Mini Session: The K Family

It was so special photographing this sweet family again — this time we met up at Vina Castellano, a beautiful vineyard and winery in Auburn. I first met the K Family at a local preschool when our oldest boys were four years old. Now those 7-year-old boys are playing soccer together on Saturday mornings. And coincidentally, their younger siblings (both 3 years old) are currently attending said preschool and had fun playing together at last Saturday’s soccer game.

Time marches on, doesn’t it?!

Mini Session: Headshots for Raquel

Did you know I take head shots? Most of the time, it’s during a family session, and I’m always happy to take a new head shot for mom or dad. Or both! This time, though, I was able to dedicate 20 minutes to taking photos of this beauty, Raquel, as well as a few shots with her mom.

After Raquel viewed her photo gallery, she sent me this message through Facebook: “Jennie! Thank you! You did an amazing job! We love the pictures.”

It doesn’t get much better than that. I’m happy that Raquel and her mom are happy!

Mini Session: The F Family

I started off my afternoon of mini sessions at Vina Castellano Vineyards with this adorable family of three. Mom is an elementary school teacher who is friends with my husband’s cousin — and she is also a teacher!

Isn’t this little guy the cutest?!

He is 10 months old — with the drool to prove it.

This is one loved little boy.

Tutor Totter Preschool Photos

This was my third year photographing the preschoolers at Tutor Totter Preschool in Auburn.

And can I just say that 2, 3 and 4-year-olds are some of my absolute favorite subjects?!

Yes, they can be wildly unpredictable. You never know if they are going to smile or cry or run away. (No runners this year, thankfully!) That just means I have to bring my A-game with silly stories and jokes and of course, candy, at the ready.

This year, for the first time, I offered proofs to parents so they could choose which pose (#1, #2, or #3) they liked best. Choice is a good thing, yeah?!

And even though parents had to chose their one favorite pose for the prints, they also had the option to purchase a larger package or buy digital add-ons if they wanted all three digital files.

These two cuties — my daughter, Bethany, and a sweet boy named Hank — were all smiles and giggles.

Hello My Name is Jennie

Like most photographers, I would much prefer to be behind the lens than in front of it. BUT late this summer, I realized that it had been several years (read: 5+ years) since I’d had professional head shots taken, so I reached out to Aimee of Aimee O’Brien Photography.

Aimee and I met up last month outside Nevada City, and she snapped photos of me in two outfits.

This is definitely the more casual and comfortable of the two — and it’s what I don for nearly every client photo session.

Dark-colored blouse and dark-colored skinny jeans (no color casts coming from me) and boots.

Boots for two reasons:

1) My feet are notoriously cold.

2) You never know what kinds of critters might be out in nature alongside you as you shoot. (Yes, it’s true! I almost stepped on a snake once, and of course, I was wearing Converse tennis shoes at the time, not boots.)

I’ll be sharing more of my head shots and more about me in future blog posts. A big thanks to Aimee for making the experience both easy and fun!

The A Family

One of the most common questions I receive is: Do you photograph newborns?

Truth is, my response is typically no…and I go on to happily recommend three photographers who are absolute PROS at taking photos of newborns.

Why?

Because when most people think of newborn photography, they imagine photographs taken indoors with beautiful wraps and headbands and backdrops and miniature beds and baskets and of course, lots of adorable poses.

When my daughter was born in 2015, that’s what I was envisioning, and so I reached out to photographer Kathleen Galloway who has photographed many newborns.

But as a photographer, I don’t do that kind of newborn photography.

I much prefer (and have come to adore) this kind of newborn photography.

The outdoors kind with just a few simple items: a blanket or two and a basket and a baby dressed in neutral-colored clothing or wraps.

The kind with siblings close at hand, often loving on their new baby brother or sister.

That’s what this session at a private park in Auburn was all about.

Lifestyle newborn photography is what it’s often called, and I absolutely dig it. Especially for families that are expecting their third, fourth or fifth child.

Less stuff, less stress.

And more emphasis on the baby, the kids and the family — and the love they share.

The K Family

This is the second time I’ve photographed this family of five, and it was such a treat to spend time with them again. (Repeat clients rock!) We met up at a park in Lincoln, and when I first saw them, I immediately thought what a fantastic job Mom did dressing everyone in various shades of blue, dark brown, and mustard yellow/tan. Especially given that she only scheduled this photo session one week earlier! (Don’t worry, I shared this compliment with her.)

