(Click the image to view it in full size, and don’t forget to check out my other style guides by clicking on “Style Guides” under the Blog heading in the menu!)

Sometimes parents can get a little frustrated or tense if their kids aren’t sitting still and smiling for the camera.  I can understand that, but I also recognize that most kids would rather run around and explore than sit still for a stranger’s (or their own mother’s….ahem!) camera.  Luckily, this mom and dad were completely easy-going and couldn’t help but be entertained by their little girl’s spirit, energy, and amazingly goofy smiles.  Some of my favorite photos from this session show Mama Z watching her little girl and laughing, ignoring my camera to enjoy these moments with her family.  I love that, and I can’t wait to meet their newest little girl and capture some of those early family moments as well!

Also, did you notice Mama Z’s perfectly round, perfectly adorable belly?

Beth has been participating in our Mamas with Cameras meetups and workshops for several years while she’s been waiting to become a mama herself.  Two years ago, she and I paired up for a Mama/Baby photo swap — a chance to have someone take photos of mama with her children, since we mamas are so often behind the camera instead.  She took some lovely photos of me with my two little ones, but we had to put her photo session on hold.  So when she told me last month that she’d brought her sweet girl home, one of the first things I asked was, “When do I get to photograph you??”

Just in time for Mother’s Day, here are some photos of a very special Mama and her lovely little lady.

But the most challenging part for me is to remember to actually take photos!  I was having such a nice time chatting, I had to keep reminding myself that we were there for a reason.  And the sun wasn’t going to be doing that nice setting-over-the-ocean thing for long.

Luckily, she and her family are so beautiful I didn’t have to work hard to capture them in all of their gorgeousness.

I had a fun morning wandering around Gasworks Park with them as the kids searched for treasures (someone was out there practicing their golf swing earlier, because we found at least a half dozen golf balls).  From the easy-going parents to the sweet kids to the gentle pooch, this family is indeed Super.

(Click the image to view it in full size, and don’t forget to check out my other style guides by clicking on “Style Guides” under the Blog heading in the menu!)

(Also, how cute is this couple??  I had to tell the dad-to-be to stop kissing his wife so much because it was interfering with the photos.  I can’t wait to see them again in a few weeks to meet and photograph their little boy!)

When I picked the kids up that first day, the teacher told me that they had to gently encourage Z to let go of Miss S’s hand so that she could do her art project and eat lunch.  Apparently he took his big brother duties seriously and insisted on holding her hand the entire morning!  They were still holding hands when I picked them up.  That made my heart melt.

She’s been going for a month now and she still adores it.

In case you find yourself in the same (mismatched) shoes, I’m excited to introduce a new feature on my blog:  style guides!  Each month I’ll post a new style guide that shows you several outfits that complement one other without being too matchy-matchy.  All of the fashions are from Gap, Old Navy and Piperlime, so they are attainable and super cute!  Enjoy!

(Note:  Click on the image to see it full-size)

She’s at that wonderful age where she’s still got her round baby cuteness:  the pudgy little hands, creases at her wrists, and have you noticed those cheeks?  Best cheeks ever.  Soon enough she’ll be off and running, burning off all of her baby softness as she grows into a lean, mean toddling machine.  I’m so glad I got to capture her right before she heads into that stage!  And guess what?  I get to see her again and meet her grandma tomorrow.  Have I mentioned how much I love my job?

I will have the full gallery up for viewing and ordering by Wednesday evening, but I wanted to add a link here so that you can find your way to the page and see the sneak peek!  Yes, I put up a sneak peek less than 10 hours after leaving the event.  Why the rush?  Well, the DJ may have said something like, “Look on http://wenmeihill.com tomorrow to see your photos!”

Cruise on over to the Play for Children’s 2012 event page to check out the sneak peek!  That’s also where you’ll find the link to the full gallery once I post it on Wednesday, Feb 29th.

We all headed down to Gasworks Park for these photos, and both boys were in great spirits.  Big brother was super excited about climbing on the stairs while trying to avoid my camera and little brother was happy as long as he wasn’t buckled into his car seat.  I dragged them around the park (including all the way up Kite Hill) and had a great time chatting, playing, and snapping away. I always have such a good time with these guys and their parents, and I look forward to having to chase TWO boys (going in opposite directions I’m sure) once little brother is on the move!

