say nice things
Long-time CSP readers of the blog will recognize some beloved clients of mine here, Erika and Emmanuel, and their incredible kid! In fact, we ran into one of my other clients in the lobby of the Museum of Life and Science while we were checking in, and he recognized Emmanuel! Amazing. It’s a small world, folks. I’ve loved working with these guys forever. They’re smiley and upbeat and positive and adorable. They love each other and their kid and are always a joy to work with. Their kid is AN INCREDIBLE HUMAN. He is hilarious, polite, intelligent, curious, and creative. He made me a bat clip for my hair (honored). He loves looking at bugs and talking about bugs. He can identify his mom’s favorite butterfly, as well as butterflies that are close to his mom’s favorite butterfly, and he points those ones out too. He is a little ray of sunshine. He likes posing and taking pictures and smiling directly into the camera. He’s a little ham, and exactly a 50/50 Erika/Emmanuel split. It’s been wonderful taking photos of this family for so long. A huge thanks to the Museum of Life and Science in Durham, NC for their permission to shoot at their campus.
Just a normal, lovely day photographing this family in Holly Springs. Surrounded by sensational skulls, beautiful bats, sublime serpents, spirited skeletons, gorgeous gourds, and breathtakingly “restored” babydolls, I set about photographing this family with all the whimsical trimmings of the Halloween season. The kids went on a hunt for the elusive seasonal pumpkin eggs, containing treats and occasionally cash. The family decorated their beautiful black tree, adorning it with vomiting jack-o-lanterns and zombie unicorns, all while being watched over by a charming 8′ skeleton who eternally places a giant eyeball on the tree top. Melanie and Ryan celebrated the season by opening a box of “aged” cereal that they were letting ripen until the exact right moment, and grimaced with what I can only assume was sheer delight as they ate hardened bites of expired food from ~2018. Their cat Chloe participated by dressing up as a bat and modeling in the most adorable way in front of a black tea set. Finally, a killer clown emerged with an enormous, glimmering pair of scissors and chased everyone around – presumably to give them free haircuts, how nice. I love this family and their love for Halloween, which continues to live in all of our hearts 365 days a year. And always remember, if you can’t summon the flames directly from Hell, store-bought is fine.