This family is so kind and easygoing and fun! Thank you, K family, for another enjoyable evening together. Let’s do it again sometime!

Twins' Cake Smash Session

Cake smash sessions are THE BEST! Am I right?!

Especially when there are, not one, but TWO adorable babies involved!

Scroll on down and you’ll see how much these girls loved eating CAKE by the LAKE.

Location | Bywater Hollow Lavender Farm, Lincoln, CA

The R Family

It’s not very often that I get the opportunity to photograph a family with older kids — in this case, two college-aged young men. It’s a totally different dynamic when the parents (and I) are not having to run after young kids and jump up and down crazily and make silly faces. Oh, and I didn’t have to bribe anyone with candy — although at the end of the session both brothers said they would have gladly taken any candy I’d offered. :-)

Bywater Hollow Lavender Farm did not disappoint, and everyone in this family was so KIND and down-to-earth and easygoing! My kind of peeps, for sure. (Thank you, Christa, for recommending me to the R Family!)

I hope to take more photos with this fine family in the future!

The S Family

I LOVED photographing this family of six at Bywater Hollow Lavender Farm in Lincoln.

FOUR girls…can you imagine?!

The BIG girls were super cooperative and helpful and sweet, and the LITTLE girls were adorable.

The lavender farm has so many pretty places to take photographs — areas with grass and trees and if you’re there in May and June, the lavender is blooming! There area also split log fences and TWO ponds, one of which has a dock and canoe. (Obviously, there were TOO many little ones to try out the canoe during this session!)

Thank you, S Family, for a fun photo session! Let’s do it again soon!

The G Family

I met Jane years ago in Mountain Moms and Little Folks, and I’m so glad I had a chance to photograph her sweet family this year. We met up at the Bernhardt Museum in Auburn in the late afternoon.

As you’ll see, both girls were SUPER ticklish and giggly and full of energy, which made my job pretty darn easy.

And the white color of the house is perfect for individual shots — even mom got a head shot for work! (I’m always open to taking a head shot or two during a full session; just ask!)

Thank you, G family, for a FUN photo session! Let’s do it again next year!

My Niece, Quinn

This is my adorable niece, Quinn, who was born May 15, 2019.

At the request of her mama, I snapped a few images while we were visiting Texas in late June.

This girl LOVES to sleep (you wouldn’t know it by looking at these photos, though!), LOVES her pacifier (she cried every time we took it out), and is so LOVED by her mama, daddy and big sister. And of course, ME!!! (And the rest of her extended family.)

Welcome to the world, Miss Quinn! You are a blessing.

Summertime

It’s officially {but not officially} summer here in Northern California! My son just finished first grade, and he is super excited that summer is here! My 3 1/2 year old daughter is excited that her brother is now home every day.

During the summer, my kids love to play outside, whether it’s squirting each other with water guns, blowing bubbles, drawing with chalk, jumping on the trampoline, or playing in the sandbox. And inside, we enjoy putting puzzles together, painting, reading books, playing with Play-Doh and building with Legos.

But I also like to get out of the house and play/do/see/learn/experience NEW things in June, July, and August. And if I’m really being honest: Being out and about helps me keep my sanity (and enjoy some adult interaction) when my husband is working long shifts.

Below are some activities that my kids and I love to do during the summer months.

VISIT THE LIBRARY | My kids and I regularly visit the library during the school year because well, we really LOVE books. But we also go in the summer time to participate in our library’s summer reading program. Our local libraries host activities such as movie nights, puppet shows, slime-making events, animal shows, and live music.

LISTEN TO BOOKS ON CD OR PODCASTS | We enjoy listening to books on CD in the car as we drive to karate or gymnastics classes. (And yes, we check out them out from our local library!) If we don’t have a book on CD to listen to, I put on a podcast episode. The kids enjoy Big Life Kids, Story Pirates and The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian.

SEE A MOVIE | Regal Theaters offer $1 movies for kids and their caregivers every Tuesday and Wednesday morning at 10:00 A.M. We saw Despicable Me this morning with friends. Thank you, Regal!

GO SWIMMING | We don’t have a pool at our home, so we often swim in one of our local public pools, in a nearby lake or river or at our neighbor’s pool.

