Meet the Artist at Vivo! {Bitsy Baby Photography}

Join Bitsy Baby Photography for our spring “Meet the Artist” event.

Date: May 14^th from 4-6pm

Where: Vivo! In Historic Annapolis, 6 Fleet St. Annapolis, MD 410-268-2258

See our newest products and portraits, mingle with other Bitsy Baby families, and learn more about Bitsy Baby’s designs and community involvement.

All those attending will be entered to win a seat at an upcoming Bitsy Baby Photography workshop!!

Event sponsored by Tiny Prints and Vivo!

A little more about Vivo!

Vivo! is thrilled to feature regional artists, emerging independent designers, and products by companies committed to making the world a better place. We believe that life is better off the beaten path, that finding one's own voice is preferred to following the crowd, and that being different is not such a bad thing. With clothing and gifts for infants through adults, home decor, jewelry, and so much more, it's hard to leave empty-handed. It's even harder to leave without a smile on your face!

PARKING INFO: Vivo! Is located just off the City Dock in Historic downtown Annapolis. Parking is closest at Market Square or the Hillman Garage off of Main Street, but a free shuttle that travels about the Historic District is available from the Navy Marine Memorial Stadium on a regular basis.

On weekends, parking is free at the Maryland State Garage off of Bladen St. just past the fork in Rowe Blvd.

Happy Easter from Bitsy Baby Photography

Griffin and I wanted to wish everyone a Happy Easter =)

Moments With Mom, Mother's Day Photography Event

Join us April 30^th from 9:00-4:00 for Moments with Mom, a celebration of motherhood through the lens of Rita's camera. Open exclusively to previous Bitsy Baby Photography clients, Moments with Mom will capture and celebrate a few special moments in time of mother and child. There is no session fee and no minimum order for this event. Rita will photograph each Mom and child in petite portrait sessions. These images will be uploaded in an online gallery where you may later purchase products of your choice.

Moments with Mom is a "thank you" to all of our wonderful Bitsy Baby Photography clients and their beautiful children. An opportunity to capture the special bond of motherhood as we celebrate mother's day. This is a one day event with limited availability, and sessions will be booked on a first-come first-serve basis.

When: April 30, 2011

Where: 1801 West Street, Suite 200 Annapolis, MD 21401

• Please allow up to 60 minutes of time at the studio.
• Please bring a spouse or helper if you have multiple children.
• We will not be working on group images of the family, instead we will focus on your connection with each of your children individually.

How to sign up: Send an email with your name, your children's names and their ages to Rita@bitsybaby.com

We look forward to celebrating Mother's Day with you!

This is a one day event with limited availability, and sessions will be booked on a first-come first-serve basis.

Tips for DIY Newborn Photography

Tips for DIY Newborn Photography

The experience of studio photography for your newborn and family is wonderful and a great way to capture those special moments of life, but how do you capture the everyday moments at home?

Have you ever been playing with your newborn or toddler, and you stopped and thought, “Gosh, this would be a beautiful photo!” So, you run to get your camera to capture it, but your child was impatient holding a pose as you struggled with the camera settings trying to get the perfect shot? It might be easy to take a snapshot, but not always something that you’ll want to frame on the wall; it could be fuzzy, shadowy, and such. Documenting your family’s life and experiences with photos are just as important as scheduling professional sessions to capture the benchmarks.

To help you along the way here are some tips for “Do It Yourself” (DIY) newborn photography and family photography, to help to give more quality to the images you snap and to help capture those fleeting moments.

1. Keep the Child Involved and Having Fun

Your child loves spending time with you, so don’t pass up those moments when they’re giggling and playing – and view them as a perfect photography opportunity. A technique that works great for young children is to not make them pose and stop playing. Ask questions while they’re busy at work, maybe coloring a picture or building something with Legos. When they look up to answer you or show you their work, snap a photo. You can also be proactive by setting up scenes that they can interact with, where they won’t even know that it’s a photo shoot – set up a tea party with costumes, or a picnic, or a blanket and chair fort. Creating a new and special environment for them to explore will ensure that they’ll be having so much fun they won’t notice your camera.

2. Become Little Again

To get the best shots of your little ones, get down to their eye level - lie down, squat or kneel. Let them keep on with what they’re doing, but be ready to capture that glance or side smile. Some professional photographers use a trick where they have the newborn or child lay down on their back on a blanket. They stand over them and catch emotions by surprising and humoring them, like pretending to fall on them, or by making faces. As they react, snap the photo. Or if that doesn’t work, they kneel down and tickle them with one hand while shooting with the other. The fit of giggles is a great time to shoot a few priceless shots.

