I had the joy of photographing Mariyam and her family over Easter weekend. They are a busy, on the go family and hadn’t had a chance to get family photos since they became parents almost two years ago! They had some time off so they planned a weekend trip to Galveston to enjoy some family time and play on the beach. Mariyam is a very smart woman. I’m always telling people that vacation is the best time to get family photos done. You’re already together and it doesn’t have to take a lot of time away from your day, plus you’re in a unique environment that you may not always get to visit. It’s a win-win-win!

We spent a fast hour together, but it was full and fun! With a baby, a toddler, and an energetic dog, our session was all about going with the flow and being in the moment. I’m not big into trying to continuously pose children under the age of five for a full session. It’s difficult for them to take that kind of direction for that amount of time and parents can easily get frustrated, sending the whole session into a downward spin. We had no such issues on this day though. Mariyam and Senil embraced the excitement of their little boy Sachin, who was drawn to the water like a magnet to a fridge. He was in love with the water and laughed at the waves as they chased him up the beach. So his parents ditched their shoes and ran right in with him and giggled as his white shirt got covered in sand and his pants became weighted down by seawater. Mariyam even took little Maya down to the water and dipped her toes in. I love that we were able to capture the first time she ever touched the ocean.

Life can get crazy and before you know it a few years can go by. For a lot of families, portrait sessions are an afterthought and when they think of booking a session they may think “studio” and feel uninspired. Mariyam told me right off the bat that she wasn’t looking for super posed studio type portraits, but wanted to be in an environment and keep it a little laid back. That’s how I knew we’d be a good fit. Being able to record what their family looks like right now…young, energetic, a little bit chaotic, but a solid unit ready for their next adventure…that’s awesome! Someday these two cool parents will be able to say “hey we rolled around in sand and got soaked with you in our nice clothes!”