My Family

After doing a few extended family sessions I realized that I didn't have any pictures of my own family.  How can that be?  I am pictureholic...!!  I decided it was time to change that.  


I knew that getting my family together to agree on colors, outfits, location, date and time was going to be a challenge.  Hiring a photographer at the last minute was going to be difficult and my family is not necessarily the cooperative type. I played it safe and chose one of my favorite locations and asked everyone to wear teal and blue.  I was going to do the portraits myself but  I couldn't get to creative or complicated with my brady bunch! 


At the time I didn't realize that doing our own portraits meant I should have prepared as if I was participating in a triathlon.  Set up the camera on the tripod, set up the flashes, pose everyone (and hope no-one moves....hummmm JORDYN), choke on the smoke from the coal fire 1 foot from where I was (someone decided to have a family barbeque right in the spot I wanted to take pictures), get everyone in focus, get them to actually focus,  give up my shoes or twist an ankle, and then run like the wind and hope that I arrived in time to fix my hair, stand up straight and smile before the bolt of flash went off.  Oh and then repeat all of the steps 10 more times because I didn't get there on time (nice picture of my back side), Jordyn moved, Christian sqooshed his mom, Lucas was not looking, my mom was yelling at me because I was screeming CHEESE, and the camera moved a few times.  Oh and did I mention I had 1 hour before sunset??


FUN TIMES!  They are not the greatest technically, composition wise and some of them were overexposed but it is my family and we had a great time doing them.  That is all that matters!! At the end we finished off wearing mustaches.  They were no longer listening to me, they were complaining like preschool kids, they took of their shoes and the mosquitos were having a five course meal with my very sweet sister....the mustaches were very appropriate at this time. These are some of my favorite bloopers...

    My family

My support

I don't usually post anything too personal on my blog or in fact anywhere else.  I am a pretty private person who has just recently embraced "social media".  I do however feel the need to say a few words about a person, who besides my mom, has been behind me every step of the way.  For those who know me very well they know that I can come up with the most outrageous and sometimes out of this world ideas or things that I want to do.  Not crazy in the college type of fun sense, but crazy as in deciding on a Thursday night that I want to leave the country for a few days and having no problem driving to the airport without any luggage and hopping on a plane.  


Thankfully I have him, my husband, in my life.  He keeps me grounded and well planted in the ground but he also allows me to be me.  I sometimes think that if I came home and told him I wanted to chase a rainbow all the way to the pot of gold he would get in the car with me to wherever I thought I was going.  Being very different from me (actually totally the opposite), I have been amazed how he has embraced who I am.  We have actually learned from each other and in the 8 years together I have become more grounded and mature and he has loosened up and had a thought or two about chasing a rainbow himself.  


He supported me in my decision to stay home raising our children because I decided one day that it was what I was supposed to be doing.  And he has supported me in my desire to go into photography, learn everything there is to know and figure out what it is that I want to do with it.  He comes with me on my sessions, carries my equipment, entertains all of my clients (the children LOVE him), and he listens to my hour rants about what I have learned and what I want to do (even though I know he is not in the least bit interested in photography).  


As a matter of fact, we all have days where we doubt ourselves and question the decisions we have made.    I am blessed that I have him to help me through these days and support me in my crazy dreams.  

Teenage Years

Our teenage years have to be one of the most challenging, confusing, exciting and memorable years of our lives. The Munoz siblings had great spunk and the type of chemistry that only comes with great care and love for each other.  These are some of my favorites.

Family Moments

There is nothing better than watching the chemistry between family members when you are photographing an extended family.  If it is anything like my family there is chaos, dyfunctional members, the occasional bickering but amongst it all... lots and lots of love.  


This family was exceptional.  There were laughing / talking the entire time and they all seemed to have a great time with each other.  It was truly a pleasure to be able to share this time with them.  

9 months old - Sandy toes and salty kisses

What's better than a squishy, 2 toothed,  9 month old???  One that has pizza feet!  When I was younger I was fascinated with babies feet.  They looked like the pizza they used to serve at my schools' cafeteria.  Flat on top with a mound on the bottom.  Turn it around and you have babies pizza feet!!!


Here is a great session I had today with my nephew.

Black and white

This beautiful family could not stop smiling and holding their 3 month old baby boy in their arms. It was a special session as 3 month old Dylan's father was leaving for service in just 5 days.  He will be away from his family and his son for 8 months.  They wanted pictures so that he could take with him while he is away. The tenderness and love transcends through every photograph I took.  I can't help but wonder how many times this picture will get his dad through the long hard days ahead. 


This is my I heart faces entry for the month of March's black and white photo challenge.  

www.iheartfaces.com

3 months old

I had the pleasure of working with the sweetest 3 month old baby last week.  He was such a sweet baby who decided he was not going to give us a smile.  I played the maracas, brought out toys, had parents jumping up and down. A few silly faces later and we captured some very sweet and tender moments.  It was truly a great experience.  So great that I came home asking my husband for a baby boy !!