I love shooting this family, because Mom always has great ideas for her photos (I wish I could take credit for those ideas!), and Dad is so helpful and sweet! Of course, we also love seeing big sister, Emma, and little Zoey. Emma always has a smile that lights up her adorable face, and this shoot was no different.  Poor little Zoey was feeling under the weather…but she was a trouper and pulled through for us. Even Apple and Toki (the fur babies of the family) sported smiles…yes, I believe dogs can smile!  Oh Zoey, thanks for hanging in there, it was worth it- you are adorable! Thanks for being so patient, Mom and Dad!  Here’s your sneak peek:

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I still remember the first time we met Jadon. He was a sweet little guy that flashed us shy smiles (click HERE to see Jadon’s 2011 shoot with us). Last year, his smiles grew bolder (click HERE to see his 2012 shoot). This year, he couldn’t stop smiling! I think he actually liked being a photo ham…how can you resist that huge grin on his face? Mom and Dad brought back the infamous Nutcracker to showcase how much their little man has grown over the past 2 years.  He also brought an impressive array of trains (an entire suitcase full!).  Thank you Mom and Dad, for bringing all of the props…it makes your photos so meaningful, and will help you remember his favorite toys (and happy smile) for years to come.  It’s always a joy to see our special little boy and his wonderful family!  Here’s your sneak peek:

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How could you not love a kiddo that every 10 minutes or so, runs up and either hugs you or tries to sit on your lap?  I secretly wanted to keep little Alex…Bradley wants to be a big brother (well, I think Alex may be about the same height as Bradley, so Bradley would have to settle for being the older brother). Alex’s absolute delight with the bucket of snowballs was written all over his face. It was the little things that made him smile…like the honking of the truck’s horn.  I think he could have spent the rest of the afternoon pressing that red button and clapping his hands.  Thanks so much for bringing Alex back to see us this year, Mom and Dad (click HERE to see his 2012 Christmas shoot with us).  Hugs!  Here’s your sneak peek:

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Happy Birthday, Hayden! Little Hayden celebrated her birthday this past month, and boy has she grown in the past 3 months. Click HERE to see Hayden’s 9 month photo shoot with us.  She enjoyed exploring the jungle gym, and treated us to some of the biggest smiles, EVER! We were also introduced to Zoe, Hayden’s furry sister (a sharpei-lab). Both of the girls did a great job…especially with that family photo (it can be challenging to get dogs and children to look at the camera at the same time!).  Thanks for driving out to see us and being so flexible with the shoot time, Mom and Dad. Here’s your sneak peek:

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It’s been almost a year since we had our last shoot with Maile and Maverick…and Maverick was a newborn at that time! Click HERE to see Maverick’s newborn shoot with us. A year later, he is busily walking around and copying his big sis, Maile. Maile was the best big sister a brother could ask for. She held his hand in the tall grass, and made sure that he didn’t get lost. She was very nurturing to her little bro, and he adored her.  We finished off the shoot at the playground. Maverick enjoyed exploring the jungle gym set, and pleasure was written all over his face!  Thanks so much for a fun shoot and a fun-filled afternoon, Mom and Dad!  Here’s your sneak peek:

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It’s our fifth year with Sophie, and our petite muse knows how to pose on her own! I always look forward to our “Sophie” shoots, because Mom always has a plan for our shoots, and Mom and Dad are so incredibly easy to work with. Click HERE to see our 2012 shoot with Sophie and her family. Sophie is so inquisitive and verbal, commenting on everything around her. I love her sweet little voice and “light her face up” smile. The light loves her, and she always seems to give us the best backlit shots. Thank you, Mom and Dad, for being so good to us! We had an amazing afternoon 🙂  Here’s your sneak peek:

