Sophie Lynn [welcome home] | Southern Indiana Fresh 48 Photographer

June 29th at 4:22pm, this sweet girl made her appearance earthside. Sophie Lynn is just gorgeous and her parents are so smitten. You can see the love in their eyes and in the way they play with her sweet nose and cheeks in the video below. 

Welcome to the world Sophie, your Fresh 48 was oh so beautiful and you are so very loved.

XOXO,
Mich

P.S. Fresh 48 sessions are perfect for introducing your baby to the world. They are brand new, dew skinned, and usually look just like daddy (natural paternity test :)). But they will grow all too quickly and never look the same again. All those new-mommy insecurities will melt away when you see that sweet babe and have these photos to share for always. Contact me to book your session now, you never know when that little one will arrive.

Navy Stripes + FOMO [7 days new] | Louisville, KY Newborn Photographer

FO·MO

ˈfōmō/

noun

informal

noun: FOMO

1. "fear of missing out". The fear that if you miss a party or event you will miss out on something great

   Even though he was exhausted, John's fomo got the best of him and he went to the party.

30 seconds between these 2 photos. Impressive

This little guy fought the good fight. He had some serious FOMO, didn't want to fall asleep for anything and turned into a professional snacker (and napping while snacking). But that's all part of the fun and it makes for some super cute and natural snuggle time. 

Sweet moms and dads-to-be, don't get discouraged with a fussy newborn during their first photoshoot. They are not used to being messed with so much. All they know is sleep and eat, so modeling experience takes a little time - and extra snacks - its hard work! 

But once we finally get a solid pass out (see first image above, 30 SECONDS) we get some really great sleepy stuff because they are so out. Like warm milk and a little hot toddy. For parents of course, don't feed that stuff to the baby... honey is bad for them :)

These sweet parents have an adorable little man in their hands and he has that amazing little newborn smell, so needless to say they are doing a really great job.

But seriously, this sweet family was amazing to work with and extremely patient with all of my many angles. What an amazing Swaddle Baby Plan session, little man was a champ and we even got a few with big brother Rocky (he's the furry one peeking over the crib rail, above).

Belly

Baby

 Swaddle Baby Plan: Maternity and Newborn for $400 

including beautiful heirloom art products.

Baby Plan options

XOXO,

Mich

P.S. Please send any mommas-to-be my way. Everyone deserves amazing images for their sweet, sleepy, dew-skinned new addition. Contact me via the link above, comment below, and share with your friends.

Brand New Offering for 2016! :: Happy New Year!

Its been a bit of a quiet ending to our year, J and I have spent a lot of time together with the pups, just soaking each other up. Our little family had some really joyful news, and some really tough news to follow rounding out 2015. Pardon the less-than-professional backstory, just skip to the bottom for the announcement if you want ;)

My husband and I have struggled with infertility for years, and this fall we were finally able to get pregnant. I was excited, nauseous, and mortified. I guess women really do have some intuition, because I knew something was wrong. We found out a few short weeks later that the baby had stopped growing around 9 weeks along and we would eventually miscarry. Most of December, I could be found curled up on the couch crying, or watching HGTV to distract me from crying. But we were able to send our little angel to heaven naturally just before Christmas, which is what I wanted to prevent any further health issues.

So to say that I am ready for a new year is an understatement. We are truly encouraged by some progress and the pregnancy certainly made things a lot more real for us so we can prepare for a future babe (God willing). 

Why am I tell you all this personal stuff? This tough stuff just solidifies why I pour my heart into capturing timeless images for your families. Whether that "family" word means a couple waiting and hoping, a couple with their fur babies, a family of 3, or a house full of kiddos. Thank you a million times for sharing your lives and your littles with me and allowing me to capture your amazing pesonalities! We are so very blessed and hopeful for the new year.

Now check out the new Baby Steps plans! This bun has been in the oven for years now and I am so excited to finally introduce it to you all. Please let me know what you think, send all those pregger mamas my way, and contact me to book. I want to make sure every milestone is captured as your family grows (it happens too fast)!

From womb to walking, I want to capture all your sweet babe's milestones. And these plans include the gorgeous elite products that would look great in the nursery or on a coffee table. They make great gifts for that expectant mama in your life too.

