South Fayette photographer takes on the smallest subjects
“Having a baby is one of the most important times in one's life. The special moments babies experience as newborns go by quickly, said Anne Wilmus.
A South Fayette resident who is planning to move to Jefferson Hills, she started her career as a human resources professional who started taking wedding photos for friends. Developing further interest in this artistic field, she began taking classes and reading everything she could online to educate herself.
Now she and her husband are parents of a 3-year-old son and 7-month-old daughter. With the children at home, Wilmus has turned to photography full-time with a concentration on newborn photos.
Newborn photos are usually taken within 10 days of birth. The session can be booked some time during the second or early third trimester.
Because her own family is a priority, she accepts only limited commissions per month, but can change arrangements should there be a delay in the birth or an extended hospital stay.
The newborns are always asleep in her photos. In nearly 200 newborns that she has photographed in the last three years, only one baby did not want to sleep for the entire three-hour session.
A detailed set of instructions goes to every parent before the session, offering tips such as feeding the baby right before they leave the house and bringing a pacifier to the session.
Wilmus works quickly while still perfecting each pose. If necessary, she stops so the baby is given a feeding break to help soothe him or her back to sleep.
Her favorite location for newborn photos is in her studio. She can control the temperature of the room, the white noise and the lighting. She has numerous blankets, baskets, fabrics, headbands, hats and other props that she sets up ahead of time as well.
Most of the time, the newborn has already fallen asleep in the car on the way to the studio so she can get started right away.
Those families booking newborn photography can book a return session for when the child turns 6 months and a year old. These photos are usually taken outdoors in a park or field setting.
Wilmus has photographed many twin newborns as well.
“I always expect twin sessions to be a little harder since there are two of them, but I think they calm and relax each other when they are laying so close together in the poses that it really helps the babies soothe and sleep, so they turn out to be not as difficult as one would think,” she said.
Most of her clients come from all over the Pittsburgh area, although some have traveled as far as three hours away as her reputation as a newborn photographer grows.
Visit her website at www.annewilmusphotography.com for more details or to schedule an appointment.
Charlotte Smith is a contributing writer for Trib Total Media and can be reached at 724-693-9441 or charlotte59@comcast.net.
