Maternity Before you arrived
Newborn The first days
Cake Smash The first birthday
Timeless photographs of life’s first moments. Newborn, maternity and cake smash sessions in Irvine, California.
These days go by so quickly. My work is to slow a few of them down into photographs you’ll still be holding in twenty years.
Kathleen Lopes, photographer
Sessions
Three chapters,
photographed with care
Maternity
Elegant, quiet portraits that honor the shape of waiting.
View maternity
Newborn
Unhurried, safety-certified sessions in the first weeks, while everything is still impossibly small.
View newborn
Cake Smash
A first birthday, celebrated properly: color, frosting, and a very happy mess.
View cake smash
About
Hi, I’m Kathleen
I photograph newborns, expecting mothers and families from my studio in Irvine. Six years and more than a thousand sessions have taught me that the photographs people treasure are rarely the posed ones. They’re the small, true moments in between.
So my studio is built for calm: warm, quiet, unhurried, with everything a new family needs close at hand. You settle in. I take care of the rest.
In the studio
Looked after, in every detail
Safety certified
Trained in newborn and maternity posing safety. The studio is sanitized before every session.
Built for babies
A dedicated baby space with a nursing chair and changing table. Feed, change, rest, repeat.
Professional throughout
Professional lighting and equipment, and images retouched by hand rather than by preset.
Private by default
Your gallery arrives as a secure, password-protected link. Nothing is shared without your word.
- Private studio in Irvine
- Free parking at the door
- Private restroom
- Climate controlled
Trusted by families
kornya Mannah★★★★★I had such a wonderful experience with Kathleen for my baby’s newborn photos! 🤍 The entire process was so beautiful, and I’m absolutely in love with how the photos turned out. She captured my baby so perfectly, and I’ll cherish these memories forever. 🥹💕 Thank you so much for creating such beautiful photos for us! I highly recommend Kathleen to anyone looking for a newborn photographer! 🤍
Carissa Bennion★★★★★We had such a wonderful experience with Kathleen! We were a little nervous going into our family photo session with our newborn and our two-year-old, but she made the entire experience so easy and enjoyable. Kathleen was amazing with our newborn. She handled him with so much care, easily soothed him, and was able to get him comfortably posed for the photos, making him feel as relaxed as possible throughout the session. She also did a beautiful job swaddling him. Our two-year-old was feeling especially shy that day, but Kathleen was incredibly patient and still managed to capture so many wonderful moments. She gave us clear, easy-to-follow directions for each pose and showed us exactly how she wanted us to hold the baby, which made the session feel effortless. The photos turned out beautifully, and we couldn’t be happier with the experience. We highly recommend Kathleen to anyone looking for a talented, patient, and caring photographer, especially for families with young children. We’ll definitely be back for future photo sessions!
Krupa Patel★★★★★Kathleen was amazing to work with! She was so patient, gentle, and professional with our newborn, making the entire session feel relaxed and enjoyable. The photos turned out absolutely beautiful, and we'll cherish them forever. We highly recommend Kathleen!
Booking
Sessions are limited each month,
so that each one isn’t rushed.
Tell me a little about what you’re expecting and when, and I’ll walk you through the options.