Lancaster Family Photography: A Snowy Winter Family Photo Session at Overlook Park

It was my birthday weekend mid-March and we got one last beautiful winter snow. This was probably the only time I have ever seen Overlook Park so empty. There was not a soul in sight. The snow was still untouched and the pine forest was covered in white and was so serene.

In my lifetime thus far I have had 3 birthday blizzards. I’ll always remember the one we had when I was in 5th grade because I was supposed to have a slumber party with all my friends but due to the oncoming snow, no one was allowed to stay overnight. This wasn’t quite a blizzard, but it was very gusty so even with minimal snow there was some drifting.

I could hardly wait to get out and take pictures in the winter wonderland and when Andrea asked if I would do a 6 month session for her son Griffin in the snow I was thrilled! He was so adorable wearing the bright red gnome hat and his big brother Bailey got a kick out of pulling him around in the sled. I am SO very thankful that the timing worked out perfectly for this snowy family winter photo session.

At the end of this session, I was able to grab some silhouette images of the boys and then I photographed some of the snow covered evergreen trees around the park. Later in Photoshop I overlaid the portraits of the boys with some of the tree images to create some unique black and white double exposure silhouettes. I am always happy to get creative with double exposures if time allows (and if the client has interest).

I realize that winter and snowy photo sessions certainly aren’t top priority for most families; however, winter photo sessions CAN be possible, even with little kids. Here are a few tips on how to prepare and make a snowy winter session successful:

1. Bundle Up: Yes, it’s obvious, but make sure everyone wears layers and has coats, hats, boots, scarves and mittens if necessary. Bring blankets! They can be used as fun props too and you can snuggle together. You can always take coats off briefly for shots and then put them back on if you want to get photos in special sweaters or outfits.

2. Make It Short & Quick: Because winter is typically my slower season and because it’s cold out, I will only do mini sessions for winter time. We keep it brief, 30 minutes or less so you don’t freeze your butts off (though you may have cherry red noses by the time you’re done).

3. Make It Playful: We will keep moving; wrap in blankets, pull someone in a sled, hold hands and run through the snow, play ring-around-the-rosie, etc. Snowy photo sessions have got to be fun!

Melissa Engle Photography offers portrait, family and lifestyle photography in Lancaster, York and Harrisburg PA. Please contact me if you would like to make some photo magic together!

A Narnia Inspired Winter One Year Session with Luna in the Evergreens

I know that winter is not necessarily the ideal time for family photos but I had been wanting to photograph a session at this location full of tall evergreen trees for a while and was looking for an excuse. I believe that there is beauty to be found in all seasons, even the cold and barren ones. This winter family photo session turned out beautifully and we lucked out with a warmish December day and beautiful golden light.

I convinced my dear friend Drea and her husband Dani to model for a family session and it also worked out as one-year session since their daughter Luna turned one in December. And wouldn’t you be surprised to know that it also turned out to be a pregnancy announcement because Drea is expecting a baby in June! So of course it was an opportune time to announce that Luna is going to be a big sister in 2022!

I am slowly growing a client closet of mostly dresses for women, children and babies and so I was motivated to photograph Drea in this beautiful blue velvet gown that I had just purchased from Baltic Born. I also found a coordinating velvet flapper style dress with fringes for Luna that I love (thanks to Etsy!). And last of all I recently added a faux fur coat from Joyfolie to my client closet which I think will be fabulous for winter maternity sessions. I made a winter flower crown for Drea using mostly plants and herbs (rosemary!) that I found growing around our yard. The fur coat definitely gives this session a Narnia vibe and if only we had some snow covering the ground it would have been perfect!

If you are considering a winter photo session I’m happy to recommend some magical locations and figure out ways to be creative and keep the littles warm.

Melissa Engle Photography offers portrait, family and lifestyle photography in Lancaster, York and Harrisburg PA. Please contact me if you would like to make some photo magic together!

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Personal: Home Birth Story of Jonah Eugene

Home birth video of Melissa giving birth to baby Jonah in a birthing pool alongside her husband, doula and midwife. Birth film by Vanessa Joy Films.

