In a castle on a hill, from a time long ago. Princes and Princesses rule and dragons prowl. Here we are Royal and here we play. This morning the crew at Bear & Dragon Adventures took over Chateau de la Hulpe to capture this sneak peak of out first Adventure session open to the public. The official announcement coming this Monday. Enjoy!
Its been a little while since I shared some sweet newborn photos. Wait no longer!
I love working with newborns and I really get to geek out with the little girls. Flowers, crowns, pink blankets. You name it! This sweet baby girl was a perfect angel for her session and big sister was one of the most attentive around. I am not beneath some heavy bribery to get those lovely sibling pictures but there was no need with this one. She loved cuddling and kissing her new little sister.
I am really happy to share this session because it was more of a family than just a newborn session. I find that more and more, my newborn sessions are really a shapshot in the life of the whole family as they welcome a new one into their midst.
So welcome to the world baby girl! Enjoy. 🙂
Two days in a row? That’s right!
I just wrapped up editing this super fun family session today and I could not wait to share. Sometimes I feel like once our children get older, we just get too busy to arrange a photo session. I also believe that some parents are afraid that their older children will feel self conscious or quickly lose interest in being photographed. Though it is more of a challenge than working with new babies and toddlers, I absolutely love working with kids. Using a series of games, including some solo exploration time and treating them with respect like the young ladies and gents they are, we have a recipe for beautiful and truthful moments.
This session embodied all of these elements. At six and four years old, these lovely ladies came ready for action. And with a strong “that’s for babies” radar, they kept me on my toes. It was a great 90 minutes and I am happy to share some of the good memories with you today.
Its been a tad busy around here but anyone who knows me, knows I LOVE to be busy (much to the Bear’s chagrin). However, we took a break from busy today in order to return to the PiPO apple orchard to see how things are coming along and just maybe, if it warranted a full circle trip for a fall mini session to follow up from our apple blossoms mini session in the spring.
It was a crisp fall morning. The kind where the light is a little soft and misty. We packed our sandwiches and some play clothes and away we went! As we pulled off the highway into apple country, I could not have been happier. All the lovely trees that were swathed in pink and white blossoms in the spring were now heavily laden with brilliant red and green apples. We pulled in to my secret, favorite corner of the orchard and realized that though the day was perfect, that soon the harvest would be over. At least I know for next year!
We played, snacked on fallen apples (abandoned as far as I could imagine) and I snapped away to my heart’s content. As I looked through the pictures after the session, I had a minor heart attack. My babies are growing up! I love them so much and I am proud to share them with you today. 🙂
Wow, a month since I last posted. That was a crazy month! Wonderful holidays in Sweden, return to a very busy few weeks with lots of new babies and sweet late summer sessions. Now bababoo restarts school and a collective breath is released across Belgium. Time to catch up. 🙂
I was recently challenged to post 30 pictures in 30 days to show some of my favorite photos. The most fun part in doing this has been thinking about the why. Why do some pictures just stand out as exceptionally beautiful. There is a small conflict in my own family about this very question. The bear tends to favor energetic and beautiful smiles that engage directly with the camera. While I love these as well, I also gravitate toward those that emphasize details or quiet moments where you get to see the other side of a child or relationship. At times the bear looks at one of these photos and says, “that’s a Nicole photo”. Guilty!
Though on my facebook page I am posting a photo each day (only missed two so far!), I plan on putting them together here every 10 days. I hope you enjoy them. The funny, the energetic, the sweet, big and small. To me, they are beautiful.
These days are precious. So precious and wonderful and special as we spend time, love and energy just enjoying each other. In some ways, time goes slow and in some ways it goes so so fast and even whole periods of your life can seem to fly by in a heartbeat.
Despite occasional protests from the Bear, my camera is the tool that I use to grab these moments in time and store them away. I imagine pulling these out when I am 80 and marveling at all the beauty. All the love and all the moments bursting with the vibrant life we have. Exhausting, busy and at time past trying but I would not trade even one second. As you enjoy your holiday, I hope you also look around and take a more distant view for once. Imagine yourself in 40 years looking at this moment. Let your heart fill up and then jump in and enjoy every second of it.
Here we are in big sky Sweden with our beloved Farfar and Farmor. I am so glad to have had a chance to organize a little mini session to capture the loving relationship that is growing across these generations. This pond is just a short walk from the family home and we have spent many an afternoon throwing rocks and shivering in the cold Nordic waters and evenings enjoying a cold beer and getting eaten alive by mosquitos. Its a special place and I hope you enjoy it!
Now in the fullness of summer, spring feels like a sweet memory when we looked eagerly for the first leaves in the trees and then delighted at the explosion of color and sweet smells. Yumm. This spring was also marked by one of my favorite and sure to be a perennial mini session in the sea of bluebells covering the Hallerbos Forrest. I hope you all had a chance to check it out this year.
One day of mini sessions quickly became two and in the end 15 gorgeous families joined me in the woods for this special event. I am happy to share some of the photos with you today. Enjoy the breath of fresh air. 🙂
It really was magical. Stepping out into the orchard with the heady smell of apple blossoms and buzz of bees at work. Green grass, pink and white buds, light rain and then sunshine. It was a gorgeous April day!
Thank you so much to the six adventurous families who joined me for this day out in Limberg at the PiPO organic orchard. Such a fun time was had by all. I am looking forward to bringing this experience full circle this fall, in the same location, to see our darling buds fully grown into bright apples. Another day in the fields awaits. 🙂
Life of Bear and Dragon 