i got to do a mini session yesterday for a sweet sweet mom and daughter.

how cute is she!

there are some days that living in california has its perks. the downsides of being far from my family, missing the fall weather and changing of seasons, and having to pay exorbitant amounts of money for a house are somewhat diminished when you have moments like these.

(taken from my car in the side-view mirror on my birthday)

this was our view at the park today:

with a nice, soft breeze, sunlight and shade. heavenly.

and i’m sure it makes janae happy too!

i had such a fun time on this shoot with her. i was able to give the kids away to grandma, and just focus on doing some fun photography. i have to admit, it’s been a while since i could do that! i swear, whoever decided to try and do a photography business with 2 kids? oh yeah, that was me. well, i am crazy for doing it, but i love it so much that i just can’t stop!

ps: this is my favorite shot of the day. isn’t she just gorgeous?!

yesterday the boys and i headed outside to enjoy the amazing weather! well, it was a little chilly for us californians (in the 50′s) but we loved being outside nonetheless.

this is my favorite shot from yesterday — big brother was busy pointing out an airplane while little brother was laughing and imitating me crouched down on the pavement. i must have looked pretty silly to him or something!

i love his expression of pure joy — he’s not worried about his double chin or wondering if this pose is going to make him look dumb. he’s just enjoying the moment. i think we can all take a page out of his book and work on being more open and honest when we’re in front of the lens. i know i need a reminder to do that every so often. because that is what leads to capturing the reality of your life instead of the ‘posed’ look. personally, i think those are the shots that stand out the most.

hence my favorite shot of the day.

copyright 2010 laurel lakey

some days i dream of having a little girl. in a house full of men, i am always outnumbered. i don’t get to revel in sequins and sparkles, but rather am surrounded by tugboats and trucks.

so sometimes, i take that moment to just dream. dream of the day when i may get to have make-believe tea parties and dress up like a princess with my little girl. dream of the time when i can sew frilly, lacy things and actually use the color pink in a digital scrapbooking layout.

and while i wait and dream, i’ll continue to soak up the fun that my boys bring to my life. because i know this won’t last forever.

{ps: this is not an announcement of any kind, so don’t read too far into it. }

copyright 2010 laurel lakey photography

i don’t know about you, but for me, the new year always brings with it a feeling of freshness. i love that we get to have the year’s slate wiped clean and we get to start over on goals, renew relationships, and breathe new life into our pursuits. i’m going to be doing so with this little photo blog that i’ve got here. i’m going to post a few photos from past sessions with a few new twists, and i am looking forward to all that this new year has in store for future sessions as well.

what does the new year have in store for you and your creativity?

oh this fun family! these are friends of ours from our orange county days and i really like erin a lot. she’s so sweet and unassuming and just really has such a good heart. i loved being able to capture her and her family (those adorable little girls!) a while ago. we had an interesting session, as the girls weren’t loving the situation, but in the end i think we had a good show.

copyright laurel lakey photography

copyright 2009 laurel lakey photography

copyright 2009 laurel lakey photography

thanks, you guys, for a wonderful time!