Babies don’t keep. Portraits do.
Making art from memories, for heirloom portraits you can hang on to for life
PITTSBURGH STUDIO newborn photographer
You’re trusting me with your memories, and with your literal actual baby. It’s a big deal. So I want to make sure that you feel taken care of throughout the process.
We make high end art accessible here, and that means making things easy for you. I’ll help you through every step, from when to book your newborn photos, to what to pack for your session, to which portraits to choose for your album. Every part of this experience is relaxed and flexible.
I take a very limited number of sessions every week, so you won’t feel rushed. We work on your newborn’s timeline, and take breaks when they need to.
I’ll keep baby happy, while you scroll through instagram and drink some coffee while it’s still hot.
Fine art photography that’s approachable, portraits that are soulful and honest, heirloom products for your walls, and an experience that lets you breathe.
All joy, no hassle.
what to expect from your session
A private, low-stress experience. No chaotic waiting rooms, no rushing, and absolutely no stuffy expectations. Just a cozy spot to celebrate your favorite new human, at our West Brownsville studio. We’re flexible, especially with tiny newborns who are brand new to the world and are still kind of figuring it out.
Zero-judgement. Bring your tattoos, your alternative style, or just your sheer new parent exhaustion. Wear your sweatpants – not your nice ones, your comfy ones. Bring your whole, real self.
All the help I can give you. New parents have a million questions when it comes to newborn portraits, and I’m happy to answer all of them for you. You can email me again, it’s fine.
A relaxed portrait experience that feels entirely like you. We’ll design your session together – the colors, the props, the outfits, and plan everything to create portraits that actually feel like they belong in your home.
We are an inclusive studio, and we welcome LGBTQ families and couples. We’re also here for oddballs, introverts, and non-traditional and traditional families alike.
what to expect from your portraits
Simple, clean, minimalist portraits. I will get out the cute baskets, and I won’t say no to a few props, but the focus will always be on your little one. I work with handmade blankets, heirlooms, and things that are meaningful to your family.
Rich, painterly lighting and deep shadows. I’m not a light and airy kind of girl. Vibrant, warm color stories with custom knit textiles and real moments made into art. Elegant nods to your unique interests, from sci-fi to fandoms to sports.
Emotion over perfection, for photographs that feel like an experience, not a performance. Portraits as unique as your newborn, not an assembly line of poses that look like stock photos.
Non-traditional aesthetics that express your family’s personality. I have lots of cozy swaddles and props in lovely neutral and light shades, but also lovely jewel tones and charcoals and blacks, because not everyone is into beige, okay?
Quality over quantity. My goal is not to give you hundreds of photos that you like, but a curated collection of portraits that you’re absolutely in love with.
voted brownsville’s best newborn photographer by local babies
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![A young baby with a calm expression, lying on a dark purple blanket, looking up with one arm bent and hand near face. Newborn portrait session in studio in Brownsville, PA.]()
“She kept saying she was going to nom my cheeks. Is that a photography term?"
Zeva, 15 days old
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![A sleeping baby wrapped in a green blanket, lying on a soft, textured green and cream blanket inside a Moses basket. Newborn portrait session in studio in Brownsville, PA.]()
“She really showed off my good side, and the nudes were very tasteful. 5/5, would spit up on again."
Maggie, 12 days old
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![A yawning baby with light skin and brown hair, lying on an orange surface and wrapped in a red blanket. Newborn portrait session in studio in Brownsville, PA.]()
“Portraits? Honestly, I slept through the whole thing."
Henry, 4 days old
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![A sleeping newborn baby with closed eyes, lying on a soft surface, facing slightly to the side. Newborn portrait session in studio in Brownsville, PA.]()
“Great swaddler, quick with a pacifier. Five stars."
John, 6 days old
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![A sleeping baby wrapped in a floral blanket with skulls against a black background. Newborn portrait session in studio in Brownsville, PA.]()
“I love the portraits with my big brother. He's my favorite person."
Callie, 11 days old
Five star reviews from their actual parents
meet caroline
photographer, mom, baby whisperer
Getting beautiful photos of the people you love shouldn’t be a hassle. I’ll not only give you wall-worthy art, I’ll make it easy for you. Hiring an artist with experience who will guide you through it means you’ll have a great day and amazing photos that make you feel something. more about Caroline
Does this lady know what she’s doing?
