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First Year Collective

The First Year Collective: Documenting Baby’s First Year In Virginia Beach

June 19, 2025

Hi, I'm CHELSEY.
I'm a Virginia Beach family photographer who takes pride in pampering busy Mommas with a fun, stress-free portrait experience. From your initial inquiry to the installation of your artwork in your home, I'll guide you through it all to ensure you get beautiful, timeless, joyful images of you and those you cherish most, AND get to enjoy them daily within the walls of your home - NOT just on the screen of your smartphone. 
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As a Virginia Beach newborn photographer, as well as a mother to 3, I can tell you firsthand that documenting your baby’s first year in Virginia Beach is essential!

baby's first year in photo collage with maternity, newborn, 6 month, 9 month and first birthday photos
This collage shows maternity, newborn, 6-month, 9-month, and first birthday photos of the First Year Collective member’s baby and her parents!

When we become parents, we often find ourselves caught up in the whirlwind of so many new things. Between figuring out feeding schedules, navigating sleepless nights, and endless diaper changes, all while enjoying the special joys that come with raising a child. Especially during a baby’s first year, the time truly flies! And before we know it, our babies are taking steps, talking to us, and are little people – no longer little babies.

Why Hire A Photographer For Baby’s First Year?

A lot of people like to say “time is a thief,” but a friend of mine says something that resonates more with me. “Time is a GIFT that we must steward well.”

The time we spend with our children is so special, we wish we could bottle it up, but we can’t do that… The memories will fade from our minds, so the best we can do is to document everything we can in photos and preserve them in printed artwork.

Before I was even a newborn photographer in Virginia Beach, I became a mother, and I only wish I knew then what I know now. The truth is, your baby’s first year in Virginia Beach is too fleeting to miss out on hiring a professional photographer to document all those precious milestones so you can enjoy them in the future, alongside your growing children.

What Is The First Year Collective?

So what is the First Year Collective and why is it important?

The First Year Collective membership is the essential baby’s first year in Virginia Beach photography collection, built to help you document your baby’s first year of life, and ensure all these moments and portraits captured are preserved in artwork to be treasured forever.

Baby’s First Year in Photos

milestone photos with baby including 6 months, 9 month and one year old
6 months, 9 months, and 1 year photos of a baby girl.

Photographing Baby’s First Year

Now, as a Mom of three children, I look back and see only blurry iPhone photos on my Apple cloud, and I think, “I really wish I knew then what I know now!” I wish I had hired a professional photographer to capture not only my twins’ first year, but also grow with my family as we welcomed another baby boy a couple of years later.

The first year of a baby’s life is simply wonderful, but fleeting.

Baby’s First Year in Photos

This sweet baby girl’s parents wanted to capture every moment, so they hired me to photograph her first year. Scroll to see her grow up – from snuggled up in her Mama’s belly during maternity photos, to her 1st birthday portraits.

Virginia Beach Maternity Photos

Baby's First Year In Virginia Beach - collage of maternity photos of first time parents on the beach as a part of the first year collective baby membership by chelsey kraus photography

Cozy Newborn Photos At Home

newborn photos of parents with their baby girl at their home in virginia beach

View more photos from this in-home newborn session on the CKP blog.

newbron photos at home in virginia beach

Documenting Baby’s First Year In Virginia Beach – 6-month Family Photos

fall family photos in virginia beach as a part of the first year collective membership with chelsey kraus photography

Baby’s First Birthday photos – The First Year Collective Membership

We are celebrating baby girl’s first birthday with family photos and her cake smash at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens. It is always gorgeous at the botanical gardens, but especially so during her first birthday photos! You can see more images from a special maternity session at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens here on the blog.

Bella’s Mom shared this feedback in her Google review:

“If you want a photoshoot where everything is taken care of for you, then I highly recommend you hire Chelsey. She was great to work with from beginning to end!”

Ready To Book Your Baby’s First Year Collective?

Being able to document your baby’s first year is truly an honor and a privilege I don’t take for granted. It’s always bittersweet when a CKP baby “graduates” from their First Year Collective upon turning 1. And WOW, it is special to look back on their first year, right alongside you!

So, Mama, here is my encouragement: you’ll never regret not having your baby’s first year documented. Their memories deserve to be preserved and cherished for a lifetime by both their parents and their own children in the future.

If you’re in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, or the Outer Banks and want to have your baby join the exclusive First Year Collective membership – please contact me here to get more details! A limited number of spots in the membership are available each year. I’d LOVE to grow with your family and can’t wait to hear from you soon.

Want to read more? Check out some of my other posts:

  1. Such a special way to document this fleeting time of baby’s first year. This family is lucky to have found you. Beautiful work!

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