cupcakes for everyone!
Celebrating 1 year as double scoop photography (3.5 years total). I totally think this occasion calls for a cake or something…….as if I need a reason to have cake. I am thinking funfetti cake with strawberry frosting. Festive, right? I pretty much ignored the last anniversaries, but this one is just crying out for some attention. Or maybe that is just me. 
I have met such wonderful people this last year….many that I have had the good fortune to see more than once. I am so grateful for trust and support that I get from all of you. I wish I could say thank you to you all, individually……with cupcakes!…but that is not really practical, so this will have to do.
Thank you for an amazing year.
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Don’t forget about the anniversary mini sessions.
family session – los angeles
One of the cool parts of my job is getting to watch the families that I work with change and grow. I met this family before the newest little guy, Ryan, was born….and now he is six months old! Time is flying. Not sure how I feel about that. Actually, I am. I don’t like it. I need to get to work on that time machine. Or maybe start up an expedition to find the fountain of youth. That could work.
Lately, I have been having problems getting babies to stay asleep for sessions…..this time? Not so much. At one point, we looked away for just a second, and Ryan had fallen asleep sitting up. But he eventually woke up…with a little help from Rogie, the sweet yellow lab, that I just now realized did not make it into this photo session. Oh no. Next time, Rogie….you’ll get the VIP treatment. I’ll bring treats.
a day with mikyla ~ family session – corona del mar
I got to spend a day with two pretty amazing ladies this weekend, Annie and Mikyla. One of them I went to high school with…..and one of them is too young to know what pegging your jeans is, or that Vanilla Ice tried to rap, and not just flip houses on some crappy show on HGTV…..wish I could say the same. These two must be pretty cool, because I did several things that are out of normal range of behavior. I went in the sun. The SUN! I have managed to avoid that to the point of becoming damn near albino. I walked…like….far-ish. Up a hill, even! I went onto the beach. Yes, I was THAT girl that had to remove her Converse to go on the sand….but I did it. Feet in the water and everything. I also did some things that were a little more my thing…..I whined. It was the sweating. I hate sweating. But Annie politely put up with my whining and we sang some James Brown, and blew some bubbles, and had some tiramisu. Aside from a sea creature trying to eat Mikyla’s feet without our knowledge and Mikyla taking a giant bubble right to the eye, it was a good day.
It was so nice to finally be able to meet Mikyla, after talking with Annie about her, and seeing her pictures on facebook. She is just as sweet as Annie said, and her laugh is one of the cutest things I have ever heard. I have a theory that Mikyla is such an amazing little girl because she has two pretty amazing parents. You see, Mikyla has Rett Syndrome, a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects only girls. You can read more about what Rett Syndrome is here…. but, some of the more noticeable symptoms are loss of purposeful movement of the hands and the ability to speak. Mikyla’s parents, Robert and Annie, have worked tirelessly advocating for their daughter and other girls with Rett Syndrome, and created a non-profit that raises money to fund research to find a cure…..
www.mikyla-cure.org. You can go there to learn more about Mikyla, about Rett, and to donate to help make the cure happen for these girls and their families.
do they make ambien for babies? ~ ladera ranch – newborn session
This was yet another newborn session where the star of the show refused to sleep. No amount of feeding, rocking, bouncing, pacifier-ing, or patting could keep this little guy asleep. I am beginning to think that babies find me suspicious. Like, if they slip off into slumber, I am going to start shoving their family’s valuables into my camera bag. Nothing could be farther from the truth, babies, I swear! Or maybe, they just sense that if they fall asleep that I will take pictures of them naked. I mean, now that I think about it, that is a valid concern. Would you go to sleep if you knew someone was going to be photographing you naked? Probably not. Good point, babies, good point. But babies are just as cute when they are awake, so we made it work.
