Belmont Child Photographer: Bright
I’m going to let you into the world of child photographers for a minute. There’s a feeling of pure joy, and excitement… not unlike that of a little kid on Christmas day, when the card in your camera contains images that simply make you giddy excited to see in your editing software. Sometimes that’s because the light came through just the right way on the one pose that mattered, sometimes it’s about getting that one pose form your head just right, and sometimes it’s because you managed to capture the natural personalities of your families just the right way. In this session, it was the latter for me, and I reveled at the ease it was to photograph these guys.
With that said kids are both a dream and an adventure for child photographers. There’s the magic period of time between 18 months of age and about 3.5-4 years where really no amount of pleading, bargaining or begging works for a photo (even for me), so I go with the flow (i.e. whatever it is THEY want to do). Their spontaneous expressions are theirs alone, and all I can do is leave my ego and self-respect to the side as I turn into the biggest fool I can. Ok, ok — they’re not all THAT tough. Even with these two little brothers we couldn’t quite get a closer, huggy shot I was hoping to try, but as I said — it was a great day, and I loved hanging out with them.
Menlo Park Family Photographer: Bad jokes
I really, really thought I would have finished posting all my family photo sessions of 2015 before the turn of the new year. Alas, didn’t happen. But… on the bonus side, I really can’t think of a better way to kick off posts in 2016 than this family photo session in Menlo Park.
This session was 200% a blast! Three boys, light saber fights, and bad jokes. I laughed a good way through it, at least.
Three boys! I am barely hanging on with two, so these guys have my admiration right there.
They’re all a little older since the last time we hung out, and even funner to be around. Being in an open park area certainly helped, because how can you go wrong with a place that provides you with an unlimited number of long, pokey sticks/aka ninja sticks/aka light sabers? They showed me their cool poses, and then while I was trying to take some snuggly poses of just their mom and dad proceeded to have a stick fight. Those smiling faces you see on Mom and Dad’s face? I’d like to tell you that’s the sign of love in many years of marriage. I mean, it probably is, but for sure it’s also the two of them laughing at the epic battle five feet away. I mean being romantic comes so natural when you have a three, five, and seven year old competing for last survivor right behind me, right?
Now… let’s talk about my jokes. I think I’m funny. Maybe not so much on the prepped jokes end, though. I was trying to get R to laugh by telling him the classic “Orange/Banana” joke. But I kept messing it up. Yeah, bad jokes. But maybe I was funny simply by how terrible I was at it. Ok, ok, I won’t start a stand up act any time soon.
San Carlos Mini Session Photographer: So big now
These guys were second in line day day of my San Carlos mini session event at North Crestview Park. After I bid good bye to my first family (of that evening), I turned around to see them; and I remember being so struck by how grown up E looked.
This is the first time she’s looked like a full on girl. The past two years she still felt like a toddler to me, but this year was the first I felt in the presence of a young girl. Ack! How is this possible? I’m not ready to see them all growing up like this. Aaaand also not quite ready to admit I’m getting older too 🙂
I look back on these photos now and on this chilly 45 degree day, I feel nice and warm again thinking back to this afternoon. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll take a cold day over a hot one any time, but it’s nice to think back on those comfortable autumn California evenings. I love the way the sun set over the park that evening, and E was simply glowing in that sunlight.
Enjoy!
San Carlos Maternity & Family Photographer: Better late than never
When I photographed P, J and X, little miss E was still snuggled in her mom’s belly and had a full month of baking left on her schedule. Alas, as I’m still making my way through posting all the families I had the privilege of photographing this fall, P’s maternity shots now pale in comparison to the beautiful, angelic face she gets to look at snuggled in her arms. But you know… better late in posting than never 🙂
These guys were the last family in my mini session event at San Carlos’ North Crestview Park. They got lost!!! …. And a bit stuck in wine festival traffic. I feel badly, because for some of the locations I shoot at, it’s difficult to rely on your GPS for directions. I provide cross streets, and sometimes even GPS coordinates. It’s all worth it, though, for the awesome and secluded scenery. In the end, though we didn’t make it for some brighter back-lit moments, we were able to catch the super soft rays of sun as they set over the Miramontes Preserve hills. I was saving this part of the park for their mini maternity session, and I love it up here. You’ll definitely see more sessions in this space from me in the coming years. I even love the golden grass in this park. The rains are sprucing it up, and I’ll miss the golden tones until next summer.
We had a lot of fun that afternoon, and I’ve seriously struggling to narrow down some of my favorite photos from that session.
Little E is now a month old, and I’m excited to see her in my photographs in the future.
Belmont Mini Session Photographer: Wait… deja vu?
No, no! I promise you’re not seeing double, nor am I trying to pull a fast one on you. I know this looks like L from the Belmont mini session I just posted yesterday, but I promise she doesn’t live a double life or a polygamous relationship. L has an identical twin sister, J.
I remember I first encountered J at a birthday party for her nephew. I thought it was her sister. Not only do they look alike, but they have similar mannerisms, and their vocal tone is the same. I have rarely seen twins that are this alike. It’s a trip! And they are both truly awesome people, so you want to know and hang out with both of them. Luckily enough, I do!
Not only is J a twin herself, but her oldest boys are twins too. How cool to be able to share and relate an experience as unique as twin-dom with your kiddos? I imagine there are some awesome moments (like being able to have a friend that shares all your experiences), and some annoying moments (like having someone that shares ALL your experiences) 🙂 These young men also hang in my youngest’ pre-school class. It’s sad to know this is their last year in school together: as we live in different cities, our boys are off to different elementary schools come September. But I’m hoping our little social circle will keep going well past.
In addition to those two handsome boys, little sis A joins the crew. She’s adorable. One of the things I love about photographing toddlers with older siblings is how much they want to imitate their “wiser” brothers and sisters. Our location is super versatile, so for each kiddos’ individual portraits I like to ask them what around looks cool to them they want to be photographed around. Since she saw the bike rack scene earlier, that had to be hers as well. Worked out great, though.
Thanx for joining me Z clan. Loved seeing you in front of my camera!