OUR RAINBOW BABY

This is the birth story of our rainbow baby Jonah Eugene, born in the water at home on October 12th. This pregnancy and birth was special to me for a couple reasons; one being that this was my last pregnancy and two because Jonah is our rainbow baby. Two years ago in November of 2019, I had an unexpected pregnancy and miscarriage that left me feeling like there was meant to be one more in our family. When we got the news in early 2021 that we were expecting a baby in October, we were overjoyed. I knew right away that I was going to decorate his or her nursery with rainbows and butterflies. I wanted all things colorful, hopeful, bright and full of light after the dark and depressing year that was 2020.

One of my favorite maternity photos with the butterfly mobile I made for Jonah’s nursery, taken by the incredibly talented Natalie Curry Photography

BIG FAMILY CHANGES AND THE HOME BIRTH DECISION

As it turns out, 2021 has been a year of big changes for our family. This summer we sold our beloved Lancaster City row home and moved just outside the city to a home surrounded by big trees in a quiet neighborhood. I know it sounds silly, but I remember when we were touring the home we ended up buying I said to my husband, “we can fit a birthing pool right here in our bedroom!”. At the time I was still undecided about a home birth. My first two babies were born in the hospital and though I had mostly positive experiences and both were unmedicated vaginal deliveries as I desired, I wanted to try something different with this last birth (you can read our second child’s birth story here). It seemed only fitting to christen our new home with the birth of Jonah and of course because I am a mermaid at heart, I really wanted a water birth.

Jonah at one day old

My other main motivation for the water birth was to help me relax and not tear when it came time to push the baby out. In the hospital it was very clear that my doctor preferred me to push lying flat on my back and I ended up with a 3rd degree tear with my first birth and a 2nd degree tear with my second birth. I’m sure there were likely other factors involved in my tearing but I really wanted to try the water birth for that reason and that wasn’t an option in the hospital.

LABOR FALSE ALARM

Fast forward to the night of my due date, October 7th, when I woke up with my usual Braxton Hicks contractions and some back pain. My mom happened to be staying overnight and I noticed that the contractions seemed to be happening consistently so we started timing them. After an hour or so I notified the midwife and my doula that they were happening consistently but didn’t seem to be intensifying at all. To me it just didn’t feel like real labor and I was so tired so I decided to go back to bed to see if the contractions would go away and they did. False alarm!

For the next several days I was in a real depressive slump. I felt apathetic about wanting to give birth or try to get labor going. I just wanted to sleep forever and forget about the world. I was second guessing everything and doubting myself. I felt too old, too tired, too weary to endure another unmedicated labor and delivery. When I imagined giving birth in our bedroom, I did not feel excited. I just felt blah. I realized I had been carrying a lot of fears and doubts with me throughout the pregnancy. With all of our moving craziness and my daughter starting kindergarten, I really had not been able to mentally or physically prepare for this pregnancy and birth the way I had for my others.

During the last couple weeks leading up to Jonah’s birth I read bits of the Hypnobirthing book and tried to get in some prenatal yoga. I am a firm believer that the mind has intense power especially when it comes to the mind body connection in giving birth. I realized I needed to start thinking positively about the birth and stop doubting so much. So after a depressing rainy weekend when Monday rolled around I decided it was time to shift gears. I took the kids on a walk to the park and did some curb walking (said to initiate labor). We ordered Mexican food for dinner (spicy foods do the trick they say!). And I decided to paint another arch accent wall in our family room (start an involved project and you’ll go into labor they say). I also did many other things of course like eat dates and drink pregnancy tea, eat a pineapple core, etc.

Maternity photos taken by Natalie Curry Photography around 35 weeks pregnant down by the Susquehanna River.

JONAH’S BIRTH DAY

Monday night, October 11th, I finished painting the accent wall around 11 p.m. and went to bed (FYI I later decided I hated the accent wall so we have since painted over it and now refer to it as the ‘labor arch’). As per usual I woke up a couple hours later needing to pee and had my usual Braxton Hicks accompanied by lower back pain. Usually the back pain would go away once I got up and used the bathroom and went back to bed but this time it did not.

Around 1 a.m. I decided to get up and walk around the house and start timing contractions. At this point they were not very intense and I was able to talk and breathe through them just fine. After timing them for an hour and seeing that they were consistently 3-4 minutes apart and lasting about a minute, I texted my midwife and doula. I told them no rush because they weren’t intense yet but wanted them to know they were consistent. I was so worried about making everyone drive out to our house for another false alarm.