This is Declan, and his proud parents Jennifer and Ara. His sisters Kellie and Paisley were not a part of the fun this time, but you can see them here. And Jennifer wrote a note for Notes Girls Write that you can read here.
braeden and irelyn’s 3/3 – family photo session ~ corona
That is the smile of a girl that just had a birthday. I don’t remember the last time I have been that excited about a birthday……well, maybe the cake part, but not the rest of it. Natalie and David have decided to document Braeden’s first year with photo sessions every 3 months. I love it when people do that. I wish I would have thought to do the same thing for my kids. This weekend was Braeden’s 3 month session and Irelyn’s 3 year old session combined. 3 and 3. How cute is that?
Braeden actually slept more this session than his newborn session…….which was pretty easy to do, since he did not sleep at all last time.
Because our conversation was mostly based around delicious desserts the last time we spoke, I decided to bring Ireyln a birthday cupcake. I think it was appreciated. At least the frosting, anyway.
family photo session ~ huntington beach
I knew going into to this session that there were five daughters. Five! Can you even imagine? I did the total stupid thing, and asked them how many bathrooms they had…..because I am sure they have never been asked that before. Three, for those of you that were still thinking about it.
The two cute little girls in the images up above are Jaelyn and Brianna, and they are super funny. They are like a little comedy team. One minute they would be hugging each other and giggling, the next minute, it was like a UFC match. Only way cuter. It was like watching fluffy kittens wrestle.
Imani and Danielle are the two oldest, and Hailey is the newest addition to the family. So basically, Ebonnee and Shawn have girls in high school, preschool, and diapers. Impressive, right? It makes me tired just thinking about it, though.
Thank you so much for welcoming into your home…….even in the middle of a Laker playoff game.
trampolines are awesome, my dancing is not -family photo session ~ prescott, az
This is another of the Arizona sessions. I navigated my way through this foreign land without the aid of my beloved GPS. I didn’t even get lost….until I got to their actual neighborhood. Had they been looking out the window, they probably would have seen me pass their house multiple times. I promise that I was just looking for an address and not casing the joint. This family has four funny (and very polite) kids. I like funny. I also like anyone that asks me to jump on a trampoline with them. I mean, who doesn’t like jumping on a trampoline? Maybe fish.
So…we smiled, and we jumped, and we sat by trees….erm, tree…….and we were all humiliated by a horrifying, disturbing dance that we all did. Ok, maybe that last bit was just me. It is horrifying and disturbing, as well as lacking in rhythm….and class….but it works, damn it. So if I need to take one for the team, I’m ok with that. Of course, they may need years of intensive therapy from the trauma, but hey, no system is perfect.
Krista and Andre, it was a pleasure meeting you and your family. Thanks for inviting me into your home…..and trampoline!
family photo session – prescott, AZ – the ashcraft family
Last weekend, we loaded into the car and headed to Arizona for a combination work trip and family visit. I had some sessions to shoot and the kids got to spend some time with Mamaw. It was a win-win. I was especially excited because our rental car was the new object of my desire…a Dodge Charger. Black or Inferno Red, please. I want the V8 Hemi…but would settle for the V6, as I would have to sell a kidney to pay for gas for the V8. Which I still haven’t ruled out. I mean, I do have two of them.
From our house to where we were headed is about a six hour drive. I swear I get selective amnesia after each time we make that trip, because that is the only explanation I can come up with for why I think doing it again sounds like a good idea. But I learned some things during those hours of driving. I learned that even with every electronic device known to man at their disposal, my children will still moan about being bored, and ask, “How much longer?” and “Are we there yet?” so many times, that beating my head on the dashboard and knocking myself unconscious seems like a perfectly viable option. I learned that having 200 stations on satellite radio just means having 200 stations of nothing that I want to listen to. (At one point in the trip, “Gypsy” by Fleetwood Mac was on more than one station at the same time. And who the hell did Bryan Adams sleep with to get so much air time? I can guarantee you that every thing he does, he does not do for me. And don’t even get me started on the Pearl Jam station…on which, at any given moment, you can hear something that I am pretty sure is just Eddie Vedder recording on a macbook in his bathroom.) I learned that when you are the only reasonably clean establishment for 100 miles, that you can charge $6 for a milkshake, and that, if you need access to a clean restroom, in the middle of nowhere, you will pay $30 for 4 milkshakes. I learned that walking into the McDonald’s in Blythe, CA is like walking into a David Lynch movie, and will make you incredibly thankful for hand sanitizer…although, you may long for a bottle large enough to sanitize your entire body.
