Cousins!

I started doing Scarlett's photos when she turned one, and her aunt booked a session for her girls a year or so after that. We've done photos of the girls together occasionally through the years. That said, I loved the idea of doing both families in one session when it was mentioned in an email. The girls are great ages to photograph, and they get along so beautifully. Scarlett wanted to photo bomb any photographs that weren't hers, and that is so typical for a five-year-old girl. The twins are one part poised and another part silly. I love that both dads were skipping at one point and that both moms were really intent on getting sweet photographs with their girls. Isn't this a beautiful crew? It was so fun to capture these photographs, just a Sunday afternoon on a walk in the neighborhood with a few stops for photos along the way. I hear both families chased the session with pizza. Gotta love that. I should have invited myself to dinner.

Just These Three

I got to spend an afternoon after school with these three, and it's always fun for me to get to know a new sibling group- to hear what they like and (maybe a teeny bit of what they dislike...) about each other, to see how they interact and to try to draw out both real expressions of individuals and the personality of the group. We talked school and new pet fish and sports. I loved the clothing choices and how utterly fascinated the girls were with looking straight in the lens. Once we started doing jump shots, everyone was on board, wanting to see every take. We had a lot of fun, and I'm excited to share a few photographs.

The Happiest Kid

A few mornings a month, I help Charlie's parents out by getting him ready for school and dropping him off on the days their work schedules don't allow them to do so. We've become fast friends, so I was excited when his mom asked me to do some photos of her sweet little boy before he becomes a big brother next month (to twin baby sisters!). Of Charlie let me say this: he is so happy, so well-adjusted and has unbelievable conversational skills. This kid remembers everything you say to him, and he makes me laugh every time I see him. He wants to know the details of the whole day, what's in his lunch, who he's going to see at school. He knows how I take my coffee and doesn't hesitate to remind me of how to make it. This is a great kid. I really love how much personality shows in these photographs. They are so, so Charlie. He has to be one of the happiest kids I've ever met, and I'm so glad I get to be a part of his life.

Hugs and High Fives

Planning for this session looked like an email that said something along the lines of "Eli and Em insisted on choosing their own clothes for the shoot. And they are excited." That made me excited. I've been photographing this family for 6 (!!!) years. When we started Em wasn't walking, and her shy two-year-old brother barely looked me in the eye. The kids know me now, and we have had such through the years. This session is no exception. The magic of the Japanese Gardens certainly contributed to the feel of this shoot, but it's a family being who they are that really shines. The lush, endless paths for exploration put everyone in adventure mode, so we let the littles take charge and followed them around. I love Eli's quiet, calculated approach to life and Emerson's eager, just-go-for-it yang to his yin. Elementary school looks good on them. As for their parents, what can I say? I love clients whose love is complimented by their "like" years into a marriage. Sessions like this make me thankful for my life, for this job and for the way it lets me see the best in people. I love that going to work this day started with hugs and ended with high-fives. Cannot wait til next year!

One Sunday Morning

When I do a session, I get to catch a glimpse into the life of a family, loving each other. I'm not a parent, but I know that the desire to get great photographs of the children, of the family-year in and year out- is a very real one. And I believe it matters: that capturing who a family is, now, preserves something. When I shoot, I hope to capture a bit of real life. Real life translates well to a photo session. Real life is a busy two-year-old running, running, running. It's a daddy carrying his middle son on his shoulders for a walk, because that's what they do on Sunday mornings. Real life is a little girl exploring the woods. It's a mom calling to schedule a photo session just a couple of weeks out during the busy season because her original photographer fell through. That's how I came to connect with this family, and I am so thankful that I did. I really love these photographs, love the life reflected and preserved.

Getting Upgraded!

This little man is getting upgraded to big brother in a few short months, so I was excited to get to do one more session while he's flying solo. Jack was one of my newborn clients, and now he's a very busy two! That meant the session was spent going, going, going, and I'm glad I got to see who he is right now. Jack is enthusiastic and opinionated, but when his mom and dad asked him to do something (mostly stop running...as twos are prone to do) he would stop and think about it. And usually he turned around. And came back. This kid is smart. And adorable. Love this sneak peek.

Niece

To say my family is enamored with this little girl is an understatement. We are in love. So. In. Love. Just thought that love should be shared. She was here over Halloween (hence the Pebbles costume), and every minute together was a treasure.

Red Sparkle Shoes

Her red sparkle shoes matched Kaitlyn's bright personality. She's a chatterbox and would have spent the entire session jumping had it been up to her. Four is such a fun age. We played our way through a morning of photographs, and I love the end result. We even managed to get a bit of fall color in the background for a few shots, a rarity in Texas. Just a quick sneak peek...

Three Little Ladies

A few things I love in a photo session: -Sisters who clearly adore each other (even if they have their moments... I rarely see those moments). -Grandparents who join in the photos session fun. -Littlest family members who finally warm up and give me real smiles. -Photographs that reflect who people are, not just what they look like.

Those things said, I love this sneak peek. A great day with so many gorgeous images. It was hard to select photos to blog.

