estitxu +1

.

we’re all grown up now. when did that happen? esti and i go way back to those carefree teenage summers. back when your biggest worry was getting bored or not knowing what to wear. fast forward a decade or two and she books a maternity session with me. of course, i have a million little stories of way back when, so doing this session was definitely a fun time full of ridiculous memories (like when she made me sleep in a room full of china dolls and marilyn manson posters staring at me) and it was obviously a thrill to spend some time together after all these years. we got lost in the tall grass, abandoned castle, and ended up hanging out until way past sunset, joking at each other’s flaws, and catching up on life. so it seems that maybe we haven’t grown up so much after all. 

esti +1

.

we’re all grown up now. when did that happen? esti and i go way back to those carefree teenage summers. back when your biggest worry was getting bored or not knowing what to wear. fast forward a decade or two and she books a maternity session with me. of course, i have a million little stories of way back when, so doing this session was definitely a fun time full of ridiculous memories (like when she made me sleep in a room full of china dolls and marilyn manson posters staring at me) and it was obviously a thrill to spend some time together after all these years. we got lost in the tall grass, abandoned castle, and ended up hanging out until way past sunset, joking at each other’s flaws, and catching up on life. so it seems that maybe we haven’t grown up so much after all. 

hello khumba!

death by cutie. that’s how i feel when i see all of these photos from little rhumba’s session. her mom wanted to try on a million little outfits, and i have to say that for a toddler she did amazing. it took a lot of running around and calling her name, but when it’s all said and done, like i said… death by cutie!

hello: samuel!

it’s a glorious day, kids, and do you want to know why? because i’ve got jonathan and melissa’s one week-old baby, samuel, coming at you on the blog! 

i have to take a moment to say how i met these guys. about a year ago i was downtown photographing a parade, just for fun. there was also a big soccer game going on that day. suddenly a guy walking towards the soccer game asks me if i know what people are waiting for. i tell them there’s a parade about to start and we get to talking because my english is so good. quite unusual in spain. so he says he’s from san diego, and i mention that i have shot a wedding in san diego and start throwing some photographers names. well, wouldn’t you know it? my crazy friend tim king was actually his wedding photographer. small world! so we reminisced about crazy stories we have with him and ended up taking a selfie and sending it to him, then we exchanged phone numbers swearing to get in touch and maybe grabbing some coffee sometime. us americans abroad have to stick together, you know?

so in the spring i get a text from him saying that he and his wife are expecting and would love to set up a newborn session when the time comes. come january, there he was. teeny-tiny samuel was the perfect excuse to get together for a photo shoot, lunch, and even some delicious cinnamon rolls! they just added to the

sweetness in this shoot. seriously, photographing them in vitoria felt like stepping into a warm, cozy bubble. then again, that could have easily been the heating in the kitchen. yes, these were all taken in the kitchen. there are two things i love about photographing newborns at home 1) how convenient it is for the parents. they are tired and stressed and still adjusting to their new life, and i hate the thought of them having to drag themselves across town to find a studio. what could be more comfortable than your own living room sofa? especially for new moms out there. the other thing i love is knowing that i can transform something like a kitchen into a mini studio and nobody will ever know. the behind the scenes photos always make me giggle.

anyway, 

i am so excited to see how this family continues to blossom, and i just know there are some very special years in their future. 

mays +1!

thunderstorms. that’s what we kept seeing when we checked for the weather that day. dreadful. scary. lightning. russ, his wife sarah, and i kind of decided to give it a go anyway and we went to the lake house to try to capture the emotion during this special day. i can see how to the average bystander it would have seemed like any other rainy summer day, but to them it was a milestone. not only was it their 7th wedding anniversary. not only where they celebrating the life of their toddler and a baby girl on the way. no. they were also celebrating 15 years together. yes, they are one of those lucky couples who found each other as early as high school, fought to make things work during the college years, and now can reap the benefits. it’s a bit odd to think of having spent half of their lives together, but for them? They wouldn’t have it any other day. they make it look easy. so with all of that in mind, and scattered showers here and there, we were able to get enough of a break from the rain to do a session and enough rain to break the session into little manageable stress-free chunks. so next time they’re calling for rain and i?m around? i think I’ll just pull out my camera and start all over again.

emma is one!

 

emma is one. i remember doing the photo shoot for this little nugget when she was just born. i remember her thick dark hair and her gorgeous blue eyes. but most of all i remember seeing elisa and victor’s glowing faces and seeing how happily they had transitioned into parenthood. it was beautiful. we got back together a year later to make some memories of emma’s first birthday. she is such an explorer! she wants to see and touch everything, mesmerized with the decorations and even with the tall grass tickling her. the cake? not so much. but alas, she will have her whole life to get used to cake. there’s no rush.

hello liam!

 

he came as a surprise. admittedly, leire and kevin weren’t exactly planning to start a family this soon, when little liam decided to pop into their lives. with his thick black hair and little button nose, he made it pretty hard to resist. take into account the marvelous collection of harry potter and other geeky onesies that leire has managed to gather during her pregnancy and it’s pretty darn hard to not smile when you fist lay eyes on him. a perfect little bundle of joy who already has his parents’ rebellious attitude. every time i posed him, he moved. he would then stay calm, but in his own way… making it clear that he doesn’t like to be told what to do. and you know what? they wouldn’t have him any other way.

hello urko!

 

Welcome. That was my first thought when I first laid eyes on Urko and the rest of the growing family. Their faces glowing just from holding him and watching him sleep. And what a sleeper! He was an absolute angel and didn’t mind is trying different props and poses. I can’t help but smile when I see the resulting images and think of how they will cherish them for years to come. When he is older and sees these as his first days on earth. But for that, well, I guess they will have to wait some more! 

hello jon!

 

the first. that’s the first thing that came to mind when i met jon, my first nephew. i honestly have been thinking about what to say for the longest time, and i’m having a hard time putting into words. it’s so strange to see my brother, the one who i would equally look up to and fight with as a kid, suddenly being someone’s father. i guess maybe i’m just getting old, but it’s a bit mind-blowing. as is just looking at and holding this little man, with his teeny-tiny hands and his incredibly large-for-his-size feet. i also have to send a huge shoutout to my sister-in-law for braving through a not-so-smooth pregnancy. i remember cancelling several plans because she wasn’t feeling so great. nonetheless, i think that it’s clear as day that it was all worth it. incredibly worth it.