Sundin Photography

Feet of Joy | Poway Candid Family Photography

Ginette — Fri, 17 May 2013 19:12:21 +0000

We first met over a pair of shoes. I imagine for you girls out there who love shoes, meeting and bonding over mutual love for a pair of shoes is no strange thing to you, maybe even a regular occurrence. But I can assure you that this is new territory for me, as 90% of the time I am wearing flip flops. This is where I know that I am probably going to lose 50% of my blog following…but I feel in the spirit of honesty I must admit this to you anyhow: I am just not a shoe girl. I know, I am so sorry. My sister-in-law is trying to heal this disease I have by giving me shoes as gifts. In fact, that is exactly how I fell in love with Born shoes…the shoes that I wear the other 10% of the time…and the shoes that brought Chelsea and I into immediate friendship.

It wasn’t the love of shoes that kept me there talking to her that day though, it was her smile, her laugh, her joy, her amazing positive energy, and her cute-as-can-be daughter Lucy. When she hired me for a photo session, of course I was over the moon.

Pat, Chelsea, and Lucy were all a perfect match of joy, energy, fun, laughter, and smiles. Lucy kept me on my toes though, literally. It seemed as though there was some kind of button that was pressed as soon as she started running. How else could one explain how her smile seemed to get bigger the fast her legs moved? It was a good thing that I was wearing my favorite Born shoes to keep up!

Meet Pat, Chelsea, and fast little Lucy….

Yes there were balloons and other things…but the real joy was in the running…

Look at that sweet angel face…

This next shot has to be my favorite shot of the day. I know that there are going to be a lot of you who don’t love it, and that is okay. It is not perfect because it was a quick capture, but I love it because it was all real. A real snuggle with mamma that was not prompted by anyone; quick, but sweet. And the snuggle was accompanied by dad’s hand of loving support on Lucy’s back, showing the safety, security, and love that a daddy offers a daughter. It was so tender in so many ways… and I had the honor of catching it. This is why I love what I do:

Whenever a family tells me how much they love to read together, I always want to capture it. I love capturing what your family loves to do right now, right where you are in this stage of life. For this family, it is reading…and it was obvious as soon as we started how much they all love this pass time.

Thank you Pat, Chelsea, and Lucy; I had so much fun running with you and capturing all that joy you have for your sweet little Lucy! I can’t wait until next time!

Preciousness | Alpine Newborn Photography

Ginette — Tue, 07 May 2013 00:30:20 +0000

Life is so fast sometimes. I think that is why there are so many old ladies who stop us moms in grocery stores, ignoring the fact that our child is in the midst of the biggest tantrum of their life to tell us, “It all goes by so fast, enjoy it now.” We look at those ladies and we think, “ENJOY!? THIS?!”

Every once in a while though we have the blessing of life slowing down around us and we get a very special moment, a moment in which we can see all that we have, the blessings instead of the tantrums; a moment that one of my favorite bloggers calls “Kairos” moments. A moment in which we can truly see the preciousness of life, of the now; a small spot in time that transcends all the difficult days and makes it all worth it.

When I am around Kathryn and Etienne, I often think of those Kairos moments. They are people with a unique peace and love about them…and Etienne’s way with words often gets me to stop and appreciate life and God in a way I don’t always slow down to do. I love this about them.

On April 20th I was scheduled a photo session with Kathryn, Etienne, their sweet little ones, their parents visiting from South Afrcia, and their newest addition, little Colette. Instead of a photo session, Colette decided to remind all of us of the fragility of a newborn with a little visit to Rady Children’s Hospital. She was and is okay, a strong healthy little girl, but I know that life slowed a little bit for all of us while she was in the hospital. I know we all were reminded how precious a little life is. I know for that week she was in the hospital, I was a little more patient with my kids and their tantrums, and when I tucked them in to bed and we prayed for little Colette, I also said extra prayers of thanks for my own little precious ones.

I thank God for his precious gifts, for little Kairos moments, and for this family that just a week later than planned, I was so honored to capture…

Meet Colette:

And Colette’s sweet brother and sister…

And meet all of the family who loves them to the moon and back:

Thank you so much D family!! You are such a blessing to our life!

Full Hearts | San Diego Baby Photography

Ginette — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 18:12:55 +0000

The world slows down. You have so much love overflowing out of your heart that it feels like you heart hurts a little…but it is a good hurt, a welcome hurt, an exciting hurt. You look at them and it you realize that somewhere deep in your heart you now believe in miracles.

