how we've grown

Almost exactly 6 months ago today I met the Born Family.  It was such a treat to see them again and to see how their family has changed since the spring.  I have to admit it was also a lot of fun to realize how much I've grown, too!  In my life as a photographer, I am still a baby, but I think one of the most important things I can do is recognize this and to keep working hard to improve my images.  I am proud of how much I've learned this year and how far I've come since meeting this family.

The weather was touch and go today but we made the most of it.  A romp around the pond at Larz Anderson is always an adventure. Especially with energetic Zack & sweet little Katie.

familienfoto

On Friday I had a photo shoot with a beautiful German family that just welcomed their second baby boy into the world.  Little Lian kept his parents in suspense, coming a full week after his due date.  The family is so happy and in love with this new bundle of joy.  Adorable big brother Silas, at 2, is intrigued by and so proud of his baby brother already.  "Oma" (grandma in german) was there, too. No need for translation; it's obvious how thrilled she is to be an Oma x 2!

Lian ~ 7 days old

chance encounter

"Hey, that's a cool sling!"

That was the first thing Debbi said to me about 5 years ago when she saw me at Birch Street House & Garden in Roslindale.  I was wearing Ben ( 3 weeks old ) in a fleece pouch sling and pretending to shop.   It was my first time out of the house that day (close to 5pm).  I had no shopping to do but needed a reason to get out so I ended up in Roslindale Village.  I was frazzled - as new moms have a tendency to be - and was hardly capable of carrying on a conversation with a total stranger.  But Debbi had a friendly smile and a baby around Ben's age ( a boy!) so we talked slings for a bit.  The store owner asked if we wanted paper and pen so we could exchange information.  We both declined.  Wouldn't want to seem desperate for friendship or anything right?

The whole walk home I kicked myself for not getting her number.  stupid! stupid! stupid!  I swore up and down the next time it happened I would gladly ask for a number.    ( being a new mom is like being on the dating scene all over again ).  Just as I was about to turn the corner to walk down my street I glanced into the window of Boschetto's Bakery.  There she was again!!  I laughed out loud and marched into the bakery to ask this girl out.  Turned out she was feeling the same way.

Fast forward three months and many playdates later.   Debbi and I managed to sneak out for dinner without the kids. We were drinking wine and telling stories about old boyfriends when we realized that some of our stories were just a wee bit too similar.  Well, Fate has a seriously funny sense of humor because it turns out  we dated the SAME guy in college.  I dated him first, then he transferred to her college and she dated him.  Isn't that just a little too weird?  We are forever connected by our poor choice in boyfriend!  Seriously though, I feel so lucky to have Debbi as my friend and I'm so glad we exchanged numbers that day.  She is one of the most caring and kind hearted people I know.

A lot has changed in five years for Debbi.  She has three beautiful babies now and I had the pleasure of photographing them today!

Here are some of the highlights:

morning at the pond

Larz Anderson is looking incredibly lush these days.  It was the perfect backdrop for a shoot with this beautiful family this morning.  We strolled around the pond and stopped to take photos along the way.  Even their dog Roxy had a great time.  

I had a hard time picking just a few to share... I loved capturing these moments.

despite having a small scuffle just moments earlier, these two showed me the sibling love....

ahh so sweet

These flowers were really stinky but I had my heart set on this shot. Juliana was a trooper and managed a smile...:)

this sweetheart wouldn't stand still long enough for real a portrait

love!

the born family

Three shoots in three days.  Phew, I'm tired.  But it's the best kind of tired. I'm having so much fun getting to know these families and trying to capture brief moments that describe their personalities and their lives. 

This family was so warm and welcoming. I felt like I could have stayed all day and played in their backyard.  Not only were mom and dad beautiful subjects, but they are clearly just as in love now as the day they got married almost 10 years ago.  

Big brother Zack is the same age as my son so I could really relate to his infatuation with all things Woody & Buzz Lightyear.  He took a break from his Toy Story book long enough to give his baby sister some love.  It looked a lot like what goes on in my house...

Little Katherine is at the best baby age ever: 10 months.  Happy, easy to please.  Able to sit up on her own but doesn't go anywhere just yet....

Check out the eyes on this guy....

Zack is an expert at making his sister laugh...

At this shoot I learned:  to try to relax and take my time.  Check the lighting. Set up the shot I see in my head.  Check the background for stray items.  Focus, recompose, and shoot.  I also learned that I need to work on action shots.  I'm still struggling with AI Servo and auto focus points.  Since most of these shoots have been still portraits I've been leaving the camera in One Shot and on the central focus point which allows me to focus and recompose easily.  Considering a switch to back button focus and AI Servo which should help with photographing very active children!

Fun Family

My Fun Friday was a little crazy and I'm just getting to post now.  Since we're back to 4:30 am (ugh!!) wakeup calls in my house, I have a few minutes to spare.......

I had the pleasure of photographing a lovely family yesterday.  The weather cooperated and we were able to get outside for a little bit.

I was immediately drawn to this cute little shed in the backyard with bright yellow trim.  Perfect backdrop for these adorable little girls..

Big sister Nora was not a bit camera shy...

Just look at baby Thea's eyes!

Thanks to mom & dad for inviting me into their home for this shoot.