Introducing Harleigh

On her two-week birthday Harleigh arrived in the studio with her mama and her cousin, and she smirked and slept and showed off her bright eyes. Those bright eyes captivated me. The wonder of a newborn added to the family created a lovely warmth in the studio. I listened to the story of this very-much-wanted but somewhat surprising addition as I watched her mom cradle her girl with tenderness, crooning adoration. If Harleigh had any strong opinions, she kept them to herself. She fussed very little. When her cousin scooped her up for photos, though, she wailed. I think she knew that her mama's helper since her arrival was leaving the next day and had some protesting to do about the situation. That seemed appropriate. That momentary meltdown did not even for a second threaten the joy of celebrate this baby girl that this session allowed.

The Little Prince

“And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye," so says The Little Prince in Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's classic book. McKai's mama kept calling him her little prince, and she and his daddy seemed to know these words to be true. They so love their tiny guy and each other, and I'm pretty sure that's most essential to a newborn baby becoming a well-adjusted little boy who will go on to become a good man. I saw a bright and beautiful future for this adored little prince, for he has captured his parent's hearts and in their arms is home.

Sisterhood

Sisterhood, for these two, is fairy tales and wands and wings. It's silly songs and endless racing. It's being best friends, from the start. I love seeing their beautiful spirits interact. I wanted to find endless ways to make them laugh, and as it turns out, that wasn't particularly hard work.

I Love Five (Times Three)!

I cannot believe these sweet triplets (yes, triplets!) are five! From the start of the session, they brought energy and grins, playing with each other and making photo suggestions (How many jump photos can a session have? Well, lots.). Five is one of my favorite ages, because autonomy shows up in full force around this time, and with that comes a sense of who a child is becoming in a whole new way. I loved seeing that in each little personality at this shoot. Since they call Dallas home, using the Continental Bridge made sense, as it's a vast canvas of space to run and jump and go. Two laid back and ready-to-participate parents let me see how love continues to grow in this family. I've done their annual photos since the kids' first birthday, and I remain grateful for the opportunity to see who they are and what they're about.

The Shoemaker's Children...

Erika is a friend who happens to be an Austin-based photographer, and I photographed Augie's birth in December (and Beau's two years before that). Before she booked this session, we texted back and forth. "I know it's worth the money, but..." And I get that. Photography is a luxury and it's not inexpensive, and photographers know how to take beautiful photographs of their children. Erika's sister-in-law is also a client and encouraged Erika to book. Having the opportunity to be fully present with her husband and boys for their photo session, creating the potential for a variety of real-life photographs with Mom in them ultimately led to this session. And I'm so glad this session happened and that this shoemaker's children have some brand new shoes. This will go down as the session where the five-year-old mooned his parents on the University of Texas campus when I asked him to help me get Mom and Dad to smile for their couple's shot. We laughed our way into tears. This will also go down as a session where the whole family engaged and loved and laughed and played. I love the energy and expressions in these photos. Everything that matters shows up in the collection, and I am sharing a sampling today because they are so happy.

All the People Who Love Them

Four years ago tomorrow, I spent the day photographing Bela and Sean's wedding. Four weeks ago I spent the weekend photographing their twin girls with so many loved ones who have surrounded them to celebrate the joy of these two babies. I love that Bela prioritized getting photos of her girls with their grandparents, great grandparents and godparents. We did part of the session in Hartford, where the family lives, and the other part of the session in Ludlow, MA, where Bela grew up. Emma and Olivia are happy girls, and they are so loved. It was beautiful to see what makes each baby smile and how those smiles in turn light up the faces of every adult in their lives. They are treasured by all, and rightly so. I'm so excited to watch these two grow up! I love the continuity piece of telling the ongoing story of a family, so it seems fitting to post this blog on the eve of Bela and Sean's anniversary. I couldn't be happier for this family and am so grateful that they are clients-turned-friends.

The Continuing Adventures of Lucy and Sam

This post isn't limited to a photo session, though the second half includes photographs from my dear friends' family session. Rather, these images were composed over a visit that spanned several days when I was in Massachusetts last month. Nannying for Sam and Lucy when they were tiny babies facilitated my growth as a photographer by providing constant subjects as well as supplemental income while I finished school, started a business and developed a new-found passion. The natural progression of life has led to a beautiful friendship with their whole family, and when I travel to the East Coast, I am welcomed into their home. These guys have been my friends on good and bad days, and I love the way they love each other. Getting to be a part of their lives is getting to be a part of something special: a family who thrives because they keep choosing each other. The kids wear the confidence of well-loved children, and the whole crew seems intent on mastering the art of being on each others' team. These photographs have so much joy, especially in Miss Lucy's toothless grin and Sam's non-stop motion. Every year I say the newest photos are my favorite collection, and I think that's maybe because the good keeps getting better. I'm so grateful I get to witness just how beautiful that looks.

