MOMMY AND ME PORTRAIT SESSIONS – INTRODUCTORY OFFER!

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As a mom, you are a master snuggler, boo-boo kisser, lullaby singer, and the fiercest protector of your babies.  As a mom myself, I know how much time, energy, worry, and heart moms invest in their kids every single day to ensure that they are thriving and happy.  There is nothing quite like a  mom’s love for, and connection with, her kids, and that special bond deserves to be celebrated!
That is the reason I am launching my fine art Mommy and Me portrait sessions:  To capture the connection, joy, and love that define a mom’s relationship with her children, and to create a visual reminder of her importance in her children’s life.  My objective for these portraits is to ensure that a mom’s presence and love are visibly documented for her children to look back on as they grow, and to create timeless images that will become treasured family heirlooms.

In addition, I have carefully sourced fine art products  — such as 100% cotton prints with hand-torn edges, and custom heirloom albums with European linen covers — that can beautifully preserve and display  your images.

SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY OFFER – JUNE-AUGUST 2025 ONLY!

To celebrate the launch of my Mommy & Me portrait sessions, I am offering $100 off any Mommy & Me session booked from today through August 31,2025 (session must be scheduled prior to August 31, 2025).
Sessions include access to my client wardrobe, which contains gowns for moms, and dresses for girls; styling assistance for other family members; and optional add-on makeup services.
To schedule a session, or for more information, contact me here!

Potomac baby photographer – first birthday session with a donut smash

One of my favorite things as a Potomac baby photographer is collaborating with families to document their little ones’ milestones in a unique and creative way.   Of course, a primary objective with any of my baby milestone sessions is to capture baby’s adorable features, newly-learned skills, and emerging personalities. But my custom photography experience allows for every milestone portrait session to be customized for each individual family by incorporating personal elements reflecting their unique story, style, and preferences.

In the case of this little sweetheart (who I photographed as a newborn . . .how can she possibly already be a year old?!), her parents wanted to both capture some traditional portraits for her one-year session, as well as incorporate a donut smash – a fun twist on the more common first birthday cake smash.  I absolutely loved the idea!  And when my client shared photos of the adorable sprinkle onesie that she had purchased for Baby E, and indicated that she would bring some sprinkled donuts to Baby E’s portrait session, I knew that we just had to incorporate some “balloon sprinkles” into the the backdrop for her donut smash!
The donut smash itself was a huge success. . .by the time it was over, I think that Baby E had taken at least one bite from every donut. 🙂  (And as you can see in one of the images below, she clearly didn’t mind crawling around in the sprinkles either.)

For Baby E’s more traditional portraits, we utilized a simple white background to allow the focus to remain on capturing Baby E’s varied amazing expressions, and her newly acquired skills such as crawling, standing/walking, and playing Peekaboo.  I truly think that her sweet little personality shines through, don’t you?

Which image is your favorite?  Drop a comment below! ⬇️

When I first began my career as a fine art baby photographer 12 years ago, I was very reluctant to participate in professional photography competitions, not only because I didn’t have the confidence that I could compete with seasoned photographers with 10, 20, or 30 years of experience, but also because I didn’t see a major benefit in doing so.  However, as I developed as a photographer and joined more professional organizations, I became more familiar with the photography competition process, and gained an appreciation for the value that competitions can provide for both novice and experienced photographers alike.

Most significantly, photography competitions have challenged me to consistently improve and refine my work.  Most professional competitions provide entrants with valuable image critique and constructive feedback (many competitions even provide the opportunity for participants to watch live judging of the event, which means that photographers can benefit from hearing feedback on hundreds of images, not just their own).  Competition judges generally have many years of experience in the industry, and their insights sometimes offer perspectives that I might not have considered.  The feedback I have acquired has consistently helped me to sharpen my technical proficiency and refine my artistic vision.

