© 2024 Nick Wilkes Photography. All rights reserved. A Madison WI portrait and commercial photographer serving Madison, Milwaukee and southern Wisconsin. Site by Isthmus Design.
Newborn
There is nothing quite as classic and pure as a newborn baby. We had a huge house available with lots of big windows and beautiful natural light, and our best images were the simplest: tender compositions, simple backgrounds, intimacy and family. This baby was the most cooperative little model I've ever worked with, sleeping, waking, posing, and smiling as if reading my mind. A special morning.
Taproot Farm farm sits atop a hillside clearing east of Ridgeway, WI, looking east toward a rolling valley of forested folds. I first visited Taproot with my brother, who is knows the owners. They had invited a bunch of folks out to help pick and press apples from their old orchard trees, a fun project with delicious results. We brought Sebastian, our newborn first child, out for the festivities and enjoyed a wonderful evening of food and good folks. When the owners asked if I would photograph their newborn baby boy, I jumped at the chance.
This boy must have been excited too, maybe that's why he didn't want to sleep. Mama really wanted to do some sleepy naked baby photos, but the kiddo wasn't having it. He was wide awake, super curious. So we sauntered around the property, up and down dirt roads, past the orchard and gardens, and generally had a nice time waiting for the babe to get sleepy. It didn't happen until the sun was just about gone, but right around sunset he finally close his eyes and we got a few precious shots in the grass.
Maya and I took Sebastian down to see Jon and Ann on Sunday, knowing we would get to meet their new little boy. The mystery man-of-the-hour turned out to be George Basil, a quiet, curious little guy who was constantly half-awake and quite easy to get on with. George has awesome hair - all those wonderful natural oils make him look like he just stepped out of a salon - and some gorgeous peepers, clearly a product of a top-shelf gene pool.
We passed the time hanging out lakeside, feeding the bluegills bread crumbs, frog-hunting, and discussing baby stories, until rain drove us inside for the evening. Thanks to the new parents for their gracious hospitality, which included ice cream, chocolate, and Jim Beam. A nice way to end a Sunday.
Most of the time, I prefer to shoot newborns without many people around... just mom and dad is ideal. But everything in Lucas's clan is a family affair, and it was fun to have his aunt, cousin, and grandmother around during our shoot, giving us lots of space and quiet as they bustled about the house.
One thing I like about shooting in the country is the closeness of house and field, which we rarely get in Madison. It's so nice to shoot for a while inside, then step a few paces off the back porch to tall grass and large swaths of shade trees. Because who wants to drive around to various locales when they are six days old?