3. Think About Upgrading Your Equipment, Or At Least Learn the Basics

As you can tell by the tips, to get the best photos it works best to have a camera that can snap quickly and doesn’t have a time delay. Some types of cameras will make it easier to catch fleeting moments, which is very important with child and newborn photography. Standard point and shoots have a time delay, and so will take more finesse and you may need your child to hold a pose or smile. Look into a little higher-end camera, like a Digital SLR, and you’ll have more luck and higher quality photos. But if you can’t make that investment, you can use some other techniques. One way to make the most of point and shoot cameras is to not have to use the flash. Make sure you’re near a window, outdoors, or in an area with plenty of light and turn your flash off. This will help give better color, and you won’t have the risk of red eyes and shadows.

Perhaps you have the creativity to think of picture-perfect settings for your photos, you just don’t have the skills to know all the settings on your camera that could help you take great shots. Any type of camera can take great photos, you just may have to change the focus or light settings. If you want to become more knowledgeable in the general techniques for photography, take a class from Rita at Bitsy Baby Photography, and learn essential knowledge to use your camera at home. In these workshops you will learn about 10 key elements to capturing impressive images, elements of exposure (ISO, shutter speed, aperture), basic camera modes, resources for printing and sharing, and an introduction to lens capabilities. The basic knowledge offered in this workshop will help you take all types of pictures!

4. Professional Sessions for Newborns and Benchmark Years

While it is important to sharpen your own general photography skills in order to capture beautiful images of your newborn and family, it is nice to start right away with a professional newborn photography session before you embark on your own ventures. It is so valuable to capture the first days of a child’s life and it comes in handy to take some studio shots so that you can get beautiful photos, guaranteed. You will be grateful to have those first couple of moments captured in an image that has been carefully tailored by an expert.

You don’t want to wait before you start documenting your family and all of your experiences, so start learning some skills that you can put to use for the rest of your life.

Separation from Baby, NICU Babies {Baby Photographer}

Coping With Separation From Your Baby

This is a photo of me and my baby when she was only one day old, Marina was only 4.12 pounds when she was born and was in the NICU for 10 days...a short stay really but still a difficult experience to endure. I found this helpful article and wanted to share in case you have a baby in the NICU now or know someone that does....it is also great to prepare for the unexpected. We had no idea I would go into labor at 32 weeks and was not prepared. Wishing all NICU babies a happy healthy growth and the Mom's and Dad's lots of love and support!!

Being discharged without your baby may feel like the most devastating separation. Even if you knew you were likely to deliver prematurely, you probably didn't envision leaving the hospital with empty arms. Seeing other mothers being discharged with their healthy newborns presents an unbearable cruel contrast with your situation. As Jayna recalls: "This new mom had her baby with her. They were going home together. My baby would have to stay in the hospital for months, fighting for his life."

And so you struggle between these two worlds -- home and the NICU. As the numbness wears off, you may begin to feel obsessed with your baby. This obsession can seem odd since your infant is confined to the hospital and not completely under your care. But although your little one isn't home with you, your obsession is a natural expression of your devotion. Your heart is exactly where it should be -- with your baby.

Tips for Coping with Separation from Your Baby

To cope with being separated from your baby, try any of the following ideas that feel right to you:

• Acknowledge your baby's birth in ways that comfort you. It may help to decorate the nursery; shop for baby clothes, toys, or supplies; or start a photo album or baby book.
• Send out birth announcements. Notify people of your baby's birth, sharing whatever details you choose in order to let them know that this is neither easy nor routine for you. This process also gives you a chance to welcome and show your love for your newborn.
• Write down your observations about your baby: preferences, features, resemblances, expressions.
• Learn more about your baby's delivery. Talk with your partner. Ask the attending nurses and doctors about the details. It may also help to ask why things were done the way they were. This information helps you reclaim memories, satisfies your need to know, and fills in the gaps of your story.
• Tell those who want to listen about the delivery and your baby. Telling your story over and over can be tremendously therapeutic. You can also write your story in a keepsake journal or baby book.
• Place breast pads or a cotton shirt you've slept in for several nights in your baby's incubator. Your scent may be a comforting reminder of your presence to your baby.
• Ask the nurse if you can have something with your baby's scent on it to take home with you. Smelling this item may help you feel close to your baby.
• Record yourself reading a story or poem, singing, or talking, and leave the tape in the NICU with your baby so it can be played at low volume when your baby is fussy.
• Spend as much time as you can or want with your baby. Don't let others discourage you or urge you to take breaks or to "get away" if you want to stay. Also, don't let others make you feel guilty if you do want to take time away.
• Take photographs of your baby and look at them regularly. It is especially important to keep updating the photos as your baby's appearance and condition change.

Posted with permission. Be sure to read the full article from Pregnancy.Org, LLC HERE.

Capturing Parents to Be with Maternity Photography

Catching the Emotions and Expressions of Parents to Be with Maternity Photography

Maternity photography most often pictures the expectant mother showing off her baby bump. However, some of the most beautiful maternity photography also includes the father-to-be. Let’s talk about the benefits of this! With both mother and father present in the photo shoot, the entire experience and process has evolved. What was once a solo venture now has turned into an experience to share. In these types of shots, couples can exhibit their mutual excitement about their new baby. The love that each has for one another and for the new life that they are bringing into the world can be captured in a photo that will last a lifetime. It is fun to see the father’s excitement in photos like these in their expectant and eager faces.

