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 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!

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!

Earlier this fall we had the pleasure of photographing the Luong family on their “weekend property.”  They have 5 beautiful acres that currently just has a cottage on it, as well as a pond with fish and some beautiful scenery.  The plan is to build their dream home for the family on the property, but for now they go there to just get away and enjoy country life with their 3 kids.  It was great to capture the obvious excitement this family has about their new oasis, and we can’t wait to see it when it becomes their full-time home! 

Santa Claus came to town!  Last Sunday we held our first annual Toys 4 Tots Santa portrait event at the Silver Spoon children’s boutique, and it was wonderful all around.  Santa came to hear the Christmas wishes of close to 200 kids, all while we captured those wonder-filled (and sometimes tear-filled) moments.  It was great to see how many people came out to see Santa and donate toys for less fortunate kids….a great reminder of the kindness in our community.  These were two of our favorite images of the day…okay, so we’re a little biased…it’s our girls!  Grandma brought them at the end of the day so daddy could have the rare honor of capturing the true innocence of their childhood.  A huge thank you to the Silver Spoon and everyone who came out in the cold to support our local Toys 4 Tots!

When we received the call from M explaining that she wanted portraits of her and her daughter as a surprise for her husband’s birthday, we were so excited to be in on such a fun gift!  We knew we were in for a treat when they showed up for their session and Miss S had just come from getting her hair done and a shopping trip for snazzy new duds for their session.  Even though the purpose initially began as mother/daughter portraits, it quickly became clear that this session was really about S, as you can see!  Dad loved his birthday surprise and we loved being a part of it.  Meet the Billings ladies….