Family

The Smith Family – San Diego & Point Loma Blended Family Photography

This post officially catches me up on all my most recent work. Very appropriate considering I have a shoot tonight which will put me right back in the hole with staying up to date. I love working with this family. I love how much they love their animals and make them a part of their family. Animals in the family hold a special place in my heart, having two of my own and all. Can you tell I am running out of things to say? Doing multiple blog posts on the same day always has me running out of ideas. So go ahead and enjoy these next few photos. I do love an in home newborn session!

I am taking on a lot more extended family sessions lately. I could of like it. I enjoy the challenge of working with a large group and breaking down all the requested group photos. I love creating unexpected family moments and seeing how everyone interacts together. This was another rescheduled session as the rain persisted through May. We lucked out again when the rescheduled day proved to be the right decision. We are missing the sun since this session and I am hoping to see it again very soon.

I hadn’t heard from this family for a few years and this was year a reason to celebrate. Mom graduated from USD and it was time to update the family photos. She chose the most perfect location on campus. The weather that day confirmed our concerns about this rescheduled session. We originally had another date in mind and with the sun making an appearance, I felt good about changing the date. This was an easy little session with a ton of photo ops. Tell me what you think!

I have been making the joke that Jessie is a unicorn. Her pregnancy story could be a movie. She became pregnant not long after they started trying and when her labor began she didn’t even know it. She was actually at a party with her husband and friends while she was unknowingly in labor. The best part of their story is that she had to drive herself to the hospital that same night since the hubs had a few at the party and couldn’t drive. Can’t you just see this in a movie?! I met Jimmy and Jessie when they were still living in and around North Park. We belong to the same local winery and my Jesse and I would run into them from time to time. Side note, Jessie was a former intern of my Jesse at the county. I was surprised to learn that these two had not only moved out of the neighborhood but that they had also had a baby. How quickly things change! Like most newborn sessions, we kept it easy at home and worked out around the baby’s schedule. It was raining that morning but stopped long enough for us to go outside for a few pics. Do you see a theme going on around here lately? Rain and clouds go away!

The days have been gray around here lately. June gloom is lingering this year. I find the sunshine really does enhance my mood and all this cloudiness is really bringing me down. My dad has started doing weirder things because of his dementia. Most recently he’s been throwing his daily pills into his glass of water so you have to monitor his every move from the moment you hand over his meds. I’m finding myself without any patience and wanting to get away from him. Working helps bring me up but the dark cloud hangs over me as soon as I walk in the door. It’s a bad week this week and I’m not sure how to move through this funk. I am really hoping for a miracle and that somehow a room in assisted living will open and we can move on to the next chapter. Not quite the intro one would expect to introduce this fun and sweet family session but as I have made a promise to myself to bring a little more of myself into this blog, it is what it is. My take away from this post is that I am lucky to have repeat clients. Clients that force me to work and to forget even if for a short while that this thing I have taken on isn’t the end of the world. These are the clients that remind me that I am still my own person and that I do have more to give outside of all this stuff with my dad. Thank goodness for these people.

I am a huge fan of Rachel and Andrew’s little family of four. They are incredible to work with because of they way they allow things to unfold. Goofy faces and laughter have been a huge part of our sessions these last few years. They upped the ante back in April when I photographed them and their respective families. I’m a huge ding dong when it comes to directions so when Rachel’s dad said he wanted to meet at a spot near PetCo Park, I was sure I knew exactly where he meant. So I told the family to meet me outside of the restaurant that directly faced the area I thought they were referring to and once they all arrived I immediately learned that my location was not their intended location. This family rolled with it. We started shooting right away just inside of PetCo and then they all happily made the trek to the other side of the stadium to get to the bridge they all wanted to shoot at and then down the stairs past the bridge to the grassy area where Andrew and Rachel had done their wedding photos. This family is amazing. Thank you for your smiles. Thank you for your trust and thank you for not killing me when we all had to walk to a second location. Thank goodness for that amazing sunset!

The sun is out today and I always find it easier to get through the days with my dad. We’ve had more overcast days here lately than usual and it’s feels like I’m moving through mud when the sun doesn’t shine. I consider today to be a pretty good day. Nothing crazy going on but I got the chance to go to my barre class this morning, acupuncture for myself and my dad, dog park and ride on the scooter with my dad in tow to get a few errands checked off the list. Now that my afternoon is free I thought I might take the time to play blog catch up again. This family came to me through a referral. I share a mutual friend with Lisa, she was my point of contact for the session and she shared with me her excitement for all her family visiting from Chicago. The only thing I knew was that I would be photographing a group of 13 and that they had rented a place in Rancho Santa Fe that could accommodate everyone. What I didn’t know is that I would be meeting a group of people full of life, love, energy and a willingness to allow me to photograph them. I also didn’t know that the Airbnb they had booked was amazing! We started with the whole group and gave priority to the grandparents so they could sit back and relax during the rest of my time shooting. I could tell at the beginning of the shoot that the family shared a little concern for getting all the shots they wanted. This happens a lot with big groups. I get it. They don’t all know me and it’s hard to see how one person is going to suffice with all their requests. Not to mention they have no idea where my head is at and what I am planning on doing. I always go into every shoot knowing that I will get the “safe” shots and the happy smile at the camera photos. While these are not the most fun for me to take, they are always crowd pleasers. The exciting part for me comes when I get home and can send same day previews to the family. This is when they realize my whole vision and that perhaps they light up when they can actually see some of the more…

Extended family sessions are becoming a specialty of mine. I am doing more and more as the years go by and I am finding I love all the combinations and energy these sessions bring with them. The chaos, the laughter and the forced family time seem to create an experience that always leaves me wanting to become a part of these families. Nancy and Brandon are awesome clients of mine and since Nancy’s family was in town for a few days it seemed like just the right time to gather together for some photos. The fun part for me was that Nancy’s brother and his family had never done photos and I was surprised to find how natural they all were in front of the camera. I had the extra challenge of mid morning lighting on the beach and corralling all those crazy little boys but as always I had a great time and left with a smile.

I have never seen two happier people with their newborn. Jen and Johnny are special to me as I have known them for many years and have been photographing them since their engagement session. It has always been a special honor to document them as their lives change and grow. We have shared similar personal struggles in the loss of our pets and aging parents. They are kindred spirits and I hope to continue to cross paths with them as their journey continues. Jen is the most amazing interior designer so you can imagine my excitement to see their new home and all the amazing Jen had created. It did not disappoint. From the perfect placement of framed photos and art on the walls to the chic furniture choices and delicious pops of color, it was a field day for photos! Their giddy excitement and smiles was the icing on the cake and I could feel my heart bursting for them. I wish them all the best as they raise their son and I look forward to seeing more of them as he grows.

Adriana remains one of my most loyal out of town clients. She is huge fan of my work and I find her to be a most loving, patient and compassionate mother, wife and friend. It’s always wonderful to see her. This was a special session with her mother and daughter. Adriana has been very vocal about the struggles she faces with her son and his special needs. This trip was meant to be a girls weekend full of family and mother/daughter time in it’s many forms. She told me that one of her daughter’s favorite parks was in Coronado so we meet up on a foggy March morning for some snuggles, giggles and swings. The session was short and sweet way to start their weekend and last I heard, it was a huge success. I will be seeing Adriana and her family again this July and I’m excited to see what our next session will bring.