I’ve also redone my website and brand a bit to tone things down.  The turquoise was cheery, but it overwhelmed some of the photos and cast odd colors on others.  Plus, I’m not really a turquoise kind of gal unless you’re talking about jewelry, in which case I am very much a turquoise kind of gal (it’s a throwback to my days of trying to be a cowgirl).  For my photography, I prefer the simpler white with splashes of color.

I hope you like what you see and enjoy catching up on my last several photo sessions with me!  I was going to post them all together, but since each session was unique I want to give each one its own post (but don’t worry, they will be brief).  So buckle your seat belts — we’ve got a lot of sneak post peeks to get through!

I’m dating them so that they are posted in the correct order on my blog, which means they will all appear before this post.  You can browse through the new posts using the Archives list, or you can use the list of links below.  I’ll update the list as I add more posts!

• Happily Ever After {Wedding} – Jul 27, 2011
• Welcoming Baby T {Newborn} – Sep 2, 2011
• Sunshine and Memories {Travel/Personal} – Oct 14, 2011
• Bay Area Bump {Belly} – Oct 14, 2011
• SF Sweetness, Part 1 {Family} – Oct 15, 2011
• SF Sweetness, Part 2  {Family} – Oct 15, 2011
• Run Baby Run {Personal/Race}- Oct 16, 2011
• Ladies Man {Family} – Oct 29, 2011
• And the Eyes Have It {Family} – Oct 30, 2011
• Ham & Cheese {Child}  – Nov 2, 2011
• Close Knit {Family} – Nov 5, 2011
• Chilly Fun {Family} – Nov 6, 2011

To do:

• Little Boy Blue {Newborn} – Oct 23, 2011
• Untitled {Family} – Oct 29, 2011
• Untitled {Headshots} – Oct 30, 2011
• Leafy Fun {Family} – Nov 12, 2011
• Red Sweaters {Family} – Nov 19, 2011
• Run Away {Child} – Nov 20, 2011
• Untitled {Family} – Nov 26, 2011
• Z Family {Family} – Dec 4, 2011
• Untitled {Newborn} – Dec 5, 2011
• Untilted {Family} – Dec 10, 2011
• Reunited {Family} – Dec 27, 2011
• Sweetest Siblings {Family} – Dec 28, 2011
• Happy New Baby {Newborn} – Jan 3, 2012

Wow, having them all listed out like that is a little overwhelming to me…

I really enjoyed this particular family session because the children reminded me so much of my own, except these guys didn’t have the “mommy camera defense mechanism” which causes my children to make funny faces or run away.  They were such great sports, even though it was freezing cold and they weren’t wearing their coats for most of the morning!  The whole family did a great job looking fabulous and comfortable despite the near-freezing temperatures — don’t they look like a family out of a magazine?

I wish I could show you all of the photos from this session — but then it wouldn’t be a sneak peek, it would be a gallery viewing (and I’m barely fitting into the sneak peek category as it is).  The photos I left out include the series where big sis was the art director.  She started with mom and dad pretending they were asleep while little sis frowned and she (big sis) made a scary face.  Then she mixed it up.  I might need to hire her as an assistant.

Sit back and enjoy some ham & cheese, knowing that this is just a small taste of the hilarity these girls brought!

And if focusing on their incredible eyes is too superficial, then I need to direct your attention to my other favorite thing:  the little guy’s hands.  See how he puts his arms and hands around his parents’ necks so easily and naturally (I didn’t ask him to do that)?  It shows how cherished he is and how close and safe he feels with his parents.  Love.

I am retired from my career of long-distance running, and it was strange (and very relaxing) to be at a race without participating in it.  I don’t think I’ve ever watched a race from the sidelines, and especially not with a camera!  Since I had my pro camera with me, many runners thought I was an official race photographer and gave me wonderful smiles as they ran past.  I hope they didn’t receive their official race photos and wonder, “Where are the photos from that photographer at Mile 11?”

I love that dad and big brother are dressed alike (could they be any cuter?), and look at how much personality both kids have!  Little sister was such a sweet little thing with the biggest smile and the best chunky thighs (I didn’t post any photos showing those off, but trust me, they are awesome) and big brother was full of hilarious energy (as you can see, he’s already got his red carpet pose down).  And I love how both kids put their arms around their parents when they can.  So sweet!

