As the fall leaves started to gather on the ground, I had the pleasure of meeting with the beautiful S-S family to create their custom Washington DC Family Portraits. As first-time photography clients they certainly made themselves at home in front of the camera, which made for beautiful images that captured their family’s personality and natural warmth.
I first met Neesa when she enrolled as a student in one of my Snap Happy workshops a several months ago. As with every workshop I teach, I gathered together with local moms and dads to walk them through the ins and outs of composing great images, empowering them with tips and tricks to polish up their own family photography skills. Neesa assured me that she was able to implement some of the strategies she learned in my class, but was eager to have some polished family portraits that included mom as well. So, she stepped out from behind the camera, gave me a call, and curled up on a picnic blanket with her husband, Benjamin, and daughter, Paloma, who was just 15 months old.
Paloma was at one of the best ages (in my humble opinion) for photographing. She was awake, attentive, and always staring down the camera with her gorgeous big brown eyes. Certainly, there are few things more heart-melting than a newborn baby all folded up in sleepy perfection, but I love to work with a firecracker like baby Paloma. She was an easy smiler and her few pearly whites shone through on almost every frame.
The first Washington DC Family Portraits session that Neesa and I had scheduled fell through as a result of Paloma feeling a bit under the weather. However, the calendar change rewarded us with a beautiful, sunny afternoon. As moms and professionals, we all try to keep a handle on our schedules as much as possible, but inevitably there are wrinkles in the plan: kids aren’t feeling well, rain clouds roll in, baby acne crops up, or some other unforeseen obstacle appears out of nowhere. In those cases, rescheduling a photo session is always a possibility. More often than not I’m able to shuffle things around and accommodate my client’s needs.
As my last mini-session from the fall, I couldn’t have asked to end the season on a higher note. Paloma is already growing up fast, collecting more pearly whites to add to her smile, gaining speed on her tiny legs, and learning to fly in her daddy’s arms.
About the Photographer and Author:
Julie Kubal is a child and family portrait artist and photographer serving Washington DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia. She is passionate about creating warm and meaningful artwork through modern portraits and lifestyle photography at a location of your choice!