This family in Ashburn, Virginia has two totally amazing sons, and they just added a beautiful baby daughter to the mix. And I mean beautiful. She was only a week old when I photographed her and she was perfect just the way she was. This was a natural, lifestyle photoshoot with some baby closeups that looked totally stylized because she is so perfect. Mom also warned me that her boys were really active. Hearing that just makes me happy :).
I have a boy who is closer to adulthood than I would like. I remember watching sweet little girls who could sit still and wondering why mine couldn’t. He just wanted to be in the thick of everything, and his mind ran a mile a minute. He was and still is as sharp as a tack, and I have to stay on my toes constantly with him. But you know what? He’s really fun.
I’ve grown to love active little boys. I know sometimes they have a hard time expressing what’s going on inside them, and sometimes don’t know why they got into trouble. I love the more natural style of photography I have embraced because it allows them to be closer to their real selves. And rambunctious boys usually have a more fun and expressive real self.
When we first started, we put this family together for a group shot. One of the boys didn’t want to. It was ok. I don’t force children to do things they don’t want to do. I know some parents really have their hearts set on a certain pose, but I also know that getting upset at children won’t get what they want. These parents were so tender and just went with the flow. I just loved that. When their older son wanted to join in on the photographing, they let him get their camera out and snap some photos. They let both boys wrestle on the bed – I mean, come on, let’s be honest, this is real life, right?
But there’s a whole lot of tenderness there too. This little girl has two super big brothers and I have a feeling she is going to just love them.
While I definitely pose families, I don’t mind when young children “interrupt”, because that’s life at this stage. I love both these photos below, the one with the focus on the beauty of the moment with this precious daughter, and the one with the son coming into the frame. Don’t you just love the beautiful smile on mom’s face to her son? And part of parenthood is juggling the one you’re holding and the one who is climbing you.
And surprise, when the son who didn’t want to join in the photos saw the fun we were having, he decided he could be a part of that, and gave me some of the brightest and most joyful smiles I have ever seen…and then a hug!
See, rambunctious little boys are very interesting. And yes, we eventually later got the whole family in one shot with some minimal editing…and the help of some gummy bears.
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