Every year around this time, I get to do the most FUN photo session with Kendra, Gabe, and their growing family. This year, there were some special baby curls to photograph, because little Max (2) is about to have his first haircut. Kendra wanted me to be sure to get Max’s sweet curls before his big-boy cut!
Kendra is an amazing San Diego mom, a photographer herself, who keeps up with her three boys like a champ and always has creative ideas for their photo session. I love that their family sticks with the consistent beach location at the Hotel del Coronado, boys decked out in matching dark green OshKosh overalls and the special Santa hats knitted with care by their Auntie Megan.
Kendra and Gabe’s kids are all boys, ages five, two, and one. She shared that getting ready for the session can sometimes be stressful. You wouldn’t know it! She is a graceful and patient mom who goes with the flow and allows things to unfold naturally. She said this year at naptime Elijah (5) was so excited to go to the beach he wouldn’t go to sleep. Max (2) fell asleep and then woke up after 20 minutes, and Rafa (1) wanted to sleep and was super grouchy at first, but he finally started having fun and cooperated well!
We all had high hopes for the Santa hats, but Kendra said, “Rafa is a summer baby and apparently I didn’t train him to wear hats!” Eli and Max loved theirs, though, and they did a great job of keeping them on.
Kendra said, “Eli loved running in the water, pulling Amy’s new red wagon, playing on the lifeguard tower, and running down sand mountains. He asked if we could come back soon when we can go swimming (and we did, we took them all last Saturday!)”
“Max is our middle boy. He will turn three in January and Daddy is making me cut the curls off I am dreading it, but Daddy says it is time! I really wanted to remember his beautiful curls and Amy got the best pictures of his hair in the sunset, running, wearing the Santa hat from front and back—-so we have it memorialized even though I will be sobbing soon when the day comes to cut it!”
Kendra said, “Gabe loves Amy’s photo sessions because she doesn’t overshoot—she is quick and efficient and not overly posy so the photos always surprise us, how did she possibly nail all these great shots with our rascals??!?”
“We often walk in the neighborhood with the kids after dinner. We call it ‘The Moon and The Stars Walk.’ It helps transition to bedtime, sometimes even puts the baby to sleep in the stroller. The moon came out and Max said, ‘The moon!!!’ Amy got a sweet photo of Max, the moon, and the ocean.”
Kendra is usually the one taking pictures of Gabe and the boys, so she loved having photos of herself and the baby, and herself and the boys where they were super connected.
When asked about her favorites, Kendra said, “I love the family shot of us in the water and the tide is getting us all wet. I also like the family shot of us on the sand mountain and Max just took off down the hill in front of us. He is very independent and loves being outside.”
“We always do a big xmas card thru Minted and a calendar. I am a photographer so I have made a few Graphistudio albums from past Amy Gray family sessions, One year I made a collage print on the Minted website. It’s hanging above our fireplace.”