Finding Light||Boston Family Photography

Where do I even begin when writing about this session? I'm not sure, so.... I'll start with this photo instead. So.

This Momma and I met a few months ago, following tragedy: she witnessed the accident that took the life of Amanda, one of the baristas at my favorite coffee shop.

Backstory: For the past few years, I have spent anywhere from 30- 75 hours a week at this coffee shop, working away on computer related tasks for my business. I joke about it being "my office" but in truth it is really one of the places that I feel home. And so, even though I only knew Amanda peripherally - we'd exchanged a few short conversations here and there - her accident pulled at me hard. She was young - just 27, and she was extraordinarily kind. She was in nursing school, and she was biking in a helmet, and in a very short amount of time, she was no longer alive. This Momma saw it.

I couldn't stop thinking about the accident - how it abruptly ended one life, and irreversibly altered the lives of so many others - her beloved partner, her co-workers, friends, family, fellow nursing students, and a large extended community of others. Spending time at the coffee shop following her death was extraordinarily painful. Her co-workers carried on, but most were crying, or walking around in daze, or hugging, or quiet. The grief was so big inside there, in this place I'd come to think of as a home, and feeling the sadness of so many people around me felt extremely heavy.

I thought of this Momma, of how it might be to witness something like this. I thought of how hard parenting two young children while processing this might be.

When I met her at the vigil, I tried to think of what to say. It was all so horrific and devastating. And I thought of the words I heard from a dear friend of mine after other tragedies: "When you don't know what to do, do what you do know how to do". I realized that I did have something I could give - I could capture her young family in their vibrance and alive-ness, and give her some beauty to hold onto anytime she was overwhelmed by sadness or needing a reminder of the goodness of life.

And so, her she is, with her stunning group of loves.The light that evening was perfect.

Thank you, Amanda, for your light. We honor you.

With love

Ceilidh

Hazel Turns One||Wakefield MA Family Photography

Oh, sweet little one! Just a bit over a year ago, you came into the world. I was lucky enough to meet you, and your extraordinary parents, right away. And so I've been blessed with the honor of capturing this first year of your life and I know that the world is so much more beautiful now that you are here.Hazel is not quite walking yet, but she stands proudly on her legs growing strong. She has a tendency towards serious observation, and is so thoughtful and careful as she absorbs the world around her. She takes after her parents, such kind people, understated in their interactions while being respectful, appreciative and calm. Happy happy birthday, darling Hazel! I can't wait to see what your second year brings to you and your family.

With much love,

Ceilidh

A postscript for you all:

Do you have a little person arriving soon? Are you curious in learning more about the first year packagethat I offer? It's such a wonderful gift to yourself to have the different milestones captured multiple times throughout that first sleepless, glorious year. It’s never too early to contact me about a future session – I generally schedule a few months out – 617-480-0387 or cwy@willowbabystudios.com

Also, for more cuteness, please jump on over to Instagramand follow me there for babies and other loveliness every day!  #willowbabydaily

I’d be honored to capture lovely photos of your favorite people soon. 

Willow Baby Studios specializes in newborn, toddler, child and family lifestyle photography for Boston area families – including Arlington, Cambridge, Somerville, Charlestown, Boston Proper, Back Bay, Beacon Hill, the South End, Newton, Wellesley, Burlington, Bedford, Winchester, Wakefield, Reading, Lexington, Belmont, Weston, and more. 

Owner & photographer Ceilidh (“k-lee”) Willow Yurenka, is trained as a fine art photographer, and received her BFA in photography from MassArt in 2007. A momma herself, she loves to be silly with your kiddos while capturing the beautiful chaos that is family life. 

Extraordinary Lady, Extraordinary Hair||Boston Headshot Photography

So. Here's an AMAZING lady. Jeaneen is so very many things - a gifted stylist, a devoted momma to a ridiculously cute little person,  a determined business lady starting up her own salon, and a funny, sassy, and thoughtful woman. Also, she has stunning hair. I mean, seriously:

Jeaneen is so passionate about her new venture - and I'm the lucky photographer that gets to help her capture the photos needed for her upcoming website. She is fun to hang out with, a great listener, talented at her job, and excited to make you look amazing - really, what more could you want from a stylist?And, her kiddo happens to be my son's favorite girl to hang out with (he's pretty much a boy's-boy at this point), and I feel like I look way cooler at the playground just by standing next to such a bad-ass looking momma.

