It’s always a thrill to meet new people that you instantly click with and I just loved these guys. They’re fellow northerners who love their cats and their adorable daughter. Their adorable daughter loves whisking eggs (an all-time favorite hobby of hers) and painting (sometimes a canvas, sometimes her face). Her parents sent me a video of her wandering around the kitchen crying “Carolynnnn” after I left because she couldn’t find me and I apparently made quite a good impression. It was the best. Also the best: being busy photographing a toddler cooking breakfast but then turning around to find that the mom just came around the corner holding two enormous fluffy cats for me to also photograph. The cats are named Chunk and Rhu Rhu and we were best friends and I love them and they love me. It was a great day, ya’ll.

Long-time CSP readers of the blog will recognize some beloved clients of mine here, Erika and Emmanuel, and their incredible kid! In fact, we ran into one of my other clients in the lobby of the Museum of Life and Science while we were checking in, and he recognized Emmanuel! Amazing. It’s a small world, folks. I’ve loved working with these guys forever. They’re smiley and upbeat and positive and adorable. They love each other and their kid and are always a joy to work with. Their kid is AN INCREDIBLE HUMAN. He is hilarious, polite, intelligent, curious, and creative. He made me a bat clip for my hair (honored). He loves looking at bugs and talking about bugs. He can identify his mom’s favorite butterfly, as well as butterflies that are close to his mom’s favorite butterfly, and he points those ones out too. He is a little ray of sunshine. He likes posing and taking pictures and smiling directly into the camera. He’s a little ham, and exactly a 50/50 Erika/Emmanuel split. It’s been wonderful taking photos of this family for so long. A huge thanks to the Museum of Life and Science in Durham, NC for their permission to shoot at their campus.

This child! It’s my third wonderful time photographing Sara and Jackson but my first time photographing their son who is a well known child-model-turned-boy-band-member. Okay, so he’s not a well known child-model-turned-boy-band-member. But he’s definitely striving to be. White tux (check). Dramatic swoop of blonde hair across the forehead (check). Phoenix Sun basketball shoes (check). Mardi Gras beads that he put on himself (check). Zoolander facial expressions (check). Pointing directly into the camera without prompting (check). Someone give this boy a contract, he is clearly ready to sign autographs to his throngs of fans and I’ll be the first in line. All of his poses below are completely his own trademark runway creations. There was no posing involved from any adult – he just did his own thing and we all gasped and applauded. What a dude. When not actively modeling (which is not very often), he loves cars and hugging his stuffed animals and headbanging to the Presidents of the United States of America’s lead singer’s side project Caspar Babypants.