Gracie is a highly creative, vivacious, delightful and whip smart little girl. She's the kind of kid who can relate to and converse with adults without any reservations whatsoever, very at ease with the adult world, very poised and mature, and yet, is still utterly and completely a fun loving, playful, exuberant little kid. It's a most delightful blend and she and I always have a grand ole time at our shoots together. The shoot is nearly always 90% Gracie time and then we squeeze in a handful of family shots at the end (per mom's request) so Gracie and I get to just wander around the house/property and PLAY. I have such a fondness for the idea of play in kids' lives and how we've removed play from so many aspects of their childhood and how incredibly important play is to their development, so being around a school aged child who can still tap into her imagination and play and have fun at a shoot is a real treat for me. When we started off I found this great chair in a room that had incredible light and rather than just "pose" Gracie on the chair, I decided to let her discover all the many different playful ways she could "exist" on that chair and by letting her just play around with her imagination I was able to capture "posed" images of her being 100% herself that represented everything that is so wonderful about Gracie: that electric smile, that think-outside-the-box brain, and her desire to entertain at all times. Just so Gracie. And don't even get me started on the trampoline surrounded by trees with a view of the Pacific Ocean. It's as dreamy as it sounds. Every year that I get to spend with Gracie and her family I get to watch her evolution, her growth, and I'm really getting to see the kind of woman she will one day become. Strong, self assured, incredibly bright, personable and friendly but nobody's doormat, she is a force to be reckoned with and yet has all the charm and wit in the world. My kind of girl. Kel & Wes, thank you for this wonderful tradition of ours and the opportunity to chronicle your amazing daughter's journey in this world! And thank you for being SO good to me every single time, I just LOVE you all!! xoxox