The Niklekaj family were new clients to me this year. Randi found me on Google and boy am I glad she did! I showed up to the session having only video chatted with Randi, and left feeling like I'd known the family for years. We had so much fun hanging out together (that's honestly what these sessions feel like to me--just hanging out with my friends).
I'm pretty sure Randi and Altin's son Kolton is going to be a photographer. Or model. Or both--ha! Throughout the session Kolton had all these suggestions for me like "getting the red tree in the background if we shoot over here," etc. And he was pretty much right every time! I said they have a future photographer on their hands, but not only that, he seemed to know how to pose himself already too, and would often pose while waiting for his mom and dad to get his brother Leo ready for their next family photo!
I really love when kids take an interest in photography like that. I think that's because I took an interest in it at a young age. I have always worried with technology that photography and photographers wouldn't be needed as much, and while maybe in some ways it's not, there is still a need for it. It's exciting to see the next generation of little photographers coming up!
At the end of the session we grabbed a few portraits of mom and dad together. This is something I usually do unless mom and dad really don't want any photos of them together, but I think it's really important to have. Someday their kids will be thankful to have nice portraits of their parents and seeing the love they have for each other. I had them slow dance and asked when the last time was that they slow danced together, which brought a chuckle.
Honestly, I was a little sad when our time together was over that evening. I had so much fun with them--I wished we had more time to just sit and chat, but I try to keep my camera up during most of the session, so there wasn't much time for chatting other than walking between locations.
When we parted ways that night and I walked back to my car, they drove by as they honked and waved goodbye. In that moment, I felt as though I'd made new friends and met some real, genuinely nice people.
I hope all of my clients know that their photo session means just as much to me as it does to them. <3