hair?! I seem to have had a ton of sweet newborns in for newborn sessions lately with hair, and I am here for it!

All of my babies arrive pre-dressed in a white cotton onesie. Every single baby is documented in this timeless way, and parents always choose at least one of these images, but most of the time three of four. There is something about the focus being directly on baby that every one loves, especially me! Doesn’t Ela look so perfect, just like this?

I love documenting details! Ela’s profile, her sweet little hand and her toes! So precious, and things that deserve to be captured during every newborn session in my studio.

Parent images are so special too! I don’t think I’ve had any parents skip this part in a LONNNNNNG time. My newborn sessions come with COMPLIMENTARY professional hair and makeup services, so why skip it? Hailey did Lauren’s hair and makeup for her session and she looks so dang pretty, don’t you think? She has a snow white vibe! :)

I’d love to talk with you if you’re looking for a newborn photographer in Shreveport, Louisiana. My studio is stocked with everything needed to execute your dream newborn session! Fill out my contact form and let’s start planning!

-XOXO, Leslie

Check out my friend Vanessa’s blog about why digital images are not enough when investing in professional photography: https://www.vkeophotography.com/post/10-reasons-why-digitals-are-not-enough

Shreveport Maternity Photographer | Charde's Mommy and Me | Motherhood by Leslie

Motherhood is special. Motherhood is hard too. Pregnancy isn’t always rainbows, though it can be. The best part is you forget all of the hard stuff after baby is born, why else would we do it again?

I’ve know Charde’ for a long time, well at least 5 years. I first met her when she hired me to take her headshots. She was starting a wedding planning business and needed some marketing maternity. That seems like a 100 years ago. Since then I’ve been her engagement, wedding and now maternity photographer. I was so excited when her husband, Andy, texted me to set something up as a surprise for Charde’.

This will be Charde’s second baby, a sweet boy. And, he doens’t have a name yet! If i’m honest we didn’t name our third baby until a couple of hours before we left the hospital. In Louisiana you can leave the hospital without a name, and you have 30 days to figure it out and file for the birth certificate, but I DID NOT want to deal with all that! So, I texted my husband while he was gone to pick up the older kids and told him to send me 3 names, and I’d choose one. LOL

Hopefully Charde’ wont have to deal with that, it’s not any fun not having a thing with your baby’s name on it for his birth day. I can’t wait to meet her sweet boy, and I hope he’s as sweet as Amilia. She’s a complete doll, every time I see her.

If you’re looking for a maternity photographer in Shreveport, Louisiana I’d love to talk with you! All of my maternity clients receive a complimentary newborn petite session, as a gift from me! I take care of all the details, so you don’t have to take on any more stress. You have enough to deal with.

What made you choose Leslie Whitaker for your Motherhood session?

I admire the simplicity and beauty of her photography. She is always kind and yet super professional!

• What were you nervous about going into your session?

  That I wouldn't like my pictures because I just wasn't feeling very confident in my appearance at my appointment.

• What was your favorite part of your session experience?

  Leslie always makes the atmosphere very relaxing. The session was stress free.

• How do you feel now that you have completed your session and received your images?

  I love the images! I didn't feel like I was at my best during the session but the images captured were simply gorgeous.

• Would you recommend Leslie to other ladies looking to book a maternity session? Why?

  Absolutely! She is professional, down to earth, and passionate about her projects. She has never disappointed me after hiring her multiple times so of course I would highly recommend based on my personal experiences.

https://dreadonphotography.com/how-to-look-great-in-photos/

Daniel's ‘Super Man' First Birthday Cake Smash | Shreveport Portrait Photographer | Leslie Whitaker Photography

Daniel, aka Dani, might be the REAL Superman. He was born early, and on his due date had surgery on his little heart. Before his smash we did some photos to celebrate his journey too. Mama called it his ‘heartiversary'. Yoana has been coming to me since her oldest was brand new.

I hand made Daniel’s city backdrop and built his balloon swag too. :) I am so stinking obsessed with this one. It came out perfectly and the colors POP off of the white background. This cake smash is adorable all the way around.

Why did you choose Leslie to capture your child's first birthday portraits?

I’ve used her since I was pregnant with my first child and LOVE her work.

Were you nervous about anything going into your child's session? Please explain.

I was nervous that he wouldn’t cooperate. Which he didn’t the first day but Leslie was very understanding and she was even able to accommodate us and squeeze us in the next day for a session that he did better in.

