Shaina, Seth, Ross, and Ilan are almost 5!

I have known this mama since Elementary School, and she’s been one of my best friends since High School.  We’ve had a lot of fun adventures together through the years, of course pregnancy and parenthood being one.  As she’s due to have this baby any day now, I encouraged her to capture her bump and her last few days as a family of four.  She willingly obliged, and chose to conduct this capture at the carousel as a way to keep her boys engaged.  We also played in the nature at the park, capturing some ‘So You’ moments for this family, and freezing these special moments in time!  I can’t wait to meet your new little bundle of joy!

B Extended Family Lifestyle Photo Session

I went to High School with Lauren and had the pleasure of photographing her immediate family this fall (check out their session here).  Since that time, she mentioned wanting an extended family session with her sister and her family and their parents.  We finally made that happen two weeks ago.  We were originally planning a park session, but took that vision indoors in favor of air conditioning and some fun we had planned for the kiddos.

With a group this size and so many kids under the age of 5, we knew the attention span for everyone looking and smiling at the camera would be short, so we got those out of the way at the start of our session, and then captured this family’s love and fun as they played outside, read books, blew bubbles, and decorated cupcakes! 

Hilary’s Quince Portrait Session

This was my first quince portrait session, and it was awesome!  I knew what to expect from my wedding and mitzvah photography, and this session met my expectations and then some!  I love a good sunset session, especially when it gets late enough and the family has patience enough to play around with some night portraits and flash lighting, and this session had both.  The location didn’t disappoint.  We had a lovely sunset, some tree lights, and Downtown Miami to work with.  Not to mention a beautiful quinceanera to photograph!  Hilary looked beautiful from head to toe, and her personality shined from the inside out as she captured this occasion with her family.  I wish you the best as you continue the celebration with your extended family this summer!

My Life: The Fair

I have always loved the Dade County Youth Fair (now just called ‘The Fair’), a Spring Break tradition in South Florida for as long as I can remember.  And sharing your favorite childhood traditions with your own children is an experience like no other, and I cherish it, and of course, document it in photos so I can relive the moments until we get to go again the following year!  I love that the experience is still magical for them, and even through they ride rides they’ve ridden before, their faces still express joy, delight, and surprise! 
This year, we shared the experience with our across the street neighbors.  They moved in a few years ago from New York, and have never been to ‘The Fair’, so we enjoyed sharing our favorite spots.  These boys love each other, which is so great.  They ring each other’s doorbells first thing in the morning and play outside together until past when the sun goes down.  The kind of friendships childhood is made of!
This year’s experience was also extra special, because as much fun as it is, it’s typically 85 degrees, read:  super sweaty.  However, this year, we were blessed with a high of 68!  I can’t remember ever going in long sleeves and pants, so that was another extra special treat.  Without further adieu, here are the pics.

Thank you to my lovely neighbor, Lauren, for her quick grasp of my focus and recompose lesson to capture the awesome shot of me and my boys overlooking the midway in beautiful golden hour light!  And on the last shot, the boys were so tired when we got home, and gave Dad big hugs with their eyes closed.  It is by no means a perfect shot, I didn’t have time to run and grab my flash or get my settings perfect in camera to capture my usual sharp photo, but I froze a sweet moment in time, and that is perfect to me.

Melissa, Brandon, and Solomon, because he’s ONE!

This mama has been one of my cousin’s besties for as long as I can remember, so I was naturally excited when she contacted me to schedule a family photo session for Solomon’s first birthday.  After some indecision on the location, we finally agreed on Tree Tops park because it has a nice mix of green with some water, a mix of lovely light and shade, and the wind isn’t too bad on hair.  Solomon was teething pretty badly, and somewhat cranky during our session, but you would never know it from the photos.  This couple handled parenting like a champ, not getting upset when their little one was upset, going with the flow, and comforting and loving on their son when he needed it most.  Of course they did their very best to excite some giggles too!  And when you relax and just enjoy each other at your session, you end up with great photos like these, because that relaxation lets me in a little, allowing me to capture yourselves as you truly are.  So You!