San Jose Kelley Park Japanese Friendship Garden Family Photography | Rui Family

Say hello to the Rui family!  Their son G recently finished third grade with me, and I had the pleasure of photographing him and his family at Kelley Park and the Japanese Friendship Garden in San Jose.  I always enjoy doing photo sessions for my former students and their families because it gives me a chance to see the kids outside of school (which I've heard they're very different from being at school) and get to know the families better.  It was a warm day to be in San Jose, but the place was absolutely beautiful.

Fremont Coyote Hills Regional Park Children Photography | Avery 2-year Session

When we did Avery's 1-year-old session she wasn't quite walking yet so for her 2-year-old session we definitely wanted to give her free range and show off those walking (even running) skills of hers.  Coyote Hills Regional Park in Fremont has a nice water area with a wooden walkway but there's also a larger area for people to hike and bike through.  After we did photos of Avery sitting in the chair she did not want to sit anymore for the rest of the session.

 

San Jose Kelley Park Family Photography | Liu Family

The first time I photographed the family was back in 2013 when older brother J was just walking and little T was in his mommy's tummy.  When I met little T for another family session he was already 7 months old and learning how to sit up by himself.  I was looking at photos from the first session and the second session, and it's amazing how much both kids have grown.

We got together on a Saturday morning at Kelley Park in San Jose.  I've done family sessions and engagement sessions at the Japanese Friendship Garden inside the park, and now I'm thinking that the park has a lot of great photo spots for future sessions.  I also love that the family brought some props.  Can you tell that older brother J loves to hug little T?

Los Altos Hidden Villa Family Photography | Philipps Family

My first post of the year is one of a family session I did during the holiday season at Hidden Villa in Los Altos.  It's a great place to get away from the busy life of the city as you're surrounded all around by nature.  In addition to the trails there are also a few farm animals for the little ones to see.

I always look forward to getting together with the Philipps since they're family and also great people to be around, but it's always wonderful to see how much the kids have grown too, especially little girl C.  I've been taking pictures of her since she was a newborn so to see her talking like such a grown up now is truly amazing (and fun).  Baby J has also grown a lot since I last saw him at a family party during the summer, and all the different cute expressions he was making during the session simply melted my heart.  By the end of the session baby J was obviously done when his shoes came off his feet and tossed them.

Fremont Shinn Historical Park Family Photography | Parikh Family

Every year November and December are the busy months for family sessions, and this year was no exception.  I met up with the Parikh family at the Shinn Historical Park in Fremont, which is one of my favorite places to shoot in the fall because of the bright colors.  This little boy wasn't afraid to get dirty and explore, and I'm glad the parents weren't either because I absolutely enjoyed shooting the moments of him trying to eat the berries on the wreath and being all into the leaves.

Berkeley Newborn Family Photography | Baby H

Over the Thanksgiving weekend I met Baby H in his Berkeley home where he was celebrating his first Thanksgiving and first month of life with his family.  He was a calm and alert baby during most of the session, even when he was outside on the hammock in the cold weather in just his diaper with a blanket.  Towards the end of the session, it was definitely nap time.