a few years ago…in 2005, before i was REALLY into photography…when i was testing the waters…with my big toe and my “super zoom point and shoot”…that made me feel so big and badass…these children were my muses.  my job was to go take care of them all day every day…here are a few of them back in those days:

(yeah, i was a little overzealous with the in-camera sepia setting…good land.)

(trying to get a 2 year old and a 5 year old to jump at the same time w/ a camera w/ shutter delay is…awesome.)

anyway, i used to dress them up in matching/coordinating outfits and do their hair and then do little photoshoots…when their mom used the top one up there for their “hey, we just moved” cards…i was like, “huh…maybe i should do more of this…”  (course NOW…i look at these and go, “oh.  oh my gosh.  WOW.” because i see everything wrong with these images.  heh.)

so, i practiced.  including setting them up w/ a christmas card shot…too bad i forgot how i had to make all their food on matzo for a week because they’re JEWISH.  derrr.  i am awesome.  (but very creative!  matzo pizza, matzo grilled cheese, matzo pb&j, matzo quesadillas (yeah, pretty much the same as the grilled cheese.))

the little one, eva, wasn’t having any of it…i love this series for sophie’s face (she’s the one on the left.  the responsible older sister.  who is basically a teenager in an 8 year old’s body these days.  er…she was then, too.)

here’s one from after i’d actually started doing commissioned work…also, anyone who tells you it’s all the photographer and not the camera…is crazy.  note the difference in image quality!

(i love this because it’s SOOO them!)  they got a make-up kit for christmas…and yes, yes i DID get a makeover, and i was the pretty-pretty-prettiest princess of them all.  sorry, no pictures of THAT.

i saw them a few weeks ago…and they’ve grown so much, but they’re still the most beautiful little girls i’ve ever seen.  (i have been known to tell people, “when i have kids…i am objective enough to know that they will not be as cute as my wee girlies.”)  after we were done swimming, i once again dressed them up, and even though i was running late…took 5 minutes to snap a few frames of them.  aren’t they gorgeous?

(their mom has a large studio shot print of their feet/legs hanging over the fireplace…so, in my 5 minutes, i wanted to capture the rough-and-tumble…tanned toes and scratched up summer legs.)

(laughing at mom over my shoulder).

i love these 3 so much.  i try to make time to visit them every time i go visit my parents.  this time, as i let myself in the gate to their pool area, i heard cries of, “GWYN!  GWYN!”  it’s good to know they love me, too.  😀