 Full details here: http://www.mhaasphotography.com/About/Baby-Plan

XOXO and Have a blessed New Year,
Mich

P.S. I love providing birth photography too when my schedule permits, hope to add to a plan down the road. Let me know if any babes are due this summer. Birth photography in the hospital is the most amazing stuff ever, and completely PG rated ;). 

P.S.S Stay tuned for some fun mini session options coming soon too! Happy New Year.

Birth Announcement SALE | Tiny Prints and MHP Louisville, KY Photographer

Birth Announcement Savings!

I love, love, love Tiny Prints and that is why I decided to become an affiliate a while back and share all of these awesome deals with you. They make some of the cutest cards, invitations, thank you notes, stampers and embossers, even home decor items and photo gifts. AND BUSINESS CARDS! 

So I had to share this awesome offer good for one week only, in case any of my new baby mamas out there need to announce their sweet pea.

Didn't get the digitals? No problem! If I took your photos, I will upload any that you would like to the Tiny Prints site. Easy Peasy!!

Scroll down for all of this week's deals, and check back tomorrow for a couple more.

Save $10 off birth announcement orders of $60 or more, $25 off orders of $100 or more or $50 off orders of $150 or more using the code 50BABYJUL at checkout 

When:	7/8-7/14
Promo Code:	50BABYJUL
Your Link:	http://www.shareasale.com/u.cfm?d=277463&m=12808&u=882737
Terms:	Offer expires 7/14/2015 (11:59 P.M. PT). Save $10 off birth announcement orders of $60 or more, $25 off orders of $100 or more or $50 off orders of $150 or more using the code 50BABYJUL at checkout. Merchandise must total $60, $100 or $150 or more, respectively, before taxes, rush processing, proofs, shipping and other charges for promotion to apply. This promotion code cannot be combined with other offers. Offer applies exclusively to birth announcements and is not applicable to previously placed orders, shipping, taxes, rush processing charges, gift certificates, personalized postage stamps or any other product available on TinyPrints.com. Offer is only valid on Tinyprints.com and is not applicable on third party or partner websites. To prevent fraud or abuse, we reserve the right to discontinue or modify this offer or cancel any order.

