When Charlie was born, I decided to try my hand at shooting her newborn photos. Mind you, I’ve never shot a newborn, but I figured it couldn’t be that hard.
I’ve never been so wrong in my life. LOL
I’d be doing no one a favor by showing them, but let’s just say they were not my finest work. So when Evie was born, it was a no-brainer to hand that job over to the professional. Luckily for me, I am great friends with one of the best newborn photographers in town, shoot, in the country if you ask me. I met the lovely Zakeya Smith of Zakeya Lanique Photography a few years back at a workshop and we have been friends ever since. Come to find out, I was already following her on Instagram, so it was a real treat to meet her in person. She is, seriously, one of the nicest people I have ever met. She’s crazy beautiful and a master at her craft.
Her process was so streamlined and fool proof. She laid everything out for me as far as how to prepare for the shoot and what to expect on shoot day. So, I’m ready ready, right. Read and re-read all of Zee’s notes. Packed for shoot day the night before so we could be on time. Made sure Charlie was fed and fed Evie right before we walked in so that she was good and sleepy for the shoot.
Evie said nah.
Homegirl gave Zee the business and made her work for her money that day. Evie was UP. Zee was pulling all her tricks out the bag, but my Evie didn’t have it for her, or for anybody for that matter. When we received the final portraits, I was so overwhelmed with how they turned out. We decided to go with the Legacy Box and it did not disappoint. This beautiful presentation of our photos is absolutely stunning and we were able to select colors that match Evie’s nursery. How Zakeya was able to capture my newborn this way is nothing short of sheer talent, skill, and the grace of God. She gave us a lux experience that was worth every dollar spent.
Zakeya, from the bottom of my heart, I thank you for freezing time and capturing my babies in such a way that Torrence and I will always always cherish.
To see more of Zakeya's work, follow her on Instagram at @zakeyalaniquephotography