Also, you should know that she specializes in working with blonde coloring, grey coverage, and color correction. Want to sneak into her quickly filling schedule? Until her official website launches you can connect with Jeaneen on Facebook , Instagram or twitter. Your hair will be very happy you did!

Jeaneen, I'm so excited to watch your business grow! I have no doubt that it will be oh-so-successful!

Postscript for you all: 

Are you looking for an updated headshot for professional or fun (eh-hem, dating websites) reasons? Or amazing family photographs? I would love to help you out with that!  It’s never too early to contact me about a future session – I’m already mostly booked for September and only a handful of sessions left for October!  Please call 617-480-0387 or email me at cwy@willowbabystudios.com  to schedule your session.

Also,  for extra loveliness in your life, please jump on over to Instagram and follow me there to see a little darling or some bit of quite beauty every day!  #willowbabydaily

Awaiting Baby Girl || Boston Family Photography

See this duo here? All glow-y and excited about their baby girl on the way? Well, this sweet and calm moment was hard won, because actually, this momma and daddy are already well established in their roles.Meet their two boys: Austin and Cam. I first met this lovely family when Cam was just a teeny newborn! I've had the opportunity to photograph them many times over the past few years. And now, I am also excitedly waiting for their baby sister to arrive in just a couple of months!Here's momma with her first baby: this was another hard-won photo... Austin was feeling quite goofy and excited about going to his friend's birthday party after the photo shoot, and was having a hard time staying still for long.Whereas little brother Cam hurt his foot earlier in the day and bravely (if not a bit hesitantly) took part in the photos anyway. Pig piling on momma? Great fun. Bouncing around on daddy's shoulders? Super.And continuing to wait for more photos to be taken when a certain someone just wanted to head to the party? Not Austin's first choice.... Luckily for him, this was the last photo of the session, and he perked right up - all ready for the day's celebration.So excited for the next big celebration in September! Can't wait for your newest family member to arrive soon!

Love,

Ceilidh

Postscript for you all:

Do you have a little person arriving soon? I suggest booking ahead of your due date to ensure session availability. It’s never too early to contact me about a future session – I often schedule a few months out – 617-480-0387 or cwy@willowbabystudios.com

Also, for more cuteness, please jump on over to Instagramand follow me there for new adorable-ness - and sometimes pretty flowers - every day!  #willowbabydaily

Willow Baby Studios specializes in newborn and baby photography for Boston area families.

I’d be honored to capture lovely photos of your favorite people soon.

A True Story of a Boy and his Lantern||Boston Family Photography

For a variety of reasons, this session was taken in two parts. And then for another variety of reasons (mostly lots of ill-timed rain and some baby earaches!) it became the most rescheduled session I've ever had.

But we all persevered, and that proved to be a very good thing indeed. Because, well....

Here's Kavi.

And his stunningly delightful parents.

(His favorite little puppy also joined us. This made Kavi very happy. Another thing that made him amazingly happy? The valley girl accent. Needless to say, this was not just a fun session visually with all the pretty lanterns in the garden, but also quite an auditory experience.... His parents have now had a *lot* of practice with said accent).

The best treat for Kavi though? Getting free reign to explore a highly desired object: The Mysterious Lantern... featuring a little door, and a battery powered tea-light. And to add to the intrigue, this lantern was off-limits until the power of photo-session magic (yes, we adults will pull accents and previously forbidden toys in the name of a happy-faced babe for long-awaited photos!)And when it was all too much, and Kavi was feeling ready for his snacks and nap? First was family story time, with his current favorite book, The Pout-Pout Fish.And that, my friends, is how Kavi rocks his photo session: with a touch of valley girl inspired laughter, puppy goofiness, plenty of snackie breaks with his momma, and a little snuggly story time.

To my new friends: your family is so very lovely, and I'm so grateful to have had the honor of being your first family photographer!

