Lifestyle Family Photo Session | Cator Woolford Gardens in Atlanta

The Cator Woolford Gardens are a picture perfect place to take photos, and this family was a dream to photograph. This early morning photo shoot allowed for us to explore the gardens and have fun before this summer day in Atlanta got too hot.

Message me to book your own Outdoor Family Photo Session. I can’t wait to document your beautiful family!

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Monica Conlin is a natural light family and newborn lifestyle photographer that specializes in newborn photography, Fresh 48 photography, smash cake photography, school photography, maternity photography, and family photography. Monica is based in Decatur, GA and services Decatur and the Atlanta metro area.

Lifestyle Family Photos at Home

Are you moving houses soon?

Whether it is down the street or across the country, a lifestyle family photo session should be part of your moving plan.

I have had the pleasure of photographing several families before they move to a new house. Each family wanted photos of themselves at their current home as a small token of all the good times spent there together.

Honestly, I wish I had more photos of the first home my husband and I bought together. That was where we brought our first baby boy home from the hospital and started the journey into parenthood. We had so many firsts within those walls. We experienced many joys and some heartaches. Within the comfort of home, we were able to grow as people and as a family. 

I think photographs are one of the best ways to help you remember. Looking at a picture of you sitting on the front steps helps you remember all those times you sat there watching your kids run around in the front yard through the sprinkler or saw their little faces smashed against the window waiting for you to come home from work.

These at home sessions are tailored to your own family and are designed to capture what is important to you.

I want to know where you liked to spend their time together, activities the kids loved to do, and the places in your home you never want to forget.

Our homes are filled with memories. As they say, time flies and kids grow up way too fast. We change, we move. But I am in the business of trying to push that pause button, just for a minute. Encourage you to look up and enjoy the place you are in now.

One of the things I loved in our first home was the back deck and yard. It was there where we hosted my son’s first and second birthday parties, Easter egg hunts, spent many mornings digging in the dirt, and enjoyed long afternoons splashing in the kiddie pool.

Now, in our new home, our backyard is an oasis filled with squeals and giggles, a hammock, and a temporary pool to keep us cool in the heat of a Georgia summer day.

This family’s backyard provided the space and freedom two little boys needed to run free and explore.

Do you want to forever capture photos of your first home you lived in together?  The place you saw your baby take their first steps? The porch where you spent summer evenings relaxing as you sipped an ice cold beverage? I’d love to document you and your family in your home.

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Monica Conlin is a natural light family and newborn lifestyle photographer that specializes in newborn photography, Fresh 48 photography, smash cake photography, school photography, maternity photography, and family photography. Monica is based in Decatur, GA and services Decatur and the Atlanta metro area.

School Photo Shoot for a preschool in Decatur, GA

Anyone else still have their school photos from when they were a kid? I do. And every time I look at those pictures with the marbled backdrops and unfortunate choices of props, I think, why is this the standard way school photos are done? 

And the craziest thing to me, is that it hasn’t changed much since I was a kid. Can’t these be better? Shouldn’t we have school pictures that we actually want to hang up and display of our children?

Then one day I saw a school photo in one of the online photography groups I am in that was unlike any I have ever seen. It was beautiful and classic looking: plain backdrop, no props, natural light. I had to learn more! So I took the online course of Elena S Blair “SCHOOLED” and fell completely in love with the idea of taking not just good, but GREAT school photos. 

I was the school photos photographer for Oakhurst Cooperative Preschool, a loving and supportive co-op preschool in Oakhurst neighborhood in Decatur, GA. At this preschool the age range is from two to five year olds. 

I am going to be honest: I had SO MUCH FUN taking school photos! 

Kids are amazing. It is one of the reasons I love being a mom and a family photographer. Children have so much personality that they can’t help but let shine through. I think these simple, classic set up for a school photo allows for me to capture the genuine expressions and attitudes of the children. 

Probably one of my favorite parts from this school photo shoot was when one of the little girls did not want her picture taken. It is important to me to never force a child to do something, so instead, I made a game out of it. I had a little monkey finger puppet that I brought with me that day. I asked my photo assistant to hide the monkey behind me and then I said loudly, “Has anyone seen my monkey? I think he is hiding from me AGAIN?” Then I asked the little girl, “Have you seen my silly monkey? He likes to play hide and seek, and I can’t find him!” I had my camera primed and ready. Then, on cue, my assistant had the monkey pop up over my shoulder. The little girl squealed, “THERE HE IS!!” and got super giggly.

The other kids in the class that were waiting for the school photos joined it too. The monkey continue to pop up “surprising” me and being silly. I had him sit on top of my camera claiming it was his favorite spot to hang out. This goofy game allowed the kids to relax and have fun and I got some great pictures of them. 

I love the challenge of trying to get genuine smiles and giggles from the kids and make sure it is a good experience for everyone. In fact, I had a parent let me know a couple days later that his son kept talking about how much fun school photos were. That, to me, is one of the best compliments I could think of as a school photographer. 

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Monica Conlin is a natural light family and newborn lifestyle photographer that specializes in newborn photography, Fresh 48 photography, smash cake photography, school photography, maternity photography, and family photography. Monica is based in Decatur, GA and services Decatur and the Atlanta metro area.

5 things I have enjoyed about the Front Porch Family Photos project

For the month of May I took photos of families around my neighborhood of Oakhurst as well as the surrounding area of Decatur. The goal was to document families during the pandemic of COVID-19 and take a snapshot of our lives while we had to quarantine and keep social distance from one another.

I want to share five things I really loved about this project:

1. Seeing how people celebrate special life events occurring in the time of Coronavirus and quarantine 

2. Witnessing the resilience of people in difficult situations

3. Hearing other’s “silver linings” and their willingness to share the good things they see happening in a hard season 

4. Watching families grow (whether it is a new baby or new pup) and become stronger together

5. Discovering the beauty of our neighborhood and all the lovely homes in the area

Thank you to everyone who participated in this beautiful project. I am grateful for this experience and the joy it has brought me during this unprecedented time in history.

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Monica Conlin is a natural light family and newborn lifestyle photographer that specializes in newborn photography, Fresh 48 photography, smash cake photography, maternity photography, and family photography. Monica is based in Decatur, GA and services Decatur and the Atlanta metro area.