Selecting our “The First Year of You” Collection is the obvious choice. It begins with capturing the journey from maternity or newborn moments, either in the studio or the comfort of your home. Then, we transition to a lifestyle session in the studio when your baby reaches the sitting-up stage, capturing those significant milestones as they embrace their newfound independence. As your baby approaches their first steps, usually around one year old, you return to our studio with the entire family for the milestone session, completing a memorable year-long journey.
Below, you’ll find an account of Poppy’s “First Year of You” experience from the past year, along with her mother’s thoughts.
Upon our daughter’s arrival, well-wishers often shared wisdom like “cherish every moment because time flies,” “the days may feel long, but the years are short,” and “before you know it, they’ll be blowing out the first birthday candle.” Despite the exhaustion, soreness, and the whirlwind of new-parent concerns swirling in my head, I held onto these words of advice. And they couldn’t be truer. In fact, I’m now one of those parents who pass on this wisdom to others: you’ll be celebrating your child’s first birthday before you know it!
That’s precisely why the photos from our three sessions with Michel, an Edmonton-based lifestyle and baby photographer—capturing the newborn stage, the 8-month milestone when she started sitting independently, and her first-year celebration—are incredibly precious to us.
As a writer, I naturally find myself taking copious notes on my phone and crafting lengthy posts, which I later painstakingly transcribe into the appropriate pages of my daughter’s baby book. Despite my meticulous documentation of her milestones and unique traits, I often find myself scrolling through poorly-lit iPhone photos and marveling at how much she has grown and transformed. I am profoundly grateful for Michel’s exquisite images that have beautifully preserved our most cherished memories throughout her first year.
In the initial weeks, I had reservations about stepping in front of the camera. I distinctly recall telling Michel that I wanted the focus to be solely on our daughter. However, she encouraged us to consider a newborn family session, and I am eternally grateful that she did. Conducting the photo shoot in the comfort of our home spared us the hassle of transporting our precious newborn, allowing us to relax and prepare at our own pace in the hours leading up to the session. The resulting images capture us in our most authentic form: in our home, in our bedroom, in our living room, as we embraced our new bundle of joy, forming a new family of three. Though we are merely one year into this journey, the newborn pictures transport me back to those early weeks when we were cocooned in the newborn bubble. I cherish glimpsing her tiny features, delicate fingernails, and the image of our little bundle cradled in our arms. Michel masterfully captured the way I perceived my partner as he stepped into the role of a father for the first time – a moment that never fails to bring tears to my eyes.
Our next session, at eight months, allowed Michel to capture our daughter’s blossoming personality, showcased by her infectious, full-face smile as she proudly displayed her newfound skill of sitting up independently. She reveled in the attention in the studio and the novelty of the new environment. Fast forward four months, and she has transformed yet again—our once-baby now stands on tiptoes, teetering on the brink of toddlerhood, nestled between us. The visitors were right; it truly does all happen in the blink of an eye. I am immensely grateful for these cherished photographs that encapsulate the most remarkable year of our lives.