You can’t get this time back. Whenever you bring your new family member into the studio to work with me, they’ll never be quite that little again. You deserve someone who shows up prepared, feels reliable, and delivers work that looks just like the photographs that made you reach out in the first place, and that’s exactly what you’ll get from me. With twenty years as a professional photographer – and a Master of Fine Arts degree – I’ve worked with all kinds of people in every kind of light, and not much fazes me. I love babies, and have two of my own.
I’ve spoken at conferences around the world, but my home and studio are in West Brownsville, Pennsylvania. Here are a few of the places that have published my work and invited me to speak:
Included in every newborn session:
The best newborn portrait experience
I don’t want you to end up with hundreds of photos that you like. I want you to end up a curated collection of portraits that you love. Like truly, take your breath away, this is the image I dreamed of, love. We’ll work together to plan that session, and I’ll take care of everything in the studio. You just sit and let someone else rock that baby for a bit.
Artistic, hand-crafted edits
All your photos are edited individually by me, 100% human. Everything you purchase will be fully edited, with full printing rights as well as access to my professional lab. You’ll be able to view the images included in your collection via an online gallery, and have the option to schedule an ordering session with me, where I’ll help you decide how you’d like to display your images.
Film-inspired digital photography by Caroline
Newborn portraits are instant nostalgia, I swear they’ve grown a bit by the time they leave the studio. Posing here is led by your baby and their comfort level. As for style, I like my black and whites soulful with some lo-fi grain, and my color portraits rich, not dark. To get the charm and nostalgia of film without the expense and unpredictability, I use a Fujifilm x100F which mimics a film look, along with top-tier gear and digital edits based on Portra film. Film inspired look, digital workflow. But we’ll capture a few instant Polaroid-style prints on real film that you can take home that day.
A bonus for those who have to travel
I appreciate every family who chooses me to photograph their people, more than I could possibly tell you. But as a mom of two, I also realize that it’s just a little extra difficult for those of you traveling more than 30 minutes to get here. Hopefully, a $50 print credit will help to ease the pain a little bit.
choose your session
A little information before we start! I offer payment plans – put 25% down, and then we’ll figure out a monthly payment that works for you from there. I also offer matching digital images, which means that anything you purchase as a print (whether that’s a 5×7 for your desk or a 60 inch canvas) you’ll receive that same image as a fully retouched digital file. There are two types of newborn session, here’s the difference:
Signature Newborn Session
In a signature newborn session, we’ll do some swaddled photos in a small bed or Moses basket, as well as some photos on the beanbag using wraps and outfits
Includes three or four color theme
Includes family portraits and photos with siblings if you like, client wardrobe available for newborns
Typically lasts 2-3 hours
Includes full gallery of images
Signature Newborn Session
$ 990
Wrapped Newborn Session
Wrapped newborn sessions include only swaddled photos, making use of props like beds and baskets
Includes one or two color themes
Focus just on baby, and do not include family or sibling photos
Typically lasts 1 hour
Includes full gallery of images
Wrapped Newborn Session
$ 550
The Ordering Appointment
What happens to your photographs after your session?
This is not a high pressure sales event. Billy Mays isn’t going to burst out of my closet shouting “but wait, there’s more!” This is for anyone who is excited about heirloom prints, albums, or wall art. After your session, you’re welcome (but not required) to schedule an ordering appointment.
We’ll look at your photographs together, and figure out what you actually want. Maybe that’s an album. Maybe that’s a piece of art for your wall. Maybe it’s only the digital files included in your collection. I believe that photographs deserve to exist somewhere other than your hard drive. You don’t have to agree with me. I am, again, not the boss of you.
I’m not here to talk you into buying anything. I’m here to help. So I will tell you what I think would look fantastic printed, because I care about this stuff and I want you to have beautiful things. I wouldn’t ask you to come to the studio for this if it wasn’t SO much easier this way. Nobody wants twelve emails nailing down frame styles and album covers. Plus this way, you get snacks.
Session Packages
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Maternity portrait session
Signature studio newborn portrait session
$1200
($1440 when booked separately) -
Maternity portrait session
Signature studio newborn portrait session
Milestone sitter portrait session
Milestone birthday portrait session
$2000
($2340 when booked separately)
That sounds great! How do I book my session?
