Gorgeous 3 year old twins!

When Gina called me to book a studio session for herself and her daughters, I'll admit that I was a tad nervous. One 3 year old can be a challenge, but two, and contained to a small studio area? I knew that we would make it work, I always do, so I went into it with a big smile on my face. When I met "G" and "J", I was floored by their maturity and gentle nature. They were polite, kind, and funny. Their shoot was truly effortless and we were done in 25 minutes! Record time, and yet we had dozens of wonderful images. I told Gina that she had two future models on her hands- these girls were naturals!  Thanks again Gina for letting me shoot you and your gorgeous girls, and I look forward to our upcoming full family sessions!

In FRONT of the camera?

I'll start off by saying that I am not one of those photographers who is uncomfortable in front of the camera. In fact, I quite like it! When I had the opportunity to do a photo trade with Melissa, a fellow photographer, I was stoked to finally have some quality photos done with me actually IN them! I have hundreds of photos of my son, my husband, and my son and husband together...at this rate, Reid will wonder if I was even around! As much as I wish he would, my husband is not a fan of picking up the camera, even for snapshots. It's like pulling teeth, "Will, can you take a photo of us?" -insert loud sigh here- "Where is the camera?" -snap snap- "Okay, got it." (me looking at photos) "Uh...thanks, babe...." Here are a few from out session, and I just HAD to include a couple of the outtakes of Reid melting down. It was not all joy and puppy dog tails that day, but always, always worth it!

(Images courtesy of Melissa Thomas of West Ivy Studios based out of Reno, NV. THANK YOU!! We are pleased beyond belief!)

Melissa, Patrick, and Ivy

I met Melissa on a photography forum and we discovered that we were just two hours away from each-other (she is from Reno). She, her husband, and her 14 month old daughter drove all the way to Old Folsom to meet for our photography swap- I did photos for her, and she did photos for me. Ah, the benefits of being a photographer, huh? :) We are so often behind the camera and then look back and realize that we aren't in any of our own family photos. Well, Melissa and I changed that this weekend! I have to tell you about my new favorite store in all of Folsom - Melange! It's an awesome shabby chic/antique store and basically every girl's dream. Frillyness and girlishness galore! I ended up talking to the owner about my photography business and she offered to let us shoot in their shop. I was bouncing off the walls at the opportunity! Fellow photographers would appreciate the plethora of chairs, fabrics, mirrors, chandeliers, dolls, and everything mini- ideal for child portraits! Special THANK YOU to Stacy and Terri for letting us "make ourselves at home"!