I enjoyed meeting these guys and was happy I could photograph this fun time for them, both as keepsakes and for their holiday cards!  Thanks for inviting a stranger from Seattle into your home to share a few special moments with you!

And look at these guys — it’s families like this that make my job so easy!  A sweet big brother who was totally into having his photo taken (after warming up to me), a little sister who was friendly, curious, and incredibly adorable, and fun laid-back parents.  And catching up with my friend after too many years made the trip even better.

I look forward to sharing more stories with my friend and watching these amazing kids grow up!

When I went back to SF for some photo shoots and a friend’s half-marathon last October, I took the opportunity to head out on my own in my rental car and visit some of my favorite places.  I started with coffee and a long walk on the beach and in the hills of Pacifica (which is where I used to live) and then headed down Highway 1, stopping at the beaches, farm stands, and various local haunts I love.  I had lunch at my favorite sushi place in Half Moon Bay (oh how I miss you, Sushi Main Street) and enjoyed a drink at the San Gregorio General Store before heading back north to the city.  It was a wonderful day and probably the most rejuvenating thing I’ve done for myself in years.  I was sorry to have to leave.

I had so much fun wandering around Crissy Field with this fun gal, and I made a great new friend in the process!  And after our session we headed to North Beach for some delicious Italian food, which I think is my new favorite post-session activity.

It’s taken me so long to post these photos that this mama is actually just about to have her baby (she’s actually overdue by a week)!  I can’t wait to see her new little one, and as you can see from these photos of mama, he is bound to be absolutely gorgeous.

When I was a couple weeks away from my due date, the last words you’d use to describe me were “serene” and “confident”.  But this couple exudes both qualities.  I mean, look at this mama! Not only is she still doing a million things (getting a new business off the ground during her third trimester? I could barely get my feet off the ground during my third trimester!), but she’s so calm and relaxed.  And dad? Well, despite the fact that he doesn’t like to have his photo taken, he’s pretty chill too.  (I love how this photo of the two of them gives sort of a rock star vibe, with mama’s self-assured stance and dad’s mellow and relaxed expression.)

Look at that perfect round belly!  And look how he adores her.  Dad wasn’t a huge fan of looking at the camera, but he was more than happy to look at his wife.  And why wouldn’t he be?  She’s gorgeous!

Baby was doing a lot of moving around during this photo session, so I’m excited to see what the newborn session will be like!  And I’m looking forward to meeting this little one, who is so lucky to already be surrounded with such love, calm and strength.   Stay tuned!

Everything about their wedding was gorgeous — the venue (Wentworth Mansion in Charleston, SC), the flowers, the ceremony, the music, the traditions, and most of all, the bride.  It couldn’t have been any more perfect.

Congratulations, guys!  And thank you for asking me to photograph your special day!

She has Mom and Dad wrapped around her cute little finger too (as it should be, I might add…coming from a Mama who is securely wrapped around the fingers of my own little sweeties).  And even though Miss L was most interested in getting down to practice her cruising or climbing, she still had loads of smiles for the two most important people in her life.

Balloons and bubbles. Need I say more?  They never fail to make me smile, and they had the same effect on Miss L.  And those bubbles?  Mom and Dad brought along some magic bubbles that didn’t pop, which made me want to put down my camera and play too.

As any one-year old knows, your job is to climb on everything and check stuff out.  Miss L definitely fit the job description well!  She was so curious and adventurous, not hesitating even a second before exploring something new.

What a lovely family.  And notice that the previously super smiley Miss L is looking rather serious?  That’s because I didn’t have either of my secret weapons (Mom or Dad) behind me to get a smile out of her.  I think I’m pretty entertaining, but she clearly prefers her parents’ brand of humor!

I usually end with a family photo, but I had to add just one more.  If I used captions for my photos, this one would be called “Glee”.  Miss L loved to pull on the balloon strings to make the balloons bob and bounce all around her.  She’d laugh and laugh, and so would we.  What a fun time we had!  Thanks for playing with me (and showing me the magic bubbles), and I hope Miss L had a wonderful first birthday!

Such a perfect little guy, isn’t he?  But of course, we didn’t expect anything less — he did come from the most perfectly cute belly out there (remember “Baby On Board“?)  I was so touched by how in love these two were during their maternity photo session, and seeing them with their first baby was such a treat.  So much love and tenderness — this is a lucky little guy.

