Small Miracles Photography

My New “Second Shooter”! {Maternity and Family Photographer Lafayette}

Keri — Thu, 10 May 2012 17:11:28 +0000

I love when I go to a shoot and the little ones are excited about the shoot and really watch what I am doing. It adds a lot of fun to the shoot. Little Zachary is almost three and so fun! Anyone who has had a photo shoot with me knows I almost always shoot from a step stool . I like the angle and perspective it gives me. Zachary watched me shooting some photos of mom and dad. He went inside to get his “tools”. Mom and Dad start cracking up. When I looked over this is what I saw!

We all cracked up. So funny! Zachary was so great and now when I need a second shooter, he’s my guy! He took his job very seriously!

Zachary was such a help he got a little treat. One Peep! He savored it!

Jocelyn grew up in this home. I think that is so cool. I loved the vibe of the house. A great place to raise a family.

What a perfect day for a maternity shoot with the family.

Rilka and Sadie 9 months old! {mountain view family photographer}

Keri — Thu, 03 May 2012 16:01:22 +0000

I photographed Kim when she was pregnant with the twins, then when the twins were just days old I photographed the girls. Kim and Ben are so fun to work with and such awesome parents. Kim said as soon as the girls were sitting on their own she wanted to do another shoot. We have all been patiently waiting. The time was finally here. Yay! The girls are 9 months old and sitting up.

The girls were so fun and were so easy going. Especially with all of the outfit changes!

Rilka getting some daddy love! Ben had the girls giggling constantly.

Sadie and mom. Kim has been going through chemotherapy to treat her leukemia. She looks amazing!

Can you believe those those juicy thighs! The girls had fun dancing on the table!

Smiling faces…..

Behind the smiles is silly daddy! The girls don’t miss a beat. As soon as I went to grab this shot, they both rolled over to see what I was doing! I need Ben to come on all of my shoots! Can’t wait for our next shoot!

Welcome to the world Alden-Newborn Photographer San Francisco

Keri — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 21:08:31 +0000

Baby Alden came early, making his appearance on St. Patrick’s day. He was due March 27th! What a handsome guy. He was so sweet and was a true newborn; he slept nearly the whole shoot. The last shot with the whole family is one of my favorites. Kristi wanted one shot with Deuce too. Alden was crying (the only time her cried) and Deuce just didn’t know what to do. I love everyones faces.

Yoga in the Park- Maternity Photography in San Francisco

Keri — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 05:22:59 +0000

This past week, I had the pleasure of photographing Lulu. She had called earlier in her pregnancy to inquire about my services. She mentioned that she was interested in doing a few yoga poses in the park across from her home. I loved the idea. I had never photgraphed a pregnant mom doing yoga. Finally it was time to shoot and it was awesome! She looked amazing. I am inspired to get into the yoga studio!

Who would think were in the middle of San Francisco?

Lulu was so graceful and gorgeous

I love this photo. So beautiful.

It was such fun photographing Lulu. She made yoga look so effortless. Amazing she is due in just a few weeks!

Lulu got her certification from the Laughing Lotus Yoga SF studio http://sf.laughinglotus.com/ and is currently teaching donation-based signature Lotus Flow classes at the SF Women’s Building http://womensbuilding.org/content/index.php/events

Family Portraits- Why are they so important?

Keri — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 01:38:37 +0000

It is a new year and I am getting back on track with my blogging. We experienced a very big loss in our family this month. My mother in law, Carmen, passed away from a long battle with cancer. We knew it was coming but non of us could really grasp the reality of what that would feel like. As we planned the funeral my sister in law started gathering photos for the funeral program, slideshow and photo collages. She has always been so good at taking photos of the family when we gather. I don’t even take my camera a lot of the time, because it can feel like I am working. There were so many great photos to use and everyone really loved seeing them at the services. What a gift she gave us all having taken pictures at all of the outings and family get togethers.

When we were going through the photos, I noticed how many times one or the other parent was missing in the photo because they were taking the photo. We loved this photo when all of the kids were little, but dad was missing. No doubt taking the photo. Luckily we did find some and it was so fun to see everyone! As most of you know, I feel very strongly in getting a professional to take family portraits once a year. When you look back at your family photos, it is so wonderful to look back and see your whole family, not just the kids. You have to know that your kids love looking back to see how little they were, but they also want to see mom and dad and how they have changed.

So, to all of my clients that see the value in my work, thank you. I really believe in what I do and am reminded of the value daily when I am editing beautiful family portraits. I know my families will look back throughout the years and remember the fun time we had at the shoot, how little their babies were at birth and how wobbly their toddlers were when they were first walking. Even though there is so much pressure for those “perfect” family portraits it is great to have family portraits showing where everyone was, at that point in their lives. You look back and laugh and remember when little Johnny hated having his photo taken and would not look at the camera or wanted to hold his favorite stuffy. Those are always my favorites because they really show the personalities of the kids. They won’t always hate the camera, but that year they did, and maybe they still have that ratty old stuffy.

I have the best clients! Sneak Peak Sabrina and Phil- Maternity Photo Shoot

admin — Thu, 19 May 2011 02:53:00 +0000

I love that my job constantly introduces me to fabulous people. I love being a maternity photographer. Something about working with “parents to be”, feels so exciting. I have to say, I think I have the very BEST clients! Last week was no different. I instantly loved Sabrina and Phil. They were just so sweet and easy going.

Phil had to head off to work so he was a total sport with a few outfit changes before heading out. I love when my clients are so relaxed and at ease with each other, it makes my job so much easier. They were both up for whatever I suggested. Considering that they are expecting their first baby, they were completely laid back while I was there.

