When it comes to lifestyle family photo sessions, the person who schedules the session is technically my boss. But if that photo session happens to involve an adorable, precocious two-year-old, it is pretty much a given that she becomes the boss…of all of us. And so it was when we got together in downtown Austin a few weeks ago. It was super early in the morning (to escape the heat) and it took her a little bit to decide if she liked me okay or not, but it wasn’t long before she was leading the way, eager to explore everywhere and beckoning us to follow along. This family dynamic was something really special and it is clear that she is the center of their universe and everyone is completely okay with that. So many laughs that morning and sweet, sweet moments sprinkled throughout!

Melt my heart!

Oh! Mom’s shoes were SPOT ON!!!! If I could walk in those, I would totally own a pair myself 😉

That look!

And her ring matched her shoes???? How amazing is that?!

We thought we would try to play a game that she loved, but she had other ideas. These expressions crack me up!

Sister. Brother. Best. Friends. I really hope one day my boys will get along with their sister just like these two. Their relationship is so special!

Yup! Pretty much sums it up. I really enjoyed all of the personality that really came through in these images. I laughed to myself several times when editing this proof set. THIS one made me smile really big, though.

She couldn’t have done any better at her newborn session if we had planned it that way. She was amazing and smiley and oh that hair and just the right amount of baby chub! I think this may be why I’m equally drawn to newborn photo sessions when babies are a little bit older as to when they are just a few days old. So many favs, too…like the one with her hand by dad’s face? The way her mommy is looking at her in all of the pics? And also, this perfectly adorable yawn.

I cannot say enough wonderful things about this precious little boy and his awesome parents. His lifestyle newborn photo session was a dream, really, filled with all of the elements that make a baby’s first photo shoot pure and perfect: he was so fresh and new, his parents were incredibly relaxed and easy going, he was dressed simply to show off his perfect newness, there were so many *real* moments captured so the photos don’t look posed, and we were able to add a touch of whimsy with his beautifully decorated nursery (see below). But first, you have GOT to make sure you look at what he did pretty much the entire first 5 minutes I was there! Favity fav, fav, FAV!

Um, yeah. His mom is stunning.

Look at that perfect pout!

When I had my FaceTime consult with his mommy before he was born to discuss her session goals, she showed me his woodland-themed nursery complete with FOX wallpaper and I may have passed out from sheer delight!

Even the pupsters got to check out their new baby brother:

Okay, so baby O was indeed an angel throughout his entire session…sleepy perfection, really. BUT, you know we have to get a peek at those beautiful eyes at some point. This last series gives you a small taste of what we had to do to get him from completely zonked out to quiet alert for literally just ONE image:

So this isn’t that one image…I’m going to save that for his birth announcements (and it’s a GOOD one, too), but after at least 30 minutes of trying to gently wake him up, we *finally* succeeded. I’m so glad we stuck it out and didn’t give up because while he’s adorable with his little eyes closed, when they’re open, he sparkles!

Each time I ask a family to do their outdoor session at sunrise in the summertime, I hold my breath because I know no one wants to do that. In Texas, however, sometimes that is just the necessary evil. I know it’s early and believe me, I don’t like getting up before the sun either, but it is *always* always worth it. This family photo session by this gorgeous lake dock was no exception and boy, we got SO lucky that it happened to be a bit overcast that morning, allowing us to play at the dock a little longer than usual and also allowing us to work pretty much any place we wanted to outside. Sure, it was humid, but at least we were not dealing with the sun beating down on us during the hottest part of the day. We were even luckier that the boys stuck with us long enough to go back to their house and take some fun pics there as well. They did a fantastic job (even in spite of getting up so early) and goodness, there were so many giggles throughout my time with them. I hope they look back on these pics fondly for years to come and see all of the joy, love, and wonder their parents have been smart enough to gift to them during their childhood! Favity fav photo HERE.

[mom’s hair/makeup by Modern Muse Beauty]

…I’m pretty sure I’m just going to go ahead and move in with their family ;-). I mean, come on! Look at all of that adorableness up there! Plus, I totally dig their decorating style!

And so much LOVE here!

But also plenty of giggles.

And energy!

And this sign…sigh.

But the icing on the cake for my case to move in with them is…

…jumping into the pool, fully clothed…mom and dad, included!

YASSSSSSSSSSSSS!

That was rad!

The full family game of chicken was also fairly spectacular.

As well as this moment above AND THIS one HERE.