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FILL OUT THE INQUIRY FORM BELOW
Then your email lands in my inbox, and I am stoked! The best time to schedule your newborn session is before your baby arrives, but the second best time is now.
Take me to that form!
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I’LL SEND YOU A QUESTIONNAIRE
This is where we cover things like what colors you’d like to use, whether there will be sibling photos, and how you want to display your portraits.
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WE MAKE IT OFFICIAL
I send you a link to pay your deposit and sign a contract, then you are very officially booked!
Frequently Asked Questions
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I offer either a full newborn session or a wrapped session. If you’re looking for a different kind of session though, let me know! I do all kinds of custom sessions for families that aren’t listed here.
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During a full newborn session, we’ll generally do some swaddled photos in a small bed or basket, as well as some photographs on the beanbag where we use wraps and outfits. These are the posed sort of portraits you’re used to seeing from me. We’ll usually include a few color themes, and can also include family portraits and photos with siblings. Usually we spend 2-3 hours getting baby settled in and taking a variety of portraits.
Maybe you’re thinking “well I don’t need all that.” Whether it’s a matter of your time, budget, or photography needs, the wrapped session offers a sort of newborn mini session. We only do the swaddled portraits, making use of props like beds and baskets, but skipping the posed photographs on the beanbag. These sessions do not include family or sibling photos, and focus just on baby. Wrapped sessions usually last an hour, and include one or two color themes. -
I offer maternity sessions, sitter sessions, and birthday sessions or cake smashes regularly. Check under “info and pricing” in the main navigation bar for more info on those.
I also do custom sessions for whatever season of your parenthood journey you’re looking to document. If that’s portraits of your breastfeeding journey, or a mom and me session, we can do that. If you’re looking for a specific aesthetic, like a milk bath or a water session, I’m up for that. Get in touch, and we’ll create a session just for you.
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For newborns, we generally aim to schedule our portraits in their first month. It’s best to get in touch before baby comes, so that I can hold a space on my calendar for you.
For maternity, everybody’s sweet spot is a little different, but you’ll likely want to do it somewhere between 28 and 32 weeks. Certain months are super popular for portraits, so you’ll want to get in touch about scheduling your session once you’re into your second trimester if possible.
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Nope! I can’t promise that I can get you into the studio in that first months window, but please do get in touch and I’ll see what I can do.
If we’re not able to do a true newborn session, that doesn’t mean you still can’t get beautiful portraits of your baby. Sometimes we’re still able to do some traditional newborn poses with older babies, sometimes not. But we can still get lovely portraits of your new favorite person. -
I do! There are a few packages available.
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I certainly do! We can work out what you’d like to put down as a deposit, and you can make monthly payments from there.
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We aim for quality over quantity here. I think it’s better to have a carefully curated collection of photographs that you love, rather than a mountain of repetitive files to sort through. So a full gallery includes the complete, curated story of your session. I look for great expressions and unique variations, to deliver a diverse collection that captures you and your family from every beautiful angle, with no unnecessary duplicates. All killer, no filler.
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For signature sessions with a full gallery, every portrait you receive will be edited. That means the color will be corrected, sometimes backgrounds will need to be extended, I’ll remove any distracting elements like lint, and will do some very light skin edits (usually for things like scratches that are temporary). Anything you purchase as a print can be fully retouched if you like, where I can spend more time editing skin and do some smoothing.
For sessions that only include a limited number of digital images, you’ll see all of your portraits as a proofing gallery. They will have some color correction, but will not have been fully edited yet. You’ll select the images that are included and decide if you want to purchase any more, and then I’ll edit only what you’ve decided to keep. Again, any portraits purchased as a print can be retouched if you like.
I tend to take a light hand with my edits and retouching. I don’t want your beautiful baby to look like they’re made of plastic. If you prefer a very authentic and textured look, you’re absolutely welcome to opt out of retouching for your prints.
Ready to book your session? Want some more information? Fill out the form and I’ll be in touch ASAP! Note that if you’re only getting in touch for pricing, you don’t have to! It’s right here.
Want a direct line? Email me at hello@carolinemoorephotography.com, text or call 724-880-0519