Karen Baker Photography » my own

One Month ~ Dallas, Georgia Newborn & Child Photographer

karen — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:44:36 +0000

It’s already happening. His little life is already flashing before my eyes. One month ago today we brought home our second precious baby boy… and I’m still trying to figure out where the days have gone. Granted, they’ve been a foggy haze of diaper changes, feedings, interrupted sleep and lots and lots of baby rocking… but they’ve been precious all the same and those moments when all four of us are together hanging out as our new little family of four are my new happy.

After you have your first baby you always say you can’t imagine life without that child, or you don’t even remember what life was like before he or she came… and now I feel that way about Jack. This beautiful blessing has entered our lives and we will never be the same.

My family and closest friends know that the journey to Jack was a little longer than I ever thought it’d be… but it was one that strengthened my faith in ways that I never imagined and brought my walk with God so much closer… and for that I am so grateful. I had my own plans in mind and God had some pretty incredible lessons to teach me about His timing. I am so thankful for HIS perfect plan… I am so thankful that He’s entrusted me with these precious boys.

So today, on Jack’s one month birthday, I thought it was as good a day as any to share some shots I’ve taken over the past month. I honestly haven’t taken as many as you’d think… Jack has been somewhat spared from a constant camera in his face – for now. We’ve just been enjoying our days adjusting to life as a family of four… learning to survive on sleep increments of 2-4 hours at a time.

Happy one month, baby boy… you are truly an answer to your mommy’s prayers!!

Merry Christmas ~ Christmas 2011 ~ Atlanta, Georgia Baby Photographer

karen — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 16:52:47 +0000

We are so thankful and happy to announce the birth of our second son, Jackson Marshall Baker! Baby “Jack” entered the world on December 19th, weighing in at 7 lbs. and 12 oz. and 19 inches long (we jokingly refer to him as our little “peanut” as he weighed a whole pound less and an inch & a half shorter than big brother when he was born, and I was definitely expecting to deliver another baby in the 8 or 9 pound range!).

We are so thankful for a healthy baby boy and that we were able to be home well in time to celebrate Christmas at home with our new family of FOUR! I am blessed beyond measure and so in love with these precious sons that God has given our family.

I hope and pray that you and your families had a wonderful Christmas!

Luke ~ 4 Years ~ Atlanta, Georgia Child Photographer

karen — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 01:49:41 +0000

It seems as if I have literally blinked and our precious boy has gone from that tiny baby we just brought home from the hospital, to this full-of-life four year old, who brings more joy to our lives than we ever could have imagined. Four years just seems so hard to believe, and I am constantly questioning… “where did the time go?”

What an incredible gift our family was given with this precious child and what a joy it is to be his mother and call him my son. God is SO good and I am reminded of this every single time I look into these sweet eyes… even during those more ”difficult” moments.

I normally try to do Luke’s milestone pictures right around his birthday. This year, however, our Disney trip, Thanksgiving, and of course a baby brother on-the-way, has slowed me down some… but I’m proud to say that the two of us managed to make it out to one of my favorite spots late last week and capture my guy in all of his four-year-old glory. One more thing checked off that to-do list before we welcome our family’s new addition!

Happy four years to my chatty, loving, inquisitive, big-hearted, full-of-energy child… I am blessed beyond words to be your mommy and so excited to see you become a big brother VERY soon!

Now, just do me a favor and take the next four years a little slower! I’m almost afraid to blink!

Last but not least, I had to share one of my favorites from our trip… and it’s even more special to me as it was taken on his actual birthday. If you ever have a chance to bring your child to Disney on their birthday, DO IT. It was such a special treat and everyone from the people working the rides, to the waiters, and even the characters riding in the parade floats that passed us by would yell out “Happy Birthday” to him… makes for a very special day for you and your little one.

Luke, November 18, 2011, waiting to eat breakfast with Mickey and friends

Happily Ever After ~ Atlanta, Georgia Portrait Photographer

karen — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 12:02:29 +0000

Let me preface this post with the disclaimer that I am in no way, shape or form cut out to be a wedding photographer and now, more than ever, do I truly admire and appreciate even more what those folks are able to accomplish weekend after weekend. Don’t get me wrong, portrait photography has its own challenges and I truly believe that we’ve all got our perfect fit in there somewhere… I just know that, without a doubt, my fit & passion (at least for this season in my life) remains right where it is.

