This session was an absolute pleasure to do!  I promised this family (who actually happens to be my family) a first family portrait session at the baby shower, so it was fun to also have it be a “First Christmas” session, too.  And, since it was in Ohio in November, we didn’t know what kind of weather we would get.  It turns out we had a very pleasant, warm, and sunny day so we got two completely different looks during one session.  A couple days later… Snow…

The family resemblance is striking.  Sure, this adorable little girl with her clear blue eyes and incredible natural blonde mohawk is the spitting image of her mom, but she’s also the spitting image of her grandma and great-grandmother.  Not just in looks, either.  Each lady in this family has an extra measure of spunk and independence that has spurred them on.  I imagine baby girl will have the same fight in her to pull for right, defend family, and work hard to achieve what she knows is set out for her.  All of them have an enduring spirit in them that their family and fans all admire, because we’ve seen it used over and over again through circumstances that would make the rest of us fall.  And even if they fall, there’s the rest of the family that sits with them for a bit, then takes their hand, pulls them back up, and walks beside them until they can fan that enduring spirit back into a flame. The family resemblance is striking!

(Excuse me while I wipe away some tears…)

How fitting that we did the portrait session at the family farm, where this little girl is in the fifth generation to enjoy playing there, visiting her grandparents. I normally scout out a location ahead of time to know where I’m going to put the family and where the light will be at that time of day, but since I grew up visiting my grandparents there, it wasn’t really necessary.  I brought some battery-operated lights and giant outdoor ornaments and found a thick pine bough behind the farmhouse.  As soon as baby girl was up from her nap, we got to work.  I’m also glad I brought my stool because dad was a tall!  Ok… I’m short.  And dad was tall. 🙂  I borrowed a nearby wall mirror because baby girl was at the age where she is noticing her reflection, so I definitely wanted to capture that in their images.  To our delight, the farm cat waltzed right through the middle of their photos at one point!

The side porch of the farmhouse has been recently restored, so the family did a quick outfit change to also get some timeless images they could use on their living room wall. They loved my idea of a fall picnic, so I packed some hot cider and cream cheese frosted spice cookies for them.  They were very open to letting their baby girl try some sugar for the first time. Her reaction? More subdued than we thought, but she kept going back for more with a furrowed brow trying to figure out this new taste.  Once we got her cleaned up from that, we continued with the idea of family play time in some different spots.  She was delightful and clearly delighted her parents as well.

I’m still smiling and my cheeks are still sore – even after the session has ended, the images have been chosen, and the products delivered.  This one was just special.

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