There are certain family sessions you don’t forget, and the first session I did with the Hicks family is one. It was just Stacy, her husband Mack, and their toddler daughter Eloise, and we were hiding from the sun on a cloudless day at their home on La Jolla Shores. In typical toddler fashion, Eloise was having a hard time settling down to get her photo taken, so we borrowed the lemons from the patio tree and plopped them in her lap. The resulting photos are some of my all-time favorites, and Stacy’s too.


That was TEN years ago! Since then, I’ve seen Stacy and her growing family several times when they’ve traveled from their full-time home in Dallas to their place in La Jolla to enjoy the weather, go hiking and surfing, and play tennis. Now they have Eloise (11), Scarlett & Mack (8-year-old twins), and Lincoln (their adorable 5-year-old goofball). Stacy describes their family as loving, chaotic, and fun. Her goal is always to get a great family shot for their Christmas card to mark their children’s growth through the years . . . ideally without everyone getting completely wet.
Of course we also capture individual kid shots, a couples photo, some parent-kid shots, and at least one of the twins together. Stacy’s favorite shot this year was of the kids running on the beach with the dog. She said, “Their faces are just pure joy.” I’m so grateful to be able to capture those priceless moments during what seems like chaos, but is actually the best kind of blessing.

























