Ryan and Tyler

Tomorrow is a big day for brothers Tyler and Ryan. They are both celebrating their birthdays! Yay! It's been a couple of months since I first met them at one of my favorite shooting spots in Bay Ridge for family portrait. And I'm very much excited to have a chance to meet them again very soon for such a great event.

I know from my own experience the pace the kiddos tend to grow up. With Tyler and Ryan it also seems like yesterday they were just 22 and 10 months old. And in less than 24 hours they are turning 2 and 1 years respectively. Oh boy!

At a glimpse many will agree that Tyler is a picture of his mother Tara and Ryan took more after his father Tom. This is true for their traits as well, or at least that is what I think based on my observations during the one hour session in the park. So Tyler is a very active funny guy who is constantly on the hop like his mom is while Ryan is more contemplative and serious like his dad. Perfect match! Right? Right!

As for the working process, I'm so grateful to you guys for being actively involved in the shooting. So far you are the only ones who made it different by trying to get as much of your kids' attention as possible. Special thank you for inviting me to cover the party. It means a lot to me. It means you trust my skills. Promise I'll keep up to your expectations and your family album will keep even more precious moments captured. See you tomorrow ;)

Kindest regards,
Precious Moments and Kids Photography

P.S. Your recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

What We Love About Winter

by Douglas Florian

Frozen lakes

Hot Pancakes

Lots of snow

Hot cocoa

Skates and skis

Evergreen trees

Funny hats

Thermostats

Sunsets blaze

Holidays

Snowball fights

Fireplace nights

Chimneys steaming

Winter dreaming

Mother and Son: Danielle and Christian

The mother-son relationship became a very interesting topic for me the moment I got my own son. Even though I'm the kind of a person who generally trusts and follows the instincts I use every chance - either through reading or observation - to make sure I'm on the right parenting way. As a matter of fact every day and every page I turn over gives me plenty of diverse food for reflecting.

While reading I learnt that generations of scientists and common people have been continuously reviewing and discussing the significance of the bond between the mother and son. That said, in olden days mothers were convinced that holding emotions back and keeping distance were essential in developing strong, independent, masculine features in boys. As opposed to this approach but with the same intention present-day mothers are being encouraged to build secure bonds with their sons through nurturing, cuddling, kissing, teaching and loving.

Regardless of how many opinions we consider or how many examples we choose to follow the truth is there are no recipes, no ready-made patterns that will contribute to bringing up a great man. But odds are good kids grow up watching and copying their parents' attitudes and life perception. There are good reasons why they say "as the tree, so the fruit". And therefore instead of applying useless techniques in raising kids we ourselves should be the examples of happiness, success, self-confidence, honesty, maturity and generosity.

I'm devoting this post to a wonderful mom Danielle and her dear son Christian I had a blessing to work with on 20 July 2014 at John Paul Jones park, Bay Ridge. Thank you for sharing your kindness and inspiration.

Best regards,
Precious Moments and Kids Photography

P.S. Your recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

The Toughest Job: Leah, Olivia and Celeste

Probably all of you know who is holding the toughest job in the world, don't you?..
If you are still guessing, I'd give you the overview (based on a real interview with real people and uploaded on YouTube):

• It's not just a job, it's probably the most important job.
• Titled Director of Operations, it's really so much more than that.
• Responsibilities and requirements for a candidate are quite extensive. This job requires that  you must be able to work 24 hours a day and 7 days a week exerting a high level of stamina - constantly on your feet, constantly bending over, constantly carrying tons of load.
• There are no breaks available. You can have lunch just when the associate is done eating his lunch.
• This position requires excellent negotiation and interpersonal skills.
• The perfect candidate must be able to wear several hats. Having the degree in medicine, finance and culinary arts is a huge plus.
• Associates need constant attention. Sometimes they have to stay up throughout the night and be able to work in a chaotic environment.
• No vacations. In fact, during the holidays the work-load is going to go up, and you are demanded to have a happy disposition.
• No time to sleep.
• The positions pays absolutely no money. 

Wow! That's insane, right? Who would even agree to do that kind of job? It might surprise you, but  currently billions of people are holding this position actually. These people are MOMs and DADs.

Only when I got my own kid I started to really understand the toughness of being a parent. For me to take a good care of him means giving up the life I used to have, being constantly alert, kind, patient and strong. I couldn't even think that a tiny baby would be consuming all of my time and energy. As a matter of fact, it takes a life to bring up a kid.

Now triple that toughness for my ultimate heroes - Illana and Phil - who are raising beautiful baby girls named Leah, Olivia and Celeste. When I first saw them it was kind of hard to tell the sisters apart. However in reality not only looks but also character make each girl very special. What unites them is that they are equally active and equally happy, are fond of c-o-o-k-i-e-s and playing outdoors.

I had a blessing to work with such an unbelievably great family two Saturdays ago in Manhattan Beach. The girls have just turned two years old and my task was to capture this birthday atmosphere. Oh, boy! Generally, taking pictures of a two-year old kid requires enough of perspiration, and back then I had three of them. So this task wasn't the easiest one, I must admit.

The most challenging part was to sit them nicely and make them all look at the camera. Cookies and lollipops did a little trick for a couple of minutes. Other times the angels were flying away in different directions. Birthday props? Forget it! Toys? Not interested! Run. Run. Run.

Well, Illana and Phil are doing a terrific job. Their skills and expertise are three times greater than of a regular parent. And though their parenting job pays absolutely no money I'm sure they totally enjoy the triple love and triple sweetness of every moment spent together. I admire you guys and thank you for sharing those precious moments with me.

Best regards and warmest wishes to your entire family,
Precious Moments and Kids Photography

James, Adina and Jonah

Last Saturday I took my mom and Askar to Central Park. It was a lovely morning promising plenty of positive emotions, new encounters and pleasant recollections. To ensure the latter, I almost always have my camera with me. 

The story about my mom's arrival in NYC deserves a separate long post with lots of photos. This one is about an amazing family we got acquainted with while having a picnic in Sheep Meadow. 

On a side note: normally I'm not approaching strangers without a good reason. Because there are thousands of "obstacles" for me not to, one of them is simply being shy. But Askar makes socializing so easy and natural that I cannot help but admit Babies Rule :) 

So what is amazing about this family? Jonah, of course! A very charismatic and cute 18 months old tot who got the best features from his parents. His dad James comes from London, UK and his mom Adina is from Montreal, Canada. They met each other in this big city several years ago and fell in love (like in a Hollywood movie). Now they are living a few blocks away from Central Park and enjoy its beauty every weekend. Isn't it amazing? It is!

Yes, folks, LOVE conquers time and distance, and unite people from different parts of the world. Just like it did with James and Adina. I wish you, guys, a happy life full of sunshine and laughter. And for those who are still single - trust me someone is looking for you out there ;) Go out and enjoy life!