My midwife Marielle of Woman Kind Midwifery was the first to arrive around 3 a.m. She got her things set up and asked if I wanted her to check my dilation. I said yes I wanted to know but was also nervous that I wouldn’t be that far along. Meanwhile Dave had the birthing pool inflated and was starting to fill it (very slowly via hose hooked up to our bathroom sink). The contractions were still consistent and I was still able to walk and talk in between them but definitely had to stop and focus on my breathing more as they were coming.

THIS IS WHEN MY MIND WAS BLOWN: Around 3:30 a.m. Marielle checked my dilation and to my utter surprise she said, “Yep, you’re going to have a baby soon. You’re 9 centimeters”. I cried tears of relief and joy in that moment because I was so astonished. With my first birth I could barely handle the intensity at 5 cm and with my second I was dying by the time I reached 7 cm. And here I was still calm, chatting and smiling at 9 cm! When I heard that I was almost there it was a huge answer to prayer as if God were saying, “I heard your fears, trust me, you can do this”. It was also a reminder that I should never have once doubted my ability to birth this baby. I immediately commanded Dave to call our videographer Vanessa of Vanessa Joy Films (yes that means I was at least 9 cm in all of these photos and the video which still astounds me because I appear so peaceful!)

Our doula Marie of Move It Doula arrived soon after and she and Dave took turns applying counter pressure to my hips through every single contraction until Jonah was born. That pressure helped SO much to relieve the intensity of my back labor. The pool still wasn’t full enough for me to get in and I kept staring over at it between every contraction. One of my favorite memories from this birth is when Dave had to start filling the pool with our largest soup pot in order for it to be full enough for me to get in.

Like my other two labors I found that being on all fours, sitting or leaning on the birthing ball and swaying or rocking was my preferred way to do the contractions or “waves” as the natural birth folk like to call them. I also preferred to keep my eyes closed because it really helped me to focus on what felt good/right to my body and my breathing and shut out all other distractions. Hypnobirthing helped me visualize how to breathe with labor breaths. At the start of every contraction I would take a deep breath into my abdomen and then slowly let it out along with a deep open mouth moaning. My daughter overheard my moaning and later said she thought I was brushing my teeth and saying “Ahhhhhh” with my mouth open as I brushed.

Somewhere close to 5 a.m. the pool was full enough for me to get in and it felt SO SO good to float my belly in the warmth. About 15 to 20 minutes later I was feeling his head starting to stretch me open (hello ring of fire!) and the contractions were forcing me to kind of grunt as he was coming out. It took 2 pushes for his head to emerge (on the first push my water broke which basically felt like a water balloon popping between my legs) and then on the third push his body was born. Oh what a relief it was to see and hold my little screaming water baby! I was delighted to see he was born with hair on his head because my other two were bald. It is probably my favorite feature about him. Also hallelujah I did not tear this time! Praise God we had a healthy baby boy born at 5:13 a.m. weighing 7 pounds 5 ounces. If I had to do it all over again, I would hands down choose a home water birth.

All of the birth photography images were taken by Vanessa Joy Films along with the video. As I write this I am now one month postpartum and so thankful that Jonah’s home water birth was just what I hoped it would be (minus the false alarm and the pool almost not being filled in time).

I think the thing I liked most about the home birth compared to my hospital births was that I truly felt that I, the laboring mother, was calling the shots. Yes of course my midwife would have stepped in if she felt it was necessary, but it was up to me if she did cervix checks. I never once felt pressured or hurried or constrained and I was free to push in whatever position I wanted. Also I never had to wear the belt monitor though they did regularly listen to baby’s heartbeat with a handheld doppler and check my blood pressure. I love this photo below of the midwife and her assistant bending over into the pool to get his heart rate.

The other nice thing about a home birth is that you are at home! I got to climb right into my own bed after the birth. Even the first couple postpartum visits for me and baby were done at home so we didn’t have to worry about venturing out to the doctor’s office. I’m sure it was more work and stress for Dave however; he had to figure out everything with the birthing pool as well as dig a hole and bury the placenta (we put it under the fig tree in our yard that apparently has yet to bear fruit). And then he waited on me hand and foot for a full week postpartum and did a thorough deep clean of our bathroom along with keeping up with dishes and laundry etc. Given the choice I would definitely do a home birth again but alas we are not planning to have any more children.