Ok, but enough of my rambling. We survived the drive. I did some fun sessions and I have images to show that are full of kids that are way cuter than my stories.
This is Ryder. Ryder was feeling a little bit under the weather for our session, as he was just getting over some cooties, but he was such a trooper. And he came fully prepared with a bunch of his own posing ideas. I took notes.
This is Shiloh. She looks amazingly cute in a tutu…which makes me just a little bit jealous. I would love to be able to pull off a tutu and chucks. It would bring me much joy.
This little guy is Tate. His hair naturally forms a faux hawk. I like that. His lovely mama is Juliann. She always looks way more pulled together than any mom of three should be able to manage, and I have yet to figure out her secret. And that very lucky man in the mustache, is my cousin, Andrew. Is that mustache not impressive? I think he looks like he belongs on some 70′s detective show. Apparently, it is a firefighter proof of manliness. He was incredibly patient with all of my teasing about the mustache, too……his brother would have pinned me and given me an Indian burn.
Andrew and Juliann, thank you so much for the fun session. You guys play a mean game of Duck Duck Goose.
family photo session, corona ~ welcome, braeden
I have sort of a love-hate relationship with facebook. It is pretty hateable, for a lot of reasons…..but……how could I not like something that brought me to shooting a session for this awesome family? That adorable face is Irelyn. Cute, right?…but she is not just a pretty face. She is also an amazing conversationalist. As we sat, cross-legged on the floor, discussing all of the important things in life, she informed me that her favorite place is Costco. Naturally. When I asked her why her favorite place was Costco, she shared that it was where she got a favorite dessert. Possibly raspberry tortes, but I left my English to Toddler dictionary at home, so I can’t be 100% certain. I know I got the raspberry part right for sure. Now, anyone that loves a place solely based on its provision of delicious food, is someone that I can relate to. And if I didn’t despise all things raspberry, I would be tempted to make a trip to Costco to taste test what she was giving such a glowing recommendation. But getting those nasty little seeds in the middle of a tasty dessert just sketches me out. Plus, cooked fruit is gross. But…if she has a suggestion for something chocolate, I’m all over it.
Aside from being cute and a pastry connoisseur, Irelyn is also a new big sister to Braeden. Both Irelyn and Braeden have some pretty fantastic hair. Irelyn’s is in tiny, perfect, springy spirals….and Braden’s? Well, Braeden’s is just amazingly impressive for a kid that is only about a month old.
Braeden’s dad, David, is from New York. The Bronx, to be exact. I am not much for using props in my sessions……please don’t ask me to take a picture of your pregnant belly, with wooden blocks balanced on it…..or your one year old with a styrofoam birthday cake……but I just could not pass this one up. Look at him with all of his Mets gear! It turned out to be one of my favorite shots of the session.
Natalie and David…thank you for welcoming me into your home and allowing me to photograph your family. You are both so sweet and fun, and the love you have for each other is apparent within just a few minutes of talking with you. Your kids are beautiful and so lucky to have the two of you as parents.
Also…the Random Super Happy Fun Button, up at the very top of the page, is updated with new things fairly regularly. Like right now, in fact. Don’t forget to check it out.
family photo session – anaheim hills
Another session with someone I went to high school with. Kind of doing the whole high school reunion thing, one person at a time. Which is weird, because I would rather stick a hot spork in my eye than actually attend my high school reunions. Maybe even go to a week long, perpetual baby shower…with games. Have chicken pox with mittens taped over my hands. Have a root canal with no medication…..I guess you get the idea.
But that doesn’t mean that I don’t like getting to go for a walk on a cool trail with a super nice girl, that I just so happened to go to the same government funded torture learning facility with. And I got to hang out with her awesome family, too.