And he’s a happy little guy too — full of those sleepy newborn grins.  And look at those little rolls around his wrists!  There’s nothing better than baby rolls…except maybe baby hats.  And Baby G let me put a half dozen different hats on him!  If I hadn’t been smitten with him already, that would have won me over.

What a beautiful family, aren’t they? I wasn’t sure if they could get more beautiful than they were during their maternity photo session, but I was wrong.

And we can’t forget baby feet!  And a hilariously protective dog.  She made sure to put herself between me and the baby at all times.  And it’s not like I’m a stranger — I’ve known her for over 7 years!  But apparently that doesn’t matter when it comes to a new baby in the family (which is exactly how it should be — our dog did the same thing for both of our babies).

A couple more photos of this gorgeous family.  You two have made a perfect little boy together, and I feel so lucky that I can be a part of this time as your family grows and changes!

It took two candles, but their light was burning brightly in our home! And just you wait until you see the sweet baby we were all waiting so anxiously to meet. That’s my next sneak peek, I promise.

;

Could he be any cuter? I love his big yawn, tiny fingers, and milky tongue.  And look at that hair!

Also, cuteness runs in the family, as you can see from his big brother. Big brother K was so full of hilarious expressions, but one of my favorites is his “stinky fish face”, which looks an awful lot like an Elvis sneer.  Maybe next time we can put him in a sequined jumpsuit?  Although dressing up for photos might not be a favorite activity with these boys, if Baby M’s reaction to my owl hat is any indication.  Unfortunately for him, he’s still ridiculously adorable even when he screams in protest.

When I wasn’t hassling him with goofy hats, Baby M was so sweet and peaceful.  He was happy to snuggle into his soft blanket on my beanbag and hang out while I snapped away.

And of course, he was in heaven when he was being held by his Mommy or Daddy.

Here’s gorgeous Mommy surrounded by her men.  What a beautiful family you two have created!

And one last photo of the little guy right before I left.  I love his expression — especially the wrinkled brow.  He did such a great job being my model, but I think he was happy to be bundled up in Mommy’s arms and watching me pack up to go!

• “I am a girl, and this is my dog.”  “I am a dog and I want to run outside.”
• “Hi Cow!”  “Uh oh.”
• “HUG!!!”  “Please stop.”

M & J love the outdoors and their little one will be introduced to the ocean and mountains early, so we thought it would be fun to visit a couple favorite places. We started at the outlook park where J proposed to M three years ago (oh how I wish I could have been there to see M’s mom jump out of her hiding place in the bushes!). Then we headed to the beach, where M & J watched the sailboats and talked about their dreams of sailing around the world. Their dream trip has been put on hold for a bit while they wait for their baby to join them, but they are already talking about how much more amazing it will be to share it with their child(ren).

Isn’t this mama just gorgeous? And dad couldn’t keep his eyes or his hands off of his beautiful wife and her baby belly. These two are so excited to meet their little one, and it’s clear that waiting and preparing for this sweet addition to their family has just made them closer and more in love than ever.

They stole kisses throughout the morning, but when they were by this tree, it took everything I had not to start screeching “M & J sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G…” (OK, maybe I did say it. But to myself.) And aren’t their first 3 kids (of the four-legged variety) great? They don’t look quite as excited about the impending arrival of baby as mom and dad are, but I’m sure they will love the little one just as much.

Just one last photo to show you what I mean about how in love these two (three) are. This is what they looked like between photos, when we were taking a break or getting ready to head to a new spot. Just beautiful. I can’t wait to meet their little one and see how their love grows even more!

Yes, I got to photograph cupcakes. And not just cupcakes, but cupcakes wearing the most fashionable of all accessories, wrappers by Bella Cupcake Couture!  (Which, by the way, has one of the best taglines ever: “Have your cupcake and adore it too”. Yes, please!)

Aren’t these wrappers fabulous? And they come in so many great designs, your cupcakes can be perfectly dressed for any occasion. Festive, elegant, silly, fancy, glamorous…Bella Cupcake Couture has you (or rather, your cupcakes) covered.

Now that I’ve seen these newest patterns, I’m trying to come up with excuses to throw a garden party, a birthday party, and a fancy black tie affair just so I can use them. Or better yet, anyone out there want to throw a party and invite me? I’ll bring the Bella Cupcake Couture!