I think you will get a good sense of the home birth experience from the photos and video below. Vanessa has this incredible ability to pull at all the heartstrings with her visual story telling and I tear up watching any of her birth films (of course I have watched ours over and over many times now).

Enjoy the birth story photos below, plus a few extras that I’ve taken in Jonah’s first month of life.

And here are a few more of my favorite images taken by me in Jonah’s first weeks of life. I am trying to savor every bit because it truly does fly right by when you look back.

Melissa Engle Photography offers portrait, family and lifestyle photography in Lancaster, York and Harrisburg PA. Please contact me if you would like to make some photo magic together!

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York Family Photography: A Sunny September Family Session at Samuel Lewis State Park

This family has probably been one of my most photographed families in the last few years and I always come away from their sessions with so many favorites! Not only are they easy going and super photogenic, they also know how to have fun during their sessions, whether it be dancing or frolicking through the forest or blowing bubbles.

It was a beautiful sunny September evening when we did this session at Samuel Lewis State Park in York. I’ve only photographed there once before and it was a morning session so the light was very different. I love the way the evening sun shines through the trees around the big boulder rocks. There is also a huge open hill and sky that is perfect for silhouette photographs and a grove of evergreen trees. I will definitely be returning to this location for future sessions in York!

This session is also the very last family session I photographed in 2021 before taking my maternity leave so it holds a special spot in my heart! With an October due date, it was hard for me to turn away so many photo sessions this fall which is typically a photographer’s busiest time of year but I’m glad I could end on this note!

Melissa Engle Photography offers portrait, family and lifestyle photography in Lancaster, York and Harrisburg PA. Please contact me if you would like to make some photo magic together!

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A Summer Family Session by the Susquehanna River in Columbia, PA

One of my favorite river locations just outside of Columbia, PA is this spot down by the Susquehanna River near Chickies Rock. Along with easy access to the river, there is also a neat location with some old cement foundations with ivy growing all over them that makes it quite magical.

Something about this summer family session had some tropical vibes to it, even though we are far from the tropics. Stephanie was stunning in her flowy dress and this family could not be more photogenic.

Every now and then, I get surprised during a session and when Stephanie’s boyfriend secretly told me he was planning to propose I got so excited/nervous! He waited until the very end and boy was she surprised! What a beautiful way to end a family session!

Melissa Engle Photography offers portrait, family and lifestyle photography in Lancaster, York and Harrisburg PA. Please contact me if you would like to make some photo magic together!

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York Newborn Photography: Baby Aliyah

Darling baby Aliyah was born in March, a great month for birthdays (me and my son are March babies too!). I first met Aliyah’s mom Lilah when I photographed her maternity milk bath session at one of my favorite AirBnbs in Lancaster City (Renew On Walnut). Her stunning maternity session can also be viewed here. Lilah’s choice of a soft romantic color palette and floral patterns were so perfect for both her maternity photos and this newborn session.

It doesn’t always work out to photograph newborns in the first 2 weeks of life and in my opinion, in-home newborn lifestyle sessions can happen any time in the first 6 weeks after baby is born (that is the time period that they are technically considered newborn before they are called an infant). Baby Aliyah was about a month old when we did this session. Because I don’t offer posed newborn sessions in a studio, I don’t feel it is as important to photograph the baby when they are fresh out of the womb and sleeping all the time. However, they change and grow fast so of course the sooner the better! If you are considering a newborn lifestyle session, I encourage you to reach out at least a month or two before baby is due to schedule your session.

And another thing to note for newborn lifestyle sessions is that siblings and pets are more than welcome to be included! I like to let toddlers be themselves and you will see Aliyah’s big brother Kai having lots of fun bouncing on the bed in the photos below. I know it can feel stressful when you are trying to wrangle multiple littles for pictures but we can work with them to make it fun! Sometimes snack breaks are necessary, or I ask them to show me their room or their favorite toys. Toddlers have their world rocked when a new baby sibling arrives and that can be hard. And of course sometimes newborns need to eat or have their diaper changed too so we always make time for that in between photos. My goal is to document all the little details you want to remember about your tiny newborn.

Melissa Engle Photography offers portrait, family and lifestyle photography in Lancaster, York and Harrisburg PA. Please contact me if you would like to make some photo magic together!

