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Welcome baby E
THIS crew. OMG. Their light filled Denver newborn in home photo session made my Denver newborn photographer heart pop right out of my chest. It doesn’t get any more cute than this.
A family of four with a 6 day old cutie born to a family so thrilled to welcome him. Welcome to the world baby E!
Photos from this lovely crew’s creekside Denver maternity session below!
Welcome Baby L | Denver Lifestyle Newborn Session
This session warmed my heart.
Brought me home to deep gratitude, joy and delight.
I am here to celebrate new life. I am here to bear witness to your vulnerable humanity. To crack open what lives inside, to be embodied, documented. Let’s celebrate your brand new miracle.
This mama. This pup. This home. This sweet boy is about 9 weeks old and the perfect model. His session was timed just right for his family’s desired approach and oh my goodness the open eyes, the eye contact, the cuteness…its next level and the Denver newborn photographer in me was so thankful to celebrate this new family, the handsome new life they’ve welcomed into their stunning home. I feel so fortunate to celebrate these moments.
Our little model was so understandably cranky - being a model is hard! We took a break and assessed that they wanted to add additional time to their session - nothing below would have been captured! I often walk out of homes with that thought - oh gosh we should do this really quick! I love how these images feature not only the stunning beauty of their family, their bond, their style, their residence, their vibes. Lifestyle sessions are so deeply personal. How lucky are they to get to look back at these moments celebrating this incredibly special time. Honored to join them in celebration!
Sustainability + conscious brands - a 2025 approach to Prepping for baby
Before we get into my Denver baby photographer focused recommendations, I want to share that this post comes from a place of connection and zero judgement. I am excited by the fact that we have options of how to vote with our dollars, what we support/allow and how the folks I’m commissioning and buying from align with my values. I value and make my livelihood as a Denver newborn photographer celebrating life - I choose to invest my money in spaces that honor human life and the planet.
This is part of a bigger practice for me — embodying integrity. In my Denver Newborn and Maternity Photo business and in the way I move through the world personally. My work as a Denver Newborn and maternity photographer is all about celebrating new life, this offering is about deep self care for you and your baby. A natural extension of what I do behind the camera: honoring the beauty, the tenderness, and the responsibility that comes with welcoming a baby.
No one is perfect. No one ever will be. I still shop on Amazon, use Charmin toilet paper, and buy beauty products that aren’t as clean as I’d like. Options are everything in my world, I’m here to spread awareness that you have options of how you spend, where you buy and perhaps even what you value.
Preparing for baby’s arrival bring this wild new perspective of over researching a billion topics and boom - the overwhelm hits and suddenly every decision feels bigger than it used to. I believe we vote with our dollar every time we add something to a cart, build a registry or choose which companies to trust with our newborn babies. The ethics, sustainability, integrity of the design, even the values of the people leading the brand-these elements matter to me.
The products we put on baby’s skin, their clothes, diapers, wipes, swaddles, skincare — I’m celebrating the information available and see it as a creative invitation to dive into a deeper investigation of what works best for me.
The magic of being able to make an informed decision on what I find most exciting - resources like the Environmental Working Group offer an entire section dedicated to baby safety.
Denver Newborn Lifestyle Photographer, Denver Baby Photographer, maternity photos Denver, preparing for your newborn and maternity session in Denver
Local goodness first! I love supporting other female entrepreneurs in my city. Isn’t that what it’s all about? sometimes the most meaningful finds are just down the street.
Urban Baby Co.
Denver-based, woman-owned brand with a strong focus on sustainability.
Broomtail Kids
Neighborhood shop on Gaylord in Denver carrying a mix of clothing, toys, accessories, and books for babies and children. It has a community-centered vibe-great spot to find eco-friendly baby goods.
Wholesome Linen
Organic flax linen for babies, Wash Park eco-friendly, non-toxic bedding and nursery pieces.
Wild West Baby Co.
Tennyson Street boutique offering everyday vibe goods for kids and babies and oh so cuuuute.
Little Bird Denver
Near Cherry Creek North, Little Bird Denver offers sustainable, neighborhood-like atmosphere. It’s a great spot for both everyday essentials and photo-worthy wardrobe elements.
baby booty care and skincare for denver moms & babies
Yes to leaning into EWG-verified, plant-based diaper creams like Earth Mama Organics Diaper Balm or Weleda Calendula Diaper Cream. Pair them with compostable wipes like Eco by Naty or WaterWipes for a low-tox, eco-conscious routine that’s good for baby and the Mother Earth.
Diapers: Coterie - soft, absorbent, responsibly sourced or Dyper compostable with their REDYPER program.
Wipes: WaterWipes - 99.9% water, biodegradable or Eco by Naty - plant-based, compostable.
Baby staples: Earth Mama Organics - woman-founded, EWG verified — their diaper balm and body wash could be your next favorite eco friendly fav.