What was your favorite part of the session experience?

The setup was perfect! I loved everything about it!

How do you feel now that you have completed your session and received your images?

100% satisfied with the moments she was able to capture!

Would you recommend Leslie to other parents looking to book a first birthday session for their child? Why?

Yessss because she’s so easy to get along with and her pictures are amazing. She makes the backgrounds herself and is so creative! I loved how it turned out!

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Noah - Quarantine Babies - Shreveport Newborn Photographer - Leslie Whitaker Photography

Covid-19 has changed many of the ways we live our life. I'd love to hear from you how it has directly affected your pregnancy. Do you feel like you've missed out on anything during your pregnancy with Noah that you'd hoped for? Do you recall any emotional differences related to the changes you faced towards the end of your pregnancy?

Covid-19 took away so much planned during my pregnancy. With so much changing with the hospital guidelines I was pushed to give in and be induced with my son to not risk having my husband missing out on his birth. I wasn’t allowed to have any family visit me during my stay and my photographer couldn’t be there as well. It was really emotional not having my mother with me as well to meet my son. She honestly didn’t get to meet him until he was 9 weeks old.

How was your hospital stay? Do you recall any differences in processes, how you were treated, etc. compared to your birth plan? How did those differences make you feel?

I honestly loved my hospital stay. I was treated so good by the staff. They helped me understand everything that was going on and I lucked out and got a family friend as my nurse. I couldn’t have done it without Brandi or my husband Michael.

Where was Noah born and at how many weeks gestation? How old was your baby on the date of his session?

Noah was born at Willis Knighton Bossier at 39 weeks. We did his newborns at 6-7 weeks!

What were you nervous about going into your session?

I was nervous about Noah not cooperating and taking him out the house.

What was your favorite part of your session experience?

Being pampered with hair and makeup while Leslie took care of Noah for his session.

How do you feel now that you have completed your session and received your images?

I am so happy! I have been so excited to have these to share with my family 💙

Would you recommend Leslie to other parents looking to document their newborn? Why would you recommend Leslie?

Of course! Leslie is the best. She’s the baby whisper and she knows what she is doing. She is very professional with her work and she is so kind.

There are so many beautiful styles of newborn photos. A simple white background with baby as the focus of the image, that speaks to me. I add color when the parents want me to, but no matter how hard I try.. I always go back to a clean image. Noah, he looks beautiful in a sweet cotton onesie, and all babies do too. Scroll down to check out my favorites from his newborn session. -Leslie

Declan - Quarantine Babies - Shreveport Newborn Photographer, Leslie Whitaker Photography-

Morgan, Dakota and Declan are such a beautiful family! Declan is a perfect little boy with an olive tone complexion and what look to be blue eyes. On the day of his session he was a complete gentleman and went right to sleep once I swaddled him! He was six weeks old the day of our session, and chunky already. I love working with older newborns, I find that they actually do better than most younger babies and settle into positions with less fuss. I’ve already gotten to see Declan and his parents again, at the sunflower fields - but read below to hear more about Morgan’s final weeks of pregnancy, their session from her perspective and how Covid-19 affected her and her family during Declan’s birth, before and after.

Covid-19 has changed many of the ways we live our life. I'd love to hear from you how it has directly affected your pregnancy. Do you feel like you've missed out on anything during your pregnancy with Declan that you looking forward to? Do you recall any emotional differences related to the changes you faced towards the end of your pregnancy or postpartum experience?

Luckily, I was well into my 3rd trimester before Covid-19 related restrictions set in, but my husband wasn't able to attend my last few doctor's appointments. We even ended up going to a different hospital for Declan's birth because my original hospital was only going to allow my husband to stay for the "Golden Hour" before being asked to leave while I stayed another 48 hours. It was very stressful to think that my husband wouldn't be with me or be able to spend the first couple days with his first newborn. I definitely cried in the doctor's office when I found that out, but thankfully it all worked out.

How was your hospital stay? Do you recall any differences in what you had imagined your birth experience to be like? How did those differences make you feel?

So, we solved the problem of my husband not being able to be with me, but there was no getting past the 1 visitor rule! Our family had to wait until we were all home. It was definitely much different than I imagined. Part of me is very thankful that it was quiet and my husband could spend that time meeting our new little one, but it also would have been great to have family there for extra support and to meet their first grand baby.

