Some of my favorite sessions happen close to home, literally. This one took place entirely on our property here in Woodbridge, with different areas offering more backdrops than I expected. The shots with the kids happened in one part of the property. The rest unfolded in another, but more on that next week.
My friend Christina visits from Florida once a year with her son Joaquin, and this year the visit happened to land alongside my first year running this business. She and Joaquin were staying with us for the weekend. Her son is five, my boys are eight and four, and within minutes of arriving, the three of them were inseparable, fully occupied and fully uninterested in posing for anyone. Christina and I consider each other sisters, and we've always considered our boys cousins. Not technically true, but it's never once felt like an exaggeration.
I always go into a session with a real plan, a sense of the shots I want, the light I'm chasing, the order that makes sense. That habit runs deep in me. I plan elaborate itineraries for my own travel and for my day job, and I've learned that the best experiences come from thorough planning paired with room to follow what's actually unfolding. This session was a good example of both at once.
Christina and Joaquin had brought lovely outfits for the visit, a denim dress for her, a dark shirt and pants for him. When I saw what they'd packed, I liked it, but I also wanted to lend them a few pieces I thought might work even better, and once I saw them in my choices, I knew my instincts had been right. It's pushed me to start curating a proper client wardrobe, a small collection of pieces I can offer clients during sessions, which I'm in the process of putting together now.
Getting a five-year-old into someone else's clothes took some negotiating, but I've learned how to work with young kids rather than against them. I kept Joaquin just long enough to get the frames I needed, then let him return to his cousins.
These are some of my favorite frames from the year so far, golden light, a boy finally let loose to just be a kid again. Next week, I'll share the second half of this session, a quieter set from elsewhere on the property, just Christina and me.
If this resonates with you, the warmth, the realness, a session that feels like an afternoon rather than a production, I'd love to talk. I'm a family and couples photographer based in Woodbridge, CT, serving New Haven, Orange, Milford, and Hamden.
