All Smiles

Little JJ wasn’t sure what to make of things when I arrived for the family’s portrait session earlier this month.  He was curious as I set up my equipment, and once we started with the family portraits he warmed up to full on smiles!

JJ & I played peak a boo, and tickles, and he loved when I pretended to hide in plain sight.  He also loved it when Daddy snuck behind me and made silly faces.

He’s definitely ”Daddy’s Little Man” – and this little man is about to become a big brother in February too!

By the end of the session, we were friends. He helped me carry my equipment out to my car, and even gave me a hug before I left. Enjoy some of my favorites (And Mommy & Daddy’s too).

 

 

At the Nutcracker

For over a year now my goddaughter has been fascinated with The Nutcracker Ballet (and dance in general).

She’s recently started dance classes and with the Nutcracker obsession still burning, I decided to send her and her best friend to the ballet as a Christmas gift.  She’s never been to the theater, and last summer was the first time she’s seen a dance show in person.

So this trip was going to be special. It was going to be at the gorgeous Segerstrom Center for the Arts and it was going to be her chance to see Clara and the Nutcracker in person.

We dressed the girls as “twins” for the day (they love dressing the same) and then us adults did too. It sure made finding each other easier in the crowds too!

And on the way to the theater, the girls were handed identically wrapped presents… they tore them open to discover that they each had a small wooden nutcracker of their own as a special souvenir of the day.

Nutcrackers in hand, we found our seats and as the performance began I could tell they were enthralled… the dancing was superb, and the performance was short enough to handle 4 year old attention spans while satisfying every desire of a child’s heart.

Afterwards, we were able to go out to the lobby and meet some of the characters (like the Sugar Plum Fairy and the flower princess)… and Santa too!

After we left, Giana declared that next year she wanted to go again… oh, and she wanted to go see the other shows they were having too like “Sleeping Beauty”!  I think the adventure was a success!

Patz Family – Christmas 2011

I have to start off by saying that this is the first time I have ever received apology notes from the children after a portrait session.

Mommy claims that they must have been replaced by shape-shifting  aliens, and once returned to their proper state the next day, she had them all sit down and write me an apology (for the youngest, she drew pictures).

I’ll share them at the end of the actual photos, because they were the most hysterical things ever.

Anyway, the kids really weren’t that bad…. sure there was some bobble head impersonations, and the usual limp boneless flop out of pose antics that most kids try at least once with a photographer…. but they settled down for mommy’s sake and we captured some really beautiful family moments.

And they’re growing their family portrait wall… and they have this great story to tell about “one time, when we were taking family portraits with Mrs. Stefanie…”

 

The “riot list” apology letter that I can’t read without laughing out loud:

The front of an apology card (that’s me with my camera; to each side of me are the flash strobes).  Note my positive attitude in the face of adversity

A picture of me? I love purple…

Spectacular Sisters – Christmas 2011

These beautiful sisters arrived for their portrait session looking like they’d just stepped out of a Christmas catalog – from the dress to their shoes to their perfectly curled hair, they were perfection for portraits!

We had a whirlwind mini session of giggles and laughter, and at the ordering session poor mommy agonized over the images – there were a whole lot more to pick from that she adored than she thought there’d be from ‘just a short mini session’ – but in the end these were a few of her favorites, and she’s started building her family portrait wall.

Next on the list, a family portrait!

Newborn Jaxsen

Jaxsen’s arrival was highly anticipated by all of his siblings.

Haley knew what she was getting into as the eldest and the lone sister among the boys.

Owen had already become a big brother once… he was prepared for another brother.

But Noah, as the youngest, was used to being the baby… and despite being dethroned, he’s welcomed his new little brother with open arms and a lot of curiosity.

And Jaxsen… well, he’s accepted the devotion as his due!

Enjoy some favorite images from his portrait session, all of which will be going into his special baby book that I’m in the process of designing for mommy!

 

 

McCarroll Family – Christmas 2011

When the McCarroll family came in for their portrait session I knew that we were going to have a lot of fun… I’ve yet to photograph them without a ton of giggles and this time was no exception.

Check out the full slideshow of images from their session on the Carlson Photography Facebook Page too!

 

Baby’s First Christmas

Gorgeous Paulina arrived for her portrait session with me having not napped to her fullest, but she was dressed to the nine’s in a gorgeous pastel ensemble, accented with the queen of all boutique hairbows made by Mommy.

This portrait session was a surprise Christmas present for Daddy, a special series of images of his girls.  Paulina rose to the occasion, and gave me a variety of fun expressions.  At 4 months old, she was just like a tiny little doll!

I look forward to photographing her next milestone: sitting up unaided!

Kaelan & Mattea – Christmas 2011

 

It is unfortunately impossible to showcase the metallic press papers in a web posting… you have to see their Christmas card design in person to truly understand the elegance of their design choices: the entire card glowed with the magic of Christmas…. and the kids sure were adorably cute too!

Not only do they photograph well, they’re a very sweet sibling duo – I couldn’t get them to play fight at all!

Here’s a couple favorites from their session – enjoy!

Brothers – Tyler & Trevor – Christmas 2011

Tyler and Trevor are “all boy” boys – rough and tumble, go-go-go-getters with active personalities… and quiet moments of contemplation too.   I got to see their more sensitive side in their portrait session where we focused on brotherly love and gentleness…. at least until I had them squish together on their tummies and then see who could know the other one over… oh, come on, they’re boys! You’ve gotta let them release that energy under controlled conditions for great photo results!

Enjoy some of my (and Mommy’s) favorites from their session.

Sebastian, Samantha & Stella – Christmas 2011

When Sebastian, Samantha, & Stella arrived for their Christmas portrait session, I ooh and awe’d over their outfits.  Not only had Mommy decided against the traditional red and green Christmas colors, the girls gorgeous blue dresses had been brought back from Mommy & Daddy’s trip to Hong Kong!  Very special outfits indeed.

The designed image to the right is from the front of their Christmas card – one of my favorite designs for this holiday season.  Enjoy some of these other favorite images from their mini-session – the kids did a great job!