When Alexandra and I were planning her maternity session in Colorado Springs with her husband and toddler son, we envisioned beautiful mountains, a flowing dress, and dapperly-dressed gentleman at her side.
Part of that vision came true! It was a beautiful fall evening after a recent snow. The sun felt SO good... until it dropped behind the mountains, and the temperature plummeted with it. Alexandra's little son Gabriel was just NOT in a picture-taking mood, cold temperature or not - we attempted to bundle him up and get a few photos, but for the most part if he wasn't being held, he was just miserable and didn't want to be there. Alexandra rocked the beautiful dress she chose from my client closet, and even had a second one picked out to switch into - but in the chaos that is motherhood, also forget her own warm layer - still, she did her session without complaint and looked absolutely incredible.
After trying very hard to console Gabriel, we decided the best course of action was to bundle him up in his stroller and do as many photos of mom and dad as we could, as quickly as possible so he could go home. As a mama I know it's not easy when your child is crying and all you want to do is fix whatever is wrong - thankfully Alexandra and her sweet husband Daniel understood that Gabriel was safe, we were keeping him close and they would come and interact with him every few minutes, and we were able to quickly the the photos they wanted and return Gabriel to the car and Mickey Mouse which instantly reverted him back into a very happy toddler. :)
At that point we decided to finish our session another day, in a warmer location close to home where Gabriel would be more comfortable. So another time, we met at a park near their home and let Gabriel lead the session with minimal direction - and Alexandra loved the results! They wore more casual outfits this time that looked amazing in the fall setting of the park. Gabriel ran around while we chased him, threw leaves, played on the playground, rode on dad's shoulders, and received many tickles and kisses in his parents' arms. While we were celebrating Alexandra and Daniel's growing family and the imminent arrival of his new baby sister, Gabriel was the star of the show and winning some smiles from this sweet, precocious boy was absolutely everything!
Alexandra, I am so blessed by our friendship and so appreciate your trust in me to capture these memories for y'all, even when it meant pivoting from our original vision and going with the flow of what your sweet little guy needed most. It sure helped with planning for newborn photos too! (Be sure to check out sweet baby Cecilia and her family in this post!) I love you, friend, and can't wait to watch your family grow and change through the years - I'll happily be there to document it all! <3