PLAY AT THE SPLASH PAD | Just ten minutes from us is a small splash pad that the kids really enjoy on hot days. We bring along two plastic buckets for water play and a few sticks of chalk, and the kids are entertained for at least 30 minutes.

PLAY AT THE PARK | We love to meet friends (usually before 11:00 AM when it is still relatively cool outside) at the park for a snack and some play time!

RIDE BIKES | We live in a rural area with lots of hills, so we often ride bikes at the elementary school, the middle school or on the walking trail at the park. Another option I just learned about is the fairgrounds. The Nevada County Fairgrounds is open (and free!) to walkers and bikers {almost} every day. Just enter through Gate 4.

ATTEND A SUMMER CAMP | Our son is excited to attend a sports camp with a few of his friends in July. The camp is offered through our local parks and recreation district. In the past, he’s participated in a British soccer camp, a Lego camp, and a space themed day camp.

TAKE SWIM LESSONS | Every summer, we enroll our kids in swimming lessons at the beginning of the summer. This summer is no different — the kids have swim lessons all next week at a local high school pool.

PAINT ROCKS | I’m not sure which activity the kids like better: Painting the rocks or hiding them in our local downtown area.

PARTICIPATE IN A PARADE | Last summer, our kids loved riding their bikes in our town’s 3rd of July parade. The night before the parade, they decorated their bikes with American flags and red, white, and blue streamers and bells (all from Target and Dollar Tree stores).

TAKE A HIKE | Living in the foothills, we are fortunate to have a plethora of walking trails nearby. Our daughter doesn’t always want to walk the whole way, though, so we often bring along a hiking backpack.

FIND A GEOCACHE | Have you ever tried geocaching? This week was our FIRST time ever searching for a geocache (or hidden container), and while it was challenging to locate it, we received some much needed help from a park ranger. Thank you, Ranger Lynch! To get started geocaching, just download the “Geocaching” app on your phone (it’s FREE), and search for geocaches near you. (Look specifically for “easy” geocaches that have been found recently!)

And here are a few activities that we haven’t tried yet, but hope to this summer.

GO BOWLING | Did you know that kids can bowl for FREE during the summer months? Yes, it’s true! At participating locations, kids ages 2-18 can bowl two games EVERY DAY from April 15 to August 19. Pretty sweet, eh?! I just signed my kids up! Go to kidsbowlfree.com for a list of participating locations and to sign up.

MAKE SOMETHING | Michael’s Art Stores offers Camp Creativity on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 AM to Noon from June 10-July 26. It’s just $3 per child to make a craft! Each week there is a new theme. We hope to attend a session in July!

What do you and your kids like to do during the summer time? Please COMMENT below!

Texas Minis | The M Family

I was honored to be able to take my youngest sister’s maternity photos again.

Isn’t she just glowing?!

Such a pretty mama.

I also took photos of E by herself, and with her mama and daddy.

I love, love, love this photo of Kate and Ellis looking at one another. Such authentic connection and gorgeous light!

E’s giggle is the BEST!

Thanks, P, for being a great sport and hamming it up for the camera. Two peas in a pod!

I’m so glad I was able to capture images of this family of three in March because just two months later, they became a family of FOUR! Congrats, M Family!

Texas Minis | The C & K Families

While I was in Texas visiting my youngest sister and her family, I had the opportunity to photograph my cousin, her husband, and their 4-year-old son, along with both sets of their parents.

They drove over an hour and a half to take photos with me, and I SO appreciate them making the long trip.

I enjoyed getting to see all of them! Because I live in California and they live in Texas and New Mexico, we really only see each other at weddings and funerals. And meeting my cousin’s husband’s parents for the first time was a treat!

C is the SWEETEST 4-year-old boy who listens and follows directions so well.

Seeing the bond that C has with his maternal grandmother (who lived with him for awhile recently) was precious!

Texas Minis | Mother & Daughter

This was the first time I photographed this beautiful baby girl. She was just SIX months old.

At the time, in 2015, I was attending MeRa Koh’s Confidence workshop in Dallas, and Mom Ashley brought her adorable daughter, Milania, to model for us.

Gosh, she was the CUTEST baby!

Fast forward to March 2019, and Milania is now FOUR! She loves playing soccer year-round (Texas has spring soccer leagues — so awesome!) and watching hockey.