Using maternity photography to capture the bond between two expectant parents is just as precious as seeing the little newborn wrapped up in their arms. With different poses, couples are able to express the intimacy that goes into creating and raising a child. In these types of couple shots, the father and mother are touching and often times they both are touching the mother’s belly. Sometimes, the couples are caught gazing into each other’s eyes. I also like to capture the couples laughing together at the thought of how much those diapers are going to cost!

The journey of parenthood is a joint effort and it is important to capture that bond for future generations to appreciate. With maternity photography the feelings that come along with pregnancy, of nervous excitement, pure happiness, and a deep connection show through and can be admired for many years to come. It is priceless to see the glowing faces of expectant parents and to look at them later to be able to reminisce about your pregnancy and the first year of life.

Working with a maternity photography specialist is very important to documenting your pregnancy and the first year of your child’s life with newborn photography. In this type of photography it is all about timing and feeling great while shooting. Bitsy Baby Photography does not limit sessions to a specified time and is willing to work around your schedule so that you and your baby are in the best mood during your shoot. As we know, this could take some time with infants, but that is alright and never a burden. With Bitsy Baby Photography you will find that your emotions are captured in the best light and only in the way that you want them to be. You and your baby’s most intimate and loveliest moments are guaranteed to be captured to forever treasure.

Annapolis Photography Workshop Added for Spring! {photography workshops for parents}

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Who Should Attend?
Parents, Grandparents, and anyone who wants to celebrate their children and family's legacy through the lens of their camera.

What Should I Bring?
Your DSLR camera and lens or your point and shoot camera. Note-taking materials will be provided.

When?
Saturday, April 16th!

Where?
Bitsy Baby Photography Studio in Annapolis, MD

Cost?
The cost of the workshop is $99 and includes workshop materials, beverages & snacks, hands-on training, and lots of fun goodies!

How Do I Register?
Send an email to Statia@BitsyBaby.com with "BABY STEPS WORKSHOP" as the subject. I will send you a registration form and invoice along with available dates. There are a limited number of spaces available per class; spots will be reserved on a first come, first serve basis.

Any More details?
"The Basics Workshop" includes the following and is the stepping stone to future workshops:

* 10 Key elements to creating impressing images
* Instructions on Elements of Exposure including ISO, shutter speed, & aperture
* Instructions on your basic camera modes and when to use what
* Resources for printing and sharing
* Introduction to lenses and their capabilities

A workbook will be provided to you to take home and reference all topics covered.

Though the workshop atmosphere is relaxed and fun, most every moment is utilized to provide sufficient depth to your learning experience.

Additional workshops such as One-on-One and Small Group Classes are available for a more in depth learning experience.

NOW IT'S TIME:
Lets learn how to capture the moment, create a lifetime of memories and celebrate your family today!

Clothing ideas for your Maternity Photography Session or any day!

Pregnant and Proud: Fashion Tips for Moms/Mums-to-Be!

It is a common misconception amongst many women that pregnancy means a few months of feeling fat and frumpy. This should not be the case. In fact, pregnant women should embrace their beautiful pregnant selves and have fun translating their signature look into their temporary new body shape. Shopping for clothes during pregnancy should be just as much fun as shopping for clothes at any other time, you could even use the opportunity to change your style and try new things. You can look great pregnant just as you can at any other time.

Buy Maternity Clothing

Adapting your clothing style to pregnancy does not mean trying to squeeze into your existing clothes. A mistake many women make is to think that they can ignore maternity clothing entirely and buy non-maternity clothes a few sizes larger. This may work in the early stages of pregnancy but not in the latter stages when your belly has blossomed. You may hide a bit of your bump with the extra fabric that non-maternity clothing has but you will also swamp all your body's other stunning curves.

Celebrate Your Bump

There is nothing more beautiful than a pregnant woman showcasing their belly and pregnancy cleavage. Embrace these and show off your new voluptuousness and radiant pregnant glow. You will find that tops which show of the contour of your pregnant belly are much more flattering that the 'tent look' where you try to cover up with yards of fabric. Your cleavage will rarely look better so why not wear some low v-necks and show it off?

Essential Items

The following items are must haves for the second trimester onwards:

• Black Dress – black dresses are slimming and match everything
• Stretch Pants – these will accommodate your growing belly
• Maternity T-shirts – wear these under undone button up shirts for a layered look
• Maternity Jeans – these offer comfort as well as well as style. These don't necessarily have to be baggy. In early pregnancy a pair that sits on the hips is great, and for later on in the pregnancy choose a pair which are stretchy or have flattering panels. A stretchy denim fabric also offers the most comfort.

For the complete article compliments of Pregnancy.org, LLC click HERE