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We look forward to seeing this wonderful family every year…this is our 5 year anniversary!  I can’t believe how fast time flies.  Click HERE for their previous shoot. Jansen, Jalen and Jorel have all grown up (I can’t believe that Jalen was Jorel’s age at our first shoot, and Jansen was Jalen’s age!). We were also introduced to a new, absolutely adorable member of the family…Jasper! Jasper, you couldn’t have been born into a more amazing family. Your Mommy and Daddy did an amazing job with your brothers and sister, and now you have an entire family to love and care for you. Lucky little guy  🙂  The day started off wet and overcast, and we had to change our location at the last minute because it was too wet to shoot on our side of the island.  We ended up with a great “second-choice” location (and we even got to see a pig family cross the road in front of our car…Edson was driving, I was shooting…of course!). Mom and Dad, thanks for being so flexible! It’s always wonderful to see Jansen, Jalen and Jorel (my “little ham”), and it was a pleasure meeting little Jasper.  Congratulations, again! Here’s your sneak peek:

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They endured a vicious mosquito attack and treacherous mud for our shoot.  Cade and Brynn were six months older, and we couldn’t wait to see them again! Click HERE to see Brynn’s 1-year photo shoot with us.  We were concerned about the weather and our location, but the skies held out for us! The very next day, that very same area of the island recorded a couple of inches of rain…whew! Despite the onslaught of those flying bloodsuckers and distractions (a dog that whistled instead of bark…even I was getting distracted), the kids managed to focus and give us great smiles.  It was wonderful to see you all again this year. Mom and Dad, thanks for sharing your family with us!  Here’s your sneak peek:

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So many people have asked about Tyler. I frequently get, “That kid is the happiest kid I’ve ever seen…how do you get him to smile?”.  The answer I always give them is that Tyler is, by nature, one of the “smiliest” kids we’ve ever had the pleasure of photographing. He has sparkly eyes, and the edges of his mouth are always turned upwards. I don’t think I’ve ever heard him cry…even during his newborn shoot. His mom and dad are also happy people, which means that Edson and I always look forward to our shoots with Tyler and his family! Tyler is so sweet, and so gentle. Thank you, Mom and Dad, for spending Tyler’s first year with us (click HERE to see his first birthday party shoot, and HERE for his previous studio shoot with us). We’ve enjoyed our 5 shoots this past year (yes, it’s been 5 times…amazing!), and we look forward to seeing Tyler in the future (I know everyone is looking forward to seeing his smile light up their computer monitors!).  Here’s your sneak peek:

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The air was filled with nervous excitement. As we headed towards the dressing room, we were greeted by an array of beautiful colors and exquisite music. Performers were putting on final touches to hair and makeup, others were practicing on their shamisen and koto. We met friendly, happy faces that recognized us from our previous shoot with their Teishin Kai group (click HERE to see our previous shoot with the group). The Hawaii group was incredibly cordial to us, and welcomed us (which always makes our job so much easier). It was through these members, that we realized that this was not just a group of individual performers, it was a family…with multiple generations that joyously perpetuate the Okinawan culture. We were also privileged enough to watch part of the dress rehearsal (which ended up being a better situation to photograph in than the actual performance, because we had the entire auditorium to ourselves). The sets were an explosion of beautiful color and lights, and the kimonos and various other outfits literally lit the stage up like a rainbow. The music was amazing, and the performers were stunning! We also did some candid shots of the performers, families and stage crew…so many people were there to support this wonderful group. The audience members eagerly awaited the opening of the front doors–the line snaked out to what seemed like infinity. The auditorium quickly filled with family, friends and admirers.

Thank you, Teishin Kai Hawaii Shibu for being such gracious clients! We thoroughly enjoyed our experience (and hummed your music the entire car ride home).  We had too many photos that we liked to post individually, so I decided to do a slideshow instead of individual photos (blog readers would be scrolling down forever!). Click on the “Full Screen” button (button on the bottom menu with four arrows pointing outwards) to see a larger version of the photos.  I tried to get as many of you in as possible  🙂  Here’s your sneak peek:

Thank you again, for a wonderful experience!  Thanks for visiting us at Images by Kellie Ann!