For moms: Erbaviva - organic belly oils and butters and Weleda - Skin Food for dry postpartum skin & their gentle calendula baby line.
Baby wash, diaper balms, shampoos, washes, creams. Earth Mama Organics is woman-founded, EWG verified gentle baby wash, diaper balm, calendula lotion. Babo Botanicals creates plant-based shampoos and washes, many EWG rated low hazard. California Baby offers woman-founded, family-run non-toxic, allergy-tested washes and creams. Gosh its so nice to have options.
feeding & nursing denver babies
Let’s be honest, hydration is self care with Denver’s mile high desert status. Babies dehydrate faster vs sea level and nursing mamas need extra hydration love, too!
Nursing pads: Kindred Bravely - women-founded organic cotton, washable and comfortable.
Bottles: Lifefactory - glass with silicone sleeves or Pura -stainless steel, no plastic. Hevea – Natural glass bottles with 100% natural rubber nipples; eco-friendly.
clothing & textiles for denver moms and brand new mile high natives
Denver weather is the best AND loves to keep us guessing. You know the vibes - multiple seasons can hit all in one day. One second it’s sunny and 70° F and you wake up to snow flurries the next day.
Baby basics: Monica + Andy - woman-founded, organic cotton and Burt’s Bees Baby.
Swaddles & blankets: Coyuchi - organic, Fair Trade or Aden + Anais.
For moms: Boob Design -sustainable maternity/nursing wear, women-owned, and Pact - organic cotton basics, Fair Trade.
home & wellness for your mile high native denver newborn
Cleaning: Branch Basics - women-founded, refillable system to reduce plastic use.
Laundry: Molly’s Suds or Attitude.
Cycle care: Saalt -women-owned, period care that gives back globally — handy to have once your cycle returns postpartum.
baby sunscreen
Denver sun is potent. Baby skin is extra delicate. Take a peek at a clean, mineral-based sunscreen with zinc oxide that are fragrance-free and EWG-approved.
Thinkbaby is well loved by EWG
Badger Balm is a long time favorite of mine! Mineral, reef-safe, organic.
pacifiers & teethers
I love having a pacifier at a Denver Newborn Photo Session. Even if they don’y typically use it, it can aid in sooting baby during a session. We’re often shifting them many times during our time together which may interrupt their sleep, burn more calories than usual. I much prefer the pacifier to the parent’s finger which always seems to be the next thing offered. Natural rubber pacifiers and teethers :
Natursutten - natural rubber pacifiers & teethers.
Hevea - biodegradable natural rubber pacifiers & teethers.
toys & stuffies
Everything offered to a baby will go straight into their mouth without discrimination. Organic cotton stuffies and sustainable wooden toys:
Under the Nile is a beautiful source for organic cotton stuffed animals & loveys, Fair Trade, women-owned.
Apple Park –great spot to find organic cotton plush animals, dolls, and rattles; safe dyes, sustainable farming.
Pebble by Hathay Bunano brings hand-knit rattles & dolls made by women in rural Bangladesh; Fair Trade certified.
PlanToys OMG the cute!!! Wooden toys made from sustainably harvested rubber trees, non-toxic finishes.
Grimm’s These iconic, colorful German-made wooden toys like rainbow stackers and blocks from FSC-certified wood.
books with eco + diverse voices
Barefoot Books is an independent publisher with diverse, inclusive, eco-conscious stories.
Little Feminist Book Club offers subscription boxes with diverse + inclusive baby/toddler board books.
Leah Gilbert is a favorite, long-time client of mine is a talented, published children’s book author AND illustrator. She’s the sweetest human - her son is one of the most positive, radiant 7 year olds I’ve met. So wild to see them grow over the years!
Extras to Consider
Play Mats: Toki Mats – Non-toxic, organic foam play mats, woman-founded.
Rattles / Teethers: Oli & Carol – 100% natural rubber teethers and bath toys, biodegradable.
Celebrating the option to get creative with how we vote for your baby’s health, for ethical labor, and for sustainable practices with every brand we choose to support.
Do you have eco newborn products or postpartum goods that you used and loved? Share in the comments :)
Denver Studio Newborn Photos | Welcome Baby k
Welcome to the world Baby L! You are so precious and sweet and you are so so loved. Celebrating this crew made my heart smile in ways that anchor me in to how special this life is, how precious love is and how worthy it all is of being documented. Cheers to celebrating new life, love that has spanned a decade, a childhood love turned family of three.
These two have known each other since they were children, dating since high school and have moved around the nation together. I’m so thrilled they landed in Colorado to welcome their own little Denver native. These stories are so beautiful to witness, to document, to giggle alongside these families as they share their delivery stories, how they see themselves and their partner in their brand new baby. How they chose their new little nugget’s name and what the first ~9 days of being parents have offered. This is a wild special time and I am so in awe of the fact that we all arrive in the world this way, tiny and helpless and perfect into the hands of a brand new family.
