The McNaughton family was one of those few lucky folks who happened to come to us during the PERFECT weekend in November for fall family portraits.  The weather was great, the leaves were at their amazing colorful best, and to top it off, they wore super cool clothes!  Miss L and Mr N were at that age where you really just follow their lead and see what’s next, so that’s exactly what we did.  The image of N in the corner of the red wall was one of my very favorites from the session, for so many reasons, but mostly because you can almost see the wheels spinning in his head, thinking about exactly how many seconds he’s going to stand there until running to his next locale.  Lovely family=lovely images!  Meet the McNaughton’s…

We first met Erika and her mom Lise when her brother came to us a couple years ago for his senior portraits.  Adam’s session was pretty special for me so I knew Erika’s would be no different.  But let me back up a bit.  Within seconds of meeting this wonderful family, Stef and I knew we were in for an experience.  Lots of love in this family…lots.

At Erika’s consultation we talked about a lot of things, but couldn’t quite decide on a location.  So we set that aside for a bit and literally minutes before we were done it came to her.  A special place that Erika spent a lot of time at throughout her childhood.  So off to the nature preserve we went!  The day of the session the sun was glowing beautifully, Erika looked amazing, and Lise got lots of excersise(doing some yoga while we were photographing).  Probably the most special part for me is when brother Adam showed up for a few frames.  Erika was already “on” but when he jumped in she just lit up.  Standing in the tall grass together, she started singing and soon Adam joined and before long neither of them could keep a straight face.  It was something to see, and I feel privileged to have been there.

Thank you Lise, thank you Adam, and thank you Erika for an experience I won’t forget.

We first met the Keenan’s for their consultation when mom was only a week out from her due date with baby J.  Dad called me and wanted to surprise his wife with newborn portraits for her birthday.  What a guy!  It’s always fun to meet a couple before the baby is born and then only a few short weeks (or less) later to have them back with a new member of their family.   Miss J came back when she was brand-new, and she was the sweetest little thing.  She’s one of our Bebe Collection members, so before we know it she’ll be back showing her smiling and sitting skills…can’t wait!  Meet the Keenan’s:

It seems like Christmas was yesterday and now we’re already looking ahead to Valentine’s Day!  We have an exciting event planned with a special look and special offerings to go along with it, including custom Valentine cards featuring your little angels.  This will be slightly different from our events in the recent past at the Silver Spoon in that these are actual mini-sessions and you’ll get more time in front of the camera.  With that comes the opportunity to view the best images from the session, all styled in our signature vintage look, and choose your favorites at your private in-person ordering appointment at our studio.  Feel free to bring your own clothes or borrow from us and the Silver Spoon….little boys would be darling in simple jeans and a plain shirt, a cute vest or blazer, or an adorable newsboy cap.  Don’t forget to make an appointment at CJ’s Cuts for Kids right next door to the Silver Spoon to get that fresh haircut or fancy portrait hairdo before you come in for your session.  Please call us to schedule your session time and to ask any questions!

When we met Krista for her portrait design consultation and discussed what type of portraits she was hoping for, she suggested we photograph her young family at her mother’s property.  After she began explaining the acres of vineyard and orchards where a few years ago she and her husband got married, we were super excited!  Not only do we love venturing out to new places, it’s also a treat to photograph a family at a place that’s special to them.  When James and I arrived at the location, we were overwhelmed with the litany of awesome places to photograph the Fenske’s.  It was especially fun following the kids around and watching them explore their own private wonderland.  Meet the fun Fenske family!

We met the Ellis family earlier in the fall (yep, we’re still that behind on blogging…thanks for being patient people! :-).  When they came for their design consultation, we knew Miss S was going to be a treat to photograph.  She was only about 17 months old and seriously one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen!  The day of the session was even more incredible, when S did everything we could have hoped and more.  I have never seen a child that young listen so well and not disagree about any of it.  James and I could not get over it, and could have kept her here all day!  (Okay, mom and dad were awesome, too….even if Miss S did overshadow everyone that day!)  We’re so excited for this family as they await the arrival of another sweet baby girl in a few months….good luck to you and we can’t wait to meet the new baby!

When we first met the Perry’s and they mentioned they had a vision of family portraits having fun in Old Sacramento, we knew we’d be in for a treat. While we watched the weather forecasts with anticipation that it might rain the day of  their session, we forged ahead with hopes for decent weather.  In the end, the weather was perfect with some awesome cloud cover (a huge rainstorm came through the very next day!).  Little Miss A was such a trooper as we traipsed all over old town; she was oft-reminded of the ice-cream cone she was promised.  We photographed until it was dark, and even then, we caught a few last shots.  We had such a great time with the Perry’s, and all I have to say is bravo to momma for hiking all over cobblestone streets in those snazzy heels!

Meet Kayla, soccer star from Franklin High.

Kayla and I first met when Stef and I photographed her family a few years back.  They are a beautiful bunch so it was no surprise when Kayla came for her senior portraits, she just lit it up.  Her session was later in the day and we spent most of our time lightchasing around the neighborhood.  After a short time, Kayla started seeing some of the same things I was.  “Ooohh James, I see some pretty light over there!”…and off we went.

A warm and inviting personality with all looks to match (no surprise with all the lovely women in her family!), it was a wonderful time.

Thanks Kayla, gorgeous job!!

Enchanted Seniors Website

This week we had one of those experiences that we’ll always treasure, as this year marks the last of it’s kind for us–the preschool Christmas program.  Teagan attends Adventure Christian pre-school, as did big sis, Reilly.  We just love the school and the staff, and they really put on a cute Christmas program with the three and four-year olds.  Teagan decided she wanted to wear the black and red pettiskirt from our studio; it’s big and bold, just like her personality!  She did a great job and enjoyed the performing in the show, but I think she had  more fun running around the courtyard with her friends afterwards.  The last image here is with her BFF at school…she and Teagan are like two peas in a pod together.  So sweet!

We first met the Hattendorf’s last spring at our Mommy/Me portrait event at the Silver Spoon, and then again when Miss A was only 6 days old at her newborn session.  We enjoy this family so much, and were so sad when they told us that they were moving to Seattle in early November.  Even though A was early for her second Bebe session, they wanted to squeeze one last session in before their move north.  We were thrilled to get to see them again before they moved, and A was just as beautiful, possibly more, than she was before!  She’s one of those babies who you just want to squeeze!  We feel so fortunate to have met this family, even for a short time, and we look forward to their offer of visiting them in Seattle or meeting up in S. California….hopefully this won’t be the last you (or us) see of the lovely Hattendorf family!