PICTURE PERFECT?

Aya’s longtime childhood friend, Ksenija, is a professional photographer.  And by longtime friend, I mean since the first grade.  Aya had moved to Japan and back and they still remained friends.  So when we decided we wanted a family portrait session, of course we wanted Ksenija for the job.  She photographed our wedding, our baby shower, and even Ellie when she was only a couple of weeks old.  She was a close friend, and we loved her work.  Her pictures are more than photographs, they are art.  We had set up a session with her in the fall, our favorite time of year. 

Ksenija’s work is not like your typical Sears family portrait session.  She captures you in your own element, where you want, and where you’re most comfortable.  She makes you feel so at ease and relaxed in front of the camera.  She is a very positive, inspirational person with such a great energy about her.  You can’t help but smile when she’s around.  Plus, she can make anybody look good.  In addition to having a family portrait, we wanted to do something different that showcased our personalities and our current family situation.  Aya had this idea to have some stylized shots that showed your typical 1950s family, but with a twist.  Kind of a play on the “picture perfect” family. 

Ellie did great for her first professional photoshoot and she was a natural.  Ellie is a happy baby, but I was worried for her.  She’d have people peek-a-booing at her, clapping their hands, making silly faces, wardrobe changes, and all kinds of stuff.  That’s a lot for a nine month old baby.  But surprisingly, she did really really well.  Even I did.  I’d get self-conscious at times though.  Ksenija kept making comments to Aya to fix her hair, or adjust her shirt, but she never mentioned anything to me.  That meant only two things, either my hair was perfect, or it was beyond fixing.  I’m assuming it was the first.

We ended the session down by the river.  It was a perfect beautiful fall day.  We couldn’t be happier with the pictures Ksenija took and how they turned out.  It was great to have shared this experience with such a close friend, and the pictures really speak for themselves.  We are so fortunate to have someone like her in our lives.  The entire session can be seen on Ksenija’s blog here.