The girls wore their fancy dresses over their swim suits and topped everything off with big rimmed hats.  It was the best of both worlds. A beautiful little ladies lunch and then a splash in the pool.  Delightful!!

My kiddo is one of the luckiest to have one of the BEST preschool teachers.  This is just one of the few clever crafts he’s come home with.  I had to promise him FIVE starbursts for his model fee.  I dare say it’s worth it.

CUTEST RACCOON EVER!!!!!

It’s not easy coordinating work, sport, and music schedules to get everyone together for a photo shoot.

This awesome mom has done it again.  She’s passionate about photography herself.

I take it as a huge compliment that she’s asked me to capture her family for her.

I love their energy.  I admire their talents, creativity, and photogenic smiles.

Family Photography has it’s charm – getting everyone together – seeing the interaction – preserving the ONE-ness of your growing clan.  I get it.  I am a mother of a quad.  I NEED it.

I also LOVE getting a sibling, an individual, an unique character in front of my camera.  As a photographer, as a mother, I need this part too.  Some kids shy away from this; some grump.  The toddlers give me a literal RUN for my money.  We play peek-a-boo.  I get silly.  Others quite enjoy the lime light.  Still – it’s awkward for most.  It takes a few minutes before they give me a good dose of their genuine personality.

I like the game.

I like the challenge.

I like the interaction.

I love the images that show their innocence,

their playfulness,

their joy,

and their true beauty.

I love this part of a photo shoot.

Some of my favorite photos of my family are with us standing on the dock at Lake Powell with our wind blown hair, sunburnt noses, life jackets, and swim suit cover ups.  I wish I had more family photos.

It’s stressful finding coordinating clothing that fits everyone all at the same time.  It’s tough getting the kiddos fed and dressed and groomed and out the door to take photos.  I know.  We just had our family pictures taken.

But it’s going to be worth it.  And the image you end up falling in love with may not be the one you had pictured in your head.  And the one that you can’t stop looking at five years from now may not be the one that you printed huge and hung on the wall but the perfectly imperfect one that captured a personality.