family portraits

It's always a challenge to get any group of people all looking good, smiles on, facing the camera, etc. at the same moment. ( This guy is exceptionally good at it.)

I still have a lot to learn about the trick to getting children to look when you want them to. Even the best-behaved children can't be commanded to smile for the picture and expected to perform. That's why I've always preferred candid shots, where the smiles and poses are natural, though the photo itself may not be technically perfect. Good portraits are hard work!

I had a great Saturday recently, spending time with two of my favorite young families, shooting hundreds of photos and sharing lots of laughs over the little ones. Some of my favorites are below:

This was at the end of the shoot, when she had pulled apart a flower, starting with one petal at a time, then fistfuls of petals, until the flower parts were scattered all over the kitchen floor. She then proceeded to giggle and roll around and just be a little girl. What I thought of as I looked at these pics afterwards is how safe this little girl feels. She knows she's loved and will be protected and taken care of and she has no worries. She doesn't even know worries are possible yet. There is such joy in knowing we are safe.


joy in motion


how it all started :-)


Enough of this "cheeeese" nonsense. I'd rather hang out on the photographer's lap.



On to another family. The best looks we got out of their toddler were when her mom & dad kept asking her what different animals say. She totally focused, and grinned after each pronouncement and kicked her little toes. Aren't they just lovely? I love the coordinated brown & pink outfits. She even provided their own backdrop cloth that worked beautifully with the color scheme. How could I not get good pics here?



another example of one+one=three (or four or more!)



my hands-down favorite shot of the day. and it was largely accidental. As well as being the very last one I took.