Fall Family Photos | Roseville Child and Family Photographer

I loved every minute I spent photographing this beautiful family of 5 this past Fall at Roseville Central Park (becoming one of my favorite spots for photo shoots).  This day followed suit to the rest of the gorgeous weather we were having in October with a warm sunny day.

Mom and Dad wanted some fun family pictures to document their youngest turning 2 years old.  Right up my alley...a 2 year old little boy, just like my own.  They even brought a super fun prop given to them by the kids' grandfather, an old fire engine toy truck.  How cool is that?!?

His 2 older sisters were so silly and giggly and had that sister/best friend bond that was palpable.  Their silliness made for some great pictures!  Photo shoots don't have to be torture for the kids.  Let them relax and have fun and make it enjoyable.  These unposed, unexpected, unrehearsed moments are the pictures you'll cherish forever.  Trust me.

And of course...there is nothing like ending a great photo shoot with a little playtime at the fountain, which all kids are drawn to at this particular location.  Just a tip moms and dads...if you choose this location, bring a towel and some spare clothes, just in case. ;-)

3 Month Baby Portraits | Crystal Baby Photographer

This may end up being another post about how MN has seen one of the most gorgeous and warm Fall seasons we have had in years. 

I remember several years ago when it was about 75 degrees outside on Halloween, I'm pretty sure my parents had a record number of kids ringing their doorbell that evening.  These warm October nights were so much different than the Halloweens I had growing up.  We had to wear layers upon layers of t-shirts and sweaters underneath our Halloween costumes to stay warm when we went out trick-or-treating after the sun went down taking the little warmth of the day with it.  Often times we sloshed our way through the snow to get our Snickers and Peanut Butter Cups.

No, this past Fall was beautiful.  Warm, dry and sunny.  So warm in fact we broke record average temperatures for the entire month of October.  It made for some of the best weekends ever for us fellow photographers who couldn't have dreamed up better weather.

On one of those warm Fall days, dressed in Summer clothes and bare feet, I met up with some cute little sisters to document the youngest turning just 3 months old.  Enjoy!

Little Miss Bryn, Newborn | Minneapolis Baby, Child and Family Photographer

I wanted to get this session blogged as I have another session with this beautiful family coming up this weekend.  I love, love photographing for families with newborns, a) because I get the pleasure of just being around a cute, squishy little baby and b) I get the honor of documenting them grow and change, even within just 2 short months.

This session was my 2nd session with the "T" family.  The 1st session, you may remember, was from earlier in the summer when mom was pregnant with their 2nd child and they wanted a fun, laid back family photo session to document that time in their lives.  They had recently made a huge move from Seattle to Minneapolis and were anxiously awaiting the arrival of their baby girl.

Fast forward to October where we welcomed Little Miss Bryn to complete this family of 4.

Of course, we also wanted to capture Bennett enjoying his first Minnesota Fall playing in the leaf pile Daddy had just raked up for him.  Do they have a Fall like this in Seattle?

Looking forward to seeing everyone this weekend and to see how well they are all getting along with their first Minnesota winter!

A Baby Shower | Blaine Small Event Photographer

So, one of my winter projects is to get caught up on blogging some of my past photo sessions.  I literally have 20 sessions to blog about just from October alone...this may take a while.

One of my favorite sessions was a baby shower I got to shoot the first weekend of October (mom has since had her baby...congrats, Gina!)  We were blessed with the most beautiful October weather Minnesota has seen in a very long time, so before the party started we quickly went outside and took advantage of this, and some gorgeous lighting.  I got some shots in of the parents-to-be before daddy-to-be had to go. :)

The party was hosted by Gina's sisters, Angela and Tanya, who put a lot of thought into every detail of celebrating the arrival of Gina's first baby girl.

Baby games were played, prizes were given and fun was had by all!

Gina's mom made the most terrific chicken salad to go along with an array of deli meats and cheeses, fruit and veggies, and of course, cake for the guests (yummmmmmm....)

Congratulations to Gina and Daryl on the arrival on their baby girl!

I Heart Faces - On Your Feet

My favorite subject...FEET!  Yes, I love feet.  I love toes.  Especially soft, chubby little baby feet and toes.  I Heart Faces newest challenge is feet. :)

And I've always loved this one...