Additionally, participating in photography competitions encourages experimentation and innovation. In instances in which I have created images specifically for the purpose of competition, I experimented a bit with different techniques and equipment, and stepped outside of my comfort zone a bit to shoot in different scenarios and environments than those I am accustomed to.  I also learned how to do things like create digital frames and replicate hand-torn edges on images as a result of participating in competitions.

Of course, I would be lying if I said that placing in image competitions didn’t also provide an endorphin boost but, truthfully, doesn’t everyone value recognition from their professional colleagues and industry leaders for their hard work and efforts to continually improve and grow in their field? Even though I have been a professional photographer for more than 12 years now, I can’t imagine ever feeling like I have nothing new to learn!
If you are a professional photographer like me, and have been sitting on the competition sidelines, what are you waiting for?

This past Fall (I’m behind on my blogging!), I was fortunate enough to have placed in both the Newborn category (3rd place) and Milestones category (2nd place) in the Accredited Professional Newborn Photographers International competition, as well as to have received merit awards in both the APNPI and National Association of Portrait and Child Photographers‘ international image competition. I am honored to have my work appear in the winners’ gallery among so many beautiful images from my talented colleagues!

Happy 2025!  I hope that you all had a wonderful, restful holiday season filled with love, laughter, family, and friends! As I’m sure was the case for many of you, my December flew by in a blur. . .I didn’t have much time to post on my site while in the midst of finalizing client orders for the year, shooting holiday portraits for many clients, and doing all of my family holiday prep.  Therefore, in the coming weeks,  I am going to catch you all up on some of the Fall happenings at Tina Krafts Photography, as well as some of the exciting changes ahead.    While we are still in the early days of January and still have our holiday decorations on display (I can’t be the only one, right?! 🙂 ), however, I thought I would share with you all some of my favorite holiday baby portraits from this season.
Enjoy the cuteness overload!

BABY MILESTONE CLIENT CLOSET

Did you know that, in addition to photographing newborns in their first few weeks of life, I additionally offer baby portrait sessions for babies of all ages, and that I also have a carefully curated baby milestone client closet that is available for my clients’ use?  On that note,  I have finally had an opportunity to photograph most of my baby milestone client closet, so if you would like to see all of the adorable offerings for your little ones, you can click here, or go to the “Details” tab on my website homepage.  Trust me,  you should go check it out – there are so many darling little outfits (because, honestly, I’m a bit *too* obsessed with buying cute baby clothes)!  These are just a few examples of some of the pieces I have procured from boutiques and vendors all over the world.

As you will see in the milestone wardrobe gallery, my collection includes both neutral tones and a plethora of colors, and I have an equal number of backdrops to match.  And, as my baby milestone portrait sessions are approximately an hour in length, clients are not limited to a single outfit or color choice for their portraits, allowing for a significant variety of images.  And, just as with my newborn portrait sessions, I customize baby portrait sessions to reflect my clients’ vision, preferences, and specific requests.  Thus, portraits can be as simple as your little one on a solid color backdrop, emphasizing purely baby, such as in these images.

Or sessions might include seasonal elements or themes that reflect baby’s or parents’ personal interests.  (See sample images below.) I also often incorporate props, blankets, or toys that are meaningful to my little clients or their families.  Regardless of whether a milestone session includes a simple backdrop or a more elaborate theme, or whether the session includes zero or 20 props and accessories,  however, my primary objective in a baby portrait session is to capture those newly developing and precious baby expressions and skills.  Babies grow and change SO fast in their first year of life. Their impossibly tiny fingers and toes get bigger, their hair grows, and their first tiny teeth make an appearance.

They also learn to smile, to touch and play with their feet, to appreciate “tummy time,” to wave and clap, to sit up, to crawl, and to walk! Photographing milestones allows us to create a visual record of your baby’s growth and development, while simultaneously capturing his or her unique personality. Milestone sessions document the essence of who your baby is at different stages— his or her quirky expressions, curious gazes, and joyful reactions, a representation of your child’s unique character and spirit.

If you would like to document *your* little one’s first-year milestones, please don’t hestitate to get in touch!