Love,

Ceilidh

Postscript for you all:

Have you had a photo session for your family yet? Little Kavi's session at 9 months was his family's first.  Any age and any occasion (bath time! pajama time!)  is a great reason to have me on hand :-) And if you want a certain time of year for your session, I encourage you to book early - I often schedule a few months out – 617-480-0387 or cwy@willowbabystudios.com

Also, for more cuteness, please jump on over to Instagramand follow me there for new adorable-ness every day!  #willowbabydaily

Willow Baby Studios specializes in newborn and baby photography for Boston area families.

I’d be honored to capture lovely photos of your favorite people soon. 

Frolicking with Isla||Boston Children's Photographer

May your mind forever sparkle like a star, your heart remain pure as new fallen snow. And your spirit forever sense the wonderment of a child.   -Mary Summer Rain

Oh, goodness! Spending a gorgeous spring evening with this darling and her amazing mom? Pretty ideal.

My son and I met Isla and her mom last fall, and I've been - kindly nudging (or perhaps sweetly harassing? ;-) ) - them to do a session ever since. Lucky for me, after a month or two of rescheduling because the weather was refusing not to rain - or snow! - on our chosen session days, we got a beautiful gift from mother nature last week - I couldn't have asked for a more perfect evening for outdoor silliness with this cutie.

Sweetpea made a small bouquet, and after playing with it for a bit, presented it to me as a gift. I swear, Isla's mom picked her dress out to intentionally match the tiny flowers surrounding us. Although, it's a little hard to focus on that perfect coincidence with those gorgeous blue eyes distracting me.....Isla's mom is so sweet with her daughter - playful and silly, and completely enraptured with her. And clearly, Isla adores her mom so much - I captured so many amazingly cute interactions between the two of them, it was really hard to choose which to share!The one below won me over because of the way Isla's hand holds her mom's head in place as she smooches her. Kind of hard to take the sweetness over here.....My takeaway? The rescheduling couldn't have worked out better - what a wonderful evening with a fabulous duo. I'm so happy I had the chance to capture all these moments of you two!

Love,

Ceilidh

Postscript for you all:

Are you a single momma? I can't encourage you strongly enough to grab a photo session - I know there's all sorts of extra scheduling considerations, but having the very special one-on-one relationship between one parent and one kid captured is truly energizing, and, dare I say, downright magical. I often schedule a few months out, so please call me soon and I'll take good care of you, single mommas!

617-480-0387 or cwy@willowbabystudios.com   

Also, for more cuteness, please jump on over to Instagram and follow me there for new adorable-ness every day!  #willowbabydaily

Happy Momma's Day!!!||Family Photography Boston MA

Hi there, dearest Mommas, I almost didn't get this blog post done in time because I kept nit-picking the size and order of the photos in the grids, and fretting about a momma having only one of her kids represented and one dad sneaking in because there were none with just the momma alone.In other words, I was obsessing over perfection and neatness. And if there's ANYTHING I've learned as a momma myself, it's that life - especially parenting- is so very far from either of those things. Like, miles and continents away.

So. I'm here, embracing imperfection in my work life in order to share with you something very important to me:

THANK YOU.

I am so amazingly grateful to all of you mommas who invited me in and showed up. You are all superstars and I wouldn't be in business without you ladies. I love that I arrive at your homes for newborn photos, and you are often looking stunning and fresh and made up, but you're worrying that you look too tired, or too big or your home is too messy for the photos. And then, I feel it's an honor to show you that everything - in all it's imperfect glory - is absolutely beautiful. Not one newborn session passes where I don't feel an immense awe at what you've just accomplished.....

YOU GREW A PERSON!

Over and over again, it blows my mind and brings me such joy.And you, mommas with multiple kiddos or bigger kids: wow! Are you in the midst of doing some amazingly hard work! Babies are hard. Toddlers are hard. Bigger kids are hard. And oh, man! Do siblings look amazingly hard....  It's all so hard, and yet you come before me with your adorable and wild bunch, and you laugh during the session. There is so much joy when you snuggle your kiddos. So thank you again. Thank you for choosing me as your photographer and letting me document your miracles. It is an amazing honor.Happiest Mother's Day to all the beautiful mommas that I've photographed in the past year and a half or so. You are very celebrated.

