Mango Street Photography

one of the many things i love about my job is that every day is different. each family i photograph has a personality, background, and story that is their own. i so enjoyed getting a glimpse into alex, lyuda, and roman’s story as they are still in their first year of living in the states after moving from ukraine! in fact, they took andrew and i out to dinner after their session (thanks again, guys!) and shared about their time here in america, and they even (very patiently) taught us some russian phrases. there is something so amazing about hearing another language, it gives me goose bumps. maybe it’s the simple reminder that the world is so much bigger than my circle, but i think there is also something tremendously wonderful about the beauty of language. back to the session. since roman was about to celebrate his 2nd birthday, this session was all about him and capturing life at age 2. enjoy a peek~

one thing i learned very quickly is that 2 year olds like to be on the go. roman definitely kept me on my feet, but i had a blast!

at some point, i think every little boy dreams of driving a train~

roman had such a great smile. when he was having a great time, everyone knew it!

i love that this picture shows roman holding onto both of his parents–such a picture of the partnership and teamwork that goes into parenting.

~

thanks again, guys, for everything! for sharing dinner with us and for giving us a glimpse into your story. we loved it!!

i had been hearing from mutual acquaintances about how fun this family is for the last couple of months, so when our session finally rolled around earlier this week, i was geared up for a great time. these kids did not disappoint! the wynns were amazingly comfortable and enthusiastic in front of the camera, and don’t get me started on how these 3 siblings interacted together–so loving and considerate. yes, i’m gushing, but it was great. i could go on (obviously), but i know you’re here to see the pics. without further ado~

one thing i thought was so cool about this session is that the mom let her kids choose their own outfits. it was great because they were comfortable in what they were wearing, their clothes showed a little more of who they are individually, and they looked wonderful!

i could easily take photos of this girl all day. not only is she absolutely gorgeous, but emily was the picture of serenity living in the midst of 2 brothers. i wish we could have chatted a bit more as i discovered she shares my love for reading~

another tidbit about this session? shot at their house–love love love it!

meet chris. after he told me that he was indeed not the family clown, i very quickly discovered otherwise. i had a fabulous time watching his energy and summer excitement, and i think this photo is so “him.”

this is a very musical family, and andrew is no exception. he knows how to rock it on the drums!

i’m pretty sure andrew had this smile on his face the entire time i was there.

so one great thing about doing a family session at your house is it is super easy to incorporate your dogs. well, you may have noticed a few dog shots in past posts, but it wasn’t until this session that i thought it would be fun to capture the process. these top two photos are so absolutely priceless, i almost like them better than the “official” shot. thoughts?

thanks again, guys! i had such a wonderful time with you~

when i pulled up to their house and saw their youngest sitting on the steps waiting for me, i knew i was in for a great morning. from the minute i arrived, this family welcomed me into their home, introduced me to their dogs, and made me feel like one of them. their enthusiasm for life was so much fun to be around and capture. enjoy their sneak peek~

we started here: gotta include the classic shot in front of the house…

i love natural emotions~

no one, dogs included, in this family was camera-shy.

when i asked the boys what they loved to do, the oldest said, “playing catch with my dad.” i love what that says about his relationship with his parents.

their youngest son, definitely the one who keeps the family laughing, wanted to do a series of goofy faces. love these.

chilling out in the living room~

the end.~

more sessions coming soon!

so this session was especially a treat for me because it was with one of my best friends from high school. when we met in 10th grade, we lived within walking distance and, thus, carpooled everywhere we went. i will never forget riding around together in my first car–a ‘73 datsun 240z. no air conditioning. my window that didn’t roll up. my door that didn’t close all the way and rattled constantly. and, yes. the holes in the floor boards so big that we could watch the road beneath us. i don’t know how we made it through those hot georgia summers, but somehow we did. we have tons of great memories together, but i will save those and fast forward to life today.

bev is now married, has an adorable son and lives in florida, but when they planned a trip up to atlanta recently, they scheduled a session to capture their family in their current phase of life. i’m so glad they did.

you know i love when a family chooses a setting that has meaning to them for their photos. well, this first location is a spot that jeremiah, bev’s husband, has great memories of visiting as a child. how fun to bring his family back years later.

the day was extremely overcast, but it kept the heat off of us!

even though you can’t see her face, i feel like this pic is so beverly.

i’m pretty sure it was at this moment when i realized i wasn’t looking through the lens at just another client and said, “oh my goodness, beverly!! you’re all grown up!!”

after a quick drive and wardrobe change, we arrived at location 2: the marietta square. i shoot a lot here because of the variety of buildings and textures, but it was particularly fun to be here since it is a special place for jeremiah and beverly. this courthouse is the spot where they got married, and this is the first time they have been back!

it was so hard to narrow these down for the post–i think bev is such a radiant mother.

i thought this was so cute–johnathan chowing down on jeremiah’s ear.

thanks again, guys! i had a great time spending time with you~

rewind to my second grade year and you will find a little version of me sitting enthralled with my teacher’s rendition of the characters of strawberry girl or another of the many books that she read aloud to us at the end of each day. mrs. demar was one of those teachers who was an easy favorite. well, fast forward amost 20 years, and you can imagine how thrilled i was when her son contacted me about doing photos for him, his wife, and their sweet boy. we met up at a local park and enjoyed watching the very expressive calvin, who i need to add was an amazing trooper for such a little guy. enjoy!

i’m loving this old tree~

we did lots of photos of the 3 of them interacting together, but let’s be honest. with a face like this, calvin stole the show.

in this one and the one below, calvin is playing airplane with his mom, liz. so fun.

evening sunlight is a beautiful thing.

so is a mom and dad who love playing with their son.

david is such a great dad! i love calvin’s pure joy here.

liz loving on calvin.

father and son~

and we’ll end with some serious cuteness.

i had a great time with you guys! thanks again for a wonderful evening~