H is at the perfect age for photos. He is 8 months, sitting up and ready to crawl but not quite on the move yet! I love this age because I can focus on capturing their cute expressions. H's grandmother had a beautiful garden we used as a backdrop. Just lovely!
Before I start a shoot, I sometimes show up a bit early to spend time with the babies and meet the family. A & C's mom and I chatted while she did some major multi-tasking preparing her precious little girl twins for the shoot. My motherly instinct wanted to help and grab a bottle, burp and dress them! There are so many times the last few years that I wish I had another set of hands with my own boys. Once we got rolling, the girls did great and I had internal moments of joy as they smiled at the same time!
I've decided that the best of friends are those that you can go months, even years, without seeing and then feel like nothing has passed when you finally reunite. Jessica is one of those friends to me. We met in college, and it has been years since we have seen each other since her move to London, but we had been emailing trying to find a time for me to photograph her sweet daughter, B. When Jess found out I was going to Paris, she was nearly 7 months pregnant with her second child and said "we are coming!" I was so thrilled and amazed that she and her wonderful husband came all the way down from London for a family portrait in Paris with a 2-month-old and 20-month-old. We photographed at the Pont Alexandre III bridge, the Tuilleries (a big thank you to my mom and sister for watching all the gear and helping us during their vacation!) and then we headed to the oh-so-pretty apartment that Jessica had rented near the Marais district. It was like my dream studio with perfect wall colors, nice linens, silks and plenty of natural light. B & H are not only the best dressed babies, but they are truly such beautiful and sweet children. (Um...can we arrange a marriage between B and one of my boys? Her eyes are captivating!) We finished the shoot with a glass of wine and caught up about life with two children so close in age! Thank you Jessica and Stewart for making this happen. I hope you enjoy these photographs for years to come!
