I'll be the first to admit that at times photographing families can be a little nerve-wracking. While I absolutely love kiddos, they can be a bit intimidating in that they are beautifully, and brutally, honest. Unlike their parents (who will graciously laugh at my entirely lame jokes), kids won't give me - nor should they - the courtesy of smiling upon request. Add to this the fact that it's really, really hard to fool a child, at the end of the day, if I'm being completely ridiculous, a kid's thorough lack of amusement will be a solid reinforcement of what I've always feared: I'm the most boring person in the universe.
So like every other afternoon of a portrait session, I was a little nervous to meet Marques and Jane for photos with their adorable little lady, Kiley. I've known Marques and Jane for years, and have even been able to snuggle Kiley more than a few times over the past twelve months, but capturing a season in someone's life is a whole different type of pressure. ...And also, I really didn't want Kiley to discover that I'm kind of an unexciting adult.
I'm not exaggerating in the slightest when I say that Kiley spoiled me beyond measure with her afternoon full of smiles and laughs. As one of the happiest kids I've had the joy of photographing, I left our shoot wishing I had the opportunity to capture more gorgeous families like the Hase family. I kept assuring Marques and Jane that this really wasn't the norm for one-year-old sessions, but I don't know that they really fully understood just how easy their daughter made the day for me. They set the bar for high for gorgeous family photos with beyond adorable kiddos!
