Studio Maternity Session | Tacoma Maternity Photographer

Want to get gorgeous maternity photos taken of yourself but don’t know how to plan around the almost constant wet and gloomy PNW weather? Hire a photographer with a studio or access to a rentable studio! One of the best investments I made recently was getting my own studio space. Not only do I get unlimited access to create stunning indoor portraits, but it sure makes it easier to plan maternity sessions during the winter and most of spring time. Even when planning an outdoor session for a client, I always have my studio space as a plan b to fall back on.

You can do so much in a studio space to make the session interesting and beautiful. Add florals, add some props, do unlimited dress changes! SO easy when you’re in one place, not having to fuss with the outside elements.

all white studio maternity session
studio maternity session with flowers
maternity photoshoot with flowers
studio maternity session

Tacoma Lifestyle Newborn Photographer

One of my favorite sessions to date! I’m shooting at a new space in Tacoma and it has the most gorgeous natural light that comes from multiple large windows in an all white room, making my job as a lifestyle newborn photographer SO much easier! I love how natural and effortless these images look, and lifestyle portraits (versus a polished posed newborn session using props) can even be so romantic which is something I love when it comes to newborn photography. Capturing not only the love the parents have for the baby, but the love mom and dad have for each other is very important to me. Baby Mercer was the best little sleeper and made my job so much easier. These new parents moved recently to Gig Harbor from Seattle and they knew they wanted to start a family here. It was my pleasure getting to photograph baby Mercer’s first ever photographic session! Below are some of my favorites from the session!

To see another sneak peek into a lifestyle newborn session with me, click here!

One Year Old Milestone Session | Tacoma, WA

Where do I even begin. This little baby stole my heart from the moment I saw her. This is little Hannah. Her mom happens to be a very successful business owner in the Seattle area and dad is a smart software engineer from England. I first photographed her when she was just a little one week old, and I saw her again for her 6 month sitter session and then for her one year old milestone session. Let’s just say we went ALL out for her portraits and boy were they precious! Although I love it when clients know exactly what they want when it comes to session styling, this momma let me have free reign and didn’t care what I did because she trusted me. So, I went for a very girly floral theme, which is something I haven’t really done before. I typically use faux flowers during my sessions, but this time I played around with real florals. It made the world of a difference and I don’t think I can ever go back now!

We photographed this gorgeous birthday session at a white brick studio in Tacoma, which I use often for sessions. I hired an amazing florist to assist with the theme and she definitely delivered! I was so happy my vision came to life. When hiring me for your own child’s one year old milestone session, this is the type of quality you should expect to get from me, and this is what I deliver! Can you tell birthday sessions are some of my favorites?! We had so much fun and even though Hannah was a little sick and pouty, we still got a gorgeous full gallery and momma was so happy with the results.

Ready to book your own customized one year old milestone session? Please contact me here and I so look forward to hearing from you!

Lifestyle Newborn Photographer | Baby Ella James

This was a tricky session. First of all, I specialize in posed studio newborn photography. I have my studio lighting that is constant and doesn’t change, unlike natural light which is unpredictable. Good lighting to a photographer is everything and I believe that to be a successful lifestyle newborn photographer, you need to master the art of tricky lighting situations. This was it for me. It was so dark in this small but adorable Seattle home, and it didn’t help that we shot the session around 3pm in the middle of winter. Anyway, I am surprisingly happy with the results and I have been dying to share some of this lifestyle newborn session goodness with you all. Here are some of my favorites. P.S. I thiiiink I’m going to try and do more lifestyle sessions after this! I’m kinda diggin’ the natural, more simple and unpolished style. It feels cozy…

By the way, little Ella’s mom is a successful Seattle blogger. She’s so adorable, and so fashionable! Click here to see her gorgeous website and follow along on her family adventures!

Cake Smash Photography in Tacoma, WA

What is cuter than a little one year old tasting birthday cake for the first time?! I’m a mom of a toddler myself and I remember how adorable and hilarious it was when we brought out the birthday cake for her to smash into. She’s probably thinking, “What is happening? I’m allowed to make a mess?! Something is wrong here!”. Cake smash photography is one of my favorite types of photography to shoot and these sessions are just pure entertainment for not only me, but parents and siblings as well. I want to share some of my favorite cake smash images with you guys and explain some of my process below!

Baby sitting in a miniature bathtub
Baby eating birthday cake
Cake smash photography in Tacoma WA

The Process

My cake smash sessions include 3 setups: one “clean” setup, where we take photos before we introduce anything messy or wet such as the cake and bath. After we take the formal portraits, we move baby to the cake smash setup where we introduce the cake and have lots of fun playing songs, making funny noises, and making silly faces to get your baby to laugh and have a blast. The last setup is the bath setup which is ALWAYS the most fun. Three setups gives us a ton of variety and lots of adorable photos in the end!