This is Haven and Joey. They are both five…and yes, they are this cute in person, too. I mean, would you look at his jacket and tie? And her hair and that flower?
This is Haven, with her daddy, Phil. I think she kind of likes him. I think he may like her a little, too.
Brothers and sisters that not only get along, but actually like each other, are always a constant source of amazement for me. I mean, I know they are out there, but my kids work hard to make me forget that such things exist. But look at these two….hugging even! It would take a lot of cash to get my kids to hug each other like that.
Jeni and Phil….you have a beautiful family…which, I know is due, in large part, to the fact that you guys are pretty phenomenal, yourselves. I totally used the thesaurus for that. I just could not keep using the word awesome. According to my thesaurus, you two are also….marvelous, spectacular, stupendous, fantastic, and the cat’s meow. Seriously……You two have been through so much and have still come through it all, loving each other and loving life. And that is pretty nifty (thank you, thesaurus).
It was so nice hanging out with you all. Thanks again for giving me a new, beautiful place to add to my list of session locations. One that is just overflowing with giant sticks to use as swords, plenty of perfect rocks for throwing, and flowers for picking. I will be going back for sure.
family photo session – ladera ranch
This crazy, little taking pictures thing has caused me to cross paths with several people that I have known for longer than I care to think about. People that knew me before I realized there was such a thing as eyebrow plucking, and during the unfortunate period of time that I spent with my hair dyed black. Ok, so technically, it was facebook, and not photography that allowed us to bump into each other again…..but….the photography thing followed. It is kind of weird to be taking pictures of someone that I went to high school with, let alone their KIDS. Kids? SUV’s? Mortgages? I mean, that can’t be right, can it? But then, there they are, on my computer monitor. I have the folder of images marked with their name to prove it. And at the session, we talked about kids activities and crown moulding….when, I swear I should be asking when the English paper is due. I will refrain from mentioning exactly how many years it has been since I went to school with you, Jennifer…..as long as you promise to keep all of my embarrassing teenage style choices quiet.
I have some games that I like to have kids play during sessions. Paisley was excited to play the game…albeit, in her own way. I mean, what kind of game isn’t better with a little face grabbing? It takes skill to keep smiling with two toddler fists shoved into your mouth.
Kellie is a pretty awesome big sister, from what I can tell. Paisley is one lucky little sister.
This ladybug was well loved for a few short minutes…..but I am not entirely certain she survived the experience. Well, maybe when Kellie opened her clenched hand to put her down, she was just resting…..on her back…..with her little legs curled in. Ladybugs need naps, right? This is not the first time I have had ladybug casualties at a session either. How much carnage can I leave behind before I get a reputation as the ladybug murdering photographer?
I totally had to force Jennifer and Ara to act like they loved each other…..as you can see, it was a real stretch for them. Not believable at all.
Jennifer and Ara are just a couple of months away from adding a new baby boy into this mix. He is definitely not going to have to worry about not getting enough attention.
It was nice seeing you again, and meeting your family, Jennifer. Thank you so much for allowing me to make you sit on wet grass, get tackled, and get punched in the face, and then forcing you to make out with your husband in a park.
Babies are Cool
Meet Ivy. Ivy was born less than two weeks ago, and yet she already has more hair than either of my kids had on their one year birthday. And every hair is in its place, too. Not exactly sure how someone that spends the majority of their time sleeping manages to avoid bed head….I take a 20 minute nap, and I wake up looking like I stuck my head in a blender….but look at her.
Ivy is a pretty lucky girl, because aside from great hair, she also has a pretty awesome big brother and big sister. They kind of like her….which is a pretty good thing, as far as siblings go. I think after 7 years, my son has finally worked up to tolerate, as far as his sister is concerned. Lord knows how long it will take to achieve like. When she was ten days old, I am sure he would have stuffed her in the donate box, had he thought of it. Ivy has got it made. Sweet, big sister, Emma, was helping mom dress Ivy…and not even like that scary, two-year-old trying to help, but damn near dislocating a shoulder, or gouging out an eye in the process, kind of help…..she was gentle! and careful!