Fall and Family and Verging on Grown-Ups

Lynne and her boys have shared their lives with my camera lens for the past six years, and I've watched two little boys become teenagers. I'm not sure teenage boys are enthralled with the idea of family photos at this stage in their lives, but it's always fun to hear what's going on with them and what bands they're listening to and what they're reading. The real treasure, though, is in the in between moments when they let me see what is beautiful about their family. Laughs and looks and gestures and kindness... these things consistently show up. And someday these boys will have photographs to show their own children, and that thought makes me smile. I so admire the mom Lynne is. She has strength, grace and compassion, and she wears all three well.

After School Shenanigans

It only took a few minutes in their backyard to see that unique mix of love and being determined to out-pester one another that close-in-age siblings seem to share. These two made each other laugh and came up with ideas for photographs. I got to see a quiet boy and easy-going girl do their brother-sister bond perfectly. Seeing how they looked at each other and their expressiveness in their individual photos made this session one I'd looked forward to editing from the moment I uploaded the cards. Excited to share a few selections today.

Afternoon Park Playdate

I see these beautiful kiddos every year, and Lauren and Cole were about their little sister's age when we started our adventures in photo shooting. This year, we met for an afternoon playdate at the park in their neighborhood, and the older two greeted me happily and then proceeded to look out for little Charlotte for the duration of the session. To say these three adore each other is an understatement (though I'm sure they have their moments). We played and laughed and interacted, and the end result was a bright collection of photographs illustrative of their bond. It's a joy to witness.

Reasons Why

One of the privileges of meeting a new family is getting to hear pieces of their story and then getting to see the page that story is on as we engage during their session. This session took a couple of years of correspondence to actually get on the books, as my travels to Massachusetts are limited, and their two-kid, two-job routine keeps life moving. When our schedules aligned, I got to watch conversation and jokes followed by giggles. I saw big gestures, small smirks and easy conversation. It's the stuff of daily life that I imagine parents reflect on when days feel too busy or the kids can't quite seem to keep their acts together. I love taking family portraits because it creates a visual reminder of the good and the beautiful that looks unique on any given family. I think it matters. In this particular set, I love that you can see one little boy's vibrance, his eagerness to befriend me and his joy. I love that you can see his sister's calm, her steadiness and her warmth. Here are siblings making each other laugh. Here are two parents surrounding their children with love. Here is a family being themselves. It never gets old, getting to see the reasons why a family works and getting to create photographs with them so that they can see the way they fit just so.

Home, Life Happens Here

Spending an afternoon with these two was refreshing and calm. Their home is a beautiful space, and we did most of the session in the backyard and garden, with much loved four-legged family members making appearances here and there. Seeing the interaction between mother and son through my lens put a smile on my face. Melissa is intent on investing in Zach's interests, from the animals to surfing and snowboarding. Her son comes alive when he talks about and does the things he loves. That she knows that, that she celebrates that, this is how a parent comes alongside a child. She is raising him to be a good man. A whole lot of life and a whole lot of love builds the constructs of their home.

The Happiest Session in the Public Garden

Of this crew I knew we'd have lots of fun, because last year it rained (and by rained I mean poured), and we had a blast...This year, though, we had a beautiful Sunday morning. I love the big grins the kids got out of each other when we did their photos together. They made my job easy! These guys love and live well, and it was the perfect kickoff to my Massachusetts sessions this year to hang out with them in the Public Garden in Boston. They live in Bean Town, so shooting in the city was perfect. I had a hard time narrowing photos to share for the blog. This was truly one of the happiest sessions I've ever photographed.

Doubly Sweet

I loved meeting these sweet babies, two months into their story. They were wide-eyed and sleepy, in rotation, and they seemed pretty enchanted by their big sister. She in turn is pretty enthralled with the girls. We spent a couple of hours in the studio capturing these photographs, and I love that you can see three distinct beauties in the collection of images.