I wish I could bottle up the love that was filling up the room, use my butterfly net to capture the delight in their voice, take my ziploc bag to contain the sparkle in their eyes; I’d package it all up and send it to you so you could have it too.

Nothing is quite like the baby stage in parenthood…sleepness nights, yes…but also love so full and so big that your heart hurts. I would be willing to bet that there are some full (and hurting) hearts in little Parker’s house.

Meet Kelly, Brent, and baby Parker:

Things did quiet down…more moments that make the sleepless nights worth while:

And those sweet little details that go away too fast…

… and the sweet smile and laugh will always make your day brighter now and when they grow…

Had to save these for last. I don’t usually tell you my favorites, but my mama heart over fills up with these. My favorite captures of the day…

Thank you SO much Kelly, Brent, and Parker for making me a part of your trip down to San Diego! You were such a delight; and please move here so I can watch sweet Parker grow with you!

Just Laugh | Del Mar Beach Family Photography

Ginette — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 15:30:42 +0000

Grandma always says to me, “In life you will either find you can either laugh or cry; in our family we laughed.”

I personally think that is one of my favorite things that she says, as I believe it is most wise, very sage advice.

I couldn’t help but think of Grandma’s wisdom when Sarita was telling me that with having three small boys, she finds herself learning more to just let go, roll with the punches, and laugh a lot. I think Sarita and Jason are both people who choose laughter; I love being around those of you out there who choose laughter, you make the world feel a lot brighter.

Recognize those laughing faces? Yes, you have met them a couple times before…but I am excited to introduce to you for the first time their newest addition…sweet, smiling, kissable little Judd…

Judd is a pretty cute addition to the family, isn’t he? I sure love these three little boys!

This next picture makes me happy for two reasons. First, I usually ask my clients if they want a “kiss shot”, but this one happened all on it’s own and that makes me smile so big…cause I love couples who know how to sneak a kiss from one another. And second because I was actually in the middle of changing settings on my camera and so I almost missed it (that is why the sunflare is a little intense in it…but I still love it!) I love it because to me it perfectly captures what life is like with three kids. Notice that the boys are not paying any attention (to either me or them)? Feel like your house at all?!

And I love kisses, but of course I couldn’t do a photo shoot with 3 boys without encouraging a little wrestling too…

Thank you so much L family! You know how I love your boys…I feel like I just fall for them more and more each time I get to see you!

Inspired | Orange County Candid Family Photography

Ginette — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 02:22:32 +0000

I truly cannot figure out how I feel both incredibly inspired and incredibly insecure at the same time…but I promise you…if you are on Pinterest, you know it is possible.

When I look at pins, I feel like the only mom in the world who isn’t doing clean eating, incredibly dressed, impressingly fit, home schooling, making amazing arts & crafts, baking, and spending hours doing science projects with my kids.

However, there is one thing I really love about Pinterest…the photography. When I see the amazing ideas that other photographers come up with, I don’t get jealous or feel the twinge of insecurity…I get goosebumps of excitement! The culmination of amazing ideas all at my finger tips!

Many of my clients come to me with little idea (or no idea) what they want for photographs, and I love talking with them, learning about their family, and coming up with ideas together of the perfect way to capture all that they are. But I also occasionally get the client who knows exactly what they want and send me examples and ideas galore, and I love that too! I love gawking over beautiful images together and hoping that against all odds we too can create such images with their family.

The first time I met Maria she hesitantly sent me examples of photos she was hoping for, but I couldn’t have been happier seeing all the ideas she had found. We were so like minded in everything we loved, I felt like we were quick friends. So I knew when she contacted me for Emma’s one year photo shoot she would have ideas… and examples…and pins…and Maria did not let me down!

When Maria showed me her Pinterest board of ideas for her photo shoot I was OVER.THE.MOON. No joke. I am talking heart racing, words getting all jumbled up as I attempted to express them , and I am pretty sure I was hyperventilating at one point. Then I asked her if I could bring my teepee…and SHE.SAID.YES.

*swoon*

Of course one of her favorite pictures we were trying to emulate clearly had sunny skies, no breeze, and was no doubt beautiful and warm…all of which didn’t show up on our photo shoot day. But Maria, Luke, and Emma all rolled with the punches in the most gracious of ways, smiled like it was a perfect 72 degree day, and convinced me that they MUST secretly be models.

Then we headed back to their beautiful-I-want-to-live-there-with-them-or-at-least-make-my-home-look-exactly-like-theirs-some-day-home, and we got some more picture ideas I had been dying to try.

