Maddie and Abbie {Camas, WA}

I had such an amazing session with Maddie and Abbie, and their parents! Both girls have birthdays during June, and so their mama contacted me to commemorate their birthday month with family portraits. It was a bright, warm evening with beautiful light, and the girls were delightful. Maddie is at once graceful and giggly, and Abbie is more perfect than the Gerber baby, with bright blue eyes and cheeks that look edible. Although Daddies are often reserved and uncomfortable in photos, Maddie and Abbie's Daddy was fantastic in front of the camera, as well as behind the camera, helping me make his little ladies smile and laugh. Their Mama was so lovely and easy to photograph, the whole family was a reminder of why I love my job so much. Getting to capture precious, unique, fleeting moments for a family makes my heart full. Maddie and Abbie, I hope we can do it again!

Ben {Alberta Park, Portland, OR}

Oh man. This kid is sooo handsome, so energetic, and (as one expects for his age), so NOT into posing. We tried a few times, and got a few smiles, but then Ben was done. Instead, I followed Ben and his Mama around and captured him at play. And honestly, I love the photos of him at play the most.  He has the BEST closed-eyed, "throw-your-head-back-with-glee" laugh I've encountered. I love kids who do everything whole-heartedly, with gusto. Ben fits the bill!

It was fun Little Man, I hope we can do it again!

Owen & Buddy {Columbia Children's Arboretum, Portland, OR}

What to say about this beautiful family? Owen's Mama contacted me for photos of their family, including their puppy, Buddy. The evening was especially warm for May, and the pollen thick in the air at the Arboretum. Neither of these factors seemed to bother little Owen. He is one of the happiest, most cooperative 16 month olds I've had the privilege of photographing. He has beautiful blue eyes, and adorable rosy cheeks and dimples I'm pretty sure he inherited from his pretty Mom. As for Buddy, the Arboretum is a pretty great place to be a dog. He caroused and frolicked, but still managed to sit still long enough for me to take his picture. Good Dog!

Nathan and Libby {Wilsonville, OR}

I had the opportunity to meet up with cuties Nathan and Libby for the second time, and loved every minute of it. I have a soft spot for Nathan, he is SUCH a handsome, well mannered, photogenic fella. As with most 2 year olds, Libby makes me (and her parents!) work for every smile, and the uber-windy weather didn't help, but her blue eyes sparkle when she does. I love getting to spend time with this entire family, and bonus, their Daddy makes a KILLER smoked chicken, which he shared with me. So kind. I hope we can do it again! I'll be sure to come hungry next time. :)

The E. Family {Laurelhurst Park, Portland, OR}

Photographing a large extended family can be a little nerve-wracking, but the E. family was so fun, warm and personable, all my butterflies went out the window upon meeting them.  All of the adult children were in town at one time, and so it was the perfect opportunity to capture the whole family together. Augustin, Sr. and Meredith have much to be proud of, as you can see! 5 children and 4 grandchildren. It was a great pleasure to capture their legacy.

Tyler & Sawyer - Sass and Stripes {Tanner Springs Park, Portland, OR}

Two of my favorite little ladies and their fabulous mama met me at Tanner Springs on a windy spring evening recently. Though I am easily distracted by these girl's mama (she's one of my favorite people to chat with on the entire planet), I did manage to tear myself away from good conversation, and get some cute shots of the two sisters. Sawyer is at a tough age (photographically speaking), as she really has no interest in the camera or following specific instructions, so I just rolled with whatever she was giving me. While she didn't want to be in front of my camera, she did want to sit with me and cuddle (heaven!). Tyler, on the other hand, is my star. She is such a natural in front of the camera, and she loves to be photographed. She makes my life easy. Thanks, Ladies. Playdate soon?

Merry & Her Girls {Laurelhurst Park, Portland, OR}

How lovely are Merry and her girls? I had an opportunity to capture a mini-shoot for them, and really enjoyed following them around for a bit.  Merry is vivacious, funny, and endearing, and the picture of a graceful, engaged mom. As the mom of two younger daughters myself, I watched with interest from behind my lens her interactions with her beautiful girls, for clues as to what might be in my future. I hope to be as close to my daughters as she seems to be!

By the time we started our shoot, both girls were tired, chilly and hungry, but they were troopers anyway. Merry really seemed to want true interactions with her children captured, rather than poses. I hung back and followed them, and did my best to catch those moments. They allowed me to takes some posed shots too.

Thank you ladies, for allowing me to photograph you. It was my pleasure to do so!