M and her mom were SO much fun to photograph! They brought tons of energy to their photo session — which from a photographer’s standpoint is totally AWESOME! It makes my job SOOO easy! M and her mom chased each other around the grass, tickled one another, made silly faces, and just generally had fun together! Plus, Mom brought Sour Patch Kids for smiles (and big eyes!), and M earned every.single.one.

Thanks, you two, for a fun mini-session! Let’s do it again sometime!

The B Family | Little Bear Tree Farm

The first weekend of December, I met up with a family from the Bay Area at Little Bear Tree Farm in Alta. I’ve known mom Shannon for many years — her uncle married my aunt back in the mid-80s— and thanks to Facebook, we’ve been able to stay connected.

Shannon asked me to join her family at Little Bear Tree Farm to document their tree hunt and snap some family photos. A great idea, right?!

And she dressed her family in the CUTEST red and black buffalo plaid shirts! So appropriate for a tree farm photo session.

Have you been to Little Bear Tree Farm? It’s such a charming place. Shannon nailed it when she said it could easily be the set for a Hallmark Christmas movie!

We arrived a few minutes before the farm opened, parked, and then bundled up in warm jackets. There was snow on the ground — an unexpected, but welcome, surprise!

We all rode up the mountain in the back of an old Jeep, and then I followed Shannon and her family around the farm as they picked out their “perfect” Christmas tree. It was snowy and rainy at times, but the plastic bag I had wrapped around my lens kept my gear dry.

The more sessions I do, the more I realize that my favorite time is when I get to capture moms playing with their kiddos or dads having fun with their daughters and sons. It’s when they are chasing each other or tickling one another or telling a knock knock joke or whispering “The thing I love most about you is…” that I find myself most in love with my job.

I know it’s April, but if you want to do a photo shoot at the Little Bear Tree Farm, let’s chat! Getting a date on the books soon (before your December weekends fill up) will ensure that it happens!

The B Family | Lincoln, California

I enjoyed taking photos of the B family last fall at a private residence in Lincoln.

Mom had been wanting photos of the whole family — the kids and grandkids — for YEARS, and after exchanging a dozen Facebook messages or so, we finally found a date that worked with everyone’s busy schedules.

And remarkably, every single person was ON TIME for the photo session! How did they accomplish that? Unbeknownst to me, Mom had told everyone to be there at 3:00 pm, instead of the REAL start time of 3:30 pm. Smart, eh?!

Second Shooting | Coloma Wedding

In October, I had the opportunity to second shoot for Megan Escheman Photography at a wedding in Coloma. The weather was perfect — and the beautiful American River served as the backdrop for the ceremony and reception.

During the golden hour, as the sun was setting, the lead shooter and I captured a few shots of the bride and groom embracing.

One of the things I love about second shooting is that I get to spend a lot of time capturing the details of the day, while the lead shooter works one-on-one with the bride and groom. (If you know me, you know I am a detail-oriented person!)

Generally, when I first arrive at a wedding venue as a second shooter, I capture the groom and groomsmen getting ready.

Then, if there is time before the ceremony, I will photograph the ceremony venue — before the guests arrive. And if the reception area is close by, I will take shots of the tables and place settings.

During the ceremony, I assist the lead shooter in capturing the wedding. As you can see, this bride and groom had a great sense of humor!

After the ceremony, I help the lead shooter with the shot list, making sure that she captures all of the formal portraits that the bride and groom desire.

This creative bride made her own wedding cake! Very impressive.

Congrats, Mandi & Don!

Fall Mini-Sessions | Bywater Hollow Lavender Farm

After my October mini-session schedule filled up, I had two more families request mini-sessions. I’d been wanting to try out Bywater Hollow Lavender Farm in Lincoln for some time, so I scheduled an afternoon of mini-sessions there in November.

I photographed four families in all; I’d taken photos of two of the families before, and two were in front of my lens for the first time.

As it turns out, I met ALL of these families through Mountain Moms, a wonderful group of parents and kids in the Sierra Foothills. I’m super grateful for the friendships I’ve formed through Mountain Moms, and for the clients I’ve gotten to photograph.

I look forward to photographing more families at Bywater Hollow Lavender Farm soon!

The W Family

The K Family

The B Family

The S Family