Biography

November 2007
By Sorcha McGinnis

When week-old Kaya Prediger let loose a howl so loud it silenced the clicking camera, her mom was convinced the professional pictures she'd arranged would be ruined.

Rachel Prediger, 31, was determined to make her firstborn's portraits perfect and was inconsolable when the bawling infant refused to go along with the plan.

In the end, it seems, Prediger worried needlessly. One of the photos - of a slightly perturbed Kaya, her tiny hand wrapped around her dad's fingers, mouth stuffed with a soother - is now a family favourite.

"It's a very calming picture, even though she'd been screaming all day," said Prediger. "The pictures captured Kaya the way she was that day. They turned out just great."

Prediger says she now realizes a formal or stylized photo of her daughter wasn't what she wanted at all. She gives photographer Lorena Smalley full marks for preserving not just the high points, but also the chaos, of the family's first week together.

Smalley, owner of Little Bums, Fingers and Toes photography, aims to get away from traditional "posed" baby photography and instead, give control to her young subjects. If a baby wants to nibble her toes, wriggle face down on the floor or fall asleep, no need to put the camera down - for Smalley, these are the money shots.

Smalley, 42, has been photographing babies since the birth of her own daughter, Samantha, in 2003.

She wanted to capture what "amazed" her about the little girl - her little bum, delicate fingers and toes - and never believed those first few rolls of film would set into motion a career as baby photographer.

At home, on maternity leave with baby Samantha, now three, and son Kent, now seven, Smalley began to experiment with different photographic techniques. At first, she tried colour, surrounding her mostly nude daughter with props, like sunflowers and a pink feather boa. But after the first black-and-white close-ups of Samantha's miniature parts, Smalley, who'd photographed weddings for friends, found a style that worked.

"I knew what I didn't like and that was very posed pictures," said Smalley. "I wanted to do something different. I wanted to do all the things that amazed me about this baby."

"I'm pretty fussy with what I like in a photograph, so to see something I really liked was the most incredible thing in the world."

The photos of Samantha taken four years ago remain some of her best and stand out among dozens of others in her west Edmonton home.

As Smalley's friends - many of whom she'd photographed as brides - became pregnant, they asked her to take pictures of their swelling bellies and eventually, their new babies. With her maternity leave about to expire, Smalley made the snap decision to quit her government job and build a business that would allow her to spend more time with her kids and husband Mark.

Little Bums, Fingers and Toes was born.

The company specializes in black and white maternity, baby and children's photography, and has been featured in Edmonton's Birth Issues magazine. It is also a member of the Kid Friendly Business Alliance, a group of like-minded small business owners Smalley helped establish.

Rachel Prediger came full circle with Smalley. Smalley watched through the lens as Prediger and husband, Tim, exchanged wedding vows in 2002, and again after the births of the couple's two children, Kaya, now 18 months, and newborn son Kage.

Prediger says the family is at ease in Smalley's living room studio. If one of her children needs to stop for a snack or diaper change, it's no big deal.

"I love the home atmosphere," said Rachel. "It's so much more comfortable than going to a studio."

Smalley likes that her work captures the tiny milestones parents may not think are a big deal at the time.

"You're so busy being a new mom, you're not a photographer. You say you'll never forget your baby naked, but you do," she said. "I love seeing the moms ' reactions. I love hearing them say things like, 'Oh, she does that all the time but I can't believe you caught it.'"

For Smalley, one of the perks of children's photography is observing and documenting the changes in new parents. First-time moms and dads, she says, often arrive at her studio exhausted and overwhelmed. However, by the second visit, the dads are giving airplane rides while the moms cuddle contentedly for the camera.

"The difference between new moms and brides is that both are stressed and tired, but the new moms are happy and excited about it," she said. "You see these new parents and they're so nervous. The baby cries and both parents are right there, changing the diapers together. It's very nice to see."

Smalley says her goal as a businesswoman is to attract lifelong clients. As the company grows, Smalley has made it easier for customers to gain access to her services. She maintains a website and posts proofs online so that clients and their families can order their favourite images from home.

"I think that what I do is very cool, but maybe that's because I'm so passionate about it."