Where was Declan born and at how many weeks gestation? How old was your baby on the date of his newborn session?

Declan was born at Willis Knighton in Bossier and was 40 weeks (born 1 day before his due date)! He was 6 weeks during our session.

What were you nervous about going into your session?

I wasn't worried about much. I had heard great things about Leslie, but with Covid-19 still lingering in our community, I did feel a little anxious about the possibility of exposing him to anything.

What was your favorite part of your newborn session experience?

It was very relaxed! Leslie was great & coached us non-models into family positions that made for such sweet photos.

How do you feel now that you have completed your newborn session and received your images?

Great! Wouldn't change it for the world. The pictures are beautiful and are a wonderful presentation of us as a new family.

Would you recommend Leslie to other parents looking to document their newborn with a professional newborn photographer? Why would you recommend Leslie as a photographer in Shreveport, Louisiana?

Of course, Leslie has a fantastic selection of props to use. She's very personable and easy-going. Plus her editing skills are A++. Can't wait to get more pictures made with her in the future!

Charli - Quarantine Babies - Shreveport Newborn Photographer - Leslie Whitaker Photography

Covid-19 has changed many of the ways we live our life. I'd love to hear from you how it has directly affected your pregnancy. Do you feel like you've missed out on anything during your pregnancy with Charli that you got to do during your previous pregnancies? Do you recall any emotional differences related to the changes you faced towards the end of your pregnancy?

The Covid shut down started during a very important time in my pregnancy. I had just entered my third trimester and was looking forward to all the things I got to do with my two boys. I was going to do a 4d ultrasound, make a heart beat bear, have my baby shower, and take maternity pictures. Covid unfortunately ruined all of those plans. Because of the shutdown my husband's casino closed and we went from one income to no income. At that point we had to prioritize where our money went and had to follow a strict budget. The 4d ultrasound, heart beat bear, and maternity session did not fit into our budget anymore. I lost out on having my husband at my last ultrasound before the baby was born. I lost out on a regular baby shower. I will say what everyone came up with was wonderful though. In my third trimester I was an emotional wreck. I was anxious about going into labor. Since my children were out of school I was taking care of three rowdy boys and my daughter. I was a full time student as well. Teaching three school age children, cooking breakfast, lunch, and dinner (and tons of snacks in between lol), going to school myself, and trying to keep up with my duties around the house was draining. Emotionally and physically. It also unknown how Covid affected pregnant women. If it could be transferred to the baby invitro or not. All of the what ifs made it impossible to not to constantly worry. Sleep was out of the question. All in all my quarantine pregnancy was more stressful and caused more anxiety and possible depression. I started to doubt if I could handle having a newborn and continue doing all I was for my other children. I started to doubt my ability as a mother and a wife. It was difficult not having a support system and knowing I was stuck in quarantine.

How was your hospital stay? Do you recall any differences in processes, how you were treated, etc. compared to your previous birth experiences? How did those differences make you feel?

When we arrived at the hospital we had to answer questions like had we been out of the state, have we been in contact with anyone sick, and do we feel sick. They then took our temperatures and called the labor and delivery nurses. When the nurses came down and escorted us upstairs there was no leaving after that. My husband was not allowed to leave for snacks, drinks, or anything of any sort. If he did he was not allowed back in. The nurses that tended to me all wore masks and didn't come in the room very often. If I needed something I had to call for them which was much different than what I was used to. With both of my boys I was surrounded by nurses constantly. Waking me up in the middle of the night, a lactation assistant coming in, the nursery nurses checking on the baby, etc. When i had Charli, she never left the room. They didn't take her to the nursery to bath her. She stayed with me 24/7.

Where was Charli born and at how many weeks gestation? How old was your baby on the date of her session?

Charli was born at Willis Knighton Bossier at 39 weeks. I was induced. On the date of her session she was a month old!

What were you nervous about going into your session?

Going in to the session I was just glad to be out of the house. It was the first time (other than going to the hospital) that I had been out of the house since quarantine began. Other than dr appointments.

What was your favorite part of your session experience?

My favorite part was getting to see Charli dressed up. Also getting to talk and connect with another adult and awesome photographer. You were so wonderful with Charli!!

How do you feel now that you have completed your session and received your images?

