And Babies Make Four

It's twins! A baby boy and a baby girl! In the next few weeks Savannah and Ray will be welcoming two new members to their family. It's crazy to think that she has two little babes growing inside of her. One already seems like a miracle, but two? And, as it turns out twins don't run in either side of their families. They have two little bundles of joy on the way, I can't wait to meet them! Congratulations Ray and Savannah! 

Baby Christensen

It’s a boy!

My friends Ron and Serina will soon be welcoming a beautiful baby boy into this world. I had the opportunity to photograph the two of them and the ever growing baby in Serina’s belly. Congrats you two! Can’t wait to meet the little guy.

Kendell and Bentley

Father and son, there isn’t anything like it in the world (well minus mother and child). There is a strong bond between a father and his son. They bond together through gender and something tells me that boys listen to their fathers more than they do to their mothers (correct me if I’m wrong). Seeing the way that Bentley interacted vs. the way that Gia interacted, it’s obvious that even at such a young age there is such a powerful difference between genders. The faces that Bentley makes are much more “leave me alone” or “don’t you dare try to wake me up right now” where as Gia is more like, “mommy please let me sleep longer” and “please hold me I want to cuddle” faces. This really showed the difference between the masculine and feminine side of things, it’s kinda of an eye opener to me. Then again, this is only with the two babies I’ve encountered, so who knows! Either way they are both the cutest little babes ever.


Any who… Here are some of the shots that I took of Kendell and his son Bentley.

The connection is very strong between these two. You can really sense how connected Kendell is to Bentley and vice versa.  

Thanks Kendell and Bentley! You guys were great models.

Rachel and Bentley

A few months back I had taken maternity photos of Rachel. The results were very pleasing and I anxiously awaited the arrival of Bentley so that I could snap some photos of him once he was born. Well, Bentley has arrived and I was given the pleasure of meeting the bundle of joy over the President’s Day Holiday weekend. I’ve had very little experience with babies. Bentley is only the second baby in my life and I’ve learned a lot about babies since my first encounter.

Bentley was a little fussy, but we got some great shots. Here are the best photos of Rachel and her newborn Bentley.

Thank you Rachel and Bentley for being great models! You two are beautiful.

B is for Bentley

Welcome to the world Bentley! Little baby Bentley was born on December 15, 2010 and he’s cute as a button! This little boy has more personality then I could handle. He cries like a gremlin and smiles like an angel. He’s a handful.

Throughout the day I took several photos of Bentley with his mama and papa. Those will be coming throughout the week, so stay tuned! One thing I learned from taking photos of Bentley is that babies are NOT easy to photograph when they are tired/hungry/all around in a funk. I felt challenged with Bentley, but in the end I think we got a lot of great shots. Stay tuned for more.

Welcome Baby Gia!

I’ve never been a big baby person. They’ve always scared me and they tend to cry the minute I hold them.  However, little Gia is different. She usually doesn’t cry when I hold her and she’s the best baby I’ve ever met. Serena has been such a great mother.  She’s so calm and patient. I’ve learned a lot about motherhood in the past month. Being a mother still terrifies me, but I’m starting to ease into the idea. Diapers are still not my thing, but maybe that will change.

I was given an amazing opportunity to take some photos of Gia, Serena and Paul… here’s the results!



2010 Recap

So, it’s the end of the year and that means it’s time to look back at 2010! What I accomplished and how I felt about the year over all. I’ll be honest. I had the WORST New Years Eve to date, so I was a little scared that 2010 was going to suck. Thankfully, it turned around. So, here’s a nifty list of what I did in 2010:

1.   I Graduated from College: This is pretty big. When I started making this list I didn’t even realize how amazing this was. I’m a college graduate! That’s something to be very proud of. Not only did I graduate, but I also have a full time job that I’m very thankful for. To anyone else out there that graduated this year, congratulations!!


My parents and I at Graduation

2.   I Moved Out: Yes, I graduated from college and moved out of my parent’s house. All this happened in a matter of two months or so.  I love my parent’s, but I couldn’t be happier living with my boyfriend. I love being able to decorate my own way, not worry about coming home late, watching the TV as loud as I want. It’s the little things that count.

3.   I Traveled to the East Coast: Once for vacation and again for a wedding. All I have to say is Lola Rain. She has always been an inspiration to me and we are always creating things together. Visiting Lola was one of the highlights of my year.

4.   I Went to My First Wedding: My friends Alex and Alexa got married in Vermont in October. It was, of course, the wedding of the century. It was so peaceful and personal. I cried like a baby during the ceremony and the entire trip was a blast. This was my first trip to the beautiful state of Vermont. And my first airplane trip with my boyfriend.  This leading into anther first from the trip…

5.   I Saw Snow for the First Time!!!! Thank you Vermont for my First Snow. Yes, this is true, I’m lame. Never been to Tahoe in the winter, therefore had never seen snow before.  Snow Fall is magical.

6.   I was “ALMOST” killed in McDonald’s. Ok, I’m over exaggerating, but since this incident I’ve never ever gone back to that McDonalds.  It is right around the corner from my office. I was on my lunch break and wanted somewhere quiet to read my book (I think I was reading “New Moon” and it was a sign for me to stop reading that awful book).  This McDonald’s is two stories. Upper level seating only. It is very long and narrow. I’m sitting upstairs, reading my book, DIDN’T EVEN ORDER ANYTHING, and suddenly I hear from downstairs, “He has a gun, he has a gun!!! Put your hands up!!!!” followed by a bunch of shuffling. I’m a little shaken up and I couldn’t see what the hell was happening below me. I build up enough courage to walk down the stairs and the place is SWARMING with police officers. There were undercover police, at least five cop cars outside and a bunch of officers in uniform. I think it turned out to be the bum that is always sitting outside. Naturally, I run back to my office and told everyone. That was the highlight of that week.