I definitely think I would fit in perfectly with them. Hang on a sec…be right back…

(scroll down…)

OH, YES! I totally blend!!!!!!! What do you think, H fam? Will you have me? 😉 I can be there in 20 min.

I don’t know if you remember her newborn photo session at all, but oh my word, has this little one changed since then! I mean, I can still see her baby features, but she’s got so much personality and curiosity and wonder and she radiates joy and life! And make no mistake, she is very, very loved and the perfect addition to this family. It was such a pleasure to see her parents and her beautiful big sisters dote on her they way that they do.

As is always my favorite custom for summertime photo sessions in Texas, we ended with a dip in the pool! I love how the kids seem so surprised that we let them do this, but little do they know, it’s just as much of a treat for me as it is for them!

These faces! She totally doesn’t love the water at all ;-). Nope, not one bit!

While the underwater photos were full of exuberance, I quite loved the moodiness of this particular image HERE.

“That’s a wrap!”

I have known this family for.ev.er (since their eldest son was a wee babe) and I have loved every chance I’ve had to play with them. But I must say that this particular session has been my absolute favorite to date and here’s why:

1. It was at home (duh. You all already know how much I go giddy for lifestyle photo sessions at home).

2. The boys are so much fun! They really have come into their own and there is so much personality and spunk and vitality…they inspire me.

3. Those. Curls. My word!!!!!! I could have stared at them all day. LOVE.

4. Mom and dad = so chill. I love that they went with whatever direction the boys took us in during the shoot. And they loved and snuggled and played with the boys. And didn’t bat an eye when I asked them to get into the pool with the boys.

5. The underwater portion of our photo shoot. Oh man! This was a blast! SOOOOO many favs, including THIS one.

Yeah. It’s not hard to see why I loved this shoot so much!

You truly cannot go wrong when you #1 let your family photo session take place at your own home and #2 you let your boys just be themselves and do the things they like to do. It creates an opportunity to capture their childhood in such a real and authentic way…an invaluable gift to give your children that they may not fully appreciate until years and years down the road. These boys are beautiful, yes, but their smiles are genuine because they were genuinely having a wonderful time and the love is visible because their parents were so incredibly relaxed. And then you add the underwater photography and yup, perfection all around. Check out the black and white version of one of my favorite color images blogged HERE.

Every single second of this Austin urban family photo shoot was fun, dynamic, and full of love and energy. And that’s extra impressive because we meet up at about 6:30 in the morning to take these photos. I was TOTALLY impressed with how everyone rallied and even more amazed there was really no posing and not much direction required. They were amazingly skilled at just being themselves, something that isn’t necessarily easy for kids or grown ups to do. This was definitely my kind of photo session! One of my many many favs HERE.

This little man’s arrival was much anticipated and I must say, his newborn photo session did not disappoint. I mean, I can count on maybe 1 finger how many times a newborn baby has smiled during the very first 5 or so shots taken. He was cuddly and snuggly when we wanted him to be and he treated us to his beautiful eyes at the end of his session (we had to work for that just a little bit). What a handsome and sweet little baby boy. He is the perfect addition to their family! In honor of Father’s Day, HERE’s my favorite father-son image from the session.

From his beautiful mommy…

1) Tell us a little bit about your family… Geoff and I have been married for almost 5 years and just had our first baby, a boy named Fisher.
2) What made you decide this was the time to do a photo session? Were you marking any special occasion, etc? We knew we had to have Michelle document our new baby.
3) Where was your session held and why? Our house. A place we feel comfortable and convenient with a newborn.
4) What did you like about your session location? It was easy!
5) What was your favorite part of your session? All of the creative ways Michelle photographed Fisher. it was so much fun creating different backdrops and places to put him.
6) Was there anything you were nervous or worried about before the session? If the baby would cooperate for long enough to get all the shots we wanted.
7) Any funny stories or interesting happenings during your session? Fisher was out like a light for most of the session. He wasn’t even phased by all the positions and places we put him.
8) Any advice to other families before their photo sessions? Trust Michelle!
9) What made you choose Pinkle Toes Photography? My family has used her for years (she even did my bridal portraits) and her pictures turn out perfect every time. Her eye is incredible and she really knows how to capture those sweet and special moments you don’t even know are happening.
10) What do you hope your kids/family will say years down the road when looking at these images? I’m so glad we have these!

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Don’t forget: If you are expecting and due this fall, you might want to check out the Pinkle Toes Summer Baby Shower!