North Louisiana Lifestyle Family and Newborn Photographer

Tag: bossier city louisiana newborn photographer

Justin and Lilian | Louisiana Anniversary Portrait Photographer

It is soon to be Justin and Lillian’s second wedding anniversary. I photographed their anniversary portraits for their first anniversary and I loved those images! Here we are on the second anniversary and I love these even more! Both sets of images were taken in downtown Minden Louisiana, yet they look so different! I love the variety they got.

Downtown Minden is one of those locations you can shoot in over and over and not feel like you are just shooting the same thing. For this session we decided to start at the Minden Louisiana library. If you have come through Minden then you know how amazing the library is! I do not know the history of it, I’m sure it is a good story.. but I do know that it is an amazinbg building that I have been eyeing for months now. I knew it would photograph incredibly well, i just needed the perfect couple for it. Cue Justin and Lillian.

When we first planned our session together, we were going to go into Bossier City, Louisiana. When rain was forecasted we decided to reschedule. Being unsure of dates we could make it work, we decieded to stick closer to home. They live in Minden and we are only about 20 mintues from Minden.

Once again, our date was rained out so we had to reschedule. But this time we decided to move it up one day. So instead of Saturday we chose Friday. The sun was shining beautifully, even though it was quite chilly. It was a wonderful day over all.

It seemed like all of Minden decided to come out the same evening we were doing photos. It got a little interesting ( comical ) as I was trying to yell over the loud vehicles driving by. But it made for some good laughs. We had the best time together! Justin is such a hoot! You can’t be around him long without hurting from the laughter.

I am so thankful for this opportunity to work with you two again! Happy two years!! Have a good trip in San Antonio, you two!!

So cute

Love, love, love

Isn’t this place stunning?!

Lillian, you’re so beautiful

Some of my faves

I’ve been imagining this shot in my head for a while now!

Thank you so much for being here!! If you enjoyed this please leave some love.

XOXO,
Courtney

January 11, 2022
Favorite locations of 2021 | North Louisiana Photographer

As I have already said before, 2021 was full of beautiful sessions that I just adored! And I know I have already showed those to you. However!! 2021 was also full of some great locations around North Louisiana.

As a photographer in North Louisiana, it can be tricky to find great spots because North Louisiana is really not that glamorous. Like at all. In fact, it is frustrating how non-glamorous North Louisiana is. There are no mountains, no epic gardens, no super awesome historic locations. We do have historic locations, but not a ton.

However, there are a few great spots that I have found in 2021 and I’m hopeful to find even better ones in 2022!

Here are my top favs

The peach orchard in Shreveport

Lake Claiborne

My parents land in Shongaloo

Our land in Homer

Lake Bistineau in Doyline

The Square in Homer

LA TECH campus

Caney Lake in Minden

These are just a few great spots in case you need ideas for your next session.

I hope you enjoyed this post! Please leave some love.

Xoxo,

Courtney

January 3, 2022
Selah Grace | Louisiana Lifestyle Newborn Photographer

Little baby Selah.. Oh I am so happy finally share these here!!

This session at their home in North Louisiana went so great! In home lifestyle newborn sessions are my absolute favorite! There is nothing at all like having sweet photographs in a location that you are so comfotable in.

Little Selah did so good for me, too!! After being swaddled, and a little bit of persuasion, she went right to sleep. She was a little on the older side because my girls weren’t feeling well when she was younger, but she still did so wonderful!

I always like to let mama feed baby and get them nice and sleepy while I photograph the details of the nursery. Even if there are not alot of details, I still find it very important to capture all the tiny details that make up all the story of your newborn’s life. This time goes by so, so fast! One day you’re staying up all hours of the night with a fussy baby and in the blink of an eye you’re starting them in school. It’s crasy how fast it goes!

Sadie had the sweetest little bassinet for Selah that I just adored. There were so many elements that made this sesion so good. The window seat, the colors in the room, all of it was just so good! She had special outfits made by family members. Smocked dresses, knitted bonnets and sweater, it was just so special! It’s easy to say that newborn sessions are my favorite.

I know things are getting repetitive here but what can I say?? It was just that good!! Are you ready for me to stop talking and show you the images? I know you are!!

These were made by her sweet cousin

Jeremy’s aunt made this dress!!

This one is so beautiful!!

Little sweetie

Thank you so much for being here!! If you enjoyed this please leave some love.
xoxo,
Courtney

December 30, 2021
Best of 2021 | North Louisiana Family and Newborn Photographer

Welcome to the best of 2021 blog post!! These are all the best from sessions we had as a north Louisiana family and newborn photographer in 2021. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, 2021 was our best year yet!

