I first met and photographed this next family right after they became a family of three. It has been so great to watch little Ben grow. And now their family is about to grow a little more. Ben is going to make a great big brother! His job is going to start within the next week. Good luck Lori, I think you look incredible!! And I can't wait to meet your newest addition!

Last year this family was the first to go "urban" with me. The kids were so great...if you want to see their first go around click here
Little Leo joined the family 2 months ago...how lucky is he??!! Even though it was raining outside smiles were still beaming from Lily and Deuce. I can't wait until Leo is running to keep up with them!

As promised I was going to play blog catch up this week. I have been frantically working through images since I am heading out of town this morning for the long weekend. I am super excited to spend time with my family & friends on Orcas Island but I am also very excited to share a few more great families with you before I hit the road.
I really wanted to post a few from this next sitting so the Michele (who sent me such a nice email earlier in the week) wouldn't have to wait another day to get a sneak peak. There were definitely a few challenges with this shoot. The rain kept us confined to the great indoors an working with 6 month old twins that were just shy of sitting up unassisted. I have to admit I left their home a little discouraged that I may not have captured how beautiful this family is and I REALLY hate that feeling. But once I got home and could work through the images I was relived to find that I think we got some great shots. Hopefully I will have an opportunity to photograph this great family again as the twins grow and change. I do want to give a big shout out to big sister Ella. You were so cooperative and helpful...we couldn't have done it with out you! And I had so much fun with my few minutes alone with you. THANK YOU ELLA!
Michele, I hope you enjoy this little sneak peak and it will tie you over until you can see the rest.

Just two months ago I got to photograph the arrival of baby Chase. And last week I was lucky enough to photograph her again with her big sister, Zoe. It was a gorgeous day out so we went for a walk in their neighborhood. Zoe kept me fully entertained as she was game for anything. Allowing me to photograph their daughter's birth this family really holds a special place in my heart. I think they are such nice, solid people and I am so excited to watch their girls grow in the years to come.

I fell in love with Conner & Courtney about 5 minutes into our time together. We had a blast exploring the trails and hidden Japanese gardens & ponds. These kids are stunners!

I always enjoy going to a new spot to photograph. Even if it appears to be your typical park it is fun for me to find spots that can provide great variety & color. I had fun with little Arjun as he hunted down the biggest sticks to play with.
The image with his mom really puts a smile on my face because it was so much fun to watch him wiggle and giggle so hard. Such a cutie!

People sharing their thoughts

Kerri made my day yesterday when she was picking up her canvases. And then she did it again this morning. I often get compliments regarding my photography (which of course I love) but as Kerri was leaving with her canvases and prints she stopped to tell me how impressed she is with how I run my business. It meant so much to me. I have and do work really hard to set my photography business apart from the countless number of photographers by providing a top level of service and products. I loose so much sleep worrying that I am not giving my clients what I feel they deserve when they invest in photography for their family.

I woke up this morning to an email from her that I could not be more thankful for her sharing her thoughts with me. It was a great way to start my busy day. I would like to share a few lines from Kerri with you.
"Tara, the canvases and prints turned out incredible. Thank you! I love that I was able to achieve the best of both worlds - classic black and white shot of the girls combined with urban photos with bright splashes of color. I am so happy with the results and so is Phil - thank you! I'm so glad we worked with you because what we got was 3 amazing pieces of art for our home! And, black and whites as well. I just bought all new frames tonight so I can't wait to frame them and display them.
I'm now torn between what I am most impressed with - your creative work or the way you run your small business impeccably. Super impressive."
Thank you Kerri!

Then later today I got an email from a mom that I just met and photographed her family on Sunday. She thanked me for coming to photograph them and then after seeing my recent post on my waning energy shared these words with me...
"Please don’t get worn out or tired of taking pictures! I think you are great at what you do and everyone I know that you have photographed their family loves you and your memoires that you create for them."
Thank you Michele. All these nice thoughts that you all share with me mean so much.

So that is it for my ramble. As I finally head to bed all I can think about is how lucky I am to do what I do and to have the best clients ever!

I am in the midst of crunch time for the holidays and I have to admit my energy is waning a bit but then as I sit down to write this entry what comes to mind w/ this next family is how great my clients are and it reminds me of how lucky I am and it motivates me to continue working hard to give everyone images they will love forever.
The Salazar family was referred to me by one of my favorite clients, Janiel. I now photograph many of her friends' and neighbors' families and every time I meet a new family that knows her I am amazed at how much I like them. Janiel, thank you for passing me on to all your fabulous friends!
The Salazars met in South Africa where she is from and they knew where Lesotho was...so I knew right away I was going to enjoy my time w/ them. Their girls were great & braved the cold morning incredibly well. It was obvious how much love this family has for each other and how much fun they have together.