One and Wonder

Happy 1st Birthday, Genevieve!

One year ago, Genevieve was the first newborn that I had ever photographed. She was also in my much-liked photo of the Christmas lights baby.  I've learned a lot since then, though it's hard to believe that a year has gone by already!  Genevieve's first birthday was on May 18th, the same day that two of my other baby clients also turned one!  A popular day for first birthdays, that's for sure!

So when she was 366 days old, I went to her home and photographed her in the same sunroom where we had been a year earlier with baskets, quilts, and a newborn who wondered what in the world was going on around her!  This time was a bit different -- Genevieve is so curious and inquisitive, and I loved being able to capture that on camera!

She was wearing a handmade sweater that had been her mother's when she was a baby.  When her mom was planning the shoot, the only thing she knew she wanted for sure was for this sweater to be on her little girl.  We joked that it didn't matter what the temperature was, and it didn't matter if she'd have to squeeze into it -- she was going to wear that sweater!  And it came out so adorable and precious in the photos of her with the same handmade quilt from her newborn photos.  I love when you can use heirlooms like that to tell the story through your family's portraits!

It's a big untraditional, but this is definitely my favorite image I captured of Genevieve's little family.  Such a sweet moment capturing a one-year old's wonder.

Shutter Session: Ravi

Those hot July days were good for one thing -- some fun-filled photo shoots with friends!  Last week I got to photograph my friend's son Ravi. He just turned one, and he is the most adorable little boy ever with these huge dark eyes that just make you melt when you look at him.

He's a very independent, spunky little guy who's sure on his feet but is always looking around to make sure his mama is right behind him.  I love these black and whites of Ravi, especially the second and third that show him with his mom.

He was a blast to photograph and we definitely had a lot of laughs -- and outfit changes! -- during his photo shoot. Ravi is one of those kids who will have a million toys and will manage to play with each and every one of them at the same time.  His mom's been talking about the "path of destruction" he leaves in his wake.  Always being on the go, I can see how that might happen!  Here, a few adorable shots of this little guy.  Note how DIFFERENT they all look -- that on-the-go nature of his really made that possible.

At one point, somewhere between the kiddie pool and the jungle gym, we busted out the colored bubbles.  Have you seen these yet?  Crayola makes them, and they put all these warnings on the bottle about wearing play clothes and not using them at weddings.  (I keep imagining the poor bride that didn't read the directions.)  They are messy -- WARNING! Only do this with friends' kids  :o) -- but they are so much fun in photographs.  Ravi was more interested in chewing on the wand than playing with the purple bubbles, so his mom decide to shake things up and cover him with the purple liquid instead.  From there, EVERYTHING was purple.  A little bit messy, but a lot of fun!

Mr. Independent.

I absolutely love the soft, hazy sunlight in the two photos below.  Plus, the expressions on his face in each one are so unique!  Above he looks a bit mischievous, and below he's just happy and bubbly, lost in his own little world while sitting in a pool of sunshine.

Ravi was such a joy to photograph.  Already looking forward to our next session this month!

Shutter Session: Princess Cristina

I had the honor of photographing a lovely brown-eyed princess this past weekend.  The second she got out of the car, little Cristina was telling me all about her fancy sandals and showing me her pink toe-nail polish.

As the afternoon wore on, she became my own fashion stylist.  I should have known that would happen when her mom called me an hour before the shoot and recommended I run upstairs and throw on a pink shirt.  :o)  Cristina spent the afternoon admiring the roses on my camera strap and telling me how to style my hair (which, by the way, means no ponytails or sunglasses allowed in this royal tot's court!).

The light on Sunday was BEAUTIFUL and worked wonderfully in our photos.  We're going on a ten-day rain streak here, so this was a nice reprieve from the clouds.  What a perfect way to spend the afternoon.... in a gazebo (or rather, Snow White's castle!) with a fairy tale princess.

The park was filled with dandelion puffs.  Literally filled.  I love the above shot, which was actually inspired by the title page photo of Kelle Hampton's beautiful new memoir, Bloom.  If you haven't read it yet, check it out!

Later, Cristina pulled out her guitar from El Salvador to play alongside her brother (shots from his shoot are coming soon!).  I absolutely love everything about the hazy light in this shot, the way her dress flows, the sparkles on her princess tiara...

She is a very independent little girl, and insisted on holding it upside down in her left hand while strumming along.

And finally, one of my absolute favorite shots of her.  I busted out the bubbles, and she and her brother were entranced.  At one point I looked over at her to see this mischievous sparkle in her eyes, a sly smile on her lips, and the bubble container between her teeth.... "It's a trumpet!" she exclaimed!

Such a fun bubble-chasing, princess-smiling kind of day!