Jessica, Mike, Shoshana, and Samara are almost 5! Lifestyle Family Photo Session

There’s something really special about lifestyle photography, which is why I’m moving towards it more and more in my work.  And there’s something even more special about a family that allows you to capture it. 

We’ve been conditioned to seek that perfect family portrait where everyone is looking and smiling at the camera, and yes, I can nail that shot for you.  But those shots are lacking in feeling and connection, which makes them a good snapshot of your family in time, but let’s face it, are rather boring.  Then you have these.  In each one, the family is playing, and loving, and connecting, and having fun with each other, and when you look at these images, you can feel it.  It gives me the goosebumps to describe it!  And that’s what I want to capture in my imagery.  I want you to look back at your photos and not only remember what you looked like, but what it felt like.  I want mom to feel those little hands on her head or on her cheek, and I want dad to remember those little arms around his neck and the hum of laughter in his ear. 

This family was an absolute joy to photograph!  I think their images tell their story much better than my words ever could.  And sessions at Wynwood (one of my favorite places to photograph families) really lend themselves nicely to child-led family fun.  Sessions at Wynwood go something like this:  Hey – see that wall over there – I love it!  Why don’t we gather in front of it and hang out… hang out… snap snap snap… kids lose interest… Let’s go exploring … Hey – look at that one!…

Mother and Son at Wynwood Walls

This is a very special pair for me to photograph.  This little guy is my son’s best friend since preschool, and through their friendship, his mom is one of my best friends.  She is a very special person with a big heart, and she’s very comfortable with me and in front of my camera.  This allowed me to capture her special love and bond with her son as we explored the artful walls in Miami’s Wynwood district.  So You you two!!

My Life: Travel to Colorado – Denver and Breckenridge Summer 2016

Michelle and I were born on the same day in the same year, twins we say, but to different mothers on different coasts.  We met our Freshman  year at college in NYC, and have been friends since!  Since we live so far, it makes us logical travel buddies as there are plenty of places to meet up!  This time, we planned to get together with our families in a city neither family had explored, as close as possible to the middle of the country.  Since we’re both from hot climates (Ft Lauderdale, FL and LA, CA), we wanted to pick somewhere that would be cooler. 

There was a lot of beauty on this trip.  Beautiful scenery, beautiful blue skies and white puffy clouds, beautiful sunshine, beautiful families, beautiful moments, and I think these photos capture some of that.  I shot with my Canon 6D and a Yongnuo 35 mm f2 lens with no flash (available light only).  I also managed to hand off the camera a few times so I appear in a few too!  There are many photos, and I could easily break this down into several blog posts by day, but here we go in one long digest.  Grab a drink, sit back, and enjoy!

Day 1:  Travel, Tiny Town, Drive to Breckenridge
We flew into Denver on Thursday after work and spent the night there.  The next morning, we went to Tiny Town and enjoyed our drive through the mountains on our way to Breckenridge.

All the road signs we don’t see at home!
We pulled off the road to explore this stream.


Day 2:  Hike, Breckenridge Summer Fun Park, Playing Catch
We started the next day with a short hike behind the house where we were staying before heading up to the Breckenridge Summer Fun Park at the bottom of Peak 8.

There were many fun things to do here today.  We rode an alpine slide and an alpine roller coaster (uh-mazing), played mini golf, mined for gems, and jumped on a bungee trampoline.
Apparently, Michelle’s boys travel with a baseball and glove.  What a great idea!!  We had a blast playing catch before dinner.  And I am obsessed with the light in this next shot.

Photo credit for the pic on the right goes to Ben.  I’ve trained him in how to focus and compose.  He had the camera while I was throwing the ball, and said this little guy came up to him with a big grin, so he snapped the shot, and what a great shot it is!

Day 3:  Biking Vail Pass to Frisco, Drive back to Denver
This bike ride was definitely a highlight of the trip for me.  A friend from Florida had posted a photo of her bike ride a few weeks before, so I asked about it.  Her description was spot on, and we followed in their footsteps!  The bike rental company takes you to the top of Vail Pass in a van, and then you ride the 14 miles downhill.  Except for a bit of pedaling through Copper, it’s pure coasting downhill through the gorgeous mountains on a paved path with the wind in your hair (or through your helmet).  It was an absolute pleasure.

We went to Jazz in City Park when we arrived back in Denver.  We were a bit too far to enjoy the music, but the kids had fun playing catch again.


Day 4:  Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Rockies Baseball Game
The home where we stayed in Denver had a pool table, which the kids loved.

They had a great time at the science museum exploring Space, Nature, the body, gems, and a children’s exploration area.

For this body challenge, whoever could be the most relaxed would force the ball into their opponent’s goal.
We had dinner at the 16th Street Pedestrian Mall before heading over to the game for a great ending to a great trip!
A homerun came our way!  Check out the screen shot from espn.com and our crew checking out the replay on the cel phone!