Santa baby...

Tristan's mom and dad crack me up! They walked into the studio arms full of props and heads full of ideas for photos with their brand new cutie! Baby boy was sooo good and let us do all sorts of fun stuff (he did end up peeing in the baseball glove, though!).





~blair blanks | silver spring newborn baby photographer | blairblanks.com

Eva, so pink and new

The weather and an early delivery meant we almost didn't get to do little Eva's newborn photo session during those great first few weeks when babies are still "squishy." But the roads cleared up enough yesterday afternoon for me to get to the studio. I actually photographed Eva and her family as the same time as I photographed another newborn (Tristan's sneak peek is up next!). It was a little crowded and a little crazy, but we got it done! I promised I'd try to get a few of my favorite images on the blog today before I leave for Christmas, because I know how hard it is to wait!

So, welcome to the world little Evie...it's going to be a fun ride!









~blair blanks | owings mills newborn baby photographer | blairblanks.com

"puff, puff," the sound of me dusting off the blog

I'm trying to get everyone as far along in the process as possible before Christmas, so I've neglected my blog! Just wanted to share some of this sweet little one. She was a perfect little model for me!

~blair blanks | baltimore newborn baby photographer | blairblanks.com

I shouldn't, but I did

I'm so swamped I have no business even peeking at the images I shot today of this sassy little thing, but I just couldn't help it! I love it when I get to try something new and it actually works out like I'd pictured in my mind's eye!



~blair blanks | creative baby photography | blairblanks.com

Some images just scream out for black and white

I love black and white, and there is odd phenomenon I have noticed with my clients. Most will say they love black and white, but when it come time to select portraits of their own children usually go with color. I have put a lot of thought into this, and I've decided that black and white appeals to people's artistic sense, but when they have a personal, emotional connection with the subject, they tend to want more realism. That being said, there are just some images that beg to be black and white, like this one. The dramatic lighting and the texture of the furry blanket just call for it. By the way, good black and white with digital is a lot more complicated than a simple greyscale. Greyscale -- just removing the color- leaves you with dull gray tones. It's the richness of the blacks in opposition to the brights of the highlights that create the gorgeous look of film-like black and white. That's something that has to be done by a person with a trained eye with a thorough understanding of photo editing. A push of a button it is not!

This is Corbin, who was a perfect and absolute angel for me!



~blair blanks | baltimore newborn photographer | blairblanks.com

Someone call The Gap

because Grayson is their next supermodel. This boys LOVES the camera like no toddler I have ever seen! Little boys this age usually make me want to cry...but I'll take me some Grayson any day!

~blair blanks | baltimore baby photographer | blairblanks.com

Sale continues...

~blair blanks | baltimore maryland baby and kid photographer | blairblanks.com

Forgot to point out...

The half-off offer for the Baby's First Year portrait plan means you get all three sessions for the price of ONE session...dang, is that a deal or what?

You can book now for any baby due before August, 2010, so if you THINK you might be pregnant, go get an EPT and call me if you see a "plus" sign! =)

Remember, the offer is only good until Friday Dec. 4th!

~blair blanks | baltimore baby photographer | blairblanks.com

Happy Thanksgiving! Jump Start on Black Friday

First, Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! I have so much to be thankful for in my life, and I can't tell you how many times I have walked away from a photo session thinking, "Wow, Blair, you are one lucky girl!"

As 2009 winds down and we gear up for 2010, some changes are being made!
I’ll be introducing a new pricing structure in December as well as a discounted plan for parents wanting to create a portrait history of their baby’s first year.

(Keep reading for an early jump on my Black Friday special offer!)

2010 Pricing Plan:
The new pricing structure rewards clients who choose digital or print collections with lower a la carte prices for individual prints, so you will now see two prices for each size of portrait, one price for prints ordered in addition to a collection and one price for prints not ordered in addition to a package. If you are one of those who always selects digital packages, never fear. Those are staying the same!

Baby’s First Year Portrait Plan:
Also back by popular demand is the Baby’s First Year portrait plan. This is a great way to document through photography those amazing first months of your new baby’s life. This is a plan offers significant savings on session fees as well as prints and collections.

So what’s included? The plan is three sessions – photographed at newborn, six-eight months and baby’s first birthday (you can add one session more if you like). At the end of the year, parents can opt to order a beautiful, custom-designed coffee table book featuring their favorite images from all three sessions.

This plan has been extremely popular in the past, so, to keep things sane, and to ensure I keep scheduling availability for my regular clients, the plan is going to be limited to five new babies each month. So if you are pregnant, or have a new baby under three months old, contact me ASAP to snag your spot!


And now, (drumroll please) for THE DEAL (you know you were waiting for it!).

