I say it all of the time, but I cannot believe she’s TWO! My baby is two years old! So, of course, to mark the occasion, we dressed her in an adorable pinafore and went out to document her birthday with a toddler milestone session!

I have such a soft spot in my heart for the 2-year-old stage. I can’t say why, exactly, because it’s certainly a challenging stage. Toddlers never sit still and are into everything. And don’t even get me started on the tantrums. But gosh, watching them begin to discover the world around them and seeing their personalities emerge is such a delight!

As a photographer, I adore capturing toddlers in this phase, too, because they’re always so eager to show off what they find and they’re pretty easy to get a giggle out of.

At-Home Lifestyle Session | Hillsboro, Indiana Family Photographer

For Nora’s session, we didn’t use any props or stage the photographs in any way. We simply turned her loose in our back pasture, followed her around with the camera, and occasionally handed her dandelions or spun her around to keep her interested.

She rarely looked at the camera, but that was totally okay. In fact, it was exactly how I wanted it! Nothing makes a toddler tantrum faster than being constrained and told what to do. So we didn’t. We let her just wander around and play, and I documented all of her cuteness.

And honestly, this lifestyle mini-session is exactly why I don’t do studio sessions. I love the organic feel of photographs that aren’t forced. I love that she had her Bun Bun with her during the session, because it gave her comfort and something to play with. It was like they were on a grand adventure together, and I was just there to capture it unfold.

Nora’s Two! | Toddler Milestone Session | Hillsboro, Indiana Family Photographer

I would love to document your kiddo’s big milestones, from newborn to graduating senior! One of the best things about milestone sessions is that we get to create a session that represents you and your family. Whether it’s a sunset session or a lifestyle session at home, we’ll work together to bring your vision to life!