Cake smash sessions include all decor and outfits, as well as the custom delicious cake. When booking with me, everything can be customized exactly to your liking. From the backdrop choices to the colors of the outfits and the icing on the cake, I strive to make everything perfect for you. Ready to book your custom experience? Click here to be taken to my contact form! I can’t wait to hear from you! Want to see more examples of some cake smash sessions I have done in the past? Please click here to view a recent blog post on birthday sessions!

Bainbridge Island Newborn Photographer

When I became a Bainbridge Island newborn photographer, I never would have imagined where this journey would take me. This has been the most fulfilling career and I have met the most amazing clients, and many have become friends! I photographed Juliette’s parents during their maternity session, and then met them all again when Juliette was earth-side. This is one of my favorite newborn sessions to date. I loved the soft color pallet mom chose for the session. There is something so classy and dreamy about neutral colors.

The session was simple and sweet, and we stuck with organic poses that showcased Juliette’s natural beauty, including soft wraps from Hello Little Props. I always begin with making sure mom and dad have everything they need, such as water and snacks. I then start with my normal posing flow, baby only shots, and towards the end, we add some family portraits! Those are always some of my favorites, especially if siblings are involved! Vera and Chris were first time parents, and there is always a little bit of extra magic when I photograph first time mommies and daddies.

Looking for a Bainbridge Island newborn photographer for your very own customized session? Contact me today to schedule a consultation! Let me help you capture memories that will last a lifetime!

Bainbridge Island Newborn Photographer
Newborn Photographer Bainbridge Island
Family portrait photography in Bainbridge Island

Cake Smash Photographer in Silverdale

When you are hiring a Cake Smash Photographer in Silverdale, you’re looking for the best quality and experience. Not only am I able to navigate through lots of different moods, but I will make sure we have tons of fun together! Kids aren’t always easy to work with, but that’s when my professionalism and experience comes in. Little Miriyam is one of my best clients and it has been so much fun seeing her grow! I had the absolute honor of photographing her newborn session and 6 month session, and each time we have gotten the cutest photos ever and you can see her tiny personality shine through. If you want to check out some of her other sitter session images, click here. You will be blown away at the cuteness!

After I posted on social media that I made the backdrop myself, I got a lot of questions asking how so I will link where I got the hexagon shelves. Shelves can be found at Hobby Lobby, just ask an associate and they will help find them for you! Simply arrange the shelves on the floor, in the shape you want, and use a heavy duty stapler on the backside and done! If you want to keep reusing the backdrop, make sure to use some super glue or heavy duty hot glue to keep the shelves super secure. Easy peasy. The little bathtub, which I also always get asked about because I use it in all of my 1st birthday sessions, is a client favorite and its from Oz Backdrops from Australia!

Baby wearing yellow romper
Baby eating cake during her 1st birthday photo session
Baby in white bathtub during cake smash photoshoot
Baby sitting on tiny bed

Oksana Mink is a Cake Smash Photographer in Silverdale Washington, also providing maternity, newborn and family sessions in Kitsap County and beyond.

Family and Maternity Photographer in Tacoma

When winter hits, I tend to only shoot indoors at studios or make a drive into the snowy mountains. Everything else looks cold and lifeless, especially if it has been raining for weeks at a time and the outside mood feels chilly, uninviting and stale. My friends and colleagues who are creatives can certainly agree, it’s tough being a family and maternity photographer in Tacoma, or anywhere else in this state during winter. When I mentioned a possible snow session, Brian and Uri were so excited. It’s always such a pleasure when clients get as excited and passionate as I do about the ideas I have. Even if the drive time is super long or the location idea is sometimes a wacky one! Gatta have fun, right?! We chose a weekend that worked for everyone and drove out to the beautiful mountains!

We visited the stunning Gold Creek trail for their maternity photo session, which is a must see during both winter and summer. The lake at the end of the trail looks like it’s from a painting! The gorgeous snow on the green trees made for a beautiful scenic backdrop that matched the dress Uri wore perfectly. Doesn’t she look stunning? She was a total natural and had fun and posed so effortlessly. Brian originally wasn’t supposed to be in any of the shots, you know how men are. Most of them hate being photographed. Lucky for them and me, I have all the right things to say. With a little bit of begging and telling him he looked great, he agreed to get in on the action! They ended up loving their photos and some of their favorites were of the shots of both of them. Moral of the story, always trust your wonderful photographer. Below are a few of my favorites from this mini maternity session so I hope you enjoy.

If you’re interested in your very own maternity photo session and curious to see what else I have photographed, click here to view some more of my work! Look around, get some ideas, and contact me for your very own custom session!

Tacoma maternity photographer
Maternity session in the mountains
Girl in green dress during snowy maternity session
Family and Maternity Photographer in Tacoma Washington

Oksana Mink is a Family and Maternity Photographer in Tacoma, also offering family, newborn and milestone sessions outdoors and in studio.

