This is Judah. He is a pretty cute little munchkin. We haven't known one another for very long, but I can tell, we are going to be pals. You see, Judah and I share more than just a common love for red sweatpants. Judah and his parents used to live in our flat, before we moved here. They moved just around the corner and now he is my neighbor. So, we share a neighborhood.

Judah, thank you for spending the afternoon with me! You are a cute little bundle and I look forward to seeing you in the neighborhood!

Halloween and I have been on a bit of a roller-coaster ride. As a kid, Halloween was a fun, magical day full of fantasy and of course, candy. We would race off in our costumes thrilled to see who could fill their pillow cases with the most candy. When the night was through we would find our way home to sort our candy into piles, taking stock of our loot. Then the bartering for our favorites would begin.  As a teenager I struggled with the fact that I was no longer a kid and able to go trick-or-treating. As a college student I was annoyed by the fact that the dress code for girls at most Halloween parties required a scant amount of fabric. In fact, the more scantily clad one arrived the better. I wore an orange dress and called myself a pumpkin. It is true, as I have gotten older Halloween has lost some of its magic for me. However, after being invited to document a Halloween party I came to a realization. One day we will start a family and when that day comes the joy of Halloween will be back. If you could only see the antics behind the scene while trying to get this picture. Parents like to believe that Halloween is for the kids, but  I am pretty sure it is quite a lot for the parents too.

I met Nicole and Pruth at their home and we all piled into their car and headed over to the green belt in Davis. The fall colors where here... I knew this would be a pretty session. There is nothing like warm orange, yellow, green and brown as a backdrop to a family portrait.

Rowen is a cute little bugger. We took turns telling one another stories as I was taking his portrait. I am pretty sure that this is about the time in the story that the little boy finds a treasure chest in the middle of the forest.

I love it when I catch these little out takes. It gives a better idea of how family sessions go, especially when there are little ones involved. I have the perfect setting, stunning light, everyone is in place and...wait a minute...where is Dane???

It may take a little bit of effort, but eventually we do get everyone in the shot.

And after we get the formal shots out of they way, we can play. These are when I get some of my favorite images. That, and I am a sucker for a good game of hide and seek.

Nicole and Pruth, thank you for sharing your family with me for a day. It is so special to be able to document a little snippet of time for you. These little guys are growing us so quickly!

It has occurred to me that there are many images that are sitting on my hard drive just waiting to be enjoyed. You see, when I do a portrait session with a family we are usually trying to get certain images. I need to get a nice shot of the whole family, one with each of the kids on their own and together. The parents with each of the kids and so on. But, inevitably there are some really funny pictures that get taken that never don't get purchased simply because Mom and Dad want that image of the whole family. But for me, the best ones are the ones that are showing the kids for what they are, kids. This series cracks me up. The first image Dane looks like he is up to trouble. The second shot you can see him looking at his mom who is warning him. In the third shot you can see he has gone for it, the leaf throwing has begun. I love it.

My thought is this, I am going to use the out-takes from the session as a bit of a carrot. They can get them in one of two ways (and by get them I mean that I will put them on facebook). Either they can pay a minimal uploading fee. Or if they spend a certain amount with me they will get them for free. What do you think? Is this a good idea? Is it something that you think people would be interested in?

After the formal photos were taken we decided to go for a little walk to the bridge. These are some of my favorite shots. I love capturing moments like these, it is why I got into photography to begin with...

This photograph just oozes childhood. It is one of those images that I look at and it fills me with nostalgia. The soft grasses, the piggy tails. Love this one.

And this image is the reason I do not put away my camera until the last possible moment. The kiddos were not quite done playing on the rocks, but the session was over and we had to get going. James just picked Brody up like a baby lamb, I snapped this shot as we were walking back to the car. You can't plan this sort of thing, you just have to be ready to capture it when it happens.

Thank you for a wonderful session, I am so lucky to have such beautiful clients!!!