7.   I Attended My First Baby Shower: This was followed by a second baby shower only a month later. My friend Serena broke my baby shower cherry. It was by far the most fun baby shower I’ve ever been to (well because it was my first). It was an old family friends and I got to see some familiar faces. The food was amazing and the games were so much fun. My mom and I drank a ton of wine and had a blast. This baby shower was followed by my friend Rachel’s baby shower. I’ve know Rachel since we attended good old St. Cecilia. I also got to see a lot of people I haven’t seen in a long time at this shower  and had a great time catching up. This also leads into my first friend that had a baby. Serena’s baby girl Gia is the best baby ever! I can’t wait to meet Rachel’s baby boy Bentley.

8.   I Stuck with My Man though his…. “Vacation”: Let’s just say that my boyfriend was sent away for a few months the end of last year and the beginning of this year. We stuck together though it. It was hard, but well worth it. I wouldn’t have done it any other way.

9.   I got a Netflix Account: Dear Netflix, you have made my life 3,000 times better. Mainly because I get to watch movies like, “The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia” which is the craziest white trash movie you will EVER watch. Seriously. This shit will change your life. Thank you Netflix Instant for giving me movies when I want them. And Thank you Brenda for that great movie suggestion!

10. I Baked, and Baked, and Baked some more: That’s right. No wonder I put on the pounds in 2010. I baked cupcakes like nobody’s business! Martha Stewart, I love you.

Ginger and Molasses Cupcakes

Maragrita Cupcakes

DAL Themed Cupcakes for November Birthdays

World Series Themed Cupcakes!!

11. The San Francisco Giants Won The World Series: That’s right people. You heard it here first! The Giants won the series and no one thought they could do it. A Big Congratulations to my team! You did it! Now, let’s get them Niners on the same track, the Warriors would be nice too. The highlight of this win? Seeing Steve Perry (Journey) at the parade!!!

Stever Perry!!

Huff Daddy and the Rally Thong

12. Portraits: Photography wise, this was a year of portraits for me. I’ve really tried to get behind the lens as often as possible and plan out projects. I really love taking photographs of people and really getting to know my subject. Here are some of my favorites that weren't in my Top 10 post...

Victoria

Erik and Cynthia

Cecilia Elena

even a self portrait!

Wow! I feel like I accomplished a lot this year. At first I thought this list was short, like I hadn’t done anything, but I did a lot! I’m finally done with college and moved out. This year was a big transitional year for me. I went from college student to adult in a matter of months. I’ll say,  I like adult hood a lot better than college life. I’m a lot freer to do what I want and it’s a lot less stressful. Thank You 2010 for being a great year!

Five Favorite Posts of 2010

I really enjoy making lists, can you tell? I made a Top 10 Portrait List and you will soon get a “resolution” list as well as a 2010 recap list. So, look forward to seeing more lists from me in the future.  Speaking of lists, here are my five favorite blog posts in 2010. I started blogging in August, so it’s not a whole years worth to choose from, but still a decent amount. Anyways, here it goes:

5.  Symmetry: I really love this photo of the Brooklyn Bridge. I took this back in 2009 and the symmetry still resides in my mind. This was my first trip to New York! The photo is a great way to remember the experience. Speaking of New York, I’ll be leaving for the big apple in a week!! Time to start making lists of what to bring and all the things I want to accomplish/see on the trip.

4. Orange October: This is one of two favorite San Francisco Giants related posts. Now, keep in mind we were still in the playoffs when all these shenanigans were going on. The cupcakes, the pumpkins, the pride… I think the support really made the World Series win possible.

3. Serena and Gia: This is something I’ve very proud of. This was my first time photographing Serena and my first maternity shoot. Everything turned out even better than I could have imagined. Thanks Serena!

2. Lola Rain, the Model: Now, you know that I love Lola Rain, so of COURSE she is going be somewhere in my top list. I love Lola Rain as an artist and as a model, but her modeling skills really inspire me to take amazing photographs. Her expression and ease around the camera make a picture a photo.

1. 2010 San Francisco Giants World Series Parade:  This is hands down my favorite post of the year. This is one moment that I will never forget. The thrill and pride that one city can have for a team is unbelievable. Maybe I’m bias, but I believe that San Francisco has the best fans in the country, maybe the world. :)

Are these your favorite Natalie Schlegel Photography Posts?!

Almost There!

This is one of the many photos I took of Rachel, Kendell, and little baby Bently. This was taken back in August and now Rachel is less then a month away from her due date! I'm wishing her all the best! An easy delivery (if that's even possible, I wouldn't know), a great birthing experience, and a beautiful healthy baby boy.

Belly Love

She's Glowing!

Rachel is expecting and she’s glowing! Little Bentley was kicking hard during this shoot. He sure wasn’t camera shy! I can’t wait to take photos of Bentley when he’s born, I can tell he’s gonna be quite the model.

Serena and Gia

About a month ago I took maternity portraits for my friend Serena. I've known Serena since we were kids and it was great to reconnect with her and give her something she will be able to share with her little one someday. :)

p.s.... Happy Birthday Serena!!