52 Weeks of 2013 - Week 23

It's not easy being the middle child; not the baby, not the older responsible one. Throw in being tired and having a long day at school and all of a sudden life can seem SO hard. When a strong willed, middle child feels hard done by, or even wronged, it can sometimes lead to storming off, or even a little fit, of sorts.

Sometimes a mother, who is just as tired, has very low tolerance for such antics and is happy to let said child spend time on her own in her room. Thankfully though, there is a wonderful daddy who can recognize that maybe that same child actually just needs a bit of extra attention and one-on-one time and all of a sudden the joy and laughter is restored.

I am so grateful for a husband who does not see things as black-and-white as I do, who has compassion and grace for his children, in different ways than I. I am grateful too, for this daughter who holds so much promise and really does bring so much happiness to our home.

It was wonderful to walk in and see this sight and just step back and be able to document it.

52 Weeks of 2013 - Week 15

 We were in Texas last week, visiting my husband's family and I of course had to take photographs of us all while we were there. I love the relationship that my husband has with our kids. I love that they each know how special they are to him, in their own ways. I love capturing family connections, especially mine!

I know they will all look back and cherish these one day, even if (gasp, wait for it) they weren't initially excited and overjoyed that I wanted to take them. There's always a little bit of resistance, then we get into it and have fun and before they know it we're just hanging out and laughing and loving together. Photo shoots do not have to be stiff and posed and formal, especially when you have young children involved. They should be able to capture you, as you really are, together.

We even were able to get a whole family shot thanks to my sister-in-law, Cathy Cannan Nance, also a photographer who came along for the ride. Yay! That makes me so happy.

Of course, because horses are such a novelty to us, I had to get some horsey shots too. We were losing light rapidly, but they really are such amazing creatures.

Nelson Family Sneak Peek {Marin County Family Portrait Photographer}

We all mean to have family photographs taken on a somewhat regular basis. We know our children are growing and changing daily and that by next year they will be in a completely different stage. It will be harder to remember exactly what our family is like now, a year from now. Life does not slow down and before you know it more time has passed than you would have liked.

I love looking at our family photos from over the years, seeing the changes and the progression. I love helping to capture that for others. These are important memories and times worth capturing!

This lovely family have had a tough year. An adoring mom, who truly found real joy in her family; her children, who cherished being a stay-at-home-mom like few I know, was forced to return back to work. I know it was not what she would have chosen, but sometimes difficult decisions are forced upon us. She and her husband are a team though and she recognized that this was what had to be done. It's at times like these when we cling to what matters most: our faith, our family and friends. Life is not always going to be easy, we were never promised that.

I love the love that they have for each other, that at the end of the day, they are each others safe place. I am so glad that this shoot finally took place. It was a beautiful evening, with gorgeous light, for this beautiful family.

It was hard to narrow down a few for this post, but here is a sneak peek. Enjoy!

The Engels' Sneak Peek {Bay Area Family Portrait Photographer}

Our first shoot date we were rained out, but the following weekend we could not have asked for a more beautiful morning. This adorable family, not only got up at the crack of dawn, they even bathed their kids and made it down to Crissy Field an hour after sunrise. Amazing. I was duly impressed!

I am not a morning person, as my husband will confirm, but the light was gorgeous and made it all worthwhile. There was not even a hint of fog, the sky was perfectly blue and we were able to get the bridge in the background as we had hoped for.This family was fun and relaxed. Photographing younger children, but really with any age, this is key. Children will pick up on any stress or tension and this is a time for laughter and fun and enjoying being together. Let the little things go and go with the flow.

This pair are great parents and the love they have for their boys is clearly evident. I love it, especially, when a father is not afraid to show affection, we need more dads like this in the world. We got some family shots, parent and child and even a few with just mom and dad. How often has that happened since your wedding day?

Hattie and Kurt I hope you enjoy your sneak peek, your full gallery should be up in just a few more days.