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A Spring Mommy and Me Session in the Flowers at Buchmiller Park

This past spring I photographed more sessions than I ever have at Buchmiller Park located just south of Lancaster City. It is not often crowded with photographers as some of the other local parks are, and it has a wide variety of spring budding trees that flower early April through mid-May, beginning with the weeping cherry trees. Amanda contacted me about doing a mommy and me session with her daughter (and a few with her boyfriend as well). She is an artist herself and it’s always an honor to be chosen as a photographer for a fellow creative.

This spring photo session at Buchmiller Park was one of my favorites for many reasons; the golden sun, the connection and movement between the family members and of course the colorful flowy dresses and spring flowers. Though outfits aren’t everything, they do make a huge difference in what your photos will look like. Amanda’s daughter is wearing a Joyfolie dress from my client closet that is great for twirling and flowy movement. I have a handful of girls dresses available to lend to clients for photo shoots, as well as some women’s dresses that all lend themselves to great photos. Please ask me if you are interested in borrowing something for your session! I am always happy to advise on what to wear (and not to wear) for your photos.

At the end of the session we went over to a wildflower field close by. It was my first time photographing there, and we discovered that the field was scattered with stinging nettle, whoops! But we managed to capture some beautiful images regardless.

Melissa Engle Photography offers portrait, family and lifestyle photography in Lancaster, York and Harrisburg PA. Please contact me if you would like to make some photo magic together!

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A Spring Maternity Session in the Weeping Cherry Trees at Lancaster County Park

This was my first official spring session of 2021 and I have to say it is a hard one to beat. My dear friend Magdiel is absolutely stunning and when she asked me to take her maternity photos for her fourth and final baby I was immediately on board. I had her model a unique vintage bohemian lace dress that I have in my client closet by Cora and Violet. The golden hour light was perfect and the way the sun came through the weeping pink cherry tree was heavenly. As I type this, the family is now at home adjusting to life with their newborn baby girl who joined the family in May. I will let the images below speak for themselves because honestly I could gush about them forever.

Melissa Engle Photography offers portrait, family and lifestyle photography in Lancaster, York and Harrisburg PA. Please contact me if you would like to make some photo magic together!

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A Creative Celestial Branding & Lifestyle Photo Shoot with She Was Blue Jewelry in Lancaster, PA

This past winter I had the opportunity to participate in a couple creative photo shoots with some local vendors and artists. This celestial themed shoot for She Was Blue Jewelry was by far one of my favorites. Allison, a local Lancaster creative, took her vision and brought it to life. She dyed the blue backdrop, created the moon, brought the wardrobe (and jewelry of course) along with the gold stars and moons streamers.

When Allison of She Was Blue Jewelry told me about her vision for the shoot, I immediately thought of fairy lights to add some extra dazzle and depth to the images. The combination of golds and blues along with a very talented artist and model Taylor Holmes made for some stunning images! And all the credit for hair and makeup goes to the ladies of Anthology Salon & Style Bar in Lancaster City. Feast your eyes on the stellar images below!

Location/Hair & Makeup: Anthology Salon & Style Bar

Jewelry: She Was Blue Jewelry

Creative Direction: Allison Rohland Art

Photography: Melissa Engle Photography

Melissa Engle Photography offers portrait, family and lifestyle photography in Lancaster, York and Harrisburg PA. Please contact me if you would like to make some photo magic together!

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A Spring Milk Bath Maternity Session at Renew On Walnut Airbnb in Lancaster City

I don’t often get the opportunity to do milk bath maternity sessions for my clients, but they are beautiful to photograph and I’m always excited when I get requests for one of these unique maternity sessions. Lila had a specific color palette in mind for this shoot and the flowers she chose were perfect for this creamy soft romantic spring milk bath session.

I can’t say enough about how important the tub and lighting is for these shoots and Renew on Walnut has the perfect space for these. This Airbnb in Lancaster City has been beautifully renovated and furnished and along with the amazing claw foot tub, there is a beautiful attic bedroom where we took the photos of Lila in the red dress.

To create a milk bath, you just need a bit of powdered milk, but don’t make the mistake I did and add the milk as the tub is filling because it will cause foaming and bubbles. You must fill the tub first, then add the milk little by little, mixing it around until you have the desired cloudiness for your bath. Also, be sure to use real flowers and not fake ones because fake ones may not float.

Melissa Engle Photography offers portrait, family and lifestyle photography in Lancaster, York and Harrisburg PA. Please contact me if you would like to make some photo magic together!

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