Mostly Mondays

"I'm getting kinda rich on the side of any soul alive," New Morning, Alpha Rev The ebb and flow of my photography business means the slow season leaves me with extra time and sometimes the need to pick up a side job. The side job of choice for me is almost always to find a part-time nanny gig, and I had the privilege of supernanny-ing for Will and Shep most Mondays from March until the beginning of October. These two busy boys captured my heart, and I occasionally managed (when we weren't running or swinging or chasing ducks or eating or napping) to snag a few photographs. To say I love these little guys is an understatement. I'm always amazed by how much room a little person can take up in my heart.

Will is brave and fast and full of mischief. And he loves his baby brother, asking for kisses all day long and always wanting to be the first to greet him when he wakes up from a nap.

Shep is happy and eager and can't wait to see the world. He'd take a nap in the stroller over the crib most days. He matches his big brother's affection with smiles and laughs and tolerates the occasional two-year-old misinterpretation of gentleness, often crawling to join his brother in the time out corner, because they go together.

I hope I get to stay in touch with these two and their parents, because, well, they're little rockstars, fully alive and making the world a better place. A few photos from our mostly Mondays.

Little Red Halloween

What could be more perfect than Halloween with a big (not-so) bad wolf, a handsome, bearded (only-at-the-very-end, "like Daddy") woodsman and Little Red herself? My friend, mom and fellow photographer Christina and I collaborated on this one. We were pretty sure we couldn't top last year's "Where the Wild Things Are" theme, but this session turned out pretty dang great, if I do say so myself.

So Much Goodness

I've known April since we were 10, making her one of my oldest friends and one of my best. The last time I photographed her family, they were living in Taiwan as missionaries. They've added one sweet baby to their brood since then, and they're adding another in a few months. I was so happy to have the opportunity to do these photos while they're a family of four and cannot wait to capture them as a family of five. April and Brent, I love you guys... who you are and what you're about, and I'm honored to be your friend. Thanks for letting me take some photographs of the goodness that is your life.

Little Big Boys

These two have grown so much since I last saw them! These boys are funny and sweet. We planned to meet at the park, but it was such a rainy wet day that we moved our session to the Grapevine Vintage Railroad to avoid muddy muck. I loved seeing the interaction between the boys, and their parents are so easy going. I was excited to see them. Already excited for baby P's one-year session in a few months!

All You Need Is...

Love, love, love photographing this family. Love the way they show up and love each other. Love the way they are stylish and fun. Love the way every year, without fail, their session ends up being one of my favorites. The banners hanging in the background? Part of Highland Park's 100th birthday celebration. I love the addition of color. So excited to share this shoot.

Busy Boys, Best of Times

This family has so much to celebrate, as theirs is a story of overcoming great odds to be healthy and whole. Both the boys and their mama have undergone incredible fights to live. And while those fights are their stories to tell, I am so pleased to share this set of photographs. Two-year-olds are busy. Two-year-old twins, doubly so. Two-year-old twin boys? Let's just say full throttle in opposite directions for the duration of our session as a summary. That said, I loved every minute of this shoot. The interactions were real and full of love. The activity level was high and full of opinions and laughter and endless patience of a mom and dad relishing the joy of their sweet boys.

Beautiful Baby Bump

I got to meet this sweet mama last week, and we talked about her soon-to-arrive (December!) baby girl. The anticipation of welcoming her first daughter showed all over her face. We had a perfect afternoon for taking photographs. I can't wait to do newborn photos in just a few short weeks. This tiny baby is already well-loved and so wanted.

Everybody, All Together

My mom's family hired a photographer every few years to update family photograph to include the ever-increasing number ofnew additions. I remember both the photo shoots and looking through the proofs of those sessions time and again as a child. When Kate contacted me about photographing her husband's extended family when everyone was in town, I thought back to those sessions and was excited to get to work with a family to capture a glimpse of who they are in 2013. We gathered at the park and did the song and dance of trying to keep the little ones' attention. Everyone laughed a lot (well, the baby only laughed a little, as sometimes happens with babies...). All in all, it was a fun morning, and I wanted to share a sneak peek.

First Puppy

It's been several years of doing photos with this family, so I loved getting to do some photographs with their first family pet. Dogs can be trickier than the most difficult of littles at times, but that was not the case here. It's a good thing too, because that left plenty of time for lovely family photos and some updated images of one little girl who is growing up way too fast.

This.

Four beautiful girls. One baby boy. Two incredibly patient and doting parents. Photographing this family for the second time made me smile and then smile some more. I loved how much love was present- how the older girls fought over who got to hold the baby, how the little ones smirked and giggled when their mom and dad peek-a-booed to get smiles, how each little face lit up when it was their turn for individual shots. I really love my work, and this family showed me so much goodness in the way they were a family just being themselves in front of my lens. It's with a grateful heart that I share these photographs.

Sweetest Girls

I love photographing sisters. I loved the way the elder of this pair insisted on trailing her little sister. She so wanted to make her smile and laugh. I loved the way the younger of these two wasn't too sure about me but sure did love her mama and daddy. A sweet mini-session sneak peek...