I came home from the grocery store and Jeff told me that I had received a phone call from Frank, a past client, who was trying to set up a last minute session as a birthday surprise for his wife. There was a very small window of opportunity for him to speak with me without her around, so he was desperate to get in touch at that exact moment. Jeff let him know that I was out and gave him my other number. After calling and leaving me a voice mail (spotty service in the grocery store) he called Jeff again and asked him if he knew exactly where I was so that he could have me paged in the store.
Now, if this had been anyone else, I would have felt a little bit stalked.
Knowing Frank, I was just super charmed. Charmed and excited to get to photograph them again. Especially because I would be in on the surprise for Michele, who didn’t find out about the shoot until the morning of. Even better, it was scheduled for her actual birthday. I don’t think a birthday can get any better than that!
I photographed them in their amazing hotel suite and all over the grounds of the Ritz. This was my first session of 2010.
And we all had a good chuckle about the stalking thing.
xo
Tara
Best birthday present ever! Gorgeous photos, as always, and the family is super cute.
so sweet.
i was seriously going to come unglued if that was the hallway in their house. love the nostrils shot. love the pants. love the backlit of mamma and son. gorgeous couple.
Love the story and the images! Hotels can be an awesome location for a shoot. I did one for a couple, with their baby daughter, who were visiting from Switzerland in the dead of winter—February…the shortest, but somehow longest winter month! Thank goodness for awesome window light, a beautiful blue eyed baby and a happy couple! (See the sneak peak of the session on my blogsite here: http://hollysissonphotography.com/2008/02/19/the-p-family-familynewborn-photography-toronto-ontario/)
I wondered if you meant “Grocery Store Stocker” and this would be a post about some favorite market employee of yours! LOL! Too cute! Every wife needs a good birthday surprise now and then!
Now I know what to put on my bday list: Tara shoot, trip to Ritz. Both or either one would be good.
LOVE the family of four photos at the end. LOVE.
Dang, these are money. I especially love that last one. Adorable family.
Gorgeous pics, as always. I’m curious to know…on a shoot like this (or any other), how many pics to you usually take in total? I’m not a professional photographer, but my husband teases me about how many shots I take on an ordinary day. My point is this…thanks to digital, I’m not paying any extra for each shot and I’d rather edit out a bunch of mediocre shots than sit around pining for the shot I missