Reflections by Luna

Malika and Dante Daniels welcomed their rainbow baby on October 3rd of 2018. We did a recent session with them to capture their family with their rainbow baby and as a milestone for little dean as he was turning 1 soon. She also wanted to share the story of her loss. Her loss is a little different from others but still, a loss and they still miss their precious Angelica. Here is her story: “In 2017 we were pregnant with our 2nd child and excited to be expanding our family. At 18 weeks we went in for the anatomy scan where were learned we were having another girl. The doctor also told us that they found many abnormalities in the ultrasound including severe issues with her brain and heart. We met with a perinatologist, genetic counselor, and went through additional testing. Once we received all the results of the tests we learned our daughter had a fatal chromosome disorder called Trisomy 13. Trisomy 13 is not compatible with life outside the womb; our daughter was not going to s...

Welcome back, Everyone! I recently had a spectacular session with the Frank family. I've said it before and I'll say it again – I truly have the best clients ever! This family was no exception, either. They were fun, easy going and very photogenic. Although the kids didn’t want their photos taken, they eventually warmed up and we got some great candid photos. The weather was amazing but a little chilly. Apparently, mother nature finally got the memo that its fall here in Georgia. The skies were overcast which made for some amazing lighting. This was my first session really focusing on candid/lifestyle type shoots. Usually I do a mix of posed and unposed but this session was super fun, I would like to introduce the Frank Family: Jason (dad), Elana (Mom), Levi, Avidan, and Matan the kids. Jason is known as the silly dad and was joking around with the kids trying to get them to relax including piggy back rides and trying to push him in the pond. Elana is the strict mo...

Welcome back! The mission of this blog post is to show off the Charming Lucas Still. I actually photographed Lucas about 6 months ago when he was about 1 month old. Check out the pictures here: https://reflectionsbylunaphotography.blogspot.com/2018/12/momdad-babyfamily-of-3.html His parents traveled 3 hours up to meet us for this session so it was a long day but he did fantastic! Can you believe how big this little fella has gotten since then? I had to blink a few times to make sure I was seeing things clearly! He is already crawling, pulling himself up, and walking as long as he’s holding on to something and he has started babbling. He is also attempting to talk and holds kind of a conversation with you and loves feeding himself. It’s amazing how fast they grow! Baby Lucas was the perfect size to put in a Tonka Truck. I was so excited to be able to use the prop and loved how the pictures turned out. I'll definitely be using this one in future sessions. ...

Pre-Session Warm Up I just wanted to take a minute to talk about the importance of the pre-session warm up. What is this, you might ask? This is the photographer-child interaction time that occurs before we begin the session. I always suggest that you show up a little bit early, maybe 5-10 minutes, to your session so we have this time to get to know each other. Especially with young children, it’s going to be a little bit scary interacting with someone they’ve never met before. I want to ensure we can really show off your child’s personality, so I want him or her to be comfortable with me and with the environment. Filling out the questionnaire beforehand will also help me know how best to break the ice while getting down on your child’s level. If we were to just throw them into the middle of the session and there’s this stranger with a camera jumping around trying to get them to look and smile, your child is going to tense up and there may even be confusion. We really just wa...

Let me stop for a second to tell you that I am seriously the luckiest photographer in the world. My clients are always so fabulous to work with. That's true of my session with the Pushko family, too! I met up with them March 16 at Leone Price Park in Kennesaw and the weather was perfect for photo-taking. It was cool spring weather with just the right mix of cloud cover and sunlight. While the weather was fine, it was the Pushko family that made this shoot such a blast! When you meet that special someone that you choose to spend the rest of your life with, you might think they will be your one and only love. But the minute that little child comes into your life you will realize that there is more than just your significant other and the love of a parent and child is more than one can even comprehend. Watching your child grow and learn and discover is so much fun. You learn to see everything through their eyes and they give you a whole new perspective on life. T...

When I was a military wife, I got called superwoman, super mom, super awesome but there are women out there that deserve that title more than me. Single moms. Yes, I was alone w/5 kids for months at time but daddy always came back and was there in the background providing support as much as he could be. Single moms are just that; single. They don't have that constant support of another parent to help or give them a break. They literally do it all. They are doctors, teachers, providers, defenders, protectors. The very definition of a superwoman can be found in any single mom working hard to raise their children and provide for them on their own. My client on Saturday is of those superwomen. She has three amazing children who absolutely adore her. I had the pleasure of capturing that adoration and love between mother and children this weekend. Grandma was there as a support but she is still one strong momma. Balancing everything can be difficult but she does it all. So he...

There is a time when sorrow can hit. A time for joy, and a time for pain. It may or may not be expected. The loss of a child is a tragedy that defies all others. It might happen during pregnancy, infancy, childhood or even adulthood. No matter when it happens it leaves a hole in the heart of those left behind. Miscarriage/infant loss is something isn't talked about often because of the different feelings it may come up. The rainbow is a symbol of hope and peace. It’s also a symbol of joy. A rainbow baby is a term used to describe an infant born after the loss of another child. 1 in 4 women experience infant loss during pregnancy or even birth. Any child born after that is considered the "rainbow of hope after the storm." This child may be extra special. Not only do they have a family here but also up in heaving watching over them. Celebrating the creation of life during pregnancy is amazing but it’s even more special when that child holds special meaning and has...