I Have a New Assistant and The Mark Family Photos

I have a new assistant. His name is Preston Mark and he is six years old. Upon meeting him this past Saturday, I knew we would get along famously.

As we were walking to the carefully scouted spot I had found in the Chicago Botanic Garden for their family portraits, Preston called attention to this “GREAT bench with REALLY nice flowers!” He quickly grabbed his younger sister Stella, and posed for a few shots. Surprisingly, the light was quite nice in that little area and Stella and Preston are fantastic performers.

Usually when I first meet kids, I have what I like to call a “warm up period”. I dedicate about ten to fifteen minutes to getting to know the kids so they feel comfortable with me pointing a camera in their face a few moments later. With Preston and Stella, there was no warm up period needed. They were “on” and ready to go. It was hilarious.

When I asked Jennifer, Preston and Stella’s mom, to describe each child, she replied, “I would describe Preston as a class clown type. He likes to be silly and make people laugh. He is also very smart, kind, thoughtful and nurturing. Stella is very cuddly and can be very sweet, but she can also be a typical three and a half year old and exert her independence. “

I love when photos capture the essence of a person, and I think the Mark’s pictures do just that.  I had such a blast spending time with the Marks on Saturday capturing their family portraits. They are such a sweet family and such a pleasure to be around.

Thank you for spending your Saturday with me!