Category Archives: Child Photography

How to Survive Family Photos With a Toddler

a mother hugging her toddler son in a field of tall grass during a family photo session in Connecticut

Family photos with a toddler are a different animal than family photos with a baby. Somewhere around 18 months, kids stop being pliable and start having opinions. The baby who sat wherever you put them last year now has a strong position on being put anywhere. If you're dreading it, you're in good company. After [...]

Birthday Portrait Sessions in Avon, Simsbury, and the Farmington Valley

Girl in pink floral dress blowing out a birthday candle on a white cake during birthday session at Kelli Dease Photography, Farmington CT

The first birthday gets a lot of attention. After that, birthday photos tend to fade into party snaps on someone's phone. But kids change so much between two and twelve that skipping all of those years feels like a real gap in the record. At my studio in Farmington, CT, I do birthday portrait sessions [...]

Cake Smash Sessions in Connecticut: What They Are, How They Work, and What to Expect

A one-year-old baby boy wearing a white Henley and suspenders, holding fists of birthday cake and smiling at the camera. The photo features a plain white background and a white high chair.

A cake smash session is exactly what it sounds like: a baby, a cake, and a camera ready for whatever happens next. At my Farmington, CT studio, I offer session options for every birthday, but cake smash photography sessions are some of the most entertaining I do all year. The results range from sweet and [...]

Children’s Portrait Photography in Connecticut: What to Expect (and Why the Silly Moments Are the Best Ones)

a head and shoulders image of a five year-old girl in a pink sweater, smiling during a personality portrait photoshoot in farmington, ct.

I have two boys. My older son was born serious in a way that felt less like a phase and more like a personality philosophy. Not difficult (well ... sometimes), just very deliberate about everything. My younger one was "cling to my leg in any new situation and take at least 20 minutes to warm [...]

Motherhood Mini Sessions: Why Every Mom Deserves to Be in the Photo

Close-up portrait of baby with blue eyes being held by smiling mom during a Connecticut motherhood mini session

There is a particular kind of irony that most mothers know well. You are the one who remembers to bring the camera. You are the one who notices the light coming through the window and grabs your phone before the moment passes. You have thousands of photos of your children: their first steps, their gap-toothed [...]