My First Baby's Sweet Sixteen Birthday {St. Louis Portrait Photographer}

August 13, 2019 · Birthday Shoots, Kiddos

Sometimes it’s a little crazy for me to think about the stages we all go through as humans and the many experiences we share. For some of us, that includes bringing a baby (or babies) into our lives and then soaking (and sometimes drowning) in the moments between the first few hours of birth and the day our children leave the nest. I’ve been told countless times to appreciate it because everything goes by so fast. So from the very first day that each of my three children were born, I really did all that I could to consciously enjoy as many moments as possible. However, as often as I took the time to cuddle with my babies, to read to them, to take them outside to explore nature, to visit the library with them, to teach them life skills in the grocery store or at the park or with friends, and to create so many other special memories, I still can’t believe that my very first baby is now already sixteen years old. As much as I thought time wasn’t really going by as quickly as everyone said it would, I look back now and feel like it truly is like the “blink of an eye.”

As a photographer who loves photographing newborns, it seems even more surreal that I am so far past the stage of experiencing life as a new mommy. Yet, there are so many moments when I still feel like I don’t know what I’m doing! There were many, many years that I wasn’t sure I’d make it through motherhood with my sanity intact, but as time goes by, I watch proudly as my three children continue to grow and mature. Taliyah, my first daughter, turned sixteen years old at 11:53am (MST) today. With each passing year, I see her becoming more compassionate toward people, animals, and our planet. She is a talented flutist with big dreams and is a smart, beautiful, young woman. I am so excited to celebrate this special birthday with her!! She is the first of my three babies to help me realize how happy I am to have been blessed with the opportunity to learn how to be a better person through being a mother.

Happy sweet sixteen Taliyah!!

My First Baby’s Sweet Sixteen Birthday {St. Louis Portrait Photographer}

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2020 High School Senior Levi! {St. Louis Senior Portrait Photographer}

August 8, 2019 · High School Seniors

I am so excited to have been able to take Levi’s senior portraits yesterday!! We returned to Faust Park, where I last took his pictures when he was 13 years old right before his Bar Mitzvah. It’s so fun to see him as a high school senior now! He was incredibly patient during his portrait session despite the many hungry mosquitoes.

What a great way to start the 2020 high school senior portrait season! Thanks so much Levi, and have a great year!! Here are a few of my many favorite images…

2020 High School Senior Levi! {St. Louis Senior Portrait Photographer}

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Congratulations Matthew! {St. Louis High School Senior Event Photographer}

June 4, 2019 · Events, High School Seniors

I photographed a very special graduation ceremony and party last weekend. Matthew graduated with awards and honors, and is on his way to college this Fall to study engineering! He sure has a proud papa!!

Here are family and friends waving from box seats…

Matthew’s smile grew as he got closer and closer to receiving his diploma.

They’ve received their diplomas and moved their tassels…official graduates!

Proud Dad sees his son shortly after the graduation…

Party time!

Here’s Matthew with his siblings!

I caught some sweet moments of Matthew with his brother and sister.

Family love!

One last portrait of Dad with his boys!

Congratulations Matthew! {St. Louis High School Senior Event Photographer}

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2019 High School Graduate with Honors! {St. Louis High School Senior Photographer}

May 24, 2019 · High School Seniors

A big congratulations to class of 2019 high school senior graduate, Matthew, who will be graduating with honors next Saturday!! Here are a few cap and gown photos from his mini-session yesterday.

2019 High School Graduate with Honors! {St. Louis High School Senior Photographer}

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Eli's Bar Mitzvah {St. Louis Bar Mitzvah Photographer}

January 14, 2019 · Events

Here are a few moments from sweet, funny, lovable, adorable Eli’s Bar Mitzvah rehearsal last month. Mazel tov to his beloved family!!

Eli’s Bar Mitzvah {St. Louis Bar Mitzvah Photographer}

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Graduating Senior Blaire {St. Louis Senior Portrait Photographer}

January 2, 2019 · High School Seniors

On a mostly cloudy, rainy day, I still had a blast dodging raindrops and excitedly finding brief glimmers of the beautiful sunset lighting during Blaire’s high school senior portrait session in the beginning of December. Our crazy short Fall season had quickly taken away all of the leaves a couple of weeks earlier, but I think I was still able to find some great colors and textures. Blaire is such a sweet young woman (with perfect skin)! I love the simple,  pulled-back hairstyle she chose to allow her beautiful face shine! Congratulations on your upcoming graduation in the Spring, Blaire, and good luck in college!

Graduating Senior Blaire {St. Louis Senior Portrait Photographer}

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The December 5th Fund {St. Louis Lifestyle Photographer}

December 12, 2018 · Events, Family Bonds, Snapshots

On Sunday, an incredible organization extended their generosity and kindness to my little brother Jesse, his wife Alecia, and their four children. The December 5th Fund brought approximately 30 volunteers out to my brother’s house to clean up and organize every floor and room, the front porch and back deck, and the garage. Along with local businesses, the organization donated time, furniture, gift cards, plants, bedding, household necessities, and so much more. While they worked to take care of the mess that cancer has brought into Jesse and Alecia’s home, they gave Jesse, Alecia, and their closest friends and family members a very special day to help them forget about the fight that we’ve all been battling together over the last nine months. You can read more about the organization by visiting their website. Here are some images from the first two-thirds of the day…

The day started with a delicious breakfast at Rooster on South Grand. I’m so happy Jesse liked my suggestion to go there since they offer great vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options (there were seven of us picky eaters), as well as lots of meat options to satisfy the rest of the group!

After breakfast, a smaller group had fun bowling for two hours at Pin Up Bowl on Delmar Blvd. in the U. City Loop!

As Jesse, Alecia, and the kids headed to the Blues Game, I went to their house to get some shots of the beautiful job the volunteers had done. What an unbelievable amount of Love they contributed. My heart is swelling.

Thank you to all of the volunteers and businesses who helped make this day special!

The December 5th Fund {St. Louis Lifestyle Photographer}

2 Comments

  • Jenn Yates · Posted December 16, 2018 at 8:03 pm · Link · Reply

    Wonderful pictures Neshama. Keeping you & your family in my thoughts.

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Holiday Family Portraits in the Garden {St. Louis Family Portrait Photographer}

November 28, 2018 · Family Bonds

I had a nice time getting to know a fairly new-to-St. Louis family a couple of weeks ago in the Botanical Garden. It would have been even nicer if it wasn’t dark, cloudy, and in the forties during their family portrait session! Luckily, I was still able to get some sweet moments captured and the girls didn’t freeze in their dresses!

Holiday Family Portraits in the Garden {St. Louis Family Portrait Photographer}

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Love This Senior Marley! {St. Louis Senior Portrait Photographer}

November 11, 2018 · High School Seniors

Oh gosh, I just love Marley (and her mom and her sister)!! I think it was about seven years ago that I took a few formal portraits of her at a friend’s Bat Mitzvah, then again at another friend’s Bar Mitzvah a couple of years later, and a third time last year during her sister’s high school senior portrait session. So, by the time it was Marley’s turn for senior pictures, I was ecstatic! I had so much fun creating these beautiful images of such an amazing girl! Here are some of my favs…

Love This Senior Marley! {St. Louis Senior Portrait Photographer}

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My Daughter's 1st Homecoming! {St. Louis Portrait Photographer}

November 4, 2018 · Kiddos, Snapshots

I can’t believe our first baby is now a freshman in high school!! She attended her first homecoming last night. Here are some portraits we took at the park before meeting up with her friends for pre-homecoming dinner!

My Daughter’s 1st Homecoming! {St. Louis Portrait Photographer}

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