Here are a few of my favorites from the session, though it was really hard to pick.  Baby J had a new expression for every single frame and each one was adorable.  This first photo shows him giving me his grumpy face, which I love.  This was taken about halfway through the session, and he was trying to tell us that he was ready for a snack.  (He got a lot more vocal and direct about it shortly after I took this photo.)  And to show that he’s not actually a grumpy baby (not that there’s anything wrong with a grumpy baby), I’m including a more typical expression for him.  Look at the mirth in his eyes!

And of course, you can’t show the center of a universe without showing the universe he rules!  Meet Mom and Dad, the two people Baby J rightfully has wrapped around his tiny little fingers.  Such a beautiful family, with such love, gentleness and strength.  It was truly a pleasure to meet them and have the opportunity to photograph Baby J!

These girls joined a lovely family, complete with two big brothers!  The boys adore their sisters and were just hilarious during the photo session.  They weren’t really into having their photo taken, but they were very interested in my equipment — especially my backdrops.  I think these guys are going to make the world a super fun place for their little sisters!

Even when they don’t have their brothers around to entertain them, I think these girls will manage quite well together. They already look to one another for comfort, including big sister using little sister’s nose as a pacifier.  Little sister isn’t quite so sure about it at first, but she doesn’t complain too much.  In fact, she decides to take advantage of big sister’s chin!

It’s amazing how both girls are showing such unique personalities already! Big sister was very mellow and slept through most of the photo session.  She didn’t mind if I moved her around and she usually got comfortable again right away.  She woke up when she was hungry, but after filling her belly, she went right back to sleep.  Such contentedness and serenity!

Little sister was really interested in what was going on.  There’s no way she was going to miss anything, so she didn’t sleep much.  Sometimes you meet a newborn who gives you a look that says, “I’ve been here before”.  She definitely made me feel that way.  I almost felt like I should ask her permission before I took her photograph!  Look at the curiosity in those eyes, and that adorable wrinkled brow as she checks me out.

I’m trying to restrain myself from posting a dozen photos in this sneak peek (my sneak “peeks” are turning into sneak “rather expansive views”). So here’s just one more, because you need to see how sweet this family is. This is big brother snuggling with his mom and his littlest sister. He and his brother are going to be a force to reckon with when these girls are old enough to date!

Big sis was as patient as could be expected for an almost 3-year old. She had much more important things to do, but she was a superstar for the photos she did sit for!  (And look, it’s almost a smile from little sis!)

One trick to get photos of little ones who are on the move is to put them somewhere unusual, which often holds their attention (or physically keeps them captive) just long enough to get in one or two shots. For these busy girls, the magic place was the mantle above the fireplace.

And we can’t forget Mom and Dad! Mom was so sweet with her girls and it was so fun to see Dad playing with them. These girls are clearly the center of this family’s world, as well they should be!

One last moment of stillness. Big sis had been running up and down the hallway, so she needed to take a little pause before starting again.  I love the light on her hair and the calm look on her face as she rests.  I was actually sitting on the floor putting my shoes on when I took this photo, which is why I never put my camera away until I am on my way out the door!

Isn’t he adorable? And I don’t see a single sign of a snake, snail or puppy dog tail.  He was the most agreeable little guy throughout the morning, starting off wide awake to check me out and then snoozing on and off through a multitude of outfit and background changes.  And it’s obvious where he gets his good-natured personality — his parents were rock-stars as well, despite having very little sleep and being up to their eyebrows in this new world called parenthood!

As usual, it’s impossible for me to limit myself to just one or two favorite shots. I’m not even going to pretend to have any restraint.  How could I, with this little guy and his parents?

I’m so lucky to be able to share these special moments with new parents! And these guys are especially fun.  Right now they are basking in the sweet glow of their new family, but soon enough they’ll be looking for a gingerbread costume in baby size!  Congrats, you two — he’s precious and you’ve created a beautiful family.

Stay tuned later in the week for a sneak peek of the other kind of teeny tiny fun:  a newborn!  Whee!

Click on the images to see larger versions

You know those women who are ALL belly when they are pregnant?  The ones you can’t tell are pregnant from behind, and then they turn around and nearly knock you across the room with their belly?  This beautiful Mom-to-be is one of those.  She’s just gorgeous, and she somehow manages to carry a belly that is probably half her weight with grace and poise.  She even smiled gamely as her baby kicked and moved and posed for his first photo shoot, threatening to make his appearance during the session!  Don’t worry little guy — I’ll be back!

