Can we just talk, for a moment, about how wonderful confidence and self-assurance are?

Wonderful to radiate and wonderful to be in the presence of.

Every time I'm called up by Beatrice to photograph her and her family I'm beyond thrilled. She's what I'd call a client crush.

We're super lucky Alicia and I. Our little black book is filled with clients like her that bring that je n'sais pas to the table every. time.

It's our joy to brainstorm as artists, as photographers and as a team with clients - it's the whole pre-consultation-y portion of our magic process. And it thrills my soul when far more appears at the shoot than what we sketched out before hand. It never gets old.

Chemistry, at least in non-scientific terms, can't be faked. It's what it is and it can be nothing else.

If you want artwork of your family that shows a close-knit, beautiful, unpoken-yet-seen love (and obviously you do), it needs to actually exist. Sure, I guess if Pinterest-perusers come across a seemingly happy-go-lucky family that actually isn't, they may never know the difference; but your family artwork (photographs) aren't for other people. They're for you.

When Alicia & I are given the gift of photographing beautiful relationships - family's that are close - I love to bring them physically close.

Common catch phrases have become "Smush! Smush!" and "hug till it's ugly" - inevitably a hug like that never is [ugly]. It's always deeply, emotionally beautiful and moving.

This refocus from "smile for the camera" to "hug till your face hurts" - in the context of relationships that matter - brings forth the chemistry and drowns out any sense of performance.