I met the Benitez family at a local park in San Jose for a perfect sunny morning. Little Mateo had a blast pointing out all his vocabulary words coming to life at the park - "bike, bird, airplane, train, duck!" My favorite had to be "ashu", a combination of the Spanish and Chinese words for water. We let him roam around and point at all his favorites, and he thanked us with some adorable smiles :)
My clients with young kids are often worried about their little one not listening, messing up their outfits, or throwing a tantrum during photo sessions. To that I say - it happens, and it's gonna be okay! Some of my favorite things to do during family sessions are to just let kids run and play - you get some great candids, plus everyone is just relaxed and happy. Sometimes you don't get the exact shots you expected, but you do end up with authentic and beautiful memories of how your family loves each other.
Maui, Jeyling, and Mateo, thank you for spending time with me on a Saturday morning! I had so much fun with your family, and I'm so excited to see Mateo grow up and expand his trilingual vocabulary :)
P.S. Special shoutout to my friend (and Mateo's uncle) Jon, who was a trusty assistant holding up my reflector + playing with Mateo :D