I would have loved to have looked even half as glamorous as she does when mere days away from having my first baby!  (Who am I kidding?  I’d like to look half as glamorous right NOW.)

And we can’t forget the other half of the equation here: the Dad-to-be! He was so much fun throughout the photo session — making great suggestions for sometimes wacky shots (the “alien eating the belly” pose is not one I’ve done before) and keeping Mom laughing.  These two clearly adore one another.

One thing I loved so much about photographing these guys was their willingness to play. I got so many fun shots, including Belly Scrabble (that’s their baby’s nickname — his real name will not be revealed until he makes his debut).  We also got Mom to practice her “smeyes” on us (it means “smile with your eyes”, as described by former supermodel Tyra Banks).  It’s not easy to smeyes, as any contestant on “America’s Next Top Model” will tell you, but I think this Mom has it mastered.

In the course of a typical photo session, there are often a few outfit changes. Since this was a session focused on Mom and her belly, Mom was the one changing outfits.  However, Dad wanted an outfit change too.  So in the middle of taking some nice quiet shots of Mom looking serenely out the window, in walks this guy:

Mom burst out laughing, and of course I did too. How could you not? And this is how I know that the little guy who is about to join this family is going to have a life filled with love and laughter. Seeing Dad’s crazy sense of humor and watching how Mom couldn’t help but laugh every time makes me very excited for their little boy to meet his parents!

Here are a few that I’ve uploaded in the past couple of days. It’s a family album of sorts.

Yes, good looks obviously run in this family. They make the most perfect babies.  Little round heads full of hair, clear eyes (which were wide open and staring at me throughout the photo session — no “sleeping like a baby” images for this little lady, no ma’am!), and perfectly creamy skin. As a mama whose second baby was deemed “the worst case of baby acne I’ve ever seen” by the nurses, I appreciate good skin on a newborn.

Could she be any cuter? Or more direct? This is clearly not a gal to be messed with!  I think her big brother might have a bit of trouble on his hands when she gets older.  I can already imagine her grabbing a toy while staring him straight in the eye, daring him to stop her…and then turning that sweet little face up to mom and dad with an angelic “Who, me?”  Not that I have any experience with that kind of behavior between siblings, of course.

Mom and dad wanted a newborn image of this little lady that looks similar to the one they have of big brother.  I’m so glad they requested this particular pose, with baby looking right at me while nestled in dad’s arm. I think this is my new favorite photo!

And of course, she fell asleep on mom’s shoulder the moment we were done with the photo session. Sweet girl!  Welcome to a most fabulous family — I look forward to watching you grow up!

Have a wonderful holiday and I hope that you can enjoy this special time with those you love!

This beautiful family is full of color and zest (especially big brother A, whose love of letters and spelling is a huge plus in my book), but I just happened to pick a bunch of black and white images for this sneak peek because I really like the way they turned out.

Aren’t they a gorgeous family? And big brother sat so patiently (which is incredibly hard for a 2-year old) and offered kisses to his mom, dad, and little brother before he ran off to play with his trains.

Kisses from mom and cuddles with dad.  I just love how close and sweet this family is.  These little guys are clearly the center of mom and dad’s world.

Look at that tiny little head cradled in mom’s hands!  This is where Baby C was happiest — he was close to mom and he didn’t have to look at the lady with the camera!

Newborn fingers! And tiny toes!

And last but definitely not least, I’ll include a color image. This is when Baby C was letting me know that he’d had enough. Look at that lower lip curling over as he speaks volumes with those eyes, “Leave me alone, lady!”  Unfortunately for him, he’s still ridiculously adorable even when he’s grumpy.

These aren’t conventional Christmas images, but I chose them because they tell the story of this family as I see them.  They capture the moments of goofiness, tenderness, love, and of course…stubbornness.  (That first one was taken while Mister O considered the pros and cons of smiling for me.  I would expect nothing less from a 3-year old — especially one who is so similar to my own 3-year old in temperament.)  It was such a joy to photograph (i.e. have an excuse to hang out with) these guys, and I can’t wait to meet their newest little Christmas bundle of joy!

I’m not going to post any of my favorite family portraits because I don’t want to spoil a potential holiday card, but I do have to add one more peek into this little guy and his parents. I couldn’t stop laughing at his expressions, and this is a classic. Look how much his parents love it too! Theirs is a home that must be filled with laughter and general silliness all the time. In my opinion, that’s the best kind of home there is!

