I met up with Chris and Amanda to take some photos of their family in Santa Cruz, and oh my, they make super cute babies. Could they get any cuter? But that’s not the absolute best part. The best part was how happy they were. Check out how calm and laid back their little man looks in these images! I wish I could tell you which of these photos is my favorite, but every time I look at them I just can’t decide. One thing I can tell you that I’m sure of is how happy this family seemed to be. Just watching the slideshow makes me smile. Want to know something that caught my eye and made me laugh out loud? In one of the images of Davey you can see his mommy reflected in his eyes. Please enjoy!
When I was little I believed I was destined for greatness. Most specifically I knew, absolutely one hundred percent in my heart, that I would write stories that would sit on bookshelves, and when you brought them down, opened their pages, the words I wrote would cause you to laugh, to cry, to hold that book in earnest to you heart. I have written stories that have done all of those things, but what I discovered much to my dismay was that I didn’t believe I had what it took to really make it. I didn’t have an abundance of stories within me. I didn’t have the fortitude to sit in front of a computer day in day out, typing and retyping. I entered contests, I won some, I lost most, and then, sometime in-between I gave up my dream.
I write this because when Anabel hired me to do this family session she mentioned her faith, how it has pulled her through some of the toughest times, and what she wanted these photos for was to remind her and her family how blessed they are. Life gets so busy with your day to day tasks of simply living that sometimes you lose sight of your many gifts.
The day I met Anabel and her children in the park they were running this way and that. They were up slides, roping imaginary monsters, wishing their mom would allow them to have a facebook profile, and wondering what happened to their snacks. No, not this snack, but another one. And I was struck how very lucky I was to be there, in the middle of life happening, rather than in front of a computer screen.
Looking at these photos I see just how lucky Anabel and her family is. I love them all. From the happy moments to the crying ones (I know I’m not the only one who loves those types of photos!!), I hope it portrays their family in an accurate and endearing way. I hope, that one day, they pull one of these photos down off of a shelf and hold it close their heart.
I’m occasionally asked the question, “Do you do maternity sessions?”, and the answer is a resounding yes. No, this isn’t something I necessarily advertise. To be honest, weddings keep me quite busy! And I’m so glad they do. So primarily family sessions and maternity/baby sessions are done on special inquiry. I have to say, I love hearing from previous clients that they are expecting.
That said, I did not get to photograph this beautiful couple’s wedding! They are cousins of Rafael and Lorena’s, and when they saw the session I did for them and their newest addition, Izel, they asked if they could get in on the fun. Small secret? I totally remember Abril. I’ve done two weddings for Rafael and Lorena’s family, with a third coming up, and every time I go it’s great to see familiar faces. Who wouldn’t remember Abril? She’s beautiful, especially with her gorgeous eyes. It was great getting to know her family a bit more, and I’m so glad I was able to document them waiting for their new addition, a baby girl.
I’ve been caught up with so much work, but I know how anxiously they’ve been awaiting their slideshow, so without further ado, TA-DA!
Since their wedding I’ve had the chance to see Rafael and Lorena a few times, this last was the best though since I’ve gotten to meet their daughter Izel now. She’s soooo unbelievably cute that words can’t compete. On to the images!
I’m never really sure what to tag family session since often I have cousins, siblings, etc. who are sure to have many different last names amongst them. Here’s one of the latest family sessions I completed, this is their gift to their grandparents for their anniversary, cute huh? Since it was a gift they decided to wear their favorite color, blue. After we were done I suggested letting the kids run around the field so we could get some great candids.
Mac is Leslie and Chris’s second baby. Their first is the adorable Stanley, who got tricked into sitting for a ball in front of my black velvet backdrop. Good dog Stanley!
Wait. I know this is supposed to be a post about babies, and how cute they absolutely are, but I can throw things across their whole backyard and Stanley catches it in his mouth. Sure, this apparently gets old when you have him EVERY day. But I don’t have him everyday. So for me it’s the coolest parlor trick in the world.
I have to say that Mac was such a good trooper through all of the photos. He fell asleep for us, lay in his crib mesmerized by the little animals turning in a circle, suffered through outfits changing, lights flashing at him, and held up all the way to the end. He gets a gold star for excellence. In the meantime I learned something new. I frequently tell mom’s not to worry, we have baby breaks built into our time for whenever it’s necessary. At one point Leslie handed Mac off to Chris and took a mommy break. Which consists of a small snack, a beverage, and general de-stressing. Wait, it sounds like Leslie gets a gold star too!
I’m so glad they chose me to take such precious photos of their newest family member. Enjoy both the pictures and a small slideshow.
- T
PS
Is it just me or does Mac kind of look like the Gerber Baby in the first black and white picture. He’s sooo adorable!
Matthew here was my first baby session ever. In these photos he’s just about two weeks old, and as his mom assures me, so very much bigger that, looking at these photos, she can barely believe he was ever this small. Yes. They grow up that fast, and the photos from when they are this small, this brand new, can bring back times that seem like such a blur. I don’t know firsthand, but have heard, apparently these newborns, they wake you up at night! I know. Unbelievable huh?
I don’t care though, he was just too adorable to care, and I’m sure his parents agree. Without further ado, here are the photos. The first one was just too darn pretty to mess up with my logo, so you’ll find it brand absent. Enjoy!