	Save 20% off Eid-ul-Fitr card orders or 25% off orders of $99 or more using the code 25EIDJUL at checkout
When:	7/8-7/14
Promo Code:	25EIDJUL
Your Link:	http://www.shareasale.com/u.cfm?d=277464&m=12808&u=882737
Terms:	Offer expires 7/14/2015 (11:59 P.M. PT). Save 20% off Eid-ul-Fitr card orders or 25% off orders of $99 or more using the code 25EIDJUL at checkout. Merchandise must total $99 or more, before taxes, rush processing, proofs, shipping and other charges for the 25% off promotion to apply. This promotion code cannot be combined with other offers. Offer applies exclusively to Eid-ul-Fitr cards and is not applicable to previously placed orders, shipping, taxes, rush processing charges, gift certificates, personalized postage stamps or any other product available on TinyPrints.com. Offer is only valid on Tinyprints.com and is not applicable on third party or partner websites. To prevent fraud or abuse, we reserve the right to discontinue or modify this offer or cancel any order.
	Save an additional 10% off already-reduced party invitation orders of $49 or more using the code 10INVITESJUL at checkout
When:	7/8-7/14
Promo Code:	10INVITESJUL
Your Link:	http://www.shareasale.com/u.cfm?d=277467&m=12808&u=882737
Terms:	Offer expires 7/14/2015 (11:59 P.M. PT). Save an additional 10% off already-reduced party invitation orders of $49 or more using the code 10INVITESJUL at checkout. Merchandise must total $49 or more before taxes, rush processing, proofs, shipping and other charges for promotion to apply. This promotion code cannot be combined with other offers. Offer applies exclusively to baby shower invitations, birthday invitations, religious invitations, or party invitations and is not applicable to previously placed orders, shipping, taxes, rush processing charges, gift certificates, personalized postage stamps or any other product available on TinyPrints.com. Offer is only valid on Tinyprints.com and is not applicable on third party or partner websites. To prevent fraud or abuse, we reserve the right to discontinue or modify this offer or cancel any order.
	Save 15% off gift and home décor orders using the code 15GIFTSJUL at checkout
When:	7/8-7/14
Promo Code:	15GIFTSJUL
Your Link:	http://www.shareasale.com/u.cfm?d=277468&m=12808&u=882737
Terms:	Offer expires 7/14/2015 (11:59 P.M. PT). Save 15% off gift and home décor orders using the code 15GIFTSJUL at checkout. There is no minimum purchase required for this promotion. Offer applies exclusively to gifts and home décor items and is not applicable to previously placed orders, shipping, taxes, rush processing charges, calendars, photo books, gift certificates, personalized postage stamps or any other product available on TinyPrints.com. This promotion code cannot be combined with other offers. Offer is only valid on Tinyprints.com and is not applicable on third party or partner websites. To prevent fraud or abuse, we reserve the right to discontinue or modify this offer or cancel any order.
	Save 20% off business card orders using the code 20BIZJUL at checkout
When:	7/8-7/14
Promo Code:	20BIZJUL
Your Link:	http://www.shareasale.com/u.cfm?d=277469&m=12808&u=882737
Terms:	Offer expires 7/14/2015 (11:59 P.M. PT). Save 20% off business card orders using the code 20BIZJUL at checkout. There is no minimum purchase required for this promotion. Offer applies exclusively to business cards and is not applicable to previously placed orders, shipping, taxes, rush processing charges, calendars, photo books, gift certificates, personalized postage stamps or any other product available on TinyPrints.com. This promotion code cannot be combined with other offers. Offer is only valid on Tinyprints.com and is not applicable on third party or partner websites. To prevent fraud or abuse, we reserve the right to discontinue or modify this offer or cancel any order.
	Free Shipping on orders $49 and more with promo code FREESHIP49
When:	ongoing
Promo Code:	FREESHIP49
Your Link:	http://www.shareasale.com/u.cfm?d=260212&m=12808&u=882737
Terms:	Find complete shipping details here

I personally will be getting my hands on one of those stampers [wink, wink check back tomorrow], so cute!

Xoxo,
Mich

 P.S. Feel free to peruse the website via any of those links above and shoot me an email if you have any questions. OH and send me more BABIES!!! LOL!

Lillies + Puppy Kisses + How to Make Your Newborn Session Awesome | MHP Louisville, KY Newborn Photography

I am sitting here thinking about a way to share these photos of the sweetest little family, and of course I do what most others do while procrastinating focusing on the task at hand, I jump on Facebook.

Would you believe that it just so happens to be the little mama's birthday? I cannot think of a better way to celebrate, than with posting and sharing these sweet newborn photos of her new baby Lily.

This little family was sent to me by another friend (I LOVE referrals) and I am so glad that we could fit sweet Lily in to the schedule.

Isn't she the most gorgeous little girl, and that name, fits her so perfectly. We even found some yellow Lilies blooming in the backyard. How PERFECT! 

There are so many great images from this session - we were able to shoot indoors and out! - and I felt so bad that mom and dad were concerned about Lily being upset and having to snack a little during our session. Which is COMPLETELY NORMAL and expected! Just look how beautiful!

SO I wanted to share what to expect and I put together a few tips to make your newborn photo session go as smooth as a baby's... well you know buns ;).
   

 1. Start Early - Be sure to start contacting photographers at lease a couple months before your due date. I usually use your due date as a place holder and then confirm with the little one arrives. I will always try to fit in any session, but I can only schedule so many sessions per week because newborn sessions can take some time, see #2.

2. Be Prepared for a 2-3 Hour Shoot - Babies are amazing, cuddly, adorable, squishy, unpredictable little creatures. But, they are on their own schedule and have to eat pretty often. We may have to have a few mini feeding sessions in the middle to calm down baby and make them sleepy again. The photo shoot will stress them out and feeding helps to soothe them too.

3. Feed Before your Session - It is best to feed a good big meal about a half hour before the shoot and loosen the diaper if you are interested in naked baby photos. Makes baby milk drunk.

