An hour with the Castellanos family

Family Photography2017

Oct 23

I first met Isabel during a documentary photography session I did for her brother-in-law in Mississauga (which apparently I haven't blogged! Uh-oh).

When I do family sessions, I always tell clients - invite extended family and friends to your session. The more the merrier.

So, on a snowy day back in March, Isabel and her kids dropped in at the playcenter where I was photographing her brother in law and his family. She loved her images so much that she contacted me later, to document an hour of life with her own kids and husband.

I made the trip back to Mississauga last weekend, during some kind of migraine-inducing pressure system that drove temperatures in mid-October to 24 Celsius. It was just as well, because Isabel's son was recovering from croup and the warm humid air was probably good for him. (Just guessing. I'm not a doctor.) They'd moved in to a new house only two weeks ago. Grandma and grandpa were visiting from Colombia, and they were hoping for some photos to take back with them. So, a busy time for them, and yet they made time for me.

The kids watched a bit of a movie, then they went upstairs to read books and play with a few toys. The first thirty minutes were thus a quiet indoor time. Then everyone put on their shoes and stepped out into the backyard, where all traces of yawns and sleepy eyes disappeared.

The next thirty minutes became a blur, as I ran around and tried to keep up with the family, running down a small hill, spinning the kids in their arms, giving hugs and kisses, and generally having a gleeful time. Thirty minutes of pre-rain family chaos of the best kind.

I drove away as the first raindrops hit my window, happy, and wondering: if this is how much we captured in an hour with this family, what would it look like if we did a Day in the Life? Or maybe even a year? No pressure, though.

And the other thing I was wondering: How is it that the rain always waits until the session is *just* over?

Hope you enjoy the photos :)