Love,

Ceilidh

Postscript for any mommas reading this that haven't yet had a photo session...

Babies and kiddos are always at a wonderful age for family photos - and I bet there are many of you that haven't seen just how beautiful you are when you gaze at your littles. So please give me a call soon - I often schedule a few months out – 617-480-0387 or cwy@willowbabystudios.com   

Also, for more cuteness, please jump on over to Instagram and follow me there for new adorable-ness every day!  #willowbabydaily

Here Comes the Cute!||Charlestown, MA family photography

The cute is headed your way, at top speed!

Max & Harper are fast. Really fast. And it's no easy feat to slow them down. However, when necessary, here is one equation that renders them "still-ish". Have them run laps no less than four times. Then, get equal parts parents to children, throw in the incentive of small treats, and request their silliest faces. You'll end up with something that looks like this....

In other words, pretty frickin' adorable! I'm a huge fan of candid and giggles, but we also managed to get something less silly too.... although Harper's leg is still at the ready, just in case she needs to dash off somewhere....

Making this photo shoot happen was no easy feat. Max & Harper's mom transported a whole bag of outfit options and snacks, while chaperoning two scootering kiddos on a windy & chilly spring afternoon to the chosen session location. Upon arrival she promptly went into pig-tail making mode (not a hairstyle that could have fit under Harper's scooter helmet) all while maintaining an impressive amount of calm. Their dad conquered Boston (Friday!) rush hour traffic and the insanity that is city parking to make this all come together before the sun went down. I'm so happy they did!(It's possible one sibling was slightly easier to capture and keep still).Luckily, we were able to enlist less-squirmy sibling's help in "convincing" (eh-hem, squeezing her till she couldn't move) Miss Harper to sit still for a moment. A big thank you to the four of you for overcoming all the obstacles city living threw at us! I'm so happy to have had the honor of being your family's first official photographer!

Love,

Ceilidh

Postscript for you all:

Do you need some beautiful family photos? I would love to take them!  It's never too early to contact me about a future session - I often schedule a few months out - 617-480-0387 or cwy@willowbabystudios.com   

Also, for more cuteness, please jump on over to Instagram and follow me there for new adorable-ness every day!  #willowbabydaily

Who I photograph when I'm not hanging with the babies

That which is striking and beautiful is not always good,but that which is good is always beautiful. - Ninon de L'Enclos

I absolutely LOVE working with the babies and littles I usually spend time with, but that doesn't mean I don't also take photos of grown up people as well! I've taken on a decent amount of headshot sessions, and I'm excited to share a smattering of them with you below. Photographing adults is such a different experience.... It's true that they are certainly more cooperative than my smaller subjects, but they also tend to be varying degrees of self-conscious in front of the camera. I include myself in this: holy inappropriate expletive! - I am the *worst* at getting my photo taken - I talk awkwardly and make weird faces and just generally have a hard time feeling accepting of the whole process. It's a trust thing, I think, and it feels like a big deal to pay someone to take photos of you - ones you feel like actually look like you, and that you can not just tolerate, but really like.

I can't tell you how many people tell me before I photograph them - "Good luck, it's impossible to get a good photo of me." And then, well, we end up with some amazing photos. I think it's partially because I have never photographed someone without being hit at some point during our session by how incredibly beautiful they are.  Looking at my subjects so intently through my lens, trying to truly see them, and capture their best self, I never fail to feel astounded by how beautiful people are - I know this word tends to be thought of as a more feminine adjective, but I feel it about my male subjects too. 

You know what?  Even though I can't see you, I know that you're beautiful too. I have absolutely no doubt that you're stunning person, and I hope your day is filled with peace and laughter.

Love,

Ceilidh

Postscript for you all: 

Are you looking for an updated headshot? Or amazing family photographs? I would love to help you out with that!  It’s never too early to contact me about a future session – I'm already 1/2 booked for September!  Please call 617-480-0387 or email me at cwy@willowbabystudios.com  to schedule your session.

Also,  for extra cuteness in your life, please jump on over to Instagram and follow me there to see a little darling every day!  #willowbabydaily