4. Avoid Crazy Days - I know it sounds ridiculous with a brand new baby, but get as much sleep and take it easy the night before and morning of the shoot. Lots of visitors wear baby out, and can make for a more cranky pumpkin for the session.

5. Young Babes are Sleepier - I suggest photos in the first 10 days of life and first 7 is ideal. It is not always possible for various reasons, but try to get photos done as soon as you get home from the hospital. Younger babies are sleepier, which is usually better for photos because they will be more content. Babies eyes haven't developed strong muscles yet, so they often look cross-eyed if they're open.

6. Don't Skip It - If you are concerned about timing, or baby comes early/late, or has a little stint in the NICU, don't cancel. Even if the photos end up being 1 month photos, do them anyway, you will be glad you did later. 

7. It Won't Be Perfect - But we will get perfectly amazing images that will last more than a lifetime. Behind the scenes always looks a little messier than you would imagine. The photos will be gorgeous even if your house is a mess, you haven't slept more than 30 mins and your pants have dried milk on them. The photos show only where I point the camera, and I can hide a lot.

8. Include the Important Stuff - Be sure to collect heirlooms and objects that mean something to you and have them ready for the shoot. In fact, I often ask what you have before hand so I can get the ideas rolling.

9. Consider Priorities - Sometimes the little ones just aren't having it. They may be growth-spurting, or fighting sleep, and just don't want to do much. We have to have a plan. So tell me what is most important to you and we will do that first. I always suggest family photos first, just in case we get some projectile matter on our clothes (also completely normal, no worries).

10. My Models Tell Me - My models, large and small, always tell me when they have had enough. We will go by the way the little one responds and if we have enough and little one starts freaking out, we are officially wrapped up. This is why #9 is so important. 

Most of all, I know it is scary and uncomfortable. But, PLEASE try not to worry. I have done this many times. Pee, poop, spit-up, breast milk, boobs, I have seen it all, and it doesn't freak me out. I will not be offended or injured if it happens during our shoot. I have a washing machine and I know how to use it :)  

Plus babies can smell fear, and their mom, so sometimes I'll make you go away :D

XOXO, 

Mich

P.S. Send me some love, or tell me what I missed, in the comment section below. And please shoot me an email - using the contact link above -  if you need some art made of your new addition.

Bow Ties + Baskets | MHP Louisville, KY Newborn Photographer

To start off today's post, I just want to say how thankful I am to each of you.

Even if you haven't booked a session with me yet, or are taking a peek at a friend's photos, I appreciate you so much! Without each and every set of eye balls looking at this blog, I wouldn't be who I am or be doing what I'm doing today.

And I am oh so blessed.

So THANKS!

And that was brought to you by my new blog design.

 As a creative person, when I sit down to write, it is sometimes difficult. I have to yank stuff out of myself that I normally keep tucked inside. Words are not nearly as much of my forte as say... images :)

So my new blog wasn't going to write its own welcome section - See right sidebar------>
- and I got to thinking about what makes me tick, and it might sound corny, but its all of you.

When I was growing up and my mom asked me to draw her a picture, I would always respond, "a picture of what?" My imagination had tons to draw, but I needed something to inspire me.

You inspire me.

I want to make art that you ADORE. Art that speaks to your soul and captures your heart. And I cannot possibly do that in my line of work without your gorgeous families, kids, pets, and YOU.

So thank you and with out further ado, little Mr. Jack.

He is oh so loved too.

 Mama had a super long delivery, and little Mr. Jack was too comfy to leave hotel Mama. The morning of Jack's shoot, I arrived and he had just eaten, usually a good way to make itty-bitties milk drunk and groggy. Well, we started the shoot and had a few of a very alert little Jack.

We got a few yawns and I thought we were getting groggy, then Boing, eyes were back open.

And this photo about half way down, he was literally laughing at me. Haha I am not sleeping for you!

His little Lullaby Lambs Soother helped quite a bit, and he talked me into snuggling and bouncing him for a while (geez twist my arm:)). Jack finally fell asleep and let us pose him with Bow Ties + Baskets like the little blond-headed doll that he is.
 

I sure hope mom and dad are able to enjoy these photos as much as I enjoyed making Jack's first bit of art.

 He did great, after being slightly over interested that he didn't miss anything, but we will call that determined.