A few days ago, a lovely family joined me and my camera for a walk in the woods. We went to the Arboretum to enjoy the remaining leaves (you could barely tell that the entire city was covered in snow less than a week earlier) and my main challenge was to not get them lost.  Anyone who has hiked with me knows that this is no small feat, especially since I love to get off the main trails to explore.  So I consider it a huge success that I managed to get us all back to the Visitor Center in one try.  And I only made them climb up one wet grassy slope.  And stand in one pile of wet leaves.

My bigger challenge happened once I got home.  Usually when I go through the images from a family session, I can easily get rid of half of them because the kids are either making funny faces or refusing to look at the camera.  Not so with this little guy.  Not only was he a total blast to hang out with, but look at the way he looks right at the camera with those adorable (and totally genuine) grins!  I couldn’t get enough of him.

Of course, it’s obvious where he gets his charm.  Not only is he completely adored by his parents, but he reflects their calm, loving and low-key confidence.  It was really a pleasure to spend the morning with them, to learn about Dinosaur Train, and to try to remember that I was there to take a photographs, not hang out.

I’m not putting all of my favorites on here because I don’t want to spoil the fun (or their holiday card), but I had to include this last shot.  Isn’t he great?

Now that I’m home with the kids, however, snow days are awesome. Everything slows down, Chris often gets to stay home from work, Cowboy is in his element, and we all get to play outside. Top it off with some hot chocolate, and there’s no better way to spend a winter day!

I was very lucky to photograph this little lady last month. (And even more exciting — I got to photograph her grand entrance into this world a week earlier! But that’s the topic of another post entirely.) She joined a family full of love, as you can see from the photos below.  Her big sister and brother were so excited to meet her when she was born, and when I came back a week later, their enthusiasm hadn’t been tempered in the least.  I don’t think she’s ever going to have to worry about being lonely!

I had a hard time narrowing down my favorites, so I’m just going to post a bunch. It helps that this is an incredibly patient and photogenic family, but the winning ingredient was that this was a Teachable Moments photo session, so Mom was right there next to me with her camera (and with a ton of fun props and backgrounds).  Plus, this sweet girl is the third child…so Mom was a lot more comfortable taking “risks” (nothing too bad, I promise) to get a good shot.  Here are some of my favorites:

(Sorry, I meant to just post photos from this point on, but I have to interject with some commentary.  Aren’t they gorgeous? And isn’t that cow painting fabulous? I wanted to take it home with me, but it was Mom’s father’s painting so I don’t think she’s willing to give it up.)

And of course I couldn’t resist posting one of the family dogs standing guard over the littlest member of the family.  I think his eyes are saying, “Come any closer and I’ll lick you.” Either that or, “Why am I being forced to sit here when I was nice and comfortable over by the fireplace?”

What would you call the last photo?  (Some suggestions:  “3 Generations”, “One of These Things Does Not Look Like the Others” or “1.75 Asians”)

Misnomer aside, here I am dressed as Ashlee Simpson/Avril Lavigne/Whoever I Look Like In The Costume I Threw Together An Hour Before The Party.  And don’t forget my handsome date, Vanilla Ice!  A slightly random coupling, yes, but we “rock stars” are crazy and unpredictable like that.

“I know it is wet
And the sun is not sunny.
But we can have
Lots of good fun that is funny!”

- The Cat in the Hat, Dr. Seuss

Now that it’s fall, my two little munchkins are enjoying the leaves and puddles.  One neat thing about leaves and puddles is that both of them are really great for stomping, so we make sure to get out to stomp as much as possible.  Normally I don’t bring my camera along when we are on a stomp-excursion, because stomping + puddles + 3 year old boys = a big mess that my camera is not equipped to withstand.  However, it’s been pretty dry lately so today’s stomping was focused mostly on leaves.  Miss S is a bit tentative about walking on the leaves, but luckily she has her big brother to follow (and she’ll follow him anywhere).  He’s an expert leaf-stomper, so she’s in good hands.

I have to give credit to my fabulous friend and equally fabulous photographer, Judith, for the idea of taking shoe photos.  I’ve loved the shoe photos that she’s taken, and I wanted to get a few pictures of these particular shoes because they are so cute.  Both pairs will be quickly outgrown, so I wanted a way to remember them in all their glory.

