Timing and a Tough Toddler

Michelle dragged her 18-month-old Kaya out of bed bright and early on a Monday morning for a portrait session in the Newport Back Bay. A smile was a rare occasion as Kaya wasn’t too fond of being asked to put on her shoes and climb into her car seat to have some strange lady with a camera make weird faces at her at that ungodly hour – not to mention the frustration of not being allowed to hold her open Tupperware bowl full of sliced bananas and strawberries in the car. I don’t blame her. Fortunately, Michelle and Kaya have a strong bond between them, so once in a while she’d forget I was there and smile for mom easily.

The once green and lush hills of the Back Bay had dried and faded to gold by the first week of October, but it was a beautiful backdrop all the same. Scattered clouds rolled across the sky and I did my best to time my shots for the fleeting moments of complete shade offering a nice, even light, and for Kaya’s brief smiles and eye contact. It wasn’t long before the sun came out in full force making a cool and comfortable fall morning feel more like the middle of July, but I knew that despite the limited amount of time and a slightly grumpy toddler, I had managed to capture some beautiful moments.