Fun and fabulous | Gilbert Family Photographer

With the holiday portrait season here, it's understatement to write that life has been a little more than busy. But, it's a good busy, especially when I'm working on pictures from fun family sessions!

It always me laughing when I'm leaving a family session with little ones and the family wondering if I was able to get any good pictures! This family session was the magical kind of family session as the parents were super relaxed and enjoyed their little family of four before it becomes a family of 5.

I'll be taking the next two days to have a little relaxing time to be with my family.

I'll be back, refreshed and ready, on Tuesday!

Have a fabulous holiday weekend!

A girl and her boys | Paradise Valley Family Photographer

It doesn't seem that long ago I was photographing this family after they welcomed their baby boy earlier this year. And here he is 8 months old. I have two favorite memories from this family session, seeing the personality of this sweet little baby and capturing the happiest smiles from the proud and only girl in the family.

Oh, I love this little guy and get the best hugs when I see him! At the start of this session he greeted me with a big hug and a big bag of yummy candy.

It's pretty rare I convert an image in black and white...I saw this moment in black and white right after I captured it.
R family...as always, it was a pleasure seeing all of you!

Their family story | Gilbert Family Photography

There are oodles of good things I could say about this family session! What I think I'll highlight most is this family is all about just embracing the active stage their family is in with 4 year old twins and a soon to be 2 year old boy.

The family was super relaxed and full of laughs because as every family with little ones knows....it's not the easiest thing to get little ones all sitting perfect and smiling on cue. And, honestly, that's not typical for little ones. The biggest advice I give families I've never photographed before is....just relax and have fun.

My friend recently told me, after talking about how fun family sessions can be with little ones... that even if the session may feel chaotic, the moments captured will tell a very different story.

The pictures from a family session tell the story of a family that loves eachother, can laugh at the unpredictable moments, warm a parent's heart when thinking of how each child has blessed their life and give them a moment in their life that they will never get back. I first photographed this sweet family when their twins were turning a year old, and they know how a session can go with me. But what I value most with the clients that hire me is when they trust me with their kids.

They trust me in knowing that I'll probably get the more unsuspecting glances and giggles when the kids have a little alone time with the camera.

And more importantly, at the end of the session hearing them say they worry if I captured anything and leaving the session trusting that I did.

This session was like the perfect ice cream sundae, with a cherry on top!

Here are a dozen, or so, of my favorite captures from my time with them.

I absolutely adore their set of twin girls! Obviously identical but they have such different personalities but love eachother and are shy about talking about it. At one point, I asked one of the girls to tell her sister a secret and I overheard her whisper....I love you! My heart absolutely melted.




There isn't anything better than a fun game of tickles...ticklefest captured below!

I have a picture of these twins from when they were about two in almost the same position. Seriously, could sister love be any sweeter!?!

I'm not sure why he was covering his face but I love how the sweet dimples can be seen in his hands and the beautiful curls in his hair.
Seriously....could these three get any cuter! They even have the same wrinkle in their nose when they laugh.



The best part of family sessions is another session can't have pictures similar to another one. Every family has their own story to tell, love to be captured, giggles that melt the heart and moments that never want to be forgotten.

I love the story this family session.

One hysterically funny family! |Gilbert Family Photographer

Every year, I get excited to photograph this family! They are one super styling family, hysterically funny and ultra sweet!

PIctures and Snow! | Gilbert Family Photographer

This past week has been an absolute whirlwind of days that just rolled together! I think it's safe to say that the busy holiday portrait season is officially here. Even though it is complete madness with coming and going, living in my office and on the phone/computer nonstop, it's also a favorite time of the year because I get to see many families I've been blessed to photograph for almost 4 years. And even better when I get to see how much the kids have grown, give them big hugs and laugh with them as they laugh at me in all the quirky positions I'll get in just to get "that" picture.

Last weekend I was up north and in true Arizona weather unpredictability, I arrived to the session location to find almost 2 inches of snow. It has snowed the night before the session and I was sure it was going to be cold, I just wasn't positive there would be snow. I had called my client and shared with them that they did have options to reschedule for another time but they assured me that they were good with the session time and weather possibilities. I had moved the session time back by almost an hour in hopes it might be a bit warmer and if there was snow it might have melted a bit...but no, we arrived to the location with it 32 degrees and snow everywhere! Just when you think that's the time to get stressed out, I met up with the family and all we could do was laugh.

And I think that was my favorite part...just laughing through the session even though the session was thrown a HUGE curve ball as the location went from a dreamy creek covered by trees to snow everywhere!

Honestly, I couldn't imagine a better family to take pictures of in the snow then this family!

To get to the location we had to go down a slope that was covered in snow. Since this location is a favorite location to go to with my own family, I knew underneath was a rocky path, needless to say, we were very cautious.

I just love this little miss, shy and quiet but filled with giggles this whole session. Maybe because I had her sitting in snow and I was crouched in the middle of snow covered trees to get this picture.
Or maybe because we had to hide from the side that was getting pretty high in the sky and everywhere we went the snow was falling on them. :)

Taking pictures in the snow is definitely something I wasn't familiar with....it has it challenges but it also gives such a magical glow in pictures when the light hits the snow just right.

And the absolutely fabulous parents of this gorgeous family, this picture reminds me of the Colbie song "Bubbly". I think she has the cutest laugh.
And the session ended perfectly when I asked the family if they'd be interested in having a snowball fight, with all the girls shaking their head no...the dad reminded them that having snowball fights even when they are cold is how good memories are made! Yep, I smiled big when I heard that!
Totally dreamy picture and then seconds later getting a snowball thrown at her. LOVE it!

H family....LOVED my session with you even if it wasn't in the most ideal conditions, I couldn't imagine being with another family! Thanks for going with the flow!