Most of the Blinns live in Texas, and those who don't give me excuses to explore other parts of the country in work-play mixes. I love that my job has given me the ability to work where the people I love are. A wedding and some photo sessions meant I got to spend a few days with my sister and her crew. This trip allowed me to capture each of the kids exactly as they are, personality-wise, so these photographs make me smile.
Ruby preferred snuggling in the arms of her parents, who absolutely adore their firstborn baby girl, to being photographed. We moved slowly, passing her back and forth, waiting for that lull that frequents newly arrived baby life. When she settled, I took her photograph, using some of the many beautiful gifts Ruby had received to capture the sweetness of a newborn. It's said time and again of this stage- they change so quickly- so I'm always delighted when a family invests in photos to remember the early days when she won the hearts of all who met her. Witnessing that never ceases to mesmerize me through my camera lens, time and again. So pleased to share these.
Prior to our session, Francie posted on her Facebook page that on a recent morning they found their boys, 5 and 7, perched on the front porch of the house for sale across the street from their house, bags packed and ready to move in. Their concern was not that they hadn't told their parents where they were going. Rather, they were concerned they didn't have any dollars in their wallet with which to buy the house. Independent much? I knew then that I'd like little adventurers who want to go, go, go. And go, go, go they did. We explored the park in fast motion, with photo bombs any time I tried to get a photograph of either boy solo. And they laughed and wrestled, hugged and threw *friendly* punches and reminded me of what it was like to grow up in a house with all boy boys. I think we captured just what family looks like for a family with boys, 5 and 7. And it looks like the loud kind of love that makes me smile.
This California crew headed to North Carolina for a family wedding (which will be blogged on Honey and Salt soon, and I got to connect with them to do a family session the day before. We let the boys play and set the pace, and that was just right for these two busy little guys (who will be joined by a third brother in the fall). I love their expressiveness and the fun interactions we were able to capture. This is a beautiful family, and I can't wait to see what a third little adds to their mix.
On our shared birthday, Nicholas' 2nd and my perpetual 25th, I took photographs of big Nick and his (8-days-new) little brother Evan. It is such a treat for me to work with families on an ongoing basis to update the stories of their family as tiny babies turn into precocious boys and especially when a new addition arrives. Nick wasn't sure he wanted to actually be in photographs with Evan, but he was happy enough to play and engage as long as we didn't push him. And Evan was so precious, cuddly and content. He had a lot of smiles and smirks for such a brand new guy. I love that we got to use the "life is beauty full" hanging, a tradition we started with Nick's six-month session. Seeing the beauty fullness of new life alongside a growing boy is as good as it gets.
Don't you just want to kiss this sweet baby's cheeks? And her eyes? So beautiful! Teagan's parents opted to have her session on the grounds of their church. They met and married there. They'd never had photos done, so we took our time, chatting and passing the baby around. Tegan is as loved as a baby girl can be, and her calm, laid back little self took to photos wonderfully. I'm excited to share this set, the first of my North Carolina sessions from the end of May.
These two sweet girls belong to dear friends of mine, and I've had the privilege of watching them grow up through my lens. For this session, I stood back and mostly just let them be. Everyone had had a long day, and that was just the right thing to capture the spirits of two vibrant, beautiful, happy girls. Jenna and Rob love their girls so much, and it shows... and I don't just mean in photographs. It showed in the giggles the girls shared and the way they ran and danced and played their way through the session. I have been doing photos with them since Francie was born, and these are my favorite photographs to date.
One of the things I enjoy about families who work with me on an ongoing basis to tell their story visually is having a general feel for a family's dynamic prior to the session. With these guys, I know I'll have relaxed parents and chatty boys. I know I need to have a plan to both keep the boys busy and get their attention. I know we will laugh. I know we will move fast. And I know the end result will be updated portraits that reflect love and joy and contentment. The boys grow taller and have more words, and while I already know what love looks like on the faces of this family from prior years, I'm always excited to see the evolving expressions of that love that shows with new photographs. While these boys are very young, their parents are giving the the gift of a firm foundation rooted in the good stuff of life. And that photographs beautifully.
This tiny guy has filled his family's home with love and warmth. His daddy is so, so attentive, and his mama is so, so proud. His grandma was visiting to help out, and she too is quite taken with her newborn grandson. John was eight-days-old at his newborn session, and we started out with a wide-eyed little wonder who stared and stared at me. Then his eyes got heavy, and he settled into dreamland. I love this entire set of images. When the weather allows for a few outdoor photos of a newborn, I get excited, and John didn't seem to notice the shift from inside to out. In mid-April, John's parents celebrated their five-year anniversary with a maternity session, and by the middle of May, their arms and hearts overflowed with their firstborn son. I can't wait to watch him grow!
A Saturday night spent celebrating this couple and their sweet dog. Bandit was the most enthusiastic and well-behaved canine subject I've ever had at a photo shoot. I loved the casual interactions and abundant laughter shared as we captured photographs. It's clear that Terry and Patti belong together. I'm glad I got to see who they are through my camera lens. Love photographs beautifully.
A two-year-old photo session on a beach with a little guy who I met on his birthday last year? What could be more perfect? Well, Bowen is going to be a big brother in a few months, and his grandparents were along for the ride. He thought the beach was delightful. I know this because he laughed every time his grandpa poured bucket after bucket of sand into a castle. He stomped his feet in the water and threw stones to watch them ripple (so long as mama's hand was reachable). I love the intensity in this toddler's eyes. Seeing the way he reached for hugs and kisses made everyone smile, repeatedly. When he noticed balloons nearby being strung for a birthday party, Bowen started to shout, "happy, happy." And that's the word to summarize these photographs: happy indeed.