(It turns out that I am a complete sucker for naked baby bottom pictures…)

We ended it all with cake, cause let’s be honest, everything should end with cake. I have never done a “smash cake” session before for a client and it was so fun! Emma was so hesitant to try it, wasn’t sure she liked getting messy, and then all of a sudden her feet were going in! If this was video you would hear my non-stop laughter.

Thank you so much Maria, Luke and Emma…I loved every idea you had and I had an absolute blast trying to make them all come to life! I can’t wait until our next session!!

Let It Snow | Candid Family Photography

Ginette — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 02:09:08 +0000

Her laugh is the most infectious giggle you have ever heard. I know I have told you about it before, but I am telling you, if I could box up Mallery’s laugh and send it to you for your rainy days, it would be the best gift you have ever received. If only I could have boxed it up and took some of it home with me!!

I got to spend three days with Mallery, Jen, and Jeff in their beautiful new home up in Auburn, and after the first day with Mallery I knew I wanted to steal her and take her home with me. She is sweet, thoughtful, and not only has the world’s best laugh, she is also the brightest little thing I have ever met.

Jeff mentioned trying a photo shoot in the snow and I think my text back to Jen went something like: “YES YES YES!!”

Ever since I saw an engaged couple doing a photo shoot in a winter wonderland, I wanted to try a family photo shoot in the snow, but kept waiting for just the right family; waiting for a family that would be up for the trek, the cold, the potential melt-downs, the potential disaster it could have been.

I am so glad we did it! It was cold, yes, but it was it went better than I ever could have hoped!!! Come and see!!

Then the play clothes went on…

I love this family so much!! Can’t wait until next time!!

Squeals | San Clemente Beach Family Photography

Ginette — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 17:33:30 +0000

It seems everyone I know donned the iconic green apron at one time or another. Or at least it seemed that way when I worked at Starbucks and every other customer would tell me, “You know, I used to work at Starbucks too.” At first when customers would tell me this I was genuinely interested, then interested turned to courteous, and then eventually I had to do everything in my power not to roll my eyes (and I am not an eye roller people, it was just THAT often).

When Jodie and Chris told me that they had both worked at Starbucks, you can imagine how I felt when I realized that a squeal and “MEEEE TOOOO!!” escaped from my lips.

Mor.ti.fied.

I am pretty sure they both rolled their eyes at each other when I wasn’t looking. But it was too late once I said it, so I just decided to own it and be one of those people. So I squealed again. And again.

After I hung out with them for 10 minutes, it was no longer their Starbucks history that kept making me want to squeal; Jodie’s incredibly contagious smile that never stopped being brighter than the sun, Chris’s gentle and loving way with his kids, and both of them obviously head over heels for their two sweet little boys. *Squeal*

I don’t know if you can tell the difference between a forced smile or not, but let me assure you that these smiles were not forced; these two were smitten with their littles. I love love love photo shoots like this.

Jodie, you seriously have the most beautiful smile in the world.

A couple sticks for a sword fight of course.

After playing in the (*freezing*) water, Alex kept saying his pants were “spicy”. I myself have had some salty pants, so I knew exactly what he meant. That brought on the blanket snuggles…

I had so much fun photographing this sweet, generous, fun family. As it often is, one of my favorite photos is the last one (you can see it here); moments like that make me want to keep on shooting forever.

Thank you SO much Jodie and Chris!! And thank you for adding buckets to my prop collection too! I can’t wait until next time!

The Best Day Ever | San Diego Candid Family Photography

Ginette — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 01:57:51 +0000

Her words were positive and optimistic, yet they were missing something. As she spoke about her kids her words were filled with the love, joy, and admiration that I hear in every parent’s voice; oh how I love our consultation calls so that I can hear your voice sing the praises of your kids! I love hearing the joy dancing around each of your descriptions of those little people in your lives.

I know when I talk of the love I have for my kids, those optimistic words are dusted with exhaustion and a bit of searching….like I am looking to remember all of the things I love about them…because I am certain there ARE things that I really love about them in between the tantrums and the whining. (No? Just me?)

When Djoanne was telling me about her little ones, I noticed her voice was different. As she told me of Danica’s optimism and lust for life, and Derek’s energy, joy and tire-less fun….her voice didn’t have the slight hint of exhaustion or searching. The words fell off her tongue so easy. She told them to me with truth and conviction without a second of searching or hesitation that I find myself so often having when I speak of my own kids. I completely loved it. And Djoanne immediately became my hero.

Little Danica’s favorite phrase during the photo shoot was “this is the best day EVER!” and she greeted me with more enthusiasm and energy in regards to getting her picture taken then I have EVER seen, let alone ever seen at 8am. Derek is silly and fun and his smile seemed to never wane; this little boy even had a huge smile when he was running!

