I know what you are all thinking. How’d the lady in red get so lucky to have 3 handsome boys! ;p

The park had lots of fallen leaves; just enough natural elements to make this spot ;prettyGeeky (and baby Mattie) approved!

When he’s got that look on his face… you know little Jon has something up his sleeves!

Not to be outdone by his older brother, Mattie was ready to get naughty too.

After everyone had their fun, it was time for Kristy to showcase her beautiful red dress. She looked stunning!

While mom’s away, the boys will play.

… and this is how you know it’s time to wrap up the family session.

I must end this post with the fun photo below. Here’s something we adults need to do more of: just watch from a safe distance… but let kids be kids!

We got to spend a little behind-the-scenes time with the girls before the shoot deciding on what would coordinate best and it was a blast to see dresses flying in and out and everywhere! Growing up with two sisters of my own, we were always in each others closets; sisters help you to save money on clothes and other pretty junk too. Sharing is caring right? yay!

From peachy perfection to poised in purple…these ladies are so photogenic! I’ve always found it (bizarrely?) interesting to look for similarities and differences when it comes to family traits or characteristics…one thing is certain with these three, they’ve all got the pretty gene! =D

How’d the masks get in here? ;p We had them on hand, so why not! Always fun for playing dress-up!!

Julia, Mk, and Sumalee, thanks for being your gorgeous selves and for being so willing to walk in the forest in your nice heels We had such a great afternoon with you ladies, minus the parking tickets =/.

Baby Haven tried his best to keep up with his older brother. I loved how he always knew where the camera was!

The pajama party theme was a great way to get everyone comfortable and in a playful mood. Here’s a frame below of Mom and Dad holding the kids hostage!

… and just like that, the kids are back on top!

This is one of my favorite shots of Marina and her little totem pole!

I loved the pillow fight sequence (the kids did too!). Poor Joon, the more feathers that flew, the closer he got to the vacuum. =p Sorry for the mess Joon!

After the pillow fight, we headed over to the historic Edgefield resort. Look at little Haven doing his own thing and Baron’s sad want-to-be-done-want-to-go-play expression. =p

Catching some air with Dad. There’s nothing more precious than the genuine look of fun on a kid’s face.

Like I said, Marina did warn us about Baron… lol. Here he is having a blast digging and tossing dirt. I love the body language on Marina.

Big brother tugging little brother along. What’s running through that little mischievous mind of his?

Haven was all smiles with his Auntie.

Bubbles work every time! I always enjoy seeing how fascinated kids are with everything at such a young age.

I love this “mommy and me” moment in between the orchard.

Mom’s had her fun… it’s time for some manly stuff with Dad!

Can’t leave out the grandparent’s wishes, traditional Korean outfits for Grandma and Grandpa at home! I love the vibrant colors Marina was gorgeous in her dress. =D

Marina and Joon, thanks for allowing us to capture this special afternoon with your beautiful family. We miss you guys! Can’t wait to see you again!

Of course, a family session should end with a family photo: Here’s Baron! Just in time for the family photo!

Kitty was not exactly thrilled when I said I was taking pictures, but she made auntie proud by following direction and having a great attitude. Click through for some of my favorite pictures of my girl and tips on capturing motion with panning. =)

My sister and BIL need to have more kids; they make gorgeous babies!!! Get going, guys!!

She’s picked up some dance moves from her cousin…umm, yeah…not sure if that’s a good thing yet but she makes it look fun!!

I loved the soft grass but was worried about snakes…luckily, we left with only grass stains.

We had to cut our session short because Kitty had to get to karate class. Afterward, I wanted to practice my panning technique. It’s a challenge but is really rewarding when you get the shot you want…like Lori shooting lasers out of her eyes! Read on for some quick tips on panning.

Oftentimes I will see photos that inspire me to try new things. I came across “40 Examples of Panning Shots in Photography,” and I couldn’t wait to try it out for myself! This technique is fun and artistic; it shows a relatively sharp object against a blurred background, implying speed and motion. I had Lori run back and forth for a good 10mins while I was experimenting and then it was Kitty’s turn. =D

Here are some tips that I picked up:

1. You can’t go wrong with using a tripod when you want sharp images so use one if it’s available.
2. Set your camera to shutter speed mode. A shutter speed of about 1/60 to 1/30 should be good, try different shutter speeds to see which results look best.
3. Choose a spot perpendicular to the action. The subject should be moving across the frame from one side to the other.
4. Pick a focus point to determine when you will take the picture as the subject comes into view.
5. When you see the subject coming, hold your shutter button halfway and follow the movement of your subject.
6. Take the shot when the subject hits the focus point.
7. Remember to follow through, continue panning the subject and keep your movements smooth and controlled.
8. Most importantly, have fun! =)

gear used: Nikon D90; Nikon 50mm/f1.8D