I am so very thankful for each one that entrusted us with the task of documenting their family in the here and now. We treasure images taken of our family and I know each one of you do too.

The season that you are currently in may be tough and leaving you feeling overwhelmed, but just now it’s only a season. Before you know it this season will be gone and you’ll be longing for it again.

In 2022, let’s pledge to cherish where we are at now and look forward to what’s to come. Let’s be more present with you families and friends. Let’s live our very best lives and not worry about what so and so is doing.

I’m so thankful and honored to have been able to photograph and meet such special people this year and I look forward to all that God has in store for this little business endeavor in the coming year.

2021 was a year of growth for me. I invested back into my business through education and truly learned so much! From the ins and outs of lighting, composition and posing, to client interaction and making them feel comfortable in front of the camera. I don’t regret a single investment I made. And it’s because of each of you that I was able to do this.

I trust each of you had a Merry Christmas and that your new year is blessed and full of all God’s many blessings.

Now, let’s look back on 2021!!

A true highlight of my year- love this sweet family!

This session was so fun!!

Still a favorite

Show stopper

This one is so dreamy

Thank you so so much for being here!! If you enjoyed this please leave some love.

Xoxo,

Courtney

December 27, 2021
Haven and John Paul | A North Louisiana Christmas Session

Christmas in North Louisiana is always unpredictable as far as the weather goes. And that is exactly how this day was. There are was a big storm approaching that night so the wind was howling! I had the bright idea of bringing our tree outside to use as a prop.. it was real genius with howling wind. It fell over once and continues to threaten more falls. I decided to grab a few 15 pound weights to hold it down. HA!

If that wasn’t enough, the sun was coming in and out behind very dark clouds. I had to move the tree 3 times. Do things get better? Not yet.

Minutes before they arrived it started sprinkling even though the radar showed no rain. Nothing. I was not ok at this point.

But, alas, things did get better!! Once they arrived the sun peeked out of the clouds just long enough for us to get some pretty light in our images and then it went back behind the clouds for us to use the little Christmas set up I spent all that time on.

After our session was finished, John Paul and Haven got to meet our puppy Duke and they loved playing with him.

I would say, overall, it turned out to be a great day! These images are so sweet and fun! Love these kids!

Thank you so much for being here!! If you enjoyed this please leave some love.

Xoxo,

Courtney

December 20, 2021
Mason Family | Homer Louisiana Family Photographer

The Mason family is such a sweet group of people. They reached out to me to do their session and we were able to squeeze it in just before Christmas.

We met on our land here outisde of Homer, Louisiana on a chilly December day. I have done their photos a number of times and each time I am thankful to be able to capture this time for them.

The Masons are another family I have known all of my life. I have many memories of going over to Jennifer’s family’s house for Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations as a kid. We always had so much fun! We have photos of crawfish boils when Esther was just a baby. So many memories!

Pictured in a few of these photos is the sweet boy that Esther has baby sat since he was a newborn. He is like a member of the family to them so it was only fitting to let him in a few images. I’m so excited to share these with you and I hope you enjoy them!!

Thank you so much for being here!! If you enjoyed this post! If so, please leave some love.

XOXO,
Courtney

December 17, 2021
Emma and Andrew | Caney Lakes Miden Louisiana Photographer

I had such a wonderful time with Emma and Andrew and their mom Laura during this session! It was so good to meet them and they were awesome in front of the camera!

The joys of meeting so many new faces this year has been such a wonderful blessing! I look forward to what the coming year holds!

We met for this sesion at Caney Lakes state park in Minden Louisiana. I do not shoot here often, but each time I do I am reminded of how beautiful it is! We do have to go on a little hike around the lake, but nothing too crazy.

I love how you can just walk a short distance and get such a hiuge variety in locations, light, and image results. This creates so much varitey within the final gallery. Everyone loves that!

I hope you can tell by these images just how sweet and respectful Emma and Andrew are. We got to chat about where they go to school, their church camp where Andrew won the most Christ-like award, and so much more! It was such an honor and priviledge to just learn about them. It is so wonderful to meet such awesome people!

Thank you again, Laura, for trusting me with such a task of documenting your family’s memories. I loved every second of our time together!!

Thank you so much for being here!! If you enjoyed this post please leave some love.

Xoxo,

Courtney

December 13, 2021
Stephenson Family | North Louisiana Family Photographer

Oh the Stephenson family!

How I loved meeting them!! We met for their sesion out on their land in North Louisiana.

After getting a tad lost and having to call them for help, we arrvied and got to meet and greet. I introduced myself to their sweet kiddos and we chatted a little about the land, where we should shoot, and all that fun stuff! It had just rained the day before so we were a little worried about it being muddy, but everything was perfect. The land was beautiful and so was the light! And that family? Oh they were fantastic!! I have never worked with kids who knew how to work that camera. hah!! They seriously all made my job SOOO EASY!!

