Most people know about newborn photos and family photos, but have you heard of milestone photos? If not, are you missing out on a special way to celebrate the most beautiful moments of your baby’s first year? As a Lafayette photographer, I have the absolute joy of helping parents create lifelong mementos with milestone photos as their babies grow. To help more parents learn about milestone photography and how it could bring even more joy to their young families, I’ve put together this introduction to milestone portraits.

What Are Milestone Photos?

Milestone photos are portraits that celebrate and capture special milestones in your child’s life – typically in your baby’s first year. They’re often scheduled for specific intervals in your baby’s first year, like 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, and 1 year. There’s not just one “schedule” for milestone photos, though – you can book these sessions as frequently or infrequently as you like.

Popular Types of Milestone Portraits

Every family can do milestone photography in their own way. There are two types of sessions, though, that are particularly popular because of the occasions they signify and where they land in your baby’s development.

Sitter Session

A sitter session is a photo session that takes place when your baby can comfortably sit up on their own but before they’re walking and before they’re doing a lot of crawling. It’s both a fun and strategic time to take baby portraits. With your baby able to sit up, I can create a much wider variety of poses and looks than I could when your baby was younger, and your baby is able to show off those beautiful eyes and adorable facial expressions of theirs. At the same time, your baby isn’t so mobile at this stage that they struggle to stay in one place for the camera.

First Birthday Session

Your baby’s first birthday is a monumental occasion, marking the first of many fun birthdays your child will celebrate and the end of what will probably be the most unique, change-filled year of your life. What an excellent occasion to preserve these special memories with a photo shoot!

For that reason, first birthday portraits are popular even among parents who haven’t opted for any other milestone photos. Cake smash photos are popular for a baby’s first birthday, but if you aren’t a cake smash fan, there are plenty of other ways I can create beautiful portraits that highlight your baby’s first birthday.

Why You’ll Thank Yourself for Investing in Milestone Photos

Your baby’s first year somehow seems to last a lifetime and go by in an instant, all at the same time. While it’s a year of constant change, it’s a blink in the grand scheme of life and before you know it, you’ll wish you had portraits to remind you of all the fun stages within that year. Milestone photography is an investment in memories your family will cherish in the future. To book your session or learn more, contact Heather’d Violet Photography.

Heather’d Violet Photography is based out of Lafayette, Indiana, and is owned and operated by Heather Toro, who specializes in maternity and newborn photography, as well as families under McCaffry Photography, LLC. heather’d violet Photography serves Lafayette, Indiana and all surrounding areas.