 Oh my word... those sweet little toes. Those snuggles ended up being pretty dang sweet for me too.

Xoxo,
Mich

Reid [10 days new] | Louisville, KY Newborn Photographer

Will you take a look at these sweet boys? They are the cutest with their new baby brother Reid. At one point Dad said putting Reid in between his two big brothers was like putting him in a lion's den, thank goodness everyone came out of the shoot okay :) Being the youngest, I know he is going to be extra strong thanks to that lion's den training.

 Ahhhh the cuteness... Meet Reid!

Axel [14 days new] | Louisville, KY Newborn Portrait Photographer

This little heart breaker is going to be a world traveler... and might hit a few tennis balls in his time too. Such a sweet little man with a very cool name --he knows it, check out the sunglasses -- and a couple of studly fur-brothers too.

 Meet Axel!

Daniel [18 days new] | Louisville, KY Newborn Portrait Photographer

This little guy is such a fighter, he spent some time in the NICU and he has come out bigger and stronger and oh so studly. I already know hes going to be a stud. He looks amazingly like his big brother, Logan [3 years old] whom graced us with his cunning charm during the whole shoot... and graced us with a few photos of his studliness too :) Love these boys and their amazing parents.

Xoxo,
Mich

© MHaas Photography | All rights reserved. Feel free to like, share, tag yourself and use as your profile photo. But, please respect my work and do not save, crop or alter in any way.

Hadley [7 days new]

This sweet little girl was so beautiful I can't even tell you, the portraits must speak for themselves.

Such a comfy little place to call home.

 

She prefers to be snuggled up tight, whether in a wrap, a blanket, or a set of pretty good arms. I always wonder what babies are dreaming about when they sleep and bust out a huge baby smile or sigh. This little beauty was giving us just the best little smirks I could ever ask for.

If you have any questions about how great she is, her sweet momma would be happy to tell you. Mom and dad are over the moon and rightly so.

Ladies and Gents, meet Hadley.

Xoxo,

Mich

Russell [newborn] | louisville, ky newborn photographer

I stopped past a sweet friend's house to meet this new little guy. My goodness is Russ a sweet, healthy boy! He was snoozing ever so soundly until we messed with him and took a few photos. After he figured us out, he was not too excited about the whole photo idea, but that sweet face...I just want to eat him up. Haha, I contained myself.

Xoxo,
Mich

naked baby [behind the scenes] | Louisville, KY Newborn Photographer

Isn't there something authentic and natural about a naked baby.  There is something about a little one, in his most natural form, creates some of the most simple and beautiful images. This post is about how one newborn portrait setup can create many gorgeous images. Same baby, same blanket, same pose.

I wanted to take a moment, in the midst of all of the editing I do, I sometimes get so pigeon-holed that I don't see the simple beauty right in front of me. This black blanket has seen a lot of newborn shoots (and all the extra stuff that come out of with said newborns). But it always ends up helping me make great images, the kind that show off that sweet new babe.

I have included a behind the scenes shot to show my little setup. I placed my bean bag poser right in front of the sliding glass doors to utilize as much natural light as possible on a half-way gloomy fall day.

I also placed an inexpensive studio light (continuous light, not strobe) outside of the door and a reflector above baby's head. You can also see my little heater set up a safe distance from baby, keeping him warm and happy.

Everything from detail shots, to wider full body portraits, you can get all of these different images while baby is comfortably snoozing away.

But time after time, this little black backdrop creates some of my favorite images.

Here's to sleeping (naked) babies, and sleeping like a baby.

Xoxo,
Mich

P.S. Only 6 more likes needed over at my facebook page before we can draw a winner on the big GIVEaway. So hop on over to the facebook page to like and nominate someone now.

Veda [12 days new]

How about this sweet girl named Veda ::swoon:: What a gorgeous name for a gorgeous little one. I had the pleasure to meet her a couple weeks ago in the middle of my tornado that is fall sports season, so I apologize that this is tardy. But I just had to share, better late than never right?  Without further Ado meet Veda
...and her big brother Whitt.

I am just in love with all of this real lifestyle love. There is nothing better than a Thursday morning with a brand newbie and your loves.

XOXO,
Mich