Fall Family Session at Sapienza Gardens in Hillsdale, NJ

The Easy-going Family

Not long ago I had the opportunity to photograph family portraits for an adorable couple and their young boys at Sapienza Gardens in Hillsdale, New Jersey. Nicole and Steve are two proud parents to Evan, 5, and Dominic, 3, with another son coming very soon! When I asked Nicole about her family dynamic she told me, “I’d say we’re all pretty calm. Evan likes to talk a lot! Dominic is shy at first, but ends up being the daredevil to everyone’s surprise. Mom is the quiet boss! Stephen is a calm and loving, but stern Dad.” Her description was more than accurate.

Arriving in their adorable matching outfits, this family was the most laid back and easygoing group I have ever worked with. Nicole and Steve were attentive and calm giving their boys freedom to play. Evan did indeed tell me all kinds of stories and “jokes,” while Dominic felt most comfortable when holding his stuffed monkey, who had to be held a specific way, and kept a little more to himself. I was later entrusted with holding onto the monkey, which is when I knew I was in good with him. Both boys were very curious and loved exploring the winding park trails and creeks.

Duck Duck Goose

When I asked what their favorite game was Evan immediately responded with “Duck Duck Goose”. What followed was the most suspenseful and giddy game of “Duck Duck Goose” I’ve ever witnessed. The boys giggled with excitement and anticipation while waiting to see who their Dad would choose, while Nicole watched them adoringly. Even the Monkey got to play! Their glee was so contagious that they had me giggling with them in no time.

Surprise Treats and Surprise Reactions

When I have a family session that involves young children I always try to bring a treat of some sort (with parent’s permission of course!). This usually works well in getting kids to like me and I also get genuine smiles to photograph, resulting in a win-win. This time I had brought two chocolate lollipops shaped like roosters to give to the brothers. I revealed them to the boys who were waiting incredibly patiently. Both of them were pleased, but Evan was especially happy with his treat.

A few bites in Dominic exclaimed, “Hey! This is chocolate!” as if he’d been duped. I was slightly confused since the lollipops clearly looked like chocolate, and also worried he wasn’t happy. He then casually mentioned, neither happy or mad, that he didn’t really like chocolate, and continued to matter of factly devour the lollipop. In response Nicole informed me he does this “all the time,” where he says he doesn’t like something and eats it anyways. It was the most hilarious and unexpected response I could have gotten.

My Favorite Part

We ended the session with a few group shots and one very tender moment. The soon to be big brothers gathered around their mom and covered her baby bump with hugs and kisses. This was my favorite shot of the day. Keep scrolling to see the smile on Nicole’s face that will never fail to  remind me of why I do what I do and why I love it so much.