portrait

smile :: the wolfman family

in ,

Mark and Janelle have been moving all around the country for the last few years. There had been so many new starts in new places, and somewhere along the way family portraits got neglected. They hadn't had any since their son was born (he's 1.5), and so were so excited for this day.

Janelle knew she wanted some solid portraits -- the four of them dressed in a coordinated color palette and smiling at the camera -- but she also appreciated my family photojournalism work, so I did a hybrid session for them at their home. I guess it ended up being mostly family photojournalism style, but i love the portraits we came out of this session with as well. It was really natural to move between the two types of shots, all while keeping a playful feel so that the kids would be smiley and not require too much bribery (note: if you bribe your kids to behave during family photo sessions you are SO not the only one; all of my clients do this!). 

I think these children has some of the brightest smiles and brilliant eyes ever. 

Tip from Mark and Janelle: to get candid smiles out of your small children during a portrait, try subtly tickling them in the ribs or under the arms as they sit in your lap or are in your arms. Works like a charm. But be sure maintain a normal portrait-worthy facial expression on your own face while doing this. 

 

mini-session :: my babies

in ,

i'm a storyteller and photojournalist. and i will always prefer the unposed, imperfect, gritty reality in photographs over the smiley, directed, or styled shoots.

but sometimes there's a field of wild flowers and lovely light and it just calls your name.  and sometimes you really want just a few shots where your kids are looking at the camera, and maybe they are dressed with a little more care and attention than usual, even if you didn't get the grimy hello kitty tattoos washed off your daughter's arms ahead of time and your son has untamed hair.

yup, there's a time and a place for smile sessions and mini-sessions. :) get in touch if you need one of them, too. 

life with a newborn :: rori

in ,

becky is a brand new mama. she is also the best friend of one of my dear clients, jessica, whose maternity, birth, and newborn photo sessions i was lucky enough to do. it's my favorite thing to meet new clients who are friends referred by previous clients because the links that bring us together are friendship, and they've already seen and appreciated something i've done and know they want the same for their own family. so ideal. 

and indeed, becky and mac and rori and rufus (that's the family dog) were as kind and interesting as i would expect them to be based on their connection to jessica and her family. as i photographed them, i listened with high interest to the story of their lakeside home, which they had just moved into after spending years dreaming up and designing together. i love that this was their family project, and that they are now welcoming their newborn daughter into a completely unique, one-of-a-kind, and highly personalized home, where they anticipate growing old together. 

and rori. well.... rori is just fantastic. fresh and wide-eyed and lucky enough to spend much of her time cradled in the arms of two of the most tender parents you can imagine. 

the images toward the end of this session were taken at the lakefront property that's been in mac's family for generations, and which will be a part of rori's childhood "normal" for years to come. i just love that: roots that go deep into history and indefinitely into the future. i also love all rori's facial expressions in that set of images. :)

thank you so much, mac and becky. 

smile :: the hollanders

in

i haven't seen josh and crystal in maybe 9 years, when they moved to colorado for work. so this was a sweet reunion. how lovely to meet their kids, zoe and micah, whom i've previously known only via the wonderful world of Facebook. 

one thing i always admired about them is how full of energy and adventure they are. they're active and athletic, and they explore the world with enthusiasm. i see them sharing these passions with their kids, as they frequently post shots of themselves on trails or in the mountains, kids in tow. and i just think that's awesome. 

josh is from wisconsin and crystal is from michigan. since they were in the area visiting family anyway, they thought they'd take the time to look me up and book a session that would display the flora and fauna of the states from which they originate. pure michigan. woods, wildflowers, lakes.

one more thing i like about them, and which you will see a lot of in these photos, is how much they kiss. partway into the session, crystal said to me, "this is what we do all day. kiss!" 

also, micah is about six months old. it was time to commemorate that most yummy of babyhood ages with some photos of his chubby cheeked self. :)

so nice to see you guys today, and to tromp through the woods under bright blue skies. even if we did get eaten alive by mosquitos. :)