For half of the session, I could not stop referring to Ivy as Emma. Now, I am horrible with names, but not that horrible. I realized that it was because, in the two previous sessions I have done for this family, Emma was the baby. Allow me to illustrate……
On the left, is the last time I saw Emma, last year. On the right, is from this weekend. Holy moly, dude. Almost makes me want to start singing Sunrise, Sunset in sympathy for her parents. But that would be creepy. I would never do that. Out loud. Again.
I don’t have a big brother, but if I did, I would want one that was this nice to me. And I want to make it clear that this sweet moment was totally unprovoked. He really looked at her like that, on his own…and really took her little hand and kissed it, just because he wanted to. It was so sweet that it managed to break through the hard, crusty exterior of my grumpy, jaded, little heart. That sounded way grosser than I intended it to. It was cute is all I’m saying. Like little, pink kitten nose cute….Like little, howling puppy cute. Ok, I think you get it.
Aside from being a great big brother, Ethan is also a pretty impressive photographer. Last session, I gave him one of my cameras, and had him help me shoot some of the session. He was nice enough to help me out again, so look for some of his images on here soon.
This session also had the added bonus of having their Mama and Papa visiting….
I think I may have mentioned before, that any time clients have me do multiple sessions for them, it is a great feeling. Like a Sally Field…”They like me. They really like me”…..kind of feeling. Super cool. It makes my day. Sean and Joyce, thank you for allowing me to photograph your family again.
Welcome, Lia
I have been lucky enough to photograph this family a few times. Well, they just added another member to their family…..With a daughter as sweet and smart as their first little girl, I can see why they would want more.
Meet Lia….
Ailah is not really big on the hugging and touching and kissing thing with her new sister. In fact, I was told that the very brief moments she interacted with her during the session, were the most she had touched her since she came home. And, FYI…asking….”where is the baby’s nose?” is perfectly acceptable….but..there is never, ever going to be a good outcome if you ask…”where is the baby’s eye?” Mari, Ailah’s mom, realized this, and avoided asking….but…that didn’t stop Ailah from pointing them out anyway. Both of them. She just wanted to make sure she fulfilled her sisterly duties regarding Lia’s education.
Indigo is a great ad libber. You should have heard him improvise through all of the scary and hard to understand parts of the Peter Pan book. I especially liked……”because Peter Pan liked Wendy….as a friend.”
Thank you so much for allowing me to photograph another happy moment in your lives, Mari and Indigo.
The One About the Poo and the Killer Gopher
Hard to tell from the images that this session ended in a traumatic, poo-filled incident….but it did. Oh, did it ever. And not only was there the poo incident, but there was very nearly a vicious gopher attack. It’s true. Those things can be very blood thirsty. Thank goodness there was a park ranger, to warn us of their ferocity, or who knows what would have happened. I can’t promise animal droppings and near death experiences for all of my sessions, just for a select few. Just ask for the I Am Never Going To Wear These Shoes Again package.
This family is one of my favorites to photograph. The kids humor me, and laugh at my dancing…which is rare and appreciated. And they are up for almost anything I suggest…see above paragraph.
Matt and Amy..thank you for letting me photograph your family, once again. Sorry about the poo….and the gophers…and the bug bite….and the falling off the log….and the pokey sticker bushes……ahem.
Darby is 2
These are some familiar faces on my blog. This is my fifth photo session for them. I first photographed Darby when she was just 3 months old. At one of my sessions with her, I actually photographed her crawling for the first time. How cool is that?? Getting to watch her grow, through my sessions has been kind of crazy, and makes me realize what an awesome job I have. There is a slideshow, at the bottom of this post, that includes just about the cutest, little singing voice I have ever heard. Seriously. If hearing Darby sing does not make you smile, then I am pretty sure nothing will. Distributing recordings of it would probably finally achieve world peace. In fact, I should probably send it off to the White House, right now. Thank you, Brenda and Neil, for trusting me with documenting these moments for your family. Wow. How cheesy did that sound? But you get what I mean.
what is a session like?
