My fun and sweet neighbor Lily is such a joy to be around. I love how the middle picture really captures that. She is probably the friendliest little girl I've ever met, and I look forward to watching her grow up. She is also a December baby...Happy 5th Birthday, Lily!
Talia is absolutely stunning with her beautiful eyes and sweet smile. According to her parents, she has been an extra good girl this year and Santa will be bringing her a trip to Disneyland! All we had to do was mention Mickey and Minnie to get a big grin out of Miss Talia.
This little boy is very special to me; he is my "nephew" Bennett! Okay, technically not my nephew, but he is the nephew of my sister, and as far as I'm concerned, he's my nephew too. He and my son are only 18 days apart, and they are growing up together like cousins. Bennett is such a positive influence on my Vinny, and is for sure on Santa's nice list. One can just see in his smile how sweet he is. Merry Christmas, Bennett!
It was great to meet the Stirling Family for a winter Family Mini Session at their beautiful home. Belle was so sweet smiling and sticking her little tongue out for the camera. Poor thing wasn't too thrilled when we brought her outside for a minute, though. Belle will be celebrating her first birthday next week, and then on to Christmas! What a fun month for this family.
Max and Sadie were two perfect Christmas angels for their session! Sadie is celebrating her first Christmas, and was so content sitting in her basket, while big brother Max was a picture-taking pro with the cutest little "cheeeese!" smile. I just love this sweet family!
Kaelin and Kelsey were such good listeners for their session. Definitely two girls familiar with Santa's nice list. They reminded me of my sister and me when we were little with their matching Christmas dresses.
Baby Gavin is celebrating his first Christmas by standing! Secure the Christmas tree, Mom and Dad! This little guy was super smiley and cooperative for his session. Such a doll!
Baby Camilla is special to me, as I did her newborn photos one year ago (she will be one on New Years)! I can't believe how fast a year has flown by, and I'm sure her parents can't either. She has grown into such a beautiful baby girl - just look at those eyes! She was so pleasant during her session, and went straight for the cookies. The way she was eating them, I thought she was a pro, but it turns out that was her first taste of cookies! I'm glad she enjoyed them, and hope that she gets many more sweets on Christmas and her upcoming birthday!
My dear friend Kristin is the daughter of a photographer, so when we had an overcast day for her family holiday mini, she and I were both excited...cloudy, overcast skies actually provide the best lighting for outdoor pictures! Her children's sweet faces provided the rest of what was needed for a fun holiday mini session.
I just adore this sweet, little family - celebrating Felix's first Christmas and the first Christmas in their new home. I wish them all the best this Christmas and into 2017!
Felix was sweet and serious in the snowball basket, and curious and inquisitive checking out the Christmas star. It's the little things like this that make that first Christmas with a new baby so special. They don't need a ton of gifts or fancy toys, they just need their family. The magic of the holidays is enough.
It was great to work with Liam again. He is such a pleasant little guy! I'm sure Liam is going to get lots of presents from "Ho Ho" this year as he is such a good listener, but the greatest gift will come in March when he becomes a big brother! So excited for him and his sweet mommy and daddy!
It was a pleasure to meet another Baby Charlotte today! She was so adorable and wide awake for her entire session (except for that 5 seconds I captured of her snoozing at the end). She was so strong holding her head up and looking all around. This little girl didn't want to miss a thing! She and her mama were a joy to spend time with today.
I simply cannot get enough of these precious images of Baby Ana!
She came into this world on Halloween as a perfect autumnal princess, which inspired me to surround her with warm, golden fall leaves for some artistic shots. She also took a few holiday shots during her session for potential Christmas cards. She was a tiny little doll at just 1 week old. I had the pleasure of meeting her parents at their Maternity Session in early October, so I had been anxiously awaiting her arrival!
So nice to finally meet you, Miss Ana!
After a foliage delay and a rain delay, the Sevin family finally got a chance to have their Fall Family Portrait session complete with sunshine and beautiful fall colors. Their family chose an absolutely gorgeous location for their session that was only a few steps from their home. The kids were so well behaved, and baby Tommy was a little trooper. It was so fun to capture some candid moments with the family admiring their new addition.
