Rockin' It

This family chose a rocky backdrop for their 2010 family photos. In my opinion, they rocked it. :)



Off to get the kids ready for some Halloween fun. I think I'm going to take the day off tomorrow to celebrate and recharge the mental batteries. I'll be back Monday with another preview from last night's fun session. Happy Halloween!

Remember These Cuties?

I first met L & L when they were pretty darn new. Then I got to spend some time with them over the summer.

A couple of days ago I met up with them again to take some photos for the family Christmas card and document the twins at 10 months old. Unfortunately, that's just about the age that stranger anxiety sets in, and Miss L, in particular, wasn't convinced that my camera and I were welcome guests. It reminded me of a time when my own son -- at the very same age -- decided that he was terrified of his own visiting grandmother. :( In the end, we got some sweet shots, but I still feel rotten for causing her so much distress. I promise that we'll be friends again, sweet girl!

Sweet Baby Girl

Yesterday's session was with an absolutely darling little three-month-old girl. Miss C was as sweet as can be, and she arrived with a dream wardrobe to boot. I admit that it made me nostalgic for the days when I had a say in what my own daughter wore. Sadly, she's now pretty much a slave to the preschool color-of-the-week and her own wacky fashion sense.

But I digress... Here's a peek for mom.

What a Weekend!

It was a bit of a whirlwind, but it was a great weekend up on The Farm. Brian and I got to catch up with many classmates and good buddies, and the kids were stoked to spend an afternoon with their "cousins." We all got to visit with Grandma DaDi and Papa Sam, we cheered on the Cardinal as they stretched their record to 6-1, we played and danced in the middle of the field after the game, and we celebrated with Bay Area faithful as the SF Giants put the cherry on top of the entire weekend.

Now I'm pooped and ready for bed.

Before I call it a night, though, I have to post a couple of snaps from the weekend. I have many more that I hope to share at some point (if the coming week's crazy schedule allows), but these two are special: one of the cousins and one of me and my exceptional friend of almost (gulp) 20 years.





Noah took that second one... In fact, he was quite the photographer all weekend. I gave him my starter dSLR and let him run wild during the trip. His 225 photos are now uploading to a Shutterfly album and he is insisting on making a book. I think I may have created a monster...

The Whole Gang

If you've visited my blog at any point over the last year, chances are that you're familiar with K & K -- twins and very special buddies of mine. I was fortunate and honored to have the opportunity to document their first year, one month at a time.

This week I got to photograph their whole family. Once again, it was touch and go with the weather, but unlike today's session, this one got the green light from the skies above.

First up, shots of the whole gang.



Notice anything in here (ahem, an accessory) that I need to go back and photoshop out? Yes, I was too concerned with posing and getting the babies' attention that it slipped right by me on location. :)






Then it was off to another spot for some more photos. Here are a few favorites...











Now my own family is off to a reunion and football game up in the Bay Area. I'm looking forward to seeing my kids cheer on the ol' college team. Perhaps I'll even snap a photo or two. ;)

More Fun @ The Beach

As I mentioned in my previous post, this weekend was a pretty dismal one, weatherwise. Fortunately, the beach was once again an oasis in the gloom, and Saturday's session there was more than pleasant. It was a treat!

Get ready for another big preview...











Miss K had a great idea for a shot, based on something she saw in a catalog. Here's our version:



And of course I snuck a shot while we practiced it. :)







Thanks again, C family! So glad we got together...

Chasing the Light

Back in August, when I set out my schedule for fall family sessions, I went heavy on dates in October. For one thing, my personal schedule already included a few family obligations prior to the holidays and I wanted to wrap up work well ahead of them. But an equally important consideration was the weather.

October is typically the most beautiful month on the Central Coast.

Beautiful weather = a fantastic backdrop for fall family sessions.

Only this year, the weather has been anything but typical. All year. (So you might say that I should've known...)

Anyway, I had three sessions lined up for this past weekend, including one that had been rescheduled due to a client's illness earlier in the month. And the early part of the week was warm and wonderful. But as the week wore on, the weather got wacky, and by Friday afternoon my Friday evening client and I were texting back and forth feverishly, speculating about the conditions and finally deciding to abandon the beach session she'd so wanted in favor of potentially nicer conditions at her house here in San Luis.

When I arrived, though, we'd both noticed a distinct glow above the ridgeline dividing San Luis from the coast. It was dismal and gloomy over most parts of town -- including her neighborhood -- and this was just too tempting:



The quick snap at the stoplight doesn't really do it justice, but there was a definite lure of light from the direction of the coast. So after a quick powwow we threw everything and everyone into the car and hurried as fast as 5:00 traffic and speed limits would allow.

And in the end, we were so glad that we chased the light. It was a bit chilly and there was some fog, but it was so pretty out on the beach, and we ended up getting some beautiful shots. To top it off, we got a couple of specific images that my client had in mind that could only be captured on the beach. (They're not posted here, because I generally like to keep potential Christmas card shots tucked away until they're used for that purpose.)

Anyway, doesn't this look so much more pleasant than the heavy gray sky at home?





And some pretty posed shots for good measure:







I've already started putting together their holiday card, and once again, I'm so glad that we abandoned our plans -- yet again -- and opted to chase the light.

Big Preview

To anyone who happens to care, I want to offer my apologies for the lack of blog action in the last week and a half... Illness (a client's and then my own) + a brief lapse in sanity (mine... tackling a room re-do during my busiest time of the year???) + family visits + crazy kid schedules = not much blogging. But now I'm back and ready to roll.

Earlier this week I hit the beach to photograph two fabulous kiddos. Despite chilly temps and fog rolling in, it was a ton of fun and the gallery is going to end up being a large one. Because I dove into the editing this morning and to make up for the lack of posts recently, I'm going with an XXL preview this time around.

Enjoy!

SO PROUD OF HIM

Yesterday was a big day in our household, and I hope you'll forgive me while I indulge in a little mommy bragging...

My oldest kiddo completed his first TRIATHLON. Or, as his brother spells it, "chriafolon."

And he was THE MAN, as you'll hear my husband point out many times in this 4-minute video he created and posted. E was one of the youngest in the race, since the age group covered 8-14 and he's just 8 himself.

If you're not up for the scintilating video footage, then perhaps you'll enjoy these still photos. (There was a lot of documentation, as the rest of us were off at little bro's soccer double-header and unable to catch the tri action in person.)



At the start of the race:



That's him in the middle:











We're extremely proud of him for so many reasons -- including the fact that this was 100% his idea -- but the biggest was that he had the most amazing attitude throughout the race. He had FUN and powered through when it was tough. What an amazing kid. :)