The beautiful golden sunlight rose behind the fountain of water as it sprayed up out of the pond at Irmo Town Park. That wasn’t the only water spectacle spraying that morning, though. As I crouched down to snap shot after shot of a sweet sibling pair, I kept hearing that telltale hiss of the automatic sprinkler system coming to life around us. “Okay, buddy, can you give your sister a sweet kiss on her head for me?” The adoring big brother leaned over to oblige with the sweetest smooch.
“That was so sweet, buddy! Can you look at her and tell her how much you love her?” Suddenly, to my left, I heard the hiss of a sprinkler head emerging, followed by the pounding drops hitting the pavement of the sidewalk. The sidewalk where I had been crouching to finish the last group of shots. I jumped up just in time to avoid the first soaking!
“Oh no! The water’s coming to get me! Okay buddy, let’s see if we can beat it. Tell me when it’s coming for me!”
In the minutes that followed, my exaggerated shrieks brought out the best giggles as I dodged the sprinkler’s path, capturing a few last sweet moments in that beautiful golden hour light. Sometimes, you’ve got to do whatever it takes to get the shot, and sometimes, the most unexpected moments make for my favorite photos!
Taking pictures with kids is always a juggling act, but when you’ve got two under the age of 3? There are certainly some extra challenges! When I got a text from Michael one afternoon asking if it would be possible to schedule a surprise Mother’s Day photo shoot of his two adorable kiddos as a gift for his wife Diana, I have to admit I got tears in my eyes!
Not only did he secretly orchestrate the whole thing without Diana finding out, but he also recruited his father-in-law to help with the execution and be an extra pair of hands! They did an amazing job of getting both kids dressed and out the door for a super early sunrise session and keeping everyone in good spirits!
And it never hurts when you have the most adorable sibling pair ever (who you might remember from this newborn hospital session) to make a sunrise golden hour session even more worth waking up before the sun! Seriously… our session was a dream! The light was perfect. Everyone looked amazing. It was the best and sweetest surprise. I could not stop grinning as I drove home after!
Michael, thank you so much for including me in such a thoughtful Mother’s Day surprise for all the special women in your life. It was a true team effort to pull it off, but you and Lee made it look effortless! It is such a joy to be able to capture your family in each season of your lives, and I’m so, so grateful to have your and Diana’s friendship!