There are many photographers out there, and just as many styles of photography….and everyone has a preference. Each time a new client contacts me about scheduling a session, I always make sure to ask if they have looked at my blog and website. I want to make sure that their vision for what their images and session will be, match up with the type of images I provide. I want them to see my blog, and say…”yes, I would love to have images like that of my family”. So, exactly what is the style of photography that I offer? Well, as far as labels go, the term “lifestyle photography” is the one that fits what I do the best. Lifestyle photography, to me, is showing people, as they are…acting and interacting naturally, and in the most relaxed way possible. I want my images to show your personality, and not a stiff pose and forced smile. So..what exactly does that mean, as far as how a session goes? Well, for starters, I am not going to line you up and pose you awkwardly…but I will give subtle direction and a bit of prompting and coaching. Unlike the sessions, in portrait studios, that you may be used to, my sessions usually last, on average, an hour or so….allowing time for everyone to feel comfortable, and for me to get a variety of shots of your family. Still, I find that explaining never works quite as well as showing, so, at one of my last sessions, I also took some video footage, and put some of it together to show you a little sneak peek into what may happen at a session. Now, I am by no means a professional videographer, but I think it still gives an idea…Plus the main subject is cute, which should distract nicely from my questionable camera work. You can see the images that came from that session here.
And with the holidays coming, people are all ready for family photos for their cards. I get asked all of the time if I can do sessions to get those images. I sure can. But….if you are looking for the matching sweaters in front of the fireplace, or everyone sitting, dressed in pristine clothing, and smiling toothpaste commercial smiles…..I am probably not going to be the photographer for you. But..if you think it would be your family’s thing to have your Christmas card photo look like any of these next shots, give me a call.
If Only They Were All This Easy…
I have had the pleasure of photographing this family on more than one occasion. In fact, I think this was session number four, if you include the homecoming, when Indigo came back from his deployment. Things have changed a little since then….Mari is expecting. I know you can’t tell from looking at her, but she is due in about 7 weeks. That is no fancy photoshopping either. She really looks that good.
This sweet, little girl is Ailah. She has beautiful dark eyes, adorable, curly hair, and the sweetest personality. She completely blew my “two year olds are difficult to photograph” status quo right out of the water.
Ailah has a special blanket. She calls it “baboo”………
Ailah also likes her daddy to wrap her up in baboo, wearing it, as a dress. So cute. You will see that in the upcoming session slideshow.
Indigo and Mari, it was such a pleasure to see you all again. Give Sammie a scratch for me, I think I neglected her a little this session. Maybe I should bring her a treat when I drop off your dvd.
Time Warps and World Domination
That adorable face belongs to Chloe. I met Chloe this weekend, while shooting the weirdest session I have ever done…um….the cocker spaniel in the tutu, excluded. But…it wasn’t a bad weird…just a weird weird. Let me explain. Chloe is the daughter of a friend of mine, Vuong, and his wife, Paula. I have known Vuong since we were 11. Eleven. It was very surreal to be standing in his kitchen, holding his baby girl, and looking at my son, who is about to turn 13. Thirteen. My son is older than I was when I first met Vuong. Man, did I feel old. And…weird. But I may have mentioned that.
Vuong is also one of the smartest people I have ever known. As I kid, I was sure he was destined for world domination. Apparently, ruling the planet was not his thing. But, he did meet an awesome girl that is as funny and smart as he is. And, after almost 14 years of it being just the two of them, they added Chloe to their family. When I asked what the biggest change that having a baby brought, Paula said something along the lines of…having to get used to having a new master. Interesting…and true in so many ways. Well, Vuong never became ruler of the planet, as I had predicted, but there is still Chloe. I think her face would look lovely printed on all of the new money, don’t you? Once she masters crawling and eating solid food, look out world.
Vuong and Paula, it was great seeing you again. We really can’t let our yearly dinner lapse for 8 years again. If the next time I see you guys, Chloe is 8, it will totally mess with my mind.