Oh, and speaking of cute, we can’t forget the stompers themselves!

“Umm, hello?  Could I get some help here?”  (She’d climbed into a toy basket and couldn’t get out.)

There are two smaller bandages holding his newest wound together, but it’s the Scooby-Doo Band-Aid on top that makes it all better.

We took a LOT of photographs.  Not only did they willingly follow me all over Gasworks Park, but they even provided their own creative direction in the form of “Big Brother” (I might need to bring him along with me for other photo shoots).  I’m having a really hard time editing their gallery down to a reasonable size!  However, here are a few of my favorites to give you a hint of the full gallery.  I had so much fun with them, so I picked a few photographs to highlight what a loving, caring, and sometimes goofy bunch they are.

Every group portrait session should start with the “Monkees” walk.

Such a beautiful family, in so many ways!

There was a lot going on behind them.

Guess who’s the comedian in the family?

I didn’t even have to set up this shot.  All I did was make them walk down a very steep
hill in inappropriate shoes, and they reached for one another without any prompting.  (I’m
actually lucky I even caught this moment, since I was running down the same hill, backwards.)

Don’t you just want to be part of their family?  I think I might try to
Photoshop myself into this photograph.

This is a perfect way to spend a Friday afternoon.

And don’t forget the scenery — it was absolutely gorgeous.

This was the view from my seat at dinner the first evening.  Chris got to play that
course the next day while I floated down the river (pictured above right).

Of course, what’s a company gathering without large group dinners?  At least dogs were invited.

Don’t I look relaxed?  (And for all you mamas out there who have taken our Introduction to Digital
Photography workshop, this photograph was taken using the “Partner” setting.  See?  It works!)

Anyone who has watched “The Princess Bride” a gazillion times (like I have) will recognize that phrase immediately.  And anyone who has seen true love will recognize it in the way these two look at one another.

I was lucky enough to do an engagement photo session for Jenny and David this past weekend while I was in Colorado for Sarah & Sunny’s wedding.  I had a great time wandering around Denver with them, chatting and hearing about their wedding plans while we looked for good places to shoot.  And look at this couple!  You can see that my job was pretty easy — it’s hard to take a bad photograph with subjects like these.

I had fun on our photo safari through downtown Denver! Thanks for being so willing to explore and try out different spots with me, even when I made you stand next to the chain link fence festooned with giant crocheted flowers. I’m looking forward to your wedding next fall!

Congratulations, you two! I look forward to sharing lots of happy times with you both (and to using those spare bedrooms you’ve got).

I love that I got to photograph this beautiful family enjoying one another and doing what they normally do together — playing, laughing, reading books.  It’s hard to convince a very busy 2.5 year old to sit still for pictures.  Instead, we let her buzz around while I snapped away, which, as the mother of a 2.5 year old myself, I think is perfect.  This is what life is like for them right now, and I hope that I was able to capture a few moments to help them remember this time!

Big sister wasn’t sure about me at first, but after she got to look at pictures of herself in my camera, she warmed up.  Little brother?  Eh, not so much.  Maybe when he gets older I can try to charm him with fancy gadgets, but for now he just wanted to be held by his Mommy or Mama.

One of big sister’s comfort mechanisms is to twist her fingers through her Mama’s ponytail, which she did absent-mindedly while she listened to a story.  This is a habit she’ll grow out of soon, but it’s one that I’m sure her parents will always remember.

I had so much fun spending the morning with you all.  Thanks for letting me share part of your day, and I’ll get your gallery out to you soon!

Here’s something I spend a fair amount of time doing:  making baby food.  Although I will be preparing food for my children for at least the next 18 years, I won’t be making baby food for much longer.  This is yesterday’s batch (it was a veggie and grains day):  carrots, zucchini, parsnips, sweet potatoes, beets, butternut squash, and quinoa.  (Tomorrow will be fruits and meat, but I won’t take photographs of that because I will be happy to never be reminded of what it’s like to puree meat.)

Here are some photos I took during the workshop. You’ll note that several of the mamas still have their lens caps on while they are looking through their cameras. That’s not a mistake!  They are such experts now that they check out their camera’s settings in the viewfinder.   And the last photo is of one of our fabulously “spudly” models.  A group of these little guys helped us play around with depth of field, shutter speed, and ISO settings.