They had great outdoor space. It felt like we were in the mountains. When we were taking some photos out on the deck, a deer walked by. So cool! Another day in the life of a maternity photographer!

Lisa and James- From Belly to Baby

admin — Wed, 11 May 2011 19:43:00 +0000

I met Lisa and James in February, for their maternity photo shoot. James gave it to Lisa for a gift. So sweet, right? At one point James responded in an email, “sorry for the delayed response, I have pregnancy brain and I’m not even pregnant!” Cracked me up. From the look of the photos you would never have known it was February! What a beautiful day it was. Lisa and James wanted to use Dolores Park for a background for some of the shots. It was perfect. We just had to navigate the half naked people, you know what happens when the sun comes out in the city. We had so much fun!

Lisa and James really wanted to do newborn photos. I told them the best timeframe was in the first 10 days. They scheduled their newborn session for the 5th day. I was so proud of them. I told them it would seem crazy to have me come over to shoot only 5 days into being parents, but they were up for the challenge. When I walked in the door, I sensed Lisa was a bit overwhelmed, as you can imagine. When I asked her how she was doing, she teared up. I hugged her and more tears came. I felt so bad, I knew just how she felt. I looked at James, and said, ” I should come back another day.” Lisa insisted I should stay. She was such a trooper, I can’t even tell you. Becoming a new mom is such a daunting task. There is no manual. Our hormones are crazy, we are sleep deprived, but we now have a baby who needs us.

Addy, their first born (the doggie) was so sweet. She was great with Alexis, but she still wanted to play!

Little baby Alexis was an absolute doll. What an angel. We even got photos of her in a Christening gown made close to 40 years ago by a family member. How special. She was alert and she slept. She was great! I couldn’t have asked for more. By the end of the shoot, we were all laughing so hard we were crying. It was a great shoot.

On the Rooftop- Maternity Photos with a view

admin — Wed, 04 May 2011 15:49:00 +0000

Anyone that knows me knows how much I love living in San Francisco. Everyday I love the new energy, I find a new secret spot and a lot of days I get to go into clients homes. I love going to clients homes to see how they live, it is one of my favorite parts of my job. I had a recent maternity shoot with Christine and Will in Russian Hill. Once I got there Will said we could shoot up on the roof deck. Oh, how fun!

It was an absolutely amazing day. We were actually getting pretty toasty up there. Will was able to stay for a few shots before he had to head out to work. He kept us laughing.

I recently hosted photographer, Anne Ruthmann, from Boston, at our home. When we toured the city she said, “Everywhere you look there is a view!” This is so true. I loved the views of Coit Tower, Alcatraz and the bay from Christine and Will’s rooftop. Gorgeous.

What a really great couple. They were both very fun and relaxed. That definitely makes the shoot easier for me! They are going to be wonderful parents.

Giants Fun! Maternity Photo Shoot at AT&T Park San Francisco

admin — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 21:46:00 +0000

We are all still on cloud 9 after the Giant’s Worls Series win. It is amazing to say it out loud! The celebration continues!

I got a call from Missy and she said she was pregnant with her second baby and wanted to use San Francisco as the backdrop for her maternity photos. They had a place across from the ballpark and would love to shoot there. It is where her and her husband met and dated. It meant alot to them. I told her I was hesitant because that is not really my style. I shoot tight shots without much background. I referred her to a few other photographers that I thought might be better at capturing what she wanted.

Missy thanked me for the referrals and we hung up. She called back a bit later and said, “If you will still take us we want to shoot with you. We respect your style and maybe you could do a few shots outside your comfort zone.” It was so cute. I knew I needed to be open. I just didn’t want to disappoint her. Of course I said OK.

I met up with Missy , Todd and Lexi. We had such fun walking around the ballpark and enjoying the warm weather. It was really fun being South of Market with the buzz from Giant’s opening day, the day before. I was glad that Missy challenged me and had such fun.

The family was so fun to shoot and even the dog Maci enjoyed the shoot and smiled for me! Lexi was a little model. She was up for anything I wanted to shoot. She had all the poses! I look forward to photographing them again.

My Girl Sydney

admin — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 16:33:00 +0000

I usually use my blog to show my latest work, today I am saluting my daughter.

Today, my Sydney will have her second surgery in 2 years. She tore her meniscus playing soccer on her High School team. Her soccer coach takes soccer seriously and had the girls start conditioning when school started in August. They have practiced 5 days a week, up to 7 practices a week, all year. Syd has loved bonding with her new soccer friends, as a Freshman on the team. The season started in March and she had only played in 4 games, but had already scored 5 goals. New for her since she has usually played Goalie. She was having severe knee pain so we took her to see Dr. Dave Atkin, a fabulous surgeon and a family friend. After an MRI, he told us she had a torn meniscus and needed surgery. He said, “Be happy we are not treating her for obesity or diabetes. Your kids are athletes, this comes with the territory. They are active, that is good.”

I have to say, she has been such a trooper. After 7 months of practice, to be told your season just started, and now you are out until next year, could be devastating…there were tears, but she wiped them and moved on. “Maybe I can get on the swim team?” was her next thought. She sat in the cabin while we went on a snowboarding trip that had been planned before her injury. No complaints. I am very proud of the woman she is becoming. She has gone to the games, suited up, knowing she is there to cheer on her team, but can’t help them. I am so proud of her.

Sydney is an athlete, she is like Anthony that way. She is a quick learner and has a steel trap memory. She loves photography and has started shooting on film. She loves music and has the most eclectic music collection I have ever seen on her iPod. She loves to hang out with her best friend Kirby to just be silly. She has the most infectious laugh and smile.

Sydney, I know you will be back to your normal in no time, and couldn’t be prouder of you! Here’s to you!