It was such a pleasure and an honor to photograph this beautiful young family. A couple months ago I received a message from this mom asking to schedule in Mellon Park. I was thrilled because I happen to love cake and Mellon Park is my favorite location. Mellon Park is loved by many Pittsburgh Photographers and for good reason! It feels like a beautiful bit of Europe in the heart of Pittsburgh. I hope you enjoy reading our interview below! – Laura
Are you from the Pittsburgh area?
Yes, we are both from Pittsburgh.
Do you have any silly nicknames for your child?
A couple Baby Yiam and Yi Yi!
In your opinion, what baby items do you think are essential?
The snot sucker (from the hospital) for sure. Liam gets a lot of colds and I don’t know what we would have done if we didn’t take the snot sucker from the hospital. We bought several brands at the store and not one actually worked. I would also say the swing is essential. It really calmed Liam down. A friend of ours said it would save us and he was definitely right.
If you had a 25 hour day, what would you do with the extra time?
I would definitely go for a longer walk
Do you have any favorite baby product brands?
I stick to Pampers for diapers and wipes. I tried several brands of diapers and Pampers was the only brand that didn’t disappoint (even overnight – Woohoo). I also like Pampers unscented wipes and the convenience of being able to buy a large box of refills that I can find pretty much anywhere.
What are your baby’s favorite books?
He has several favorites Curious George, Pat A Cake, and any books with baby pictures
What are your baby’s favorite foods?
He loves stuffing, scrambled eggs, puffs, biscuits, and broccoli and zucchini frittata.
What are your baby’s favorite toys?
Balls! Liam loves the ball popper, the ball pit, and the interactive ball.
What places around Pittsburgh do you and your baby/family enjoy visiting together?
Liam loves to go for stroller rides anywhere. He loves to look around at the scenery and people.
How did you celebrate your child’s birthday?
We had a teddy bear theme 1st birthday party with an amazing cake from Bella Christie and Lil Z’s Sweet Boutique. We had it at our house with his grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, and God parents. There were teddy bears holding balloons, photos of Liam from each of the last 12 months and of course Liam’s one year old board showing his favorite foods, favorite book, weight, height, what he loves and can do now.
If you could share 3 pieces of advice with your younger self (before having kids!) what would they be?
Slow down, take more pictures, and spend more time with family.
How did you chose Laura Mares Photography?
I did some research online and absolutely loved Laura’s baby and family pictures. They were so natural and fun.
What is your favorite photo from your child’s 1st birthday photo session?
I love all of them but my favorite is probably Liam under our legs. It was not planned and was Laura’s idea. It’s very artistic.
If any of your personal items were used during the portrait session, where were they from? Target, Pottery Barn, Etsy, etc.
I wanted to incorporate a smash cake for Liam’s photo session without the mess. I found a fake smash cake on Etsy. It worked out great because his hands were definitely all over it. I also bought some balloons which ended up being more difficult to find than I ever imagined. Apparently, there was a helium shortage. The first 3 stores I visited were out of helium. I finally found one store that still had helium.
If you’re looking for a Pittsburgh family photographer to capture the memories for your family don’t hesitate to get in touch!
