I believe it was early in my last pregnancy. I was reading another photographer’s blog and saw a newborn that she had photographed in a jar of jellybeans. I don’t know why it grabbed me like it did, maybe it was the rainbow of colors or the fact that it made me smile or maybe just the pregnancy hormones. But from then on, I dreamed in jellybeans. My poor dear child inside of me had no idea that she was being born to a photographer. And one crazy enough to stick her in a jar full of candy.

I don’t think I’ve ever gotten the response that I did after that photo was done and posted. The #1 question being: “Did you photoshop her in that jar?”  Nope. She was really in there. Later we even found jellybeans that had slipped into her diaper. But the ultimate response came a few months later in the form of a request from a mom who was very newly pregnant. Could I do that with her baby “please, please?” the email begged. I think the double please was what got me. It reminded me of the desperation I feel when in need of a piece of dark chocolate. So if this woman needed the “jellybean shot” as bad as I need dark chocolate, I decided to set aside my nervousness at doing this to someone else’s baby.

Little Miss Keira was born this month and I toted my stuff off to her house. She was a wonderful snoozer and slept right through the experience. When dad arrived home part way through the shoot and mom announced the “jellybean shot” had worked, you could almost see the relief on his face. “Oh, good because we’ve been talking about this since October!”

So I’m thrilled to present Keira in all her Candy Queen glory and a sampling of some of my other favorite shots. Leave her mom and dad a comment in the next 5 days since 25 comments will earn them a free 5×7.