Family Session: The McDades

There is something special about photography as a Christmas gift. Especially when it is a surprise given to you by your children (and their children!)

Lauren contacted me asking if I would take photos of her siblings and nieces and nephews as a surprise Christmas gift for the grandparents.  We met up at Centennial Park in Howard County and got right to work capturing some smiles.

If you've never been to the park, it's a fantastic space filled with fields, trees, and a pretty rockin' playground. Of course, we would never use the playground as a bribe! (Ok, I'm lying, playgrounds make great bribes for kids during photoshoots).

Whenever I'm shooting a family with small children, I try to get the important, posed photos first while they are still cheery, or, in other words, before they realize what is happening. We snapped up photos of the entire family and then moved on to some candid shots of everyone hanging out and playing around. It was crazy, but so much fun!

I hope the grandparents enjoy their gift!