A Sweet Fam & A Helpful Tip

I got to see this lovely family again and I'm going to miss them until we can meet again!  The twins are so fun and the love they all have for each other is adorable.  It may sound trite, but...I LOVE MY JOB!  Scroll down to see more sweet images of them and a SPECIAL TIP! :)

ATTENTION:  TIP TIME!!!  

I can't say it enough but if you aren't sure how your kiddos are going to do on a session, bring reinforcements!  These tykes have gotten to know me, but each session it still takes them a bit to warm up (totally normal).  Well, mama brought their puppy with as well as grandma!  And boy, was it a good idea!  They were all smiles when their sweet puppy came out.  And grandma was a HUGE help watching over them and inserting fun or silly songs.

And we even got to snap a picture of mom and grandma.

Oh, one of my favorite sessions with this family!  

Reunion Time!

What does your family do when they all get together?  I know my family reunions consist of enjoying the outdoors, partaking in needless shopping, watching the kiddos play with their cousins, consuming yummy foods and massive amounts of coffee (not me, but my in laws have a problem.)  Well, another important part of reunions...PICTURES!  I know it can be a bit of a stress getting everyone together and dressed nicely, even if it's only for a short time.  A reunion should be relaxing, right?  But, this family, like many others, knows that capturing these rare and special moments is important!  I am so glad I was able to capture their time together and snap some shots of the sweet individual families.

Do you have a reunion coming up?  Contact me NOW to get on the schedule!  Reunion sessions are so important and you don't want to miss out.  If you wait, it gets easier to just not do it.  Then, before you know it, the reunion is over and you're regretting not having those moments captured professionally.  :)

A Session Under the Bridge...

With the late sunset these days, it's hard to fit in sessions for little ones.  They are normally in bed by 8/9pm (best light), or at least very tired by then.  So, I find most of my young families want to book right before or right after dinner.  Unfortunately (at least for photos), it's so bright and sunny at that time!  As a result, I have done a lot of scouting for some shady spots.  And this one is a classic fave.  The beautiful architecture of the bridge, the rocky spots, and views of the water, it's a very versatile choice!

And we hardly had to walk but a dozen steps!

This girl was a wonderful subject and was up for every little spot we put her in.  Such a sweetheart!

Happy almost 2nd Birthday to this little peach!  She's as sweet as she looks!  :)

Those Baby Blues...

I had another session with this great family.  We get to see each other a couple times a year and I find myself literally missing them by the time our next session comes up!  They are so fun and have such a sweet love with each other.  Mom Leslie is also a photographer so there's always lots to catch up on and new things for us to try out.  ;)

The most adorable blue eyed kiddos...

An Urban Setting...

I love trying some different spots when people are up for it. This sweet mom let me pick the spot and we had a blast in downtown Bismarck.  We walked some alleyways, had some smiles from some passerbys, and got some great shots of their fun family.  

This little guy was just full of smiles!  Such a happy go lucky spirit and such darling blue eyes!

The Right Tone...

The tone of a session can make or break pictures!  I wish I could say I was one of those mothers that was totally relaxed and calming to MY kids during a session but I'm usually not.  I feel the pressure to get that great shot, to have them look right at the camera, to make sure their chubby little fingers and cheeks are clean.  But, as a photographer, that pressure can sometimes be damaging to their little spirits.  Time after time, I see what a positive impact it can make when mom and dad stay relaxed.

I've done a session with this sweet family before but kids can forget quickly!  It took a bit for them to get used to me running around them with my large black object.  But mom and dad were so patient and calm.  And you know what?  It worked.  The kids warmed up and started smiling in no time.   I was able to capture some pretty adorable shots of them.  And also learned my lesson...I am going to try my hardest to be calm with my little ones on my next session!  :)