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Don’t let anyone fool you, out of all the cute things that you can think of in the world, babies are, by far, the cutest. They’re what we gravitate to during family parties or if you’re not paying attention at church, and the only thing you see staring back at you through the sea of people are the eyes of a bewildered infant who is, quite possibly, taking in every new sight like it’s its first. It's cute, no debate.
It’s no surprise that upon meeting Miakai and her family, that she was beaming with the most adorable energy during the shoot. We had met in Antioch after a few days of constant rain, and this was the first day of sunshine. Driving out to a park not too far from where they lived, much of the terrain was filled with vast rolling hills and lush with green textures.
With sessions with small children, it can be difficult to maintain their focus, but if one is able to distract them, then it becomes incredibly easier. In our case, Mia’s aunt had been playing music in the background, as, essentially every adult present was coaching her to clap her hands and whatnot. Without noticing the camera, Miakai was very natural in giving her reactions and that was my window to take as many photos as I could to capture that essence.
In preparation for the shoot, I decided to try something of the first time by heading over to my nearest Michael’s and shopping for several props to use. It was pure coincidence that not only had Aeyzah, Mia’s mother, prepared props of her own (the letters spelling “One” for her first birthday which was a few months ago), but all three coordinated their outfits that also matched the pink and white motif of the flowers I bought to use as well.
For any sort of photoshoots involving families, it becomes a necessity to emphasize that theme in the composition of the images. What takes it further is to highlight the dynamics between that family unit, whether if that’s between both parents or even between how they interact with their children as well. The biggest thing we do in our lifetime is the way we establish our connections with one another and, for families, it usually begins from there.