Fall is definitely my favorite time to take outdoor photos, and Family Portrait sessions are beginning to feel like my favorite session to shoot.
Weston was such a sweetheart for his newborn session. After booking with me, his mama realized that we're neighbors (small world), so he and his siblings arrived from their home down the street in a great mood and cooperated very well. Big sister Audrey was outgoing and proud to show off her new baby brother, while new big brother Wyatt was quiet and well-behaved. I love this sibling shot showing Wyatt checking out the new little guy.
Weston (and his fabulous head of hair) ended the session with the perfect little newborn smile. I always say that when babies smile in their sleep, it means the angels are talking to them.
God bless this little man and his family!
It was a pleasure meeting Alin and Carlos for their maternity session. Despite the Fall temperatures dipping into the upper 50's that evening, Alin looked radiant with a warm mama-to-be glow. Alin, who is only 2 weeks from her due date, is keeping the baby's gender a surprise. My guess is 'boy', but maybe I just think that because she looked so pretty in blue. I will find out in a few weeks when I photograph their newborn. Can't wait!
Congratulations and good luck, Mommy and Daddy!
Chunky baby boys in overalls are one of the best things in life!
Sweet, little Leighton kept the smiles coming for his First Birthday photo shoot. It always makes me laugh to see the little things that make a baby smile. For Leighton, it was Veggie Straws and the Bonanza theme song.
I had so much fun photographing this family. They were absolutely picturesque with the early autumn sunset providing the perfect backdrop. They made my job super easy - the hardest part was choosing my favorite shots (and resisting from squeezing their adorable son)!
Happy 1st Birthday, Leighton!
The sweetest little peach!
Yesterday, I got to spend my afternoon with Charlotte aka "Peach" and her sweet parents. When Charlotte was still in her mama's bump, her parents referred to her as "Peach," and the name stuck. Even though her name is Charlotte Alexa, I only heard her parents call her "Peach." It's an adorable nickname for a sweet-as-pie baby girl, and inspired her peach-themed photo shoot.
Her birth name of Charlotte is a traditional name that both parents obviously liked, but also a throwback to her mommy's home state of North Carolina! I always enjoy hearing the story behind a name.
It was such a pleasure meeting "Peach" and her lovely parents!
"Oh Two-dles!"
I can't believe my baby boy is 2! I'm filled with mixed mommy emotions. Part of me is so sad to see the little baby fading away (although, the chubby cheeks haven't gone anywhere), and part of me is excited to finally be able to interact more with him, take him places like amusement parks and museums, and carry on little conversations with the little person I created. Motherhood truly is such a powerful thing. Everyone tells you it changes you, but until you experience it yourself, you don't fully understand just how much.
Vinny's 2nd birthday party was Mickey Mouse Clubhouse themed, so I wanted his pictures to reflect that. I also wanted to capture him playing with his three favorite things at the moment; Mickey, trains, and books. Someday I will look back on his annual birthday pictures and be able to remember exactly what he was into. I encourage all parents to bring a few items with them for their toddler's birthday pictures, whether it be to make them smile or simply just for them to hold, it'll be a good token to jog your memory when looking through the pictures many years from now.
In my photography experience so far, I can surely say that 2-year-olds are the most challenging subjects! When they're younger than two, they're a little easier to pose, when they're older than two, they start to understand and follow directions (to an extent), but when they're wild and crazy two, you just have to keep snappin' away and hope for a smile. Luckily, being that Vin is my own, I had an idea of what songs and antics make him laugh.
He's my little buddy, and I'm so happy to have these sweet shots of him.
Happy 2nd Birthday, Vinny! I love you more than you'll ever know!
Little Miss Haley was wide awake at the beginning of her session, but after her first time ever using a pacifier, she peacefully snoozed through the rest of her sweet pictures.
Haley's parents wanted to highlight their love of Disney in the photos, as well as her daddy's collection of "Back To The Future" memorabilia. They even announced their pregnancy with a "Back To The Future" trailer parody that they made themselves! It's always fun to work with parents who have a very clear vision of what kind of photos they want.
Haley was such a sweet, sleepy Minnie!
