Surprise! You're Six

Courtney's Thoughts:

I cannot believe my niece is 6 years old already and neither could she. I still remember the first day I met her, it was the same day I met my birth mother and sister. My sister, Jessica, was only 6th months pregnant at that point.


For her sixth birthday Hailey asked her mother to throw a surprise birthday party for her. Somehow and someway my sister managed to keep it a secret. I've never seen a more surprised look on a child's face than my niece walking through that door. Hailey walked straight up to her mother and whimpered, "It's not my birthday." She was right, it wasn't, her actual birthday was two days away. It took a moment to sink in, but after that everything went smoothly.


Being the only photographer in the family, I always get the pleasure of documenting my nieces' for various events in their lives. Whether its the first day of school, a birthday, a random holiday or simply a day in the life of, I'm there. I even dedicated a full year of my life to following my sister and nieces around with my Hasselblad (a German, handmade, medium format film camera) for my senior photography project at St. Edward's University.


It was wonderful to get the chance to photograph Hailey's birthday. They may only live a city away, however it seems like I rarely get to see them outside of special occasions.


Happy birthday Hailey! Yes, you're now actually 6!




My youngest niece, Amanda, pondering how this is not her birthday

Amanda eventually getting over the fact that this is not her birthday



Hailey lacking all enthusiasm for my gift, a camera



I think they've grown tired of looking at the camera for portraits

The Unexpected When You're Expecting - Book Signing

First Day of Kindergarten

JENNS THOUGHTS:

The first day of school is such an incredible milestone! Following this adorable 5-year-old through her morning routine on her first day of kindergarten took me back to memories of sandwiches without crusts, nap times, and the pledge of allegiance.

A Day at the Park

Susi's Thoughts: Growing up as the youngest child of 3 siblings, with a gap of eight years between myself and my next older brother, at times I felt like an only child. I always wished that I had siblings that were close to my age to share the joy of growing up and playing together, so when I had the opportunity to photograph these four girls, ranging in age from 6 months to 5 years old, I was really excited to document these sisters interacting with one another. It was so interesting to me to witness how each girl expressed her own distinct personality while also sharing in a larger family dynamic. Jenn and I met the family at Ramsey Park, where I enjoyed spending time following each sister individually and documenting her adventures on the playground. We also took some time to have fun taking big group shots of the whole gang. The most touching aspect of the experience was seeing how the older sisters naturally fulfilled their roles, watching after their younger siblings with such sweetness and care!

Jesse, One Year Later!

JENN'S THOUGHTS:

I love it when we get to photograph the same kids over time! I know then that Beaubaby is becoming a real part of building a family record and legacy that actually shows how a child and family was, and not just what they looked like! That is my favorite thing, to be able witness and capture real family moments and the particular moment and phase of childhood.

Courtney and I were talking about how she has NO pictures of her mother from when she was growing up. She really wishes those images had been made! Sometimes we think we need to look our best to be ready for photos, when really, just interacting and being with our kids and having a photographer document that is beautiful in ways we can't even anticipate.

I'm posting some of my favorite pictures from Jesse's session last week. He loves blowing bubbles, and wears the cutest Keen shoes. He is still into his sippy cup, but I'm willing to bet that will all change by next year...

Thank you to Denise, Michael and to Jesse, for inviting me back again!

--Jenn

Introducing Beaubaby Photographer, Nick!

Although Nick aspires to be a war photographer someday, he has a softer side too! He loves photographing kids and is great at getting them laugh and giggle. I met Nick when we were both studying photography at St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas. We both loved B&W documentary style work, like the kinds of images you would have seen in Life Magazine. I'm lucky to work with a group of photographers who are talented, highly trained, and also just incredibly nice people. We share a love for documenting kids and families!

--Jenn



FROM NICK:

I wanted to do something different with little Kennedy since mom had already taken so many photos of her at home. We met at up at Laguna Gloria-- a location I absolutely love.

The future longhorn quickly went from curious about the camera to absolutely loving being the center of attention as she cooed and smiled for me. It was great seeing Ali, Nelson, and Kennedy again and a blast to photograph them as a family! Thanks, guys!

--Nick

"Beaubaby U" has 6 graduates!

FROM JENN:

Last Sunday June 22nd we had a photography workshop just for moms that was incredibly personally inspiring for me! Thank you to all participating moms: Allison, Michelle, Robyn, Allison, Anna and Margaret! They each brought their point and shoot or digital SLR cameras, and we covered a TON of ground in one afternoon.

We dug in and discussed how photographing your kids and daily family life can create a visual legacy for your children to look back on, giving them the chance to see not just what they looked like but what they WERE like, what was dear to them, and what their defining quirks were. When we stop and settle for a snapshot, so so much of the story is left untold! Beaubaby photographers Nick and Courtney also attended and helped with the one-on-one time we spent learning, adjusting and tweaking camera settings.

We had a model come in for the second half, to practice the new setting and techniques we learned, including the "3 secrets for improving your photography now!" Thanks, Scout, for making us cups of tea with your Cinderella tea set. Your purple lollipop was fun to photograph!

A repeat of the workshop is in the works for late September, as well as a follow up workshop that focuses on shooting in different situations, with models, group critiques, and working with images on your computer.

Thanks you all for attending! It personally meant a great deal to me to be able to share what I've learned with you. I can't wait to see the new images you make! Keep me posted....

Jenn!

Courtney's Thoughts: Hip South Austin Baby

It was a typical day in the Central Texas heat, but that didn’t seem to phase this sweet smiling girl. She giggled with delight as her parents let her slip her fingers in the pond at the Hotel San Jose. It was such a pleasure to capture Esther Fay at home and in her neighborhood because her precocious attitude and playfulness toward the camera made everyone smile.


~Courtney