When we started planning this session, the main idea was space for a busy two-year-old to do his thing. I've spent a good bit of time lately considering what I want the end goal of my family sessions to be. I want to capture photographs that communicate, "see, this is what you look like when you love each other." When I photograph a child, I want his parents to see those looks he makes in this stage in life when he sings that song or, in this case, roars like a tiger and march-march-marches away. The passing of time means expressions evolve, change and fade, and a photograph allows a permanent pause. These photos, I hope, show this both what love looks like on this family and who little Teddy is right now. I see joy, intensity and exuberance in his big blue eyes. Speaking of eyes, aren't his striking? I had a hard time narrowing photos to blog and am happy to share this set. I love that the day of this session was a bright spring day. It so complimented the feel of these interactions.
Becoming a parent means signing up for the biggest adventure of your life, for the rest of your life. When these guys decided to have a second baby, they found out second baby also meant third and fourth too... Triplet girls arrived four months ago. That's a whole lot of adventure all at once. I have a few other triplet families, and my friend and wedding business partner Christina is a triplet mom, so I've been fortunate to know multiple multiples families. That said, it takes mega-doses of courage, grace and determination to welcome three babies all at once, and Amanda and Tigh live those attributes. Their girls are beautiful, and their little man is busy and kind. Their hands are full, and their cup runneth over. When the aforementioned Christina asked me if I wanted to join her when she photographed this session, I had no idea I'd get to meet such an incredibly inspiring couple. I won't say they make raising four little ones two and under look super easy, but they do make it look super full of love. Just a few photos from a perfect spring morning in the Woodlands...
...babies? Isn't that how the saying goes? No? In all seriousness, few things bring me greater joy than getting to follow a family from pregnancy to new addition to babyhood and as childhood takes off. I did a bump session before this little Lauren's arrival. Now Lauren is about to become a big sister, and she has lots of personality and a vibrancy about her that is sure to equip her for the task. She turned two this week, and in a few short weeks, her little brother will arrive. I love how expressive she was in this session. It didn't take long for her to warm up to Miss Erin, and then it was a full throttle, good-stuff-of-life running, laughing, dancing, hugging, playing and go, go, going session. All that, and we managed a few great bump shots of her mama too. Cannot wait to meet the new addition in a few weeks.
Just a few weeks after his newborn photos at home in Raleigh, my sweet little nephew took his first plane ride to Dallas with an entourage of my sister, his daddy and my niece. We used that trip as an excuse to do a few more photos, and I am so glad we were able to. Raleigh was rainy and cold when I visited to do his initial set, so having some spring warmth and light let me show off my handsome little love in more ideal conditions. That first photo in this set? It slays me. I adore this tiny man.
Just a few weeks ago, I did maternity photos for Alexa's mama, and on her thirteenth day earth-side, I got to follow up with newborn photos. Alexa gave me some bright eyes and sleepy sighs, and it was so lovely to watch her parents work alongside each other to care for their baby girl. The anticipation I saw in the maternity session became adoration at this session. Just a quick sneak peek tonight...
Claire arrived ten days before her newborn session, and her daddy had taken her big brother to school so that her first photo session could be a just-the-girls affair. I love her newborn chub and quiet demeanor. It was so obvious she knows and loves her mama already. Once she'd been fed and rocked a bit, Miss Claire settled right in for photos, and I didn't mind a bit when she needed a few mid-session snuggles. Getting to hold brand new babies in my arms feels miraculous every time. I love that for these first few photos it was just Claire, but it served to make me excited to do family photos in a few months. Here is a sampling of photographs from Claire's newborn session. I hope her perfect sweetness shines through in each image.
These two booked their maternity session on their fifth wedding anniversary, making these photographs doubly meaningful. We talked about how they met (college) and their adventures in New York, with their faithful furry companion. They're now in Dallas preparing for their biggest adventure yet, parenting a soon-to-arrive baby boy. I see so much life and love in these photos and am so excited to continue to document the story of this couple as they start their family. Their little man arrives late May. I can't wait.
Alex shouted, "see you next soon," when I left their house last night; I had to drop by. It had been a few days since their session, and I guess he wanted to be sure there'd be a next time, and soon. Over time a tremendous thing happens in client relationships; babies I photographed brand new become into precocious little boys. As I watch those little boys grow up through my lens, it just so happens that they start to remember me. They start to tell me their stories and ask about my day. As much as I want to draw them out and make them laugh, they seem intent on getting me to laugh as well. They may not be the easiest ages for a low-key photo session, but they are delightful ages nonetheless. Alex and Sam are 2 and 4, and I've known them their whole lives. That I have been their photographer the whole time makes every session that much more meaningful to me. Their mom has become a friend.
I really love the feel of these photos- that the boys' eyes have light and laughter in them, that Leigh Ann looks happy and warm, that affection is woven throughout. These photos illustrate who they are at their core, and it's beautiful to see. Love photographs well.
They're adding a sister to the mix this summer, so their parents wanted to capture a few "boys being boys" photos of their sons before the new baby arrives. If you give a pair of little boys open space and ask for silly faces, muscles, hugs, kisses and jokes, the end result will be a robust set of images that shows lots of personality and the obvious adoration the two have for each other. I wanted to share a quick sneak peek here and cannot wait to share the full gallery with their mom and dad soon.