Family Session at Hurricane Ridge

Meet the Hare family! They had just recently moved from warm and sunny California and wanted a change of lifestyle. Immediately, I thought of suggesting to do their family session in the snow, and I was SO happy when they agreed! Ever since moving to the Olympic Peninsula with my own family, I never got the chance to photograph a family session at Hurricane Ridge. This day was definitely my lucky day and the Hare family was the perfect family to break me in! We were blessed with the best weather and even got a lovely dusting of snow towards the end!

The funny story here is that mom and dad had so much trouble finding outfits. They had just moved and had two young kids, clearly a full plate. Thanks to H&M , I was able to quickly find warm and stunning coats for the entire family just in time. The different colors added a nice pop to their photos against all the white and my clients were extra thankful for the helping hand. Woohoo, brownie points for me!

Are you an adventurous couple or family and wanting a family session at Hurricane Ridge? Maybe you live in another part of Western Washington and want updated photos? I would love to hear from you! Use my contact page to get in touch with me and let me know about your vision for your very own photoshoot. Can’t wait to meet you!

Family posing in the snow at Hurricane Ridge
Couple posing during their family photoshoot at Hurricane Ridge
Family walking in the snow at Hurricane Ridge

Children’s Photographer in Gig Harbor Washington

Sitter sessions, which are done between 5-12 months, are some of my absolute FAVORITES! I love seeing my little newborn clients grow up and start to develop little personalities. Looking for a children’s photographer in Gig Harbor Washington? You have come to the right place!

Meet darling little Everly! When I moved to this part of Washington and became a photographer in Gig Harbor, Everly was one of my first clients! I first met her when she was a newborn, and I was thrilled to see her again when she started sitting up! I only do sitter sessions when the baby can safely balance on their own without falling. Mom wanted something simple, so I chose a white backdrop! I love making sure the focus is purely on the adorable baby. Sometimes, extra props and fluff and stuff take away from that.

My most popular style and the color that people ask for the most is cream. One of my most requested props is this beautiful little bed from Rozzi Rayne. If you’re a photographer and are in need of custom props that are very high quality, check out that website! To see some more in use images of the bed and other props from Rozzi, click here. I have these beds in so many different colors because they are my favorite!

Interested in a session and looking for a photographer in Gig Harbor? Reach out to me today to schedule a consultation! I would love to work with you! Just use my contact form and you should get a response within 12 hours.

Children's Photographer in Gig Harbor Washington
Child photographer in Gig Harbor

Newborn Photographer Tacoma WA | Sitter Session

I love being a Newborn Photographer in Tacoma WA because I get to meet and photograph some of the most amazing families! Recently, I had little Miriyam in my studio for her 6 month photos and it was such an amazing experience! I was Miriyam’s newborn photographer when she was only 7 or 8 days old, and I also photographed her mom and dad’s maternity session in Tacoma WA. Mom requested some light setups and some darker fall themed ones and I think I delivered just that! Also, how cute is this adorable little white distressed bed from Rozzi Rayne Studio Props!

The story of baby Miriyam is such a good one, and it makes me smile just thinking about it. Mom and dad waited over 10 years for her to come into the world, and even did a few rounds of IVF treatments only for them to be unsuccessful. But like they say, good things never come easy, and baby Miriyam finally came along! Below are some of my favorites from the session. Let me know in the comments below what you like most about this adorable set of photos!

asian baby looking up at camera in photography studio in Tacoma WA
asian baby sitting in photography studio with a flower crown
baby sitting on bed posing for camera in Tacoma WA
Asian Baby in Studio Posing For Newborn Photographer Tacoma WA

Vashon Island Photographer | Baby Birthday Session

Don’t get me wrong, I love my vibrant colors and flowers and beautiful props I get to use in my baby girl sessions, but there is something I love SO much about simple and classy setups for the little boys! I was so excited when Everett’s parents chose me as their Vashon Island photographer because we had such a blast all together! Everett was constantly on the move, so I definitely got my workout in for the week after doing all that chasing and running around, trying to get him to stay put! But when there’s no challenge, where is all the fun, right?

When I spoke to mom about the styling she wanted, she made it clear that it have green in it and for the props to look very “boy-like”, so I stuck with very simple props and browns and greens for the colors. The beauty about working with me is that every single session is fully custom, and I ask a lot of questions to make sure I get the styling spot on! Also, birthday sessions are some of my absolute favorites to photograph, so I’m always extra extra inspired when doing my session prep! Below, you will get a tiny glimpse of how the session went, and I chose a few of my favorite images to share on my blog! I hope you enjoy and if you do, please leave a comment and let me know your thoughts on the styling!

Are you local and looking for a Vashon Island photographer? Check out this blog post to see some more of my work and contact me today to schedule a consultation for your very own session!

baby sitting in a bucket
cake smash photographer on vashon island

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Oksana Mink Photography is a top Tacoma newborn photographer located in Western Washington. Oksana is a newborn, baby, maternity and family photographer serving Tacoma, Gig Harbor, Port Orchard, Bremerton, Silverdale, Bainbridge Island and the surrounding communities.

Contact oksana

425-293-1827 | info@oksanamink.com