What do you get when you put four sisters under the age of four in front of the camera? Pure awesomeness, that's what. I've known their mama, Katie, for over 8 years now. We worked together, we were in grad school together, and I'm so glad I am still in touch with her- she is one of the funniest friends I have!
When Katie asked me to photograph her youngest with a fruit-bath session, I was elated. The watermelon theme was perfect for summer, and her plan was to present her husband with some Father's Day gifts! We had a grand plan of meeting at the park & lugging all the stuff out there, but a migraine struck her the morning of. In efforts to simplify the task, we opted to do it at her home. I pulled up in the driveway and laid my eyes on the prize: a big open area. in perfect lighting, right in front of their backyard fence! (You could tell Katie was slightly hesitant, but I assured her that 9 out of 10 people are admiring her adorable children- not her lawn care).
Katie is basically SUPER MOM. Her oldest will be 4 in September, her twins will be 3 in December, and her youngest will be 1 this fall! Katie mothers them gracefully,creatively, & lovingly, which is apparent in their interactions with one another. Confession: watching 4 sisters together was actual entertainment for me. Sure, I have 2 kids of my own, but the dynamic between 4 girls is certainly going to differ from the boy/girl relationship I know. These girls looked out for one another, played together, but also gave one another space! I LOVED seeing their different personalities emerge throughout their playtime together, too.
We set up the tub for the watermelon bath for the baby, and the next thing you know, one of the twins is diving into the water with her clothes on! Did Katie flip out? Not at all. (I'm thrilled she let this scene play out, because the series of images may have been my favorite from the session!). After photographing the 3 older children, we dove into the fruit bath!
I loved this session for so many reasons: the family, the theme, & the fact it was essentially just a session in their yard, photographing their babies playing outside. The ultimate lifestyle session if you ask me! Katie (& Chris), thank you so much for having me!
Gainesville looks like such a pretty place for family photos!!! You have such a fun job as a photographer there!!
You are the most brilliant Gainesville family photographer. I love how you keep is honest and creative at the same time!
This Gainesville family photographer has so many great ideas! Watermelon worked so well for this set of pictures!