Their family has grown!  Since the last time I saw Stephanie and Dan, they welcomed their beautiful son Chase into the world.

They may quite possibly have the easiest to photograph kids on the planet. Both Chase and Conor were all smiles the whole time and reduced my job to basically pushing buttons.

Stephanie and Dan chose Mendon Ponds because it was the location of their last session. It’s so much fun to see the difference between then and now – including choosing some of the same spots for comparison.

If you need help with ideas for where you have your photo session, click here for how to choose a great photography location. Or for quick picks, check out the top 5 outdoor locations in Rochester.

Chase should totally be a baby model.

There’s nothing like hanging out with your dad. Is this not the best smile ever?

Moms of course, are also pretty awesome.

I loved their blue and white theme. This is harder to do than it looks! Stephanie did a fantastic job with everyone’s clothing. If you’d like to read more about how to choose clothes for your photo session, click here.

Thank you so much Stephanie and Dan for sharing your beautiful family with me!!!

Kristen and Philip just bought their forever home in Churchville and opted to have their family photography session there.

Philip is a landscaper and it killed him a little to take photos outside in December when everything was dormant, especially since they’d just moved in and he hasn’t had a chance to work his magic yet. I bet the front of their house is going to be amazing in a few more months.

Choosing your own home as a location is a great option, especially for young children who might be more comfortable in their own environment.

But I have a feeling these girls would have been joyful pretty much anywhere.

When people think of family photos they sometimes think stress, but rather than being stressful it’s a great time to play.

The arborvitae hedge was a fantastic backdrop.

We did about half of the session outside and half inside. That’s a perfect setup for winter weather when little people get cold quickly.

Addison was a huge fan of taking photos. Lily was a little bit less sure about the whole process.

Thank you so much Kristen and Philip for sharing your beautiful family with me!

The quintessential leaf throwing activities of toddlerhood are usually thwarted in climates like ours by cold weather.  This year the summer extended into fall and we had some truly lovely days for photo taking.

Dan and Stephanie had never tried out family photos before and wanted to include all members of the family, including their fur babies.

We went to the Mendon Ponds Bird Song Trail where if you’re very very still, chickadees will eat out of your hand. That’s more or less a no go if you have a toddler and two dogs, but if you were to go on a given day, you’ll find statuesque people along the trail vying for a little chickadee style attention.

The Bird Song Trail is also a great location for photos because of the way the path descends down the hill.

There were several inches of leaves near the Sensory Garden and Connor could have thrown them for another three hours.

The dogs worked with us for one more image and then wanted to chase the leaves themselves.

In a spot near the parking lot there’s another hill that lifts you up to folliage-behind-you level.  Flat ground doesn’t work when you’re trying to add fall leaf color to your images.  It’s important to be up high enough to have leaves behind your subject rather than tree trunks.  However, since it’s a parking lot, you may end up editing out some cars.  Also because it’s fall in Mendon Ponds, you may end up editing out some people.  And maybe also some photographers.  Thank you Photoshop for being there when we need you.

And another happy toddler photo. Toddlers, and kids in general, much prefer being outside for family photos since they’re in their natural environment. Usually it’s less stressful for them and they can associate photography with fun.

Thank you so much Dan and Stephanie for sharing your beautiful family with me!

Maria’s inquiry came in the midst of several and somehow I lost track of the fact that she lives in Ithaca.  When I went to look up her address I realized my oversight and she was gracious and we met half way in Geneva.  She had just given birth to this precious piece of life.

Mia was just 16 months old when her brother was born. That’s a bit young to hold a newborn so for this image we laid Mia down on a large bean bag (custom made for newborn portraits – thanks Lauren!), and laid Kolbe down on her arm with a lot of support and both parents nearby. It goes without saying but also somehow is overlooked that the safety of a newborn is paramount.

I don’t remember his exact birth weight but he was a big little guy.

Outside portraits were important to Maria. We found a spot where the willows touched the lake and it was quite windy but also warm. He was indifferent to his baby Moses experience.

Kolbe was named after Saint Maximillian Kolbe, a martyr of charity.

It was lovely to spend the day with you all. Congratulations on your beautiful baby who’s not so new anymore!

I first met Carson when she and Pat participated with their beautiful son River at the Beautiful Birth Choices Grand Opening photo booth.  Once in a while there are some give aways on my newsletter, and Carson was one of the winners!  If you’d like to join the newsletter to be notified of these opportunities, click here.