Here it is:

Thanksgiving Offer:
Book a standard session to be photographed between January and March, 2010, and get $100 off the session fee ($150 off the maternity/newborn combo). That means the session fee for a standard session will be $125, and the fee for a maternity/newborn combo will be $225.

Or, sign up for the Baby’s First Year plan before next Friday and get the introductory rate of 50% off the entry fee. (You can sign up now for a baby due to be born any time before August 2010.) But remember, it's limited to five new babies a month (and I REALLY mean it!).

This offer ends Friday Dec. 4th at midnight! You can pay your reservation fee by clicking the link at the top of this blog that says, "Pay Reservation Fee>"
To take advantage of either of these offers, please email me for complete details.


~blair blanks | baltimore baby photographer | blairblanks.com

The last best fall color...

There are certain pockets of trees in the Baltimore area that hold out when it comes to fall color. They wait until all the other leaves have done their showing off and fallen, and then they take over the stage with some of the most eye-catching colors of the season. These were taken last weekend and most of them are gone now...I had a shoot this morning and they were mostly gone.



~blair blanks | towson family photographer | blairblanks.com

I'm done! Until 2010...(and a special! coming!)

My calendar is now full! No more sessions are open until mid- January. I will have the studio closed from Dec. 22 until Jan. 4th.
That being said, I'm about to launch some new ordering options for the new year, as well as a new portrait plan for baby's first year. Check back here Friday for the announcement as well as a chance to snatch up a session or a portrait plan at the best rate possible!

And for a little something sweet, here's a recent favorite Santa baby!



~blair blanks | baltimore baby photographer | blairblanks.com

Dare you not to smile...

How can you not smile when you see this little butterball? I am loving personalizing these crib images with cute things parents bring from home. What's great about it is, these portraits are perfect to display in the nursery since the accent items coordinate perfectly with the decor!

So I'm pretty swamped with holiday sessions now. I only have a few December slots open (all of them weekdays) and then I'm full until mid January. I will have the studio closed Dec. 22 though Jan 4. Already looking forward to some fun changes for 2010...so stay tuned!

~blair blanks | baltimore baby photographer | blairblanks.com

Merry Mr. Merric...

Just the sweetest little dude ever...



~blair blanks | baltimore baby photographer | blairblanks.com

Ah, the glamorous life of a baby photographer...

I'm a little swamped right now with holiday sessions, but this was too funny not to share...
He was quite impressive with the arc on this one!

~blair blanks | baltimore baby photographer | blairblanks.com

Santa baby...

Love this Santa baby from last Christmas. If you want your own Santa baby photographed, better hurry it up! I have just a few slots left for the year! ~blair blanks | baltimore holiday baby photographer | blairblanks.com

It's beginning to look a lot like, well, you know...

I know, I know, too early to think about Christmas, right? But not if you want great photos for your cards or gift-giving!

~blair blanks | baltimore baby photographer | blairblanks.com

Noah is one!

I've watched him grow up through my lens...and now he's one year old!









~blair blanks | baltimore baby photographer | blairblanks.com

The part where it gets good

It's late and I'm worn out from Halloween and cupcake-making festivities for my littlest one, whose 2nd birthday we are celebrating tomorrow (well, technically today!), but I just wanted to quickly pop in and share this.

This lovely couple will soon know just exactly what people mean when they say time flies...because from this point on, the earth spins a little faster. Enjoy the ride!



~blair blanks | baltimore maternity and baby photographer | blairblanks.com

We got sooo lucky...

I really wanted to do some outdoor shots with these cute kiddos, and we totally lucked out with the weather. About a half hour after I shot these, the rain started...

~blair blanks | baltimore baby photographer | blairblanks.com

Indian summer

Enjoying the last bits of sun before winter moves in for good!








~blair blanks | baltimore baby photographer | blairblanks.com

Piper, the crazy-happy girl!

To describe Piper as a livewire is a bit of an understatement...this girl had us laughing non-stop with all her squeals and giggles!
I LOVE this crib shot...look at her up on her tippy-toes!

~blair blanks | baltimore baby photographer | blairblanks.com

Regan is one! {first birthday portrait session}

I've been photographing Regan throughout her first year. She is a love bug, but in front of my camera is generally NOT where she wants to be. The odds were stacked against us this session; we were a little rushed for time, she had a bit of the sniffles AND she was teething. But, as luck would have it, she gave us the best smiles yet!


~blair blanks | baltimore baby and child photographer | blairblanks.com








~blair blanks | baltimore child and family photographer | blairblanks.com

Lovely in vintage...

I photographed this little girl as a newborn at the beginning of the year and I loved seeing her again...she does the "vintage" thing perfectly (note the cute little bow for every outfit!).

~blair blanks | baltimore baby photographer | blairblanks.com