Melania's 3rd Birthday

I first met Melania in January, during our portrait session with her mom and brand new baby sister. Since then, I have had the pleasure of taking Melania's photos at numerous events, so I was extra excited to photograph my good friend at her 3rd birthday party! Complete with a Disney princess jumper, an awesome swing set (that made me wish I was 5 years old again) and lots of cotton candy, her party had all of the ingredients for a memorable birthday. Not only is she adorable, she is one of my favorite people to spend time with and photograph. I'm always looking forward to what she will do or say next...there is never a dull moment with Melania! She was also nice enough to share her special day with her baby sister as she celebrated the arrival of her first tooth. It is meeting people like Melania, her amazing mom and awesome family, that make me so appreciative of this job and humbled by the journey that photography has taken me on so far. Here are some highlights from our fun day....enjoy!

Aghazarian Siblings

Conveniently disruptive winds, scorching weather, three events at and around the Greek theatre, bumper- to- bumper traffic and unbelievably large crowds at the Observatory…at first, it seemed like the photo gods were out to get us. Thankfully, we were completely wrong! The second I met Melina and her siblings, it felt like I had known them for years. She had contacted me for portraits of the four of them and mentioned that this was something she had always wanted to do, but it never seemed to work out. We started with her twin brothers, Matthew and Andrew, and they seemed to be the most friendly, easy going and funny twelve year olds we’ve met. The two of them left their sisters behind for the first portion of our shoot and while they conversed and scoped out the environment, I focused on capturing their natural interaction. The twins were relieved that they didn’t have to pose, and actually seemed to have fun with it. When Melina and Alina joined their brothers we tried to maneuver through the crowds and found a few spots where they could relax, enjoy the view, and just spend time with each other. Since the events and traffic threw us off schedule a bit, we were trying to beat the sunset. In addition to racing the sun, the boys also had a party to attend which as we can all remember, at their age even an hour of a party is extremely crucial. Thankfully, the four siblings had incredible chemistry that created endless photo opportunities. They were all so pleasant and great to work with. We laughed the entire time and were sad that it was over...well, at least those of us who weren't popular enough to head straight over to a party.

Matthew & Christian

Wouldn't it be nice to come into this world with a best friend already awaiting your arrival? Well, being only two months apart, Matthew and Christian are clearly not only cousins, but best buddies. Although this sounds hard to believe, they already share a sense of humor, enjoy the same tunes ("The Wheels on the Bus" in particular) and have similar wardrobes. Matthew was kind enough to share his photo shoot with Christian, who has nearly perfected the art of sitting. The moms of these adorable little guys seemed to mirror their close relationship. Not only were they great with their own sons, but really excelled at being aunties as well :). It was refreshing to see how helpful and resourceful they were together. Two sisters with two babies under seven months...now that's what I call a solid team. The most remarkable part of this session was that within the two hours that we spent together, the boys did not cry at all..not once! Matthew's expressions were unlike anything I've ever seen in a baby his age. These expressions particularly shined when he spent time analyzing and experimenting with his own reflection in the mirror. This was such a treat to observe! Here are some of the highlights from our day with these adorable little boys. Thanks for stopping by...enjoy!