After arriving on the land we came to find out that this was actaully where John grew up! How awesome is that?! I’m all about session locations having sentimental value- and this one did!!! It just makes the images that much more special.

We got started wtih everyone smiling and looking at the camera. I always call these the boring shots. HA! We get thes out of the way fast while we have everyone’s attention and then we get to the fun stuff!! I’m a firm believer that in order to make your sessions not feel like they are dragging by and like pulling teeth you HAVE TO MAKE IT FUN! We play games, have tickle fights, and just be plain goofy!! You may wonder how on earth we get good shots this way. Just trust me, you do!! The candid feel is how you capture their real personalities and get the little ones to trust you that it will be fun.

After gettng home and uploading these images I felt the joy and emotion all over again. There is nothing like getting home and getting to re-live a wonderful time all over again. I know I say this all the time, and it sounds cliche, but i just love that I get to do this as my job! It’s the most rewarding and incredible job ever. I’m so humbled and thankful, honored and grateful that people like the Stephensons entrust me with such a role in preserving their family memories. It’s something I do not take lightly.

I love this so much!

The sweetest kids

We recreated an engagement photo the took 12 years ago!

Thank you so much for being here!! If you enjoyed this please leave some love!
xoxo,
Courtney

December 8, 2021
Dexter Family | Homer Louisiana Family Photographer

The Dexters- some of my favorite people. They are full of joy and laughter and are so caring. It’s an honor to know them and to call them my family.

Bethany and I grew up in the same church- her dad being the pastor. We have photos of her carrying me around. Haha!! Never did we imagine we would be sisters one day. I’m so thankful for the friendship that we have.

I did their family pictures a few years ago before sweet Brooke was in the picture. I still love those images today! After Brooke was born I did her newborn photos and her 18 month pictures. And now here are their family photos with sweet Brookie.

Brooke and Emma are a little over a year apart and they are best buds. Brooke gets so excited when she sees her! It’s the cutest thing. We love having so many cousins so close in age to our girls. They have best friends on both sides of the family!

We did their session out on our land in North Louisiana. They actually just live right up the hill from us. So that’s really fun!!

I had been eyeing this spot in our woods beside our pond for a few weeks and I knew I had to at least try for some images there. David has been doing some thinning of our woods and the way it looked with some fallen trees here and there just felt like it was right out of the mountains. I wasn’t sure if what I had in my mind would turn out, but let me say- it did!!

Their entire session is full of some of my very favorite images. I may have chose a few too many for this blog post but when they are this good you can’t help it!!

I hope you enjoy these as much as I do!

Oh Brookie

This cracks me up!!

Thank you so much for being here!!! If you enjoyed this post please leave some love

Xoxo,

Courtney

December 6, 2021
Kinlee’s Lifestyle Newborn Session | North Louisiana Newborn Photographer

Precious little Kinlee..

Sweet little Kinlee is SOOO good for her newborn sesion in North Louisiana. I arrived at their home on a cloudy Tuesday morning. The light was in and out all day, but we made it work!

Once I swaddled little Kinlee, she fell fast asleep and hardly even budged the entire time. Every newborn photographer dreams of their babies sleeping as good as Kinlee did for hers! It was wonderful.

I started photographing all the nursery details, then moved on to family portraits and then just sweet Kinlee. This is typically the order I like to go in so that baby has plenty of time to fall into a deep sleep while being held for the family portraits. Then when it’s for their debut, they are faaaast asleep.

There is almost nothing I love more than photographing sweet newborns in their home. To me, the images mean so much more because they are somewhere that is special to the family. I love incorporating details from the nursery and home into the session. One thing I have learned from being a parent myself is that this time with you sweet baby, AS A BABY, goes so incredibly fast!! I know in the moment it feels like it drags by. You’re completely exhausted and constantly second guessing every decision you make. But one thing is for sure, Mama, you’re doing a god job!! Parenting is HARD!

I had the pleassure of photographing Brandon and Melissa’s proposal, engagements, wedding, maternity portraits and now their first baby’s newborn portraits! It’s always SUCH an honor to watch families grow!

Yes, Brandon is my brother, but that doesn’t make it any less of an honor to play a role in preserving their family memories. It’s something I do not take lightly. There are so many firsts that I have gotten to be a part of. It makes my job so incredibly special and important to me.

I can’t get enough of these gorgeous portraits of such a sweet and special time for this family…

The little toes get me

I just love this one

Sweet family

Thank you so much for being here!! If you enjoyed this, please leave some love.

Xoxo,

Courtney

November 24, 2021