I feel good knowing that our experience was documented. That I can show her when she is older. I am also excited that I can tell my story to hopefully help out other moms who are going through what we did and give them some peace in knowing that everything will be okay!

Would you recommend Leslie to other parents looking to document their newborn? Why would you recommend Leslie?

Of course I would recommend Leslie to everyone! I love her work and she was so gentle and wonderful with Charli. She has definitely found her calling in photography!

Shreveport, Louisiana Maternity Photographer // Rhonda's Maternity Session

Covid-19 has changed many of the ways we live our life. I'd love to hear from you how it has directly affected your pregnancy. Do you feel like you've missed out on anything? How are you feeling emotionally? Etc.

I do feel like it has impacted my pregnancy. Not being able to get together with family and friends. Not being able to have my husband at the doctor appointments and not being able to have my other children at the hospital when we bring our daughter into the world. It saddens me really. I feel like I have missed out on a lot of moments that I was able to capture in my previous pregnancies. Breaks my heart really. Moments that I will never experience again as this is my last child. Having Leslie do my maternity shoot definitely took some sting away. Helped me feel more normal outside of the Covid-19.

What were you nervous about going into your session?

I don't recall being nervous. I was excited to be able to have the opportunity to have the pictures done during this covid-19 pandemic.

What was your favorite part of your session experience?

The way I felt so comfortable. Just talking and feeling like I wasn't just a stranger I’d just met.

How do you feel now that you have completed your session and received your images?

I feel even more beautiful than I did before.

Would you recommend Leslie to other ladies looking to book a maternity session? Why?

Absolutely! Leslie is very laid-back and gentle. Most photographers seem demanding but she was soft spoken and just overall gentle.

So many parts of life have been impacted, and I know that my way of thinking has changed a lot. A certain level of fear is healthy, enough to keep you safe. Sometimes you need to leave the fear in the background and enjoy your season of life. I’m happy to have been able to give Rhonda a sense of normalcy as she gets ready to welcome Presley into her sweet family. I can’t wait to get to capture this beautiful baby girl as she grows.

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A Newborn Session - Elianna - Shreveport Newborn Photographer

Elainna is my first baby in my transition to baby lead newborn sessions. I call them, ‘Simply Baby by Leslie’. I find a particular beauty in stepping back from the distraction of a multitude of color and props in newborn photos. To me, at the end of it all you want to remember every single wrinkle, that funny face they made when they were mad, or even something as simple as the way they stretch. You won’t remember it if you don’t have photos of it, and those photos should be beautiful.

Most of us take a bajillion photos on our phones, but how many of us print those photos out? Not many, and if you do - rock on you bada** Mama. Maybe you do that, and you want some bomb professional newborn photos of your baby too. That’s where I come in. I really take care of it all.

If parents want to be in the photos, I offer a complimentary hair and makeup session for Mama! Because, let’s be honest… you are tired. So, I’ll take that part off your plate. :) Siblings, they’re welcome too. We’ll even do their photos first, so that they can go with Grandma to get some ice-cream and meet you at home later.

Now, read on about how Jordan felt before, during and after Elianna’s session…. and then book your sweet baby’s session next.

-Leslie

What made you choose Leslie for your recent newborn session?

I had first looked into her for maternity photos when I was pregnant, as I had seen her work from mutual friends on Facebook. Unfortunately, I saw on her page that she was on maternity leave during the time frame I’d need to capture my belly. So when it came time for newborn pictures of my sweet baby, I knew exactly where to start!

What were you nervous about going into your newborn session?

I was so worried that my little stinker would be uncooperative, as she was a bit colicky at the time (turns out it was a pretty serious stomach condition causing the fuss). I’m also a first time, self-proclaimed ‘helicopter mom’ and was anxious about a virtual stranger handling my baby.

What was your favorite part of your newborn session experience?

Leslie was so professional and warm at the same time! She knew exactly what to do to keep my baby calm and cooperative- even when she got fussy, and peed on one of the outfit wraps! It was so nice to be able to just relax and gush about how cute my baby looked.

How do you feel now that you have completed your session and received your images?

I am 100% confident in my choice of photographer. The images were absolutely beautiful and everyone loves them!

Would you recommend Leslie to other families looking for a newborn photographer in Louisiana? Why?

Yes! The expertise and flexibility she brings is absolutely essential in a newborn photographer, and her work is incredible. Everyone looking to document their baby’s precious moments with total peace of mind should look to Leslie!

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