Why We Built the Milestone Membership | East & Elm Portrait Studio

I have photographed a lot of first years. Long enough to know exactly how they go. A mom books her newborn session certain she'll remember every detail of those first two weeks, and then six months later she's scrolling her camera roll trying to remember what her baby's cry even sounded like back then. It changes that fast. It changes before you're ready for it to.

That's really the whole reason the Milestone Membership exists.

I used to photograph babies one session at a time, a newborn session here, maybe a first birthday if I was lucky enough to get the call again. But I kept hearing the same thing from parents after the fact. They wished they'd captured the middle. Not just the beginning and the end, but the sitting up, the first real laugh, the stage right before walking when everything is still a little wobbly and a little perfect.

So the membership follows four stages on purpose: maternity, newborn, six months, and one year. Each one catches a version of your baby you will only get to meet once.

By the time we get to the six month session, I am not a stranger setting up in your living room or studio. I am someone your baby recognizes. Someone you're comfortable with. And by the one year cake smash, we're not starting from scratch, we're finishing a story we started together months before.

If you are pregnant or have a baby at home right now, this is your sign. The year goes by faster than anyone warns you. I'd love to help you hold onto it.

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