The BBC Grand opening was busy and I didn’t even get a chance to learn their names. During this session I learned that Pat is working on his PhD in art history and that Carson works on campus with him.

River was an experienced toddler and had us all working for his attention in true toddler fashion. Fortunately we had a 3:1 ratio.

We had originally planned the sessions at Genesee Valley Park but when we pulled up it turned out that it was the weekend of the McQuaid Invitational. The entire park was blocked off so that you couldn’t even drive your car inside. We made a quick switch to Highland Park.

Carson loved the above image because she thought it represented the chaos of parenting well. I’ll second that.

River: proud owner of Highland Park.

We spent a good portion of our time playing peek-a-boo.

It was drizzling through the session but we managed to stay mostly dry. About 30 minutes after our session there was a torrential downpour.

Thank you so much Carson, Pat and River for spending the afternoon with me. I hope you have a wonderful fall!

A few months later, baby TJ made his entrance into the world and we met at their beautiful home in Pittsford to capture his miraculous little life.

Six months later, TJ was laughing (hysterically), smiling and almost sitting. Betsy said sometimes she just would sit and watch Andy and TJ play together.

Recently, TJ celebrated one of life’s childhood’s greatest milestones – his first birthday. We met at the Memorial Art Gallery to mix it up a little. Of course, there was some kind of huge event in the atrium, so we found a picturesque corner and then went outside for a while.

Below is one of my very favorite images from the session.

TJ was a perfect one year old during the session finding that thin line between being hugged and being held in place. He was also happy to show off his extensive toddling skills.

Congratulations TJ on your first birthday!

Cora experienced no shortage of love during her party.

Katie and Todd wisely coordinated their clothing so we could sneak outside and take a few quick family portraits, which is a great way to make the most of having a photographer around.

If you’d like to see how much she’s grown, click here.

Everyone gathered in anticipation of the cake smash.

In true toddler fashion, she was not a fan!

Next in line was opening presents, which had a more mixed response. I suspect that in a few years she’ll have cake eating and present opening down to a science.

Cora and Todd were as relaxed as 5th time parents. They enjoyed the ride, which was a joy to watch. Happy birthday Cora!!!

Then right before this session, which was my fifth with their family, they announced they were moving to Colorado!  We had one day to do their session and she really wanted to use the Memorial Art Gallery as a location.  We were hoping to also spend some time outside, but it was raining so our movements were a bit restricted.

Danielle has ties to the Memorial Art Gallery, which hosts a fundraising event near and dear to her heart annually. The camp is called Camp Good Days whose mission is to “develop, challenge & empower Rochester’s urban youth – to serve themselves, their families & our community as vibrant individuals & dynamic citizens.” Danielle was the camp director for many years.

The Dream Big Auction this year is on Sunday, April 26th. You can purchase tickets by clicking here.  The silent auction includes hundreds of items, including a session from Debra Wallace Photography!  Our family attended last year (and will be going again this year).  Highlights for us were caricatures, a magician, balloon animals, face painting and elaborate crafts.  I don’t know if those things will be there again this year, but I have no doubt that it will be another amazing family friendly event.

This is one of my favorites – he just seems so happy to be alive.

Larry is so relaxed during portrait sessions and a very good sport!

This pig is my secret sauce.  It makes a ridiculous oinking sound when you squeeze it.  Trevor LOVES it!

A little healthy skepticism.

Danielle and I both absolutely are in love with this image.  So true to life.

You can imagine that choosing a location is a huge part of location photography.  Kate happens to be friends with every artist in the Greater Rochester Area and asked her friend Lynne Feldman if we could use her apartment.  Lynne is an accomplished artist whose apartment was an art gallery – both of her own work and of various artwork from her travels all over the world.  I was captivated by the colors and vibrancy of her work.

Vera is modeling Black Bird Knit’s Girton Place Baby/Toddler Sweater.

In this image, she’s modeling the Vick Park Baby/Toddler Vest.

I have a bit of a negative association with hand knitted clothing, but Kate’s clothing was truly artwork.  I’m not sure I’ve seen work like this out of a national store.  While she doesn’t plan to sell the finished product, she can connect you with people who will knit items for you.  Just contact her to learn more!

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