With that said, I could not have been more honored that my brother-in-law Cody and now (wahoo!! it’s official!!) sister-in-law Heather allowed me (and my camera) to play such a special part in their day… and that I was able to document just a small part of the beauty and love that made up their nuptials. I am also beyond thankful and grateful that my photographer friend, Allyson, was there to take the lead as wedding photographer and truly capture their wedding the way it deserved to be photographed. Allyson was wonderful to work with and I am so pleased and excited with all that she was able to photograph for them.

In the meantime, I couldn’t help but share just a few from my viewpoint of the day… mostly details and “side-shooter views”, but as I work hard to finalize some images for my brother-in-law and his new bride, I thought they might enjoy a quick sneak peek of how their day was documented… at least from this girl’s lens.

Cody and Heather, congratulations again on an absolutely beautiful day… I could not be more happy or blessed to call you both family and cannot wait to see what God has in store for you and your marriage in the years ahead!

Next up… back to our regularly scheduled programming and sneak peeks of a beautiful newborn baby boy!

The handsome ringbearer… I could not wait to see my (almost!) 4 year old in a tux… what a sight! He took great pride in his job of escorting the beautiful flower girl down the aisle!

MY handsome fellas… love these boys so much!!

The handsome groom…

… and his beautiful bride! They opted to do a “first glance” and see each other before the ceremony to document those moments properly on film… such a smart idea!!

A Boy & His Dog ~ Atlanta, Georgia Child Photographer

karen — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 12:08:53 +0000

Maybe it was a recent issue of Professional Photographer Magazine with a spread on William Wegman, or the fact that my second trimester of pregnancy has provided me with a little more energy to accomplish those extra tasks that I want to get done before baby #2 arrives… either way, I was recently inspired to take both my boys out for a quick session together… both boys being my (almost) 4 year old son, Luke, and his 7 year old canine brother, Ace.

Of course, the image ideas and visions I had in my head weren’t quite as easily achieved once I actually involved my 2 very special subjects – a toddler who is beyond tired of his mommy’s camera and a 75-pound Weimaraner who is even less interested in my taking his picture… but I’d say in the end we all prevailed and most importantly I was able to capture some special shots of my boy and his (our) beloved best friend “Ace”.

“Ace” was Luke’s first word, he named his favorite stuffed animal after him, he’s been one of the first things Luke asks for in the morning or when we walk in the door almost his entire life. I never want to forget how important this dog has been to Luke’s early years and can’t help but think about the fact that the new baby won’t have nearly as close of a bond with him and won’t get to enjoy as many years with him by his side. Maybe that’s a sad thing to think about, but really it just makes me more appreciative of the time we have right now and the opportunities I have (especially before life becomes a WHOLE lot busier in about 3 months) to document sweet moments like these for my own family.

A Boy and His Dog

Edgar Guest

A boy and his dog make a glorious pair:

No better friendship is found anywhere,

For they talk and they walk and they run and they play,

And they have their deep secrets for many a day;

And that boy has a comrade who thinks and who feels,

Who walks down the road with a dog at his heels.

He may go where he will and his dog will be there,

May revel in mud and his dog will not care;

Faithful he’ll stay for the slightest command

And bark with delight at the touch of his hand;

Oh, he owns a treasure which nobody steals,

Who walks down the road with a dog at his heels.

No other can lure him away from his side;

He’s proof against riches and station and pride;

Fine dress does not charm him, and flattery’s breath

Is lost on the dog, for he’s faithful to death;

He sees the great soul which the body conceals–

Oh, it’s great to be young with a dog at your heels!

Luke ~ 3.5 Years ~ Hilton Head Island

karen — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 14:38:14 +0000

If you’ve followed my blog over the past couple of years, you’ve probably seen the beach sessions I do every year with my own little one, during our annual summer pilgrimage to Hilton Head Island. I treasure these images and am so proud of the framed prints, canvases and albums I have displayed in our home from these “sessions” with my own child. As a photographer who spends so much of her time photographing other families and their children, it’s sometimes harder than you’d think to pull out the camera for my own family… but so, so important as I already see this precious boy growing up before my very eyes! I never want to forget these sweet years and our special memories from these annual beach trips.