Love Looks Like Goodness

This collection of photographs reminds me that love looks like the goodness of interaction: laughter and joking, encouraging words and embracing arms. When I meet a family, I try to see what is beautiful about their dynamic. Elementary aged boys aren't always the most enthusiastic photo session participants, but Harrison came with stories to tell about Harry Potter (he loves Ron Weasley) and mountain biking and adventurous eating. His parents came with easy conversation and friendly banter. White Rock Lake makes a great backdrop for a Dallas family photo session, and it was the perfect location to illustrate this beautiful family who showed up ready to be themselves in front of the camera. I a grateful I had the opportunity to work with them.

A New Sister Makes A Big Brother

A couple of weeks ago, I met week-old Lucia for her newborn session and returned over the weekend to take some family photos. That meant I got to see Lucia's proud big brother Luigi dote on his sister. Luigi is a super high energy guy, and he made it very clear to me that he loves his sister. He was eager to snuggle up beside her and as gentle as a four-year-old can be when he kissed her. I never tire of seeing the interaction between siblings, and this session did not disappoint. Luigi and I spent a few minutes playing outside as well, and pretty much all this kid wanted to do was laugh. I'm a fan of little ones who think I'm hilarious, so that worked out well. I think photos are so valuable, as they provide a tangible reminder of what a family looks like loving one another. I recognize that having a newborn is busy and demanding, and coupling that with a busy preschooler means life is very full for parents who might be low on sleep and high on tasks. That said, I look at these photos and see love and joy and what is beautiful about this family. I hope you see that too. I consider it a privilege every time a family lets me catch a glimpse of who they are together. I look forward to seeing how Miss Lucia grows and changes in the coming months and how Luigi continues to own his role as big brother. The future is bright for this family.

Savannah is 1!

For Savannah's one-year photos, she came to the studio. From the get-go it was obvious Savannah's first choice for in-studio activities was running back and forth. She ran and ran and ran some more. I love her sweet spirit and zeal for life. She didn't seem phased by the fact that I, a new adult, was there and kept shifting her back to where the light was best. She just wanted to keep moving, and enthusiastically. When we pulled her big brother in for a few photographs, I loved his expressions and toddler conversation skills. The two were less interested in interacting with each other than with me, but I thought that made for some really fun shots, true to life with a pair of littles so young. It was a great way to spend the morning, and it made me excited to do family photos for this crew later in the fall. A quick sneak peek here, and if you're interested in a studio session, I have limited availability remaining for September and some openings in October and November. I'd love to hear from you!

Stella

A lot has changed in seven months. Stella has gone from sleepy newborn to bouncing (busy) baby girl. At seven-months-old she is sitting, crawling and pulling up. To say her parents have their hands full is an understatement. But what a precious way to have hands filled. Stella's inquisitive eyes captivated me, and she is quick to coo, smile and laugh. I loved the interactions of this family the first time I met them, and the beauty, love and tenderness has grown right alongside the baby who made her mom and dad parents. It was a fun Saturday, and I am already excited for one-year photos!

Introducing Pate

The plan for Pate's newborn session was to keep things very simple- create a collection of photographs of the week-old baby just as she was- no fancy props or outfits. Pate seemed to agree with this plan; she stared and slept and stared and slept some more. I love her teeny features and wide-eyed wonder. When I see the photographs with her mama, my heart melts. A baby transforms her parents to be more of themselves; suddenly they are more able to give of themselves fully, more capable of loving more deeply than they ever imagined possible. I see this, time and again, at a newborn session, and it never gets old. Not everything about having a baby is easy and fun, but to have a child is certainly one of the greatest gifts to both be given and to give the world. It is so special to come into a home with a baby so new. To meet Pate and see how loved she is made me excited for this little life. She was so lovely and sweet, so wanted and new, and that is just right for a brand new girl. I cannot wait to watch her grow.

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Introducing Lucia

I met little Lucia on her ninth day earth-side, and she was equal parts bright-eyed and sound asleep with not a bit of squirmy fuss in between. Lucia Alessandra was named for her grandma in Italy and her aunt Sandy, her mom told me. She'd pulled out two blankets her grandma made for her brother, showing me the gorgeous work her mother-in-law had created for her grandson. Her grandma passed away a few months before Lucia was born. Using her grandma's handiwork as a backdrop and prop for the baby's photographs reminded me that even the tiniest of humans have big stories, and this baby's story includes an Italian family, a transcontinental love story and a busy big brother. We'll be doing full family photos next week. This session was about capturing Lucia in her newness. She is a sweet one, this baby, beautiful and lovely and very, very loved.