Name a cuter family! When I met these two for their maternity session I just kept saying - your baby is going to be the cutest thing ever!!
Leah’s Crew | Denver Family Photographer
Have you intersected humans that just make you believe more firmly in the goodness of humanity? Their genuine nature of kindness, presence, intentionality, positive/upbeat vibes that just feel next level special? Those humans are this full family. I’ve never felt so honored by a client while photographing them as their Denver baby and family photographer. Looking in the eyes of this handsome seven year old I can’t believe I met him as a baby and that I’ve been photographing families long enough to say that I photographed a seven year old I see standing in front of me as a baby.
I met this crew SEVEN years ago for a baby session in their stunning Denver residence. I learned that Leah, the mama featured here, is a children’s book author and illustrator. Blown away at her creative genius and presence, I felt so fortunate to share in this space with her and her family. I was so sad to hear that her family was moving back home to Wisconsin to be closer to family and as equally overjoyed when she reached out to book a family photography session in Denver while in town before school starts!!!
The way these humans treat each other, interact with others, there is a deep passion for life, respect for humanity and genuine kindness and care shown to me during their session. There is something wildly special about this energy, exceptional about the hope for humanity that it creates and it inspires me deeply to embody it and allow myself and others to steep in the enriching nature of this kind goodness. THIS is what we need more of in the world right now. I’m craving it so deeply and I have a feeling I’m not the only one.
I believe that life can get so full and big that it’s almost impossible to be present with one another, I hope that these chaotic moments during your photo session can bring pause, enjoyment, less performative perfection and more playful present, snuggled together connected goodness that allows me as your Denver family photographer to capture and witness your humanity, your relational rapport you’ve built with your small humans and how you show them to navigate the world based on what you model and bring.
How special to bring a book that you wrote, illustrated and worked to publish - to a photo session to share with your son. These moments are so genuine and intimate, a deeply personal depiction of your story and the art of being human and I feel so honored to create them with Denver families and pregnant women, new moms, new families as a photographer.
Denver lifestyle newborn photos: welcome baby G
I’m warning you these three are ridiculously cute and are going to make you have more babies.
I mean…are you kidding me? We were taking bets at their maternity session if he was going to inherit dad’s red hair - I think he did!
Celebrating the moments. A brand new family of three, one of the newest residents of Denver. The cutest little nugget newborn baby boy. Gosh some shoots just make my heart smile so deeply.
As a fan of watches, these detail shots make my heart smile-toss the baby toes in the mix and its straight Denver Lifestyle Newborn session magic.
Including a shot of their creekside maternity session as it was perfectly snowy and wintery and these two are so fabulous. I loved celebrating your journey!
Welcome Baby L
This mama and I have the same area code (I’m that person that has the same phone number from when I was 17) from back in Illinois and her whole crew - grandma, grandpa and even their sweet pup were so kind, precious and fun to work with. A little slice of home for my soul.
This big brother brown bear pooch was the sweetest boy and total guardian of his newly arrived little brother and was such a fun part of the session. I love featuring these lovely first child creatures.
I guide the session in a way that shifts us out offering treats to look at the camera and more an approach that allows them to organically interact with their crew, their family, their baby.
A snapshot of this sweet fur babe that will share in so many of your family’s firsts. These are the moments so worthy of taking the time to truly celebrate. New life, new love. A brand new family and all its parts are born into a world that will never be the same.
Beyond grateful to be invited in to celebrate with this fam during this wild special time as the add a generation to their lineage. I believe when generations gather together, passed ancestors do a little happy dance and I was so thankful to document this lovely crew.
Welcome to the world, baby L! You are so loved! - JJ
Denver Newborn Studio Session
I melted into a puddle of cuteness overload editing this session oh my my this crew is just the cutest.
Celebrating new life while shooting brand new babies is totally my thing and my Denver Newborn Photographer heart basically exploded in this session.
Welcome to the world, sweet boy! You are sooooo loved.
Denver One Year Old Cake Smash
A little internet search revealed to me that cake smashes originated in Mexico! Thank you Google’s AI feature for this info…
“The tradition of cake smashes for a one-year-old's birthday is most commonly attributed to Mexico, where it's called "La Mordida" which means "the bite," where the baby's face is intentionally pushed into the cake while guests chant "Mordida!" signifying their first taste; however, the practice gained widespread popularity through the lens of social media photography, making it a modern trend in the United States and beyond.”
My little cake smash model’s mom found some info on the TikTok about taking a Costco mufffin, chopping the top off and frosting it! Looks like magic to me and a super affordable option to buying a whole cake for your 12 month old to pick at. :) A fancy cake stand goes a long way, too!
Cake covered hands, feet, hair, face, mouth, I love seeing it - this girl was not shy about her little cake and went to town smashing it like a pro!!!
Happy first birthday, sweet one year old babe! You are so loved!