Oh… and for those interested in seeing just how much this soon-to-be big brother has changed over the past three years of beach sessions… check out years 2009 and 2010… what happened to my baby boy?!?

Coming Soon ~ Our Family is Growing!

karen — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 15:53:56 +0000

Our family is incredibly blessed, excited, thankful, and overjoyed to announce that we are expecting a new addition at the end of this year! We cannot wait to meet this new little person, this beautiful miracle that God has planned for our family, and Luke is excited to officially become the big brother soon. As we slowly begin preparing for the changes to come, I want to make sure I keep my current and prospective clients in the loop about my schedule for the Fall, when I plan to be out of commission, and when I plan to return next Spring.

Please check back here or join the Karen Baker Photography group on Facebook to get updates on any scheduling announcements, latest news, etc. While, God-Willing, I plan to work through the end of October, my Fall schedule this year will be a bit more relaxed than in the past couple of years as I progress with this pregnancy.

My weekends are already filling up for September and October, so please let me know if you are interested in scheduling something during those months as I only have a few more spots left for each.

Thank you to all who have already shared in our joy, prayed alongside us or sent sweet comments… we look forward to seeing what God has in store for our family in the months ahead!

Until then, enjoy a few of my favorites from Luke’s big brother announcement pictures… his adorable shirt is from the Etsy shop “My Little Legacies“…

…love this precious boy!!

Blizzard of 2011 ~ Atlanta, Georgia Child & Family Photographer

karen — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 16:21:10 +0000

Before any of my Midwestern and Northern family and friends start laughing at this post’s title, please keep in mind that 5 plus inches of snow and 1 plus inches of ice is a pretty big deal for us warm-blooded Southerners… one that will naturally call for our local news stations’ 24/7 coverage of this week’s events to fondly dub it as the “Blizzard of 2011″. It all started Sunday evening with some of the heaviest snow that I can remember seeing in my lifetime (I didn’t live in Georgia during the “Blizzard of 1993″ but my friends who did say it was very similar to that snowfall)… and by Monday morning we woke up to around 5 inches of the white stuff, topped off with a little over an inch of the crunchy frozen stuff. It made for a fun – albeit COLD - day with the kiddos outside yesterday… one that included sledding and snowball fights with neighbors, hot chocolate breaks and many, many layers to keep us warm!

Seeing as how we are all mostly homebound for the timebeing, and as my sessions for this week are now rescheduled for warmer and future, less frozen times, I enjoyed some moments of documenting some of yesterday’s events… that is in between a few hot chocolate breaks and trying to keep my three year old from constantly eating snow!

Christmas 2010 ~ Atlanta, Georgia Portrait Photographer

karen — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 15:39:08 +0000

Merry Christmas to you and yours… thankful for another wonderful year of doing something I love and meeting some pretty amazing people along the way.

Thankful for my family and most importantly the real reason we celebrate Christmas. We are blessed beyond measure.

So Hard to Believe… Atlanta, Georgia Child Photographer

karen — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 12:34:37 +0000

It’s so hard to believe my little boy turns three today. “What happened to my baby?” I always ask him… and it makes him laugh and remind me “I’m not a baby anymore, I’m a big boy!” But as every year passes I come a little bit closer to more fully understanding my own mother’s disbelief at how quickly my sisters, brother and I grew up.

Some days I feel like we were just finding out yesterday that we were expecting our first child, or finding out that we’d be welcoming a baby boy into our famly… or meeting him for the very first time. Three of the fastest – and most wonderful years later – and I have a full of energy, potty-trained, out of the crib, singing, laughing, learning, growing, full-fledged three year old.

Although this little person has only been with us for three years, as I’m sure all parents feel, it’s as if he was always here… we can’t imagine life without him. From the moment he wakes up in the morning, until the moment he drifts back off to sleep at night (with the exception of a – very thankful to still have – nap during the day)… this little man does not stop talking, or moving, or asking questions, or playing… and I wouldn’t have it any other way. He reminds me every single day just how good God is and how blessed I am to be a mother, his mother.

So to my new three year old, on your special day… I could not be more thankful that God chose me to be your mommy and you to be my son. You are a beautiful creation…