I’m particularly fond of this series of images… mostly because photographing 2 teenagers (siblings at that) and getting them to act natural for the camera is not an easy task.  I didn’t know if I’d be able to get anything  authentic with Kaylee and Jake, but I was very happy with the images and felt that I was able to extract their personalities in some of these. …However I have to admit I was cheating a little bit because I have known Kailee and Jake their entire lives!  Actually, my very first photo shoot back in 1996 was of little Jake as a baby.  I worked with their mom, Jodi at a little toy store in Boulder called Grand Rabbits.  Jodi is still one of my dearest friends and  I may actually owe my entire career to her, as she was the one who encouraged me to “go for it”.  She found me clients in her neighborhood and proudly displayed my work all over her home.  Needless to say, it’s such a pleasure to get to continue to photograph these kiddos and to see them grow into adults.

Can you tell that Kailee is an athlete??  Wow!

Kailee and Jake really love each other.  This made the shoot very easy for me, and the fact that they play like little pups!

I can’t believe what a stud Jake has become…  he came into my studio a couple months ago with Jodi, and I didn’t even recognize him.  I just looked right past him, then did a triple take.

Where can I sign up for one of these?  By one of “these” I don’t simply mean a baby.  I mean a sweet, perfect, beautiful little baby that at only 2 weeks old already smiles, coos, and gives unconditional love back.  And I didn’t even mention the constant entertainment value, that one of “these” brings to a young family!  Berkley and Mike are smitten as they should be…  Sign me up for one like Finley…

Congratulations, Berkley and Mike  on your sweet, sweet baby girl.  And welcome, Finley!

I can’t gush enough about how much I love photographing families that allow children to be children.  Ashley and Josh were so full of life and spirit, that I think I exhausted them with my energy—I couldn’t stop the shutter!  Their mom finally said that it was time for them to go…I apparently had gotten so lost in Ashley and Josh’s playtime, that I lost track of time.  It was way past their their bedtime, let alone dinner, which they still hadn’t had!

Ashley and Josh are spirited, strong willed children that I would photograph any day of the week.  I love capturing this kind of life!  Thank you Jerry and Julie, for allowing them to play, and for letting me take them late into the evening…. it was a pleasure!

Dirty feet are always a good sign of hard play!

I’m pretty sure the Bregmans are becoming famous.  They are all over my website, blog and studio—in fact, while I don’t shoot studio photography, this entire shoot was done in my  brand new studio.  We have run out of places to photograph the family, and the Bregmans are not outdoorsy, park people—they are urban all the way–but they sure love to have fun!  It’s been so great to get to know the Bregmans over the last 5 years….  I started photographing them when Alexia was pregnant with Max, and now they have three children.  I look so forward to their annual family photo shoots–they are the perfect family for my documentary style because the kids don’t fake it—what you see, is what you get.  I love that!

This is Max—he has the raddest hair!

This is little Milan—he’s still not sure about me.

Alexia, Milan, Mia, Max and Darian…. (from left to right)

Mia is probably photographed the most by me because she is the oldest and I have been photographing her the longest, but she is sooooo beautiful, and her moody facial expressions are a dream!

I love this image because it sums up the typical “family photo shoot”.  Once you try to get everybody to behave and smile for the camera, it’s mayhem!  Nobody’s having fun anymore….  it’s humorous to me!

Mia’s pink dress looked so good on my yellow couch—I couldn’t resist a personal Mia photo shoot…

It is always such a treat to get a call from past clients to come back and document a new event or stage in their lives.  The Seyboldts have been clients now for three consecutive years—-First for Heidi’s pregnancy,  then Gabe’s newborn photos, his first year photos, and now of course his 2 year old photos.  What I love  about working with the Seyboldts, is how relaxed and easy going the shoots always are.  Heidi and Dave aren’t looking for a Sear’s photo of Gabe every year, but a true depiction of a day in the life of “Gabe”.  I truly believe that these photos are more for Gabe when he grows up, then they are for Heidi and Dave.  They want him to have bundles of memories of how adored he was, every day of his childhood.  Heidi’s sister and parents also made a trip out to Colorado for Gabe’s birthday.  Hmmmmm…..  I don’t think Gabe will ever be able to play the “I didn’t get enough attention growing up card”—clearly, he is the star of the Seyboldt clan!

What is it about play-doh  that makes kids want to eat it?  I still get hungry when I smell it fresh out of the can!

I’m pretty sure that Gabe is going to be a mean breakdancer when he grows up—he seriously started doing the worm, out of the blue across his Thomas table!

Good times with Grandpa…

And peek-a-boo with Grandma!

I know I’m supposed to keep these things vaulted, but Nola is my favorite girl name in the world….  I guess I’m going to have to change that now, not because I can’t have a child with the same name as somebody else, but because little Nola Greenwald is so gorgeous and perfect that my poor little girl would have a lot to live up to!  And of course she is beautiful—look at Ashley and Matt!  Let me also mention that Nola is the sweetest thing, too?  She coos and smiles and reaches out her little hand to be held.  I’m sure that as with any baby, there are times that aren’t as easy others, but Nola put on a good show for me and appeared to be an angel.  Congratulations, Ashley and Matt!

