A Washington Square Portrait Session

Spring wedding season has come to an end. I think it went by faster than ever this year! Photographing weddings is such a joy, but after a season of shooting eight weekends in a row I am happy for a little break. I might be on a short hiatus from weddings for a few weeks, but things are definitely still busy. I’ve been doing some fun commercial projects and magazine shoots that I can’t wait to share more about soon. I’ve also been spending some time in the kitchen. Cooking for fun while I have a less demanding shooting schedule is one of my favorite things to do. I also completely decluttered my desk, which had turned into a mountain of paperwork, wedding huggers (yes, I collect them from weddings I photograph), and sample prints (because I’m a bit OCD about color checking for correct calibration). I spent the whole morning getting my desk back into ship shape and I feel so refreshed!

Today I’m sharing the sweetest family session with y’all! Chelsea’s mom contacted me to arrange gifting this session to her daughter for her birthday. Photographs are seriously the BEST gifts that you can give because they are something that will always be treasured. It’s even more special to give the gift of having professional portraits taken. I loved being in on the birthday surprise!

Chelsea and Brandon have the most adorable and well-behaved children. Gus, who is a little over a year old, started waving at me right as I walked up to meet them in the park. I could tell right away that he was not going to be shy of the camera. Chelsea taught Mary Helen, who is only two, to say my name before the session. She said they practiced saying “Elizabeth” when they would talk about getting photos taken. I was so touched when I heard her little voice saying my name. Elizabeth is not an easy name for little kids!

This session was just pure fun! I can’t look at these images without smiling! Despite the warm weather and the crazy gnats that were swarming in the park, these little ones were happy throughout our entire shoot. Mary Helen loved playing with the sticks and Gus loved watching neighbors walking their dogs. He was also intrigued by the random bird that was visiting the park that afternoon. I love when kids are this age how they are a bit aware of the camera, but they still let their personalities shine without reservation. Enjoy my favorites from this sweet summer time session!

Chelsea is not only a sweet momma of two adorable kiddos and wife to her husband, Brandon. She is also the co-host of Today’s Homeowner with Danny Lipford and host of her own web series Checkin’ In with Chelsea! Both shows are full of home improvement tips and DIY projects. I’m always amazed at how they can take jobs that seem intimidating and make them approachable for the average person. You can follow Chelsea on Facebook here!

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