How beautiful is this family?  Let me share the story behind these images.  Right around Christmas Tania contacted me about doing a family session which included her, her husband, her child and her husband's brother and sister.  The reason?  They wanted to surprise her Father-In-Law with updated family portraits which they haven't had done in YEARS. One of the first things I did was to take an individual photograph of each of the siblings.  Sometimes people are a bit hesitant to have individual portraits taken...it makes most folks uncomfortable to be the center of attention, especially in front of a lens.  But here's the thing...most folks end up LOVING these photos.  Why?  Because having a professional portrait done is WAY different than having a friend take your photo and it's also different than having your school portrait done.  I take time to explain how to stand, work through facial expressions and take advantage of the light. It doesn't take long, but it does take experience.  The two siblings on the left are still in high school. Both told me that they HATED their school photos so I set out to snag a perfect portrait for each.  Needless to say they were THRILLED with the outcome. Tania had run into me several years back at one of the Street Fairs in Highland Park.  She had signed up to be on my mailing list and had kept me in mind for future.  She contacted me a few weeks before her Father-In-Law's party and we set this session up for New Year's Day.

It was a bit chilly but they all handled it well...even the baby!

Tania's brother-in-law even braved "the wall".  This is one of my favorite photos...you see, it can be a bit scary getting out on this ledge.  There is water on both sides and it is only about 3 ft. wide - less in some parts.  Add to that the wind and cold - well - you get the idea!  But now he has a great story and an image to go along with it!   The main goal of the session was to get photographs of the three siblings and all variations of them.  It's really helpful for me to know the WHY behind any session BEFORE we start.  Since I knew going in that these photos would most likely be hung on a wall in some sort of collage on Dad's wall, I made a point of getting photographs that tell a story and that work well together. Just as we were finishing up I convinced Tania, who had her first child only 6 months prior, to get some photos of just her.  You've heard me say this before - I think it is SO IMPORTANT for women, especially MOMs to EMBRACE themselves.  We so often get lost in our children and day to day lives that we can easily forget who we are and what we are about.  Taking photo solo not only provide a little reminder that we are strong, confident and beautiful, but allow for a little self-indulgence which is important to do from time to time.  Now Tania has these beautiful photos of herself that she can share with her daughter. So there you have it.  What a great way to bring in the new year!!!  Happy 2017!