Ahh….. to be a little girl in the fall again—thinking about what I would be for halloween, jumping in the leaves, and well—just playing.  The Fruscianos  made me nostalgic for childhood and to truly have that free spirit again.  I love how edgy these images turned out—what you see is what you get!

Oh my—another beautiful family that has made me once again reconsider the idea of child bearing….  I could handle toting along a little Oliver, for sure.  He is the sweetest thing—so full of life, and his expressions are priceless.  To top it off, he loves wearing sunglasses and strumming his dad’s guitar—this hipster may be a future rock star!

Meet Little Lyla Oliver….  the most sweet, and petite little 15 month old!  She was like a little doll to work with–and so beautiful.  I can’t believe I’m even going to say this, because the last thing I want to do is perpetuate the celebrity obsession some of us have, but doesn’t Lyla look just like baby Shilo?  Anyhow, it was a wonderful evening at Wash park with the Olivers—and I owe the pleasant, easy shoot to Baby Lyla!

I am in love with this family…. I have been working with Cleo and Jon since their wedding on New Year’s Eve back in 2003/2004 and have been so lucky to have had the opportunity to photograph their family as they “grow”. Teddy is now 2, and Rosie, just three months. Cleo called me a couple weeks ago and asked me to get some images of her little one, and some of the two of them together as a surprise for Jon for Father’s day (hopefully, he doesn’t read my blog)! I am so pleased with these images—-I already ordered an 18×24 gallery wrap of the last one for my studio. It actually brought tears to my eyes.

It’s not everyday that one gets to photograph twins!  And they were the happiest and prettiest little twins that I’ve ever had the opportunity to photograph….  Susie had called and told me that they had had an impromptu bbq at their home right before the shoot, and that the girls were really tired and grumpy. But if this was the case, then I can’t imagine the grins that I would have seen from them in a good mood!  It helped that Susie and Chris were also super laid back and easy to work with.  I came in thinking that this shoot could be a tough one—but it was the easiest shoot I’ve had all month!  Thanks for being so cool, guys!  I hope you call me back for 1st birthday shots!

This is Emma and her daddy, Chris…

…And Emma with her mommy, Susie.

Check out the lashes on Molly!

This shots is priceless… it won’t be long before Molly grows another tooth, or two!

…Molly

Emma…

…Molly

It’s true…sometimes there is nothing you can do to make three children sit still and smile for the camera—this isn’t my style anyhow, but Shayna has been a client of mine for a long time and these pictures were as much for her mom as they were for herself.  Ideally, the two mothers really wanted all three children to sit still and smile for the camera.  I told them that I would try, but that this may take a miracle.  And I think, the truth is the more energy you put  into having  children sit still, smile and pose for the camera, the less they’ll have of it!  It’s micromanaging.   I don’t know how Kiddy Candid’s does it!

So, on mother’s day, I tried for a good ole’ sibling shot, and we did get a few believe it or not, but what I loved was some of the shots that really captured just how tender, or grumpy, or whimsical these kids were on this special day for mom!

I think you’ll all know why this one is at the top and my favorite of the day!

Shayna really didn’t want to be in any pictures, but how could I resist this moment between her and her first son on mother’s day?

CC is the typical eldest child.  She always seems to behave and be the “good girl”.  I love this whimsical shot of her jumping up  and down in her new dress.

…And Addi is a whole different story!  She is wonderfully naughty.  I couldn’t get her to smile at the camera for anything.  But that’s what I love about photographing children.  You have to have a sense of humor about certain situations and let them be who they are.  After all, I am a documentary family photographer….

And well, what  can I really say about the baby?  He’s a super sport and the youngest of three– the baby brother of two strong willed sisters!  God bless him!

It was only just a year ago that I was photographing Haley and Paul’s wedding, and already a baby! Life can happen so fast sometimes. Although a bit surprised by the news of a little guy on the way, Haley and Paul seem so happy and as though their lives are complete. I’ve never seen Paul at such ease around the camera, but he hardly noticed me at all… He was all about little Greyson. And Greyson sure seems to love his Daddy, too!

Congratulations you guys! I can’t wait to see Greyson in a few months!

I think this picture is so funny! I’m pretty sure that Greyson was truly annoyed at me interrupting his nap!

The Sungy’s are great old friends of mine…. I shot Erin and Matt’s wedding just two weeks after mine in 2004 and since then have been able to follow their lives and document all their “big events”. I shot Erin’s sister’s wedding, her cousin’s wedding, a couple of her friends weddings, and last fall while she was very pregnant, I got to photograph Matt’s extended family. It has been so much fun to stay connected and I am so happy for them and their new addition to the family, Alec. He was born in September and is seriously the cutest little guy. I can’t tell who he looks like more—Matt or Erin. I even started to think that Matt and Erin look alike because of Alec….

Alec was very aware that he was getting his photos taken…. He didn’t really want to smile on command. I pulled out every trick in my bag to get him to smile, including the “family jump”, but what we got in between smiles was priceless… Check out all these expressions! Alec is a boy of many faces!

…hmmmmm, I think he is a thinker.

Alec’s favorite toy is a plastic kitchen serving spoon. They call it his “flute”.

This was my favorite shot of the day. I love the way the three of them are interacting naturally. I think everybody was spent trying to get the perfect family shot. Once we stopped trying to get the “family picture”, this moment happened and I was thrilled!

…And as you can see, Alec was exhausted after performing for us for an hour.

So sweet!