Photos are such an important part of life. It’s a way to show we lived. And a way to look back on the way we lived. Because, as you know, things don’t stay the same for long. Especially when babies are new and life isn’t the same today as it was yesterday. This documentation is so meaningful.
//newborn baby photos taken at a private home in Newport Beach
I’m a girl of substance. And not just in the thigh area. TMI? Seriously, though. I want to have character that runs deep. Sometimes, we’re handed situations that require us to dig beyond the surface and other times we have to choose them. So, this year, I’m going to take the path less traveled as often as I can.
//child photography at the seal beach pier in orange county
Are you ready for New Years? I’ve already started stocking my fridge with tons of fruits and vegetables. There are a few new recipes I want to introduce to the rotation too. Outside personal health, I also want to focus more on what matters most and let the silly little things slide. That’s definitely harder said than done. But, thankfully new beginnings don’t have to happen in the calendar year, they can happen every morning.
(Now that things have slowed down I have the time to show you some sessions that happened over the past few months!)
Life is about how you look at it, right? I used to call the stage between newborn and sitting up the jr. high phase of babies. It’s just a bit awkward to photograph…they don’t want to curl up any more like a new baby and they aren’t able to full support their body to show off all those fabulous baby rolls.
So, I decided to start focus on what they do best. And that’s putting things in their mouth. Feet, hands, blankets. There’s really no discrimination. They’re exploring the world with their mouth. Another great trick of 2-5 month olds? Rolling over. They naturally give you so many poses when you let them go on a nice soft bed. And, of course bare skin. The only time in life that rolls of baby fat are cute!
Sisters. It’s a bond no one can break. Even from the beginning, they know they are connected for life. If you have a sister, you know exactly what I’m talking about.
It stormed all last weekend, so I ended up doing newborn shoots Saturday and Sunday, all cozied up in my clients’ homes. This session happened on Sunday in the afternoon and as we were running out of light and the boys were still napping, these wonderful sibling moments just landed in my lap. Mom and dad woke up the boys, I got my settings dialed in on the camera, lined up my little ‘bribes’ and toys and all the stars aligned. What a gift
Dads have such a great bond with their kids. It changes a guy when he becomes a dad. And I love capturing that connection. I used to be intimidated when photographing guys. It’s weird, I know. But, I just felt the sense that sometimes they weren’t pumped about being in front of the camera. But, let’s face it, most people aren’t extremely comfortable in front of the camera.
Instead of letting the situation turn awkward, the first thing I do is acknowledge the feeling and move on. I might say something like, I bet this isn’t on the top of your list of ‘things to do on a Saturday afternoon.’ It gets a laugh and then they know I don’t expect them to be a model. Just relax and have fun.
I also constantly keep the focus on the kids. Instead of trying to pose someone, I’ll help create a moment. Asking what they do at home when they are just goofing around usually results in throwing the baby or kid up in the air! Sometimes I’ll tell the kids that when I count to 3 their dad is going to tickle them. And if it’s more of a serious child or an older child I will just tell the child to be sweet with their dad or to cuddle with their dad.
Thanks for letting me share how I photograph dads and hope it helps if you are sometimes intimidated like me!
Formula for success: Rise early, work hard, strike oil.
-J. Paul Getty
There’s a million quotes about working hard in business. But, I think parents provide the best example of working hard for their kids. My grandpa was a horse shoer and made his own business. On top of that he delivered papers in the early morning. He had his boys on bikes slinging papers from the time they were in first grade. My dad also went on to start his own business. When the economy was terrible, he made it. He kept working hard and didn’t quit when things weren’t easy. Even if that meant working for a boss during the day and starting up his own business in the evenings.
I was raised to be a hard-worker. It’s one the things I appreciate most about my heritage. I’ve had tons of wonderful opportunities with photography and most of them came from rising early and working hard. Sometimes, you have to be in the right place at the right time, but you have to put in the hard work to get there.
My kids are still young, but I hope that the subtle ways I learned about hard work are passed down to them. How about you, do you love to work hard? How do you teach your kids about work?
By the way, this is a photo of my grandpa. One of my favorites.
And here’s the product of some of my hard work recently! (photos taken in Long Beach)
Oh, where to begin? I’ve been a little neglectful of this space. As per usual for this time of year. I got overwhelmed when it came to what to share, so I decided to just close my eyes and pick a folder to share. These were taken in Laguna on a beautiful summer, I mean fall day. But, I think all my photo sessions this year were spent in warm weather. Meaning, everyone that’s wearing a sweater in their photo is hot, uncomfortably hot. 🙂
In other news, I just got an email from an editor at The Bump. My photographs of Erica’s nursery have been featured on iVillage. So fun to see!
Here are a few favorites from my recent photo shoot at Rascals to Rebels in Rossmoor for Halloween!