I take great care in trying to select a song that not only compliments the images, but works for the family as well. I picked the song for this slide show, after having a conversation or two about the changes having a baby can bring…including the loss of an awesome media room, that has pretty much every electronic device I have ever wanted…plus a wet bar. You are good parents, Vuong and Paula. If I had that media room, one of my kids would get the under the stairs closet for a bedroom before I would give it up.
The song is “You Ruined Everything” by Jonathan Coulton. If you have never heard of him, you should check him out. And listen to all of the words to the song before you lynch me, based on the title.
Aubrey – Newborn Session
That pretty, little head belongs to Aubrey. She was just about 4 weeks old when these were taken…and…it is kind of cool, because I first met her family, for a family session, when her mama had just found out she was pregnant with her. And now she is here….all born and stuff….and well…ok, well, I just think that is kind of cool, ok? Like the….”hey! I photographed you when you were the size of a grain of rice!”…..kind of cool. Or something.
Although she is sleeping peacefully in that last shot, she spent most of the session…not quite as content. She had better things to do than get her picture taken, and was not really loving the disruption. I get that. Oh, do I get that. I am not big on disruptions either. It is not appropriate for me to cry and scream when I am disrupted, though…..or so I have been told. Enjoy it while you can, Aubrey.
This is Jake. Jake is an awesome big brother. Aubrey is one lucky little girl. Aside from being a fantastic brother, Jake is also becoming quite the expert fisherman. Next time you see him, ask him how big the last fish he caught was. He already knows how to tell a good fish story.
Cute Baby Slideshows…Now With More OCD
I spent, literally, no less than six hours…probably more like 8….trying to find the perfect song for this slideshow. I tend to do that. I also tend to frantically email or text my friend, Lynsey, and ask for song help. She suggested this Uncle Kracker song about 30 minutes into my song search. I thought it worked well with the images, but I usually go with stuff that is a little less mainstream. I just knew there was the perfect indie song out there. I just knew it. Pssh. Yeah. So…for the next two days, I spent an amazingly ridiculous amount of time scouring rhapsody and itunes…..listening to practically every song ever written…..only to come right back to freaking Uncle Kracker. No, it is not all indie or obscure, but it fits, right? Dude, if you don’t think so, please do not tell me…..I have just gotten my stress induced eye twitch to subside. I can not go there again. So, yeah. I tend to have some slight OCD tendencies. Tiny. Small. Microscopic. (Quiet, Lynsey, I can hear you laughing from here.) But the slideshow is done….and it has a cute baby in it…and other cute kids, too….so there is that. From now on, everyone’s slideshow is getting an Uncle Kracker song. It could give me hours of free time back….or…..probably just hours to obsess over something new. Does my logo look crooked to you??………
Welcome, Tate Andrew – Newborn Session
This is Tate. He is exceptionally cute, don’t you think? Of course, I may be a little biased….Tate belongs to my cousin Andrew, and his wife, Juliann. I was in Arizona this weekend to meet the newest addition to their family. I drove 6 hours for this session, and didn’t even charge them my travel fee. See? I can be nice sometimes. I just don’t want people to get too used to it.
Tate is just as cute with his eyes open.
This is my cousin, Andrew. We used to play GI Joe and Legos together. Now he is a dad. Of three. That seems like it will be keeping him pretty busy….I wonder if I can have his Legos.
Juliann, looking beautiful, as always. She was more put together just days after having a baby, than I am on any given day, right now. I would be more annoyed by that, if she weren’t so sweet.
Tate is not the only cute kid Andrew and Juliann have….. Just look at Shiloh and Ryder. (Yes, they are all wearing AC/DC shirts)
Andrew and Juliann, it was awesome seeing you all, and meeting Tate. Thank you for letting me hang out with you guys. May there be many synchronized naps in your immediate future.
Julie – Family Photo Session – Corona
Before I took my little break, there were some sessions that didn’t get shared, which means I get to share them now, on the fancy new blog. It was only two days from the time Julie first contacted me until the day we did their session. It was just by stroke of luck that she emailed me right before my daughter’s birthday, and I had made sure not to book anything that weekend, but we ended up celebrating a different day. That meant Julie had less than two days to figure out the number one issue that clients ask me about…..What should we wear? Julie was the first to take my What to Wear Guide for a test run. She said it was very helpful. Woo hoo….which reminds me…I have to redo the guide with the new double scoop logo. I have kind of a long list of those little details to take care of. Whose dumb idea was this name change, anyway?
I think Julie did a wonderful job of picking what to wear for the session…I mean, look at those shoes. They almost made me betray my loyalty to my beloved Converse. Almost.
After a little bit of shooting at our first location, Hailey was just not feeling it. So, we headed to the park. Hard not to smile and have fun while swinging and sliding and climbing on the monkey bars. Plus, there may have been lollipops. I love swings and lollipops.
So..yeah….it has been a little while since I have blogged a session, so I am little rusty, but I think I covered everything I needed to cover. Um…cute shoes….swings…lollipops….yep…that ought to do it. Thanks for a fun session guys….wishing you a quick and easy labor, Julie….one filled with lollipops and swings…ok..so, maybe not the swings.
I am Sure My Camera Bag is Big Enough…
This is Adeline. I tried to keep her after this session. And I am not in the market for any more kids, believe me. But if you would have met her…you would have probably tried to keep her too. She does a mean Hokey Pokey and likes Cheerios…..even when promised goldfish crackers, only to find there are none. Hate it when that happens. Goldfish crackers are pretty awesome.
This is Adeline with her mother, Catherine. I could write a whole lot about Catherine, but I already did that for the Notes Girls Write blog, because she wrote her own note for the project. It was taken the night before she deployed to Afghanistan for a year. And had to say goodbye to Adeline. You can see the note and read more about Catherine and Adeline here.
Ok…now see in the next image? She is all upside down and cute? Well, I am kind of responsible for that……um…well, not the cute…but…the upside down part. And I am afraid it may be a long time before her family is ever able to take any upright pictures of her again….I am basing this on the fact that, when I went back to shoot Catherine’s note image, that as soon as Adeline saw me with camera, she immediately turned herself upside down like this.
Here, I have video to prove it.
And, that voice you hear saying, “Say cheese!” is not me. I never do that. I am anti-cheese. Well, not cheese itself, I like cheese (especially in goldfish cracker form)…but…anti having your kids say cheese for pictures. (Which reminds me, I am about to start adding some posts with some tips for taking better pictures of your kids when you don’t happen to have a stranger with a camera following you around your house. Look for those to start next week.) But…considering how cute she looks saying cheese, how could I possibly object?
And while I have got you here, why not watch the full slideshow of Catherine and Adeline’s session?
What if it Rains When You Cash in Your Rain Check?
This session got rescheduled due to weather….which…in Southern California is far from the norm. Then, to make things worse, it rained on the day we rescheduled for too. Bah. But…since we were working within a limited time frame, because of an impending deployment, we made it work. And by we, of course, I mean they, because, as far as families go, they were pretty awesome. Although I am fairly certain that they think I am insane….which is probably the standard reaction people have when dealing with me now that I think about it. Which I am not. Well, not completely. Ok, maybe a little.
This is Gabbi and Mufasa. Um, Mufasa is the one on the left. I think Mufasa managed to find the one patch of light in the whole place…as cats tend to do. I should have just followed him around to catch the good light…because it was dark…and rainy…and gloomy….and did I mention dark?
Dogs. Dogs are an awesome addition to any family session. See that dog giving Gabbi a big kiss? He managed to walk into the room, leave behind a very distinct aroma, and leave the room like nothing had ever happened. I smelled it first, and felt the need to point out that it was not from me. Because I may show up at your house for a session, and tell horrible jokes, dance badly, and say stupid thing after stupid thing…but I promise…I will never, ever fart in a manner that could clear a room. Ever. You’re welcome.
Since I did this session, Eric has started another year long deployment. Thank you so much for your service to our country, Eric. And Jen, Ryan, and Gabbi….thank you so much for the sacrifices your family makes as well.