These kids were every bit of awesome. And the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree because both Djoanne and Andy were also optimistic, out-going, ready for anything I threw their way, fun, and full of life. (At the end of the photo shoot they even let their kids get in a fountain in the middle of February!)

I simply adore this family.

Come meet the W family:

After the posed family shot, the fun began….

Still my favorite type of family portrait:

Although these next two might have to take the cake. I have never caught anyone mid-jump before!

Plenty of sweetness was flying all around too…

Thank you so much W family! I had such a blast with you and can’t wait to see you again next time!!

Valentine

Ginette — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 15:06:16 +0000

They are not really clever or particularly crafty, and no one is going to re-pin these Valentine’s on Pinterest.

But I love them. To me, they are perfect. Of the 25 kids in her class, she was one of the very few who made her own. I love that every one of these are made completely by her hand; carefully crafted with thoughtfulness by her.

I am one proud mama.

Happy Valentine’s Day to all you proud mama’s out there!

A Time to Laugh, A Time to Dance | Family Photography

Ginette — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 03:52:00 +0000

Two years ago this month, I sat with my face to the grey carpet of my office floor, and wept for the last time about not being able to conceive a second child. It was the last time I wept because I had finally given it all up to Him. That last time it was not tears of pain I wept; I was weeping tears of relief and thanksgiving. After trying to have our second child for two years, I finally gave up and gave it to God and it felt so good to let go. I did not give up hope, I gave up control. I let my plan go and told Him that I would trust Him, whatever His plans were, wherever He was going to take me.

Little did I know that I was already pregnant with Sebastian on that day.

Months earlier I remember sitting in my friend Lydia’s living room as she told me about a friend of hers who had to say goodbye to their child, a friend who had given birth to a still born baby boy, and a friend who had to bury their first child. I remember it so well because I immediately ached for them. A pain I wish that no one would ever have to face. I also remember that day so well because it was the first time in the two years of crying, longing, feeling lost in my own pain, that I was able to step outside of my pain. I ached for them. I hit the floor and wept for them. I prayed for them. I questioned God on their behalf. I begged for peace and healing for their family knowing that my request answered would be a miracle…but I believe in a God of miracles.

The weeks I prayed and cried for this family was a huge turning point in my own faith. I will never forget those weeks. I will never forget how their loss changed me. I will never forget how I grew closer to God in those weeks than I have ever been in my life. I will never forget how their story was woven like a gold thread into mine.

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A couple weeks ago when I was talking to Ami on the phone before our photo shoot she mentioned that their daughter’s name “Nadesda” meant “hope”. She explained to me how they named her because they had lost their son Alexander, a still born baby boy, and Nadesda was their second child, and their hope.

I became quiet. I had no idea what to say. What words did I have that could ever offer healing or understanding to her? Although I am not proud to say it, I will tell you that I did what many of us do: I quickly changed the subject to relieve my discomfort.

It was just a few days after that when it hit me. God put it on my heart like a lead ball. Ami was referred to my photography business by Lydia. Although I had never met them, never laid eyes on them, I knew this family; their story so woven in with mine.

I was so excited to meet Ami, Will and Nadesda and yet more nervous than I have ever been to meet a client. I didn’t know whether I should tell them about our woven stories or not. I decided just to try and let my heart for their family flow into their pictures.

When I met them I saw immediately that Ami and Will both have an intense peace and joy that radiates off them like a glow. Ami makes Will laugh, easily and beautifully. Will is clearly head over heels in love with each of his girls. Nadesda? She is not only the cutest little girl ever, but she is also the first one year old that has ever leaned over to be held by me within minutes of meeting me. And Nadesda’s laugh… well I am certain that is the sound I will hear in heaven.

I was no more than 5 minutes into the photo shoot when I had fallen in love with this family. I was so glad to meet them, to know them not only in my heart and in my prayers, but also in front of my lens.

Meet Ami, Will, and Nadesda…

Nadesda got a little of the spotlight to celebrate her one year birthday. Isn’t she adorable?!

I don’t know when it started, but a while back I decided that I should start just taking pictures of only mom dad, you know…you and your sweetheart. I have come to really love this part of the photo shoot…when I ask a couple to get together again…remembering things they love about each other. Cause you know, before the kids, it was just you and he, sitting in a tree…K.I.S.S..well you know the rest.

Ami, Will, and Nadesda…thank you SO much. I can’t express in words how blessed I feel that our stories are woven and at last our paths crossed. I hope our paths cross again.