Mountain View Palo Alto Child Photographer | One Year Old Sweetie Pie

I wonder if it starts to sound cliche when I say that I just loved this session.  I seem to walk away loving every session.  But I did.  I loved this session.

I loved this little girl’s face.

I loved her quiet concentration.

I loved watching the love that just oozed from her mommy and daddy.

I loved how hard everyone was willing to work to get her to smile, to look at the camera, to do that thing she does where she bends her head off to the side (sorry–I can’t remember what the Chinese words were.  But I know I heard the request a lot and did my best to say it too!)

I loved that I got to sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star with these loving parents all so we could  get this sweetie to look at us.  And if I do say so myself, I think we all sounded DARN GOOD!

I loved this session.

Because, really, what’s not to love?

I love her gigantic smile here.  Her daddy loves her so so much.  He was working very hard to get that sweetie to smile.  I mean, that man got a workout!

I loved her smilie face, but gosh, did I ever love her serious face too.  See what I mean?

Look!  A bird!

This one cracked me up.  What is this mysterious Cheerio doing stuck on my finger???

Ahhh…. So many favorites.

But what about that one?  The one where she bends her head to the side???  Did I get that one?  HURRAY!  I DID!  And I love it MADLY.

Thank you so much, P family!  I enjoyed watching you interact with each other and your daughter.  She is absolutely gorgeous and your love for her just warmed my heart.

If you can get 35 of your friends or family to comment on this blog post with their email (only viewable by me), you’ll get a free 5×7.  If you can get 50,  you get an 8×10.  :)

Hayward/Castro Valley Children’s Photographer | Yeah, right, they don’t get along

I always interview my clients to get a sense of what they are looking for in a photography session and to learn more about the kids and their personalities.  One of my standard questions is: “do the siblings get along?”

Well, the short answer to this question was “no.”

As we talked, I learned that there were some things the girls liked to do together, and I was determined to get those girls getting along and being happy for our session.  When we first started our session, I could see what the mom was talking about as the girls fought over some props I had brought to the session.  But soon the sibling rivalry that I saw rearing it’s ugly head disappeared to the sounds of happy peals of laughter.  Ahhhh…. success!

This picture just might be my most favorite picture of the session.  I love her squooshed little nose and happy laugh.  I can almost hear it.

And here’s another favorite.

Gosh, so many favorites….

Thank you so much M family!  I loved our session!  If you can get 35 of your friends or family to comment on this blog post with their email (only viewable by me), you’ll get a free 5×7.  If you can get 50,  you get an 8×10.  :)

San Francisco Bay Area Child Photographer | “That’s OK! I forgive you!”

Forgiveness.  I’ve been thinking about forgiveness today and what it means.  Why?  Because my son is so dang cute and says the sweetest, cutest things. That’s why.  :)

A while back, I was teaching him about saying “sorry” and what that meant.  I want my kids to understand empathy.  We talked about really paying attention to how our actions can affect someone else.  Look at their face.  Are they hurt?  How can you tell?  We talked about saying “sorry” and asking for forgiveness.  We talked about what it means to forgive someone.

Kinda deep concepts for a 4 year old, maybe, but something I think is of much value and worth the time to teach early.

He has taken this lesson to heart, and it’s just very cute.  When I tell him “I’m sorry,” he will quip back: “That’s OK!  I forgive you!” in the sweetest voice you have ever heard.  His voice makes my heart grow wings, take flight, and soar high into the sky while I smile in delight.  Ahhh…. my boy.

Does he really understand what he is saying?  Maybe not yet.  But I’m planting the seed.

While I have often believed that forgiving someone is a gift that you give to someone else, there is much more to it than that.  You are saying that while you have been wronged, you are not going to be angry about it.  You are not going to hold a grudge.  That is wonderful.  And you know what?  That benefits YOU.  Forgiving is not just about absolving the other person of their actions.  It’s giving you the freedom to let go of that anger.

Forgiving is about freeing yourself from anger.  Why hold onto that feeling?  How will holding a grudge  really benefit you?

My mom taught this to me.  Years ago, we were talking about someone who really really wronged her.  In my mind, she had every right to never forgive that person.  But she did.  Why?  I asked?  WHY?  Did he really deserve to be forgiven?  She answered that she forgave him for HER.  She forgave him so that she could move forward and not hold onto that indignation.  It freed her to forgive.

It freed her to forgive.

I love that.  I love that lesson she taught me years ago, not just through her words, but through her actions.  I love that I have a forgiving heart.  Holding onto anger doesn’t do me any good.  I’m not saying that you have to keep on hanging out with someone that constantly wrongs you.  That would be dumb.  I am saying that not forgiving someone isn’t really punishing them, it’s punishing YOU.  It’s bogging you down.  It’s making your heart heavy.

So, for whatever reason, this was on my mind today.  So, I thought I’d share. Maybe not my typical, happy and crazy blog post, but maybe it will touch something in you, for what it’s worth.

You got someone you need to forgive?  Do it!  Let it go!  It just might make your heart grow wings, take flight, and soar high into the sky.

It just might make you feel like this.

And I’m thinkin’ that’s a good thing.…