And he’s off!!!! Family portraits with Charlie, Cara and Scott

When Cara told me that Charlie loved to run from the Ferry Building to the Ball Park, I thought she was exaggerating a bit like all parents do (myself included).  All children run and play right?  Boy was I wrong.

Charlie runs and I mean he runs everywhere.  In the Ferry Building, down the piers, along the Embarcadaro, and up and over cement blocks – he ran and ran and ran.  Literally he was a streak of arms, legs and a great big smile.

It was awesome to see and his energy made for a great family portrait session.  I definitely have to give props to Cara and Scott – they have such a great attitude and just kept up with him where every he went.  And they definitely know how to be flexible.  When we lost the sun at the Ferry Building, they suggested going up to their home in Potrero Hill which turned out fabulous.  If you don’t know, Potrero Hill has amazing views of San Francisco and great afternoon light.

Of course, that gave us more time to photograph Charlie running.

Thanks Cara and Scott and good luck keeping up with Charlie.  If I were you, I might consider stock in a running shoe company.  I think you might need a few pairs in the years to come.

A few sample photos below and the full gallery here.

Click here if no slide show above.

A little video from after the shoot.  We had to get close because the wind picked up.

Vote For Image
0 votes

Blog link:  http://jchandlerphotography.com/1186

The Beauty of Crying Babies

Inevitably in any family portrait session, the little ones will start crying.  The children will either get tired, stub a toe or just not get their way.  Most of the time, the parents get anxious or nervous and try to sooth the baby.  Usually, there is a “I can’t believe he/she is acting this way.”  That’s natural of course.  But as a photographer, I think those are some of the best opportunities for memorable photographs.  There is something so real, so gut wrenching about seeing a photo of a baby crying.  I don’t know about you, but when I look at these pictures, I can almost hear the cries and taste the tears.  I just react in a way I don’t normally do with your regular, amazingly beautiful photograph.  Maybe its because I’m a dad but I don’t think so.  I think there is something hardwired into our human nature that just compels us react to a crying baby.

With this in mind, I thought I would start a collection of crying babies.  Here are the few that I have so far.  I’m sure more will follow.

[nggallery id=71]

Jacobson Family Session

Twice this week, I worked with very good friends.  This time it was the Jacobson Family – Catherine and Aaron and their children Chloe and Ben.  Such a good time.  Chloe always keeps me on my toes – when I asked her if she could show me  places around their San Francisco home to photograph she quickly replied – “Sorry, I’m too busy.”  Good news is that when I asked her to shake her head like a movie star, she didn’t miss a beat.  And Ben is just a big bundle of love.  So happy – even if he was a little tired.  And I have to say props to Aaron and Catherine – they are a couple that keeps a smile no matter what happens.    Very, very impressive and my family and I are very thankful for all the support they give us.

And Catherine’s mom stopped by – another great grandmother moment.  Plus she brought Ms. Pooshanka.  I seem to be attracting small, white fluffy dogs.

Here are a few samples and full gallery here (password required).

[nggallery id=70]

Kvaal Family Portrait Session

In the past few years, my family and I have had the great joy of getting to know the Kvaal family – Amy, Andrew and Caroline.  Sue (my wife) met Amy in a Golden Gate Mother’s Group Playgroup (and for those of you that don’t know, GGMG is THE mother’s group in San Francisco) and our children (Caroline and Lucius) are about the same age.   Amy and Andrew are two of the nicest people we know and little Caroline is cute, fun and has more energy than all the solar panels in California combined.  Amy and Andrew have their second child on the way so they wanted family portraits before the little-little one arrives.

We met at their apartment in San Francisco and spent an hour photographing them doing what they do.  I always love seeing families relaxing in their own special way.  You just know that Andrew and Amy spend a good amount of time reading with Caroline on the bed and in their rocking chair.  That of course would explain why Caroline is so freaking smart.

I also got to meet their cats.  You can’t really tell this from the photograph but the brown tabby is about the biggest cat I have ever seen.

Thanks Kvaal’s – I had a great time and hope you enjoy the photos.  Samples Below and full gallery here (password required).

[nggallery id=68]

Beauty in the Bart William’s House

I’ve had the very good fortune of knowing Arthur and Jessica Bart Williams for almost 10 years.  We’ve been together through some very good times and some very tough times.  Though it all, they’ve smiled, laughed and made the world a better place for everyone they meet.  And with their two girls – Isabell and Natalie – the beauty of their family just jumps off the page.  You can just see how darn happy they are.

Love you so much and thanks for giving me the chance to record your family at this point in time.  Quite the honor for me.

Go here to see all of the photos and to order prints.

Joey

P.S.  Arthur locked the keys in the house and it was quite impressive to see him climb up the roof and shimmy into their bathroom.

Lucius and Granddad Joe

One of the great things about being a Dad is seeing how great my own Dad is at being a dad.  He just does what needs to be done and he so clearly loves the people around him.   We were scheduled to do the AIDS Life Cycle together but the plans changed when he got sick and was unable to train.  So he did the most amazing thing and flew out to LA, rented a car, picked my tired-butt at the finish line and drove me all the way back to San Francisco.  Then he played Granddad-on-Vacation for 5 days.  He took care of Lucius most of the week and cooked several lip smacking dinners.

Pretty awesome I’d say.

Thanks Dad – I love you and you are the best.

Here are a few photos of Dad in action.  The love of a grandfather just oozes off of his face.

All photos are here.  One thing to note is that these photos were shot with my Nikon p6000 (point and shoot camera).  The shots came out better than I expected.

Family Portaits for Rebecca, Ari and Jonah

I met Rebecca, Ari and Jonah through my wife and her mom’s group.  They are moving to Dallas in June and wanted photos to commemorate their years in San Francisco.  We talked and settled on two locations that were important to them: the Randall Museum and Buena Vist Park.  Both areas have amazing views and great afternoon sunlight.   That afternoon the fog rolled in so we were racing against increasing winds and dropping temperatures.  Fortunately, they are troopers and we got a great collection.  I’ll definitely miss them and wish them the best of luck in Dallas.

Photos here (password required)

[singlepic id=57 w=320 h=240 float=none]

Note from Rebecca…

“Joey did an amazing job capturing our family’s daily life in a beautiful, refreshing way. As a dad, he really understood our 2 year old and helped us determine where and when would be ideal to get great family photos. We were thrilled with the pictures and had so much fun working with him. He really gets kids and us!”

Going away picnic for Rebecca, Ari and Jonah

Made it back from the AIDS Life Cycle just in time to attend Rebecca, Ari and Jonah’s going away party.  Didn’t really intend to take pictures (the mind and body were mucho tired-o) but the kids were cute so I snapped a few.  The playground in Golden Gate Park (19th and MLK) was nice.  Will have to plan a few portrait sessions there in the future.

More photos here.

Chloe’s Birthday Party

We were all waiting in anticipation for Chloe’s birthday party because Catherine had arranged for Enzo Garcia (the musical genius behind Breakfast with Enzo) to play.  The party was hosted by Chloe’s grandparents at their beautiful home off of Alta Plaza Park.  Enzo brought his unique brand of entertainment and we all had a great time – especially when the cup cakes appeared.

See all photographs here.

Franklin Square Playground Opening

Great community story.  A few years ago, Franklin Square was a run down park in the heart of the mission.  But now, after years of hard work and a $1.2 million grant from the city, the park looks fabulous.  So glad to see children playing.  Complete photos here.