Where do I start with this beautiful family??  Well every time a family books a family session I send out a little questionnaire.  This helps me get to know the family a bit better so I have a better understanding of how to approach capturing each member of the family and the family as a whole.  From the moment I read Nicole’s answers I knew I would love this family.  But I did not quite expect to love them as much as I do!!!

When I was in my early 20s I often pictured the family I would have.  My Husband would be tall and good looking (duh) and I would maintain my tall slender volleyball figure and transition to Milf status as I have 6 gorgeous kids.  I even had age ranges and genders all sorted out in my head.  Right down to their personalities. As I was photographing this family I saw so many of those dreamt characteristics in this family! (I’m aware drempt is not a word but the alternative was fantasized and that just sounded really creepy in this context so dreampt it is… just deal with it! I make up words… this is how I roll)

So as I was chatting with the Armato Family I instantly connected with them on a funny level.  I saw so much of this picturesque family I always had in my head.  Each of the girls were girly yet strong, independent, outgoing, and unique.  Their oldest plays volleyball and Nicole (Mom) is a Volleyball coach at Casa Grande (gorgeous, thin and looks like she is still in college!!… not sure why I didn’t instantly hate her!!) Kevin was so sweet and very connected to his family, you could tell this immediately.  The middle girls were a riot!  So similar in so many ways yet so so unique.  Such individuals, which is crazy for kids their ages.  But their youngest… the lone boy, Mr.Chase was too cute for words…. and this poor boy has NO clue what is in store for him!  He is going to grow up with the reputation of “that kid with the super hot Mom and Sisters”  I can just see Kevin and him now either living in their own apartment during the teenage years, or them both having permanent spots on the porch polishing guns!  But it’s funny because when you think of a family with 3 girls all relatively close in age and then a boy you would assume that boy is naturally going to be a bit girly but it’s funny how nature works.  Chase is all boy!!!  So much energy and so fun!

I had an absolute blast photographing this family!  It really reminded me why I love family photography so much! Here are just a couple of my favorite shots from the day…

 

I had to start with this one though.  2 of the girls are natural girly girl posers, hand on the hip and instant smile the second I lifted the camera.  Then we had one who wanted to be her own person, she wanted to do the opposite of what her sisters were doing.  She kept her hands off her hips but she still wanted to smile and look cute, she just didn’t want to pose like the others!  But then there was Chase…. he saw his sisters all putting their hands on their hips so he thought that’s what he was suppose to do!  But then it didn’t take him but 5 seconds to snap right into boy mode!!!

 

Truth be told, I’m terrified to raise my daughter.  I remember being a teenager.  Girls were so mean to me.  I was pushed, tripped, made fun of, I could go on and on.  I wasn’t half as confident then as I am now, how could I be?  I am so afraid that I won’t know how to teach my daughter how to be humble yet confident.  I am afraid I am not doing the things I need to do now so that my daughter grows up feeling beautiful and with the strength to know she can do anything she wants to.  That she is not defined by what the other girls at school say.  But as I watched Kylie, it gave me hope.  She wasn’t your typical 13 year old girl with stiff politeness dipped in attitude and self entitlement (as most of us had at 13) she was genuinely sweet, confident, and I mean real actual confidence.  So now I just have to pick Nicole and Kevin’s brain and figure out what in the world they did the past 12 years and duplicate just that!  Cuz if Isabella is anything like Kylie I will be on cloud 9! 

Thank you to Nicole and Kevin for choosing me to capture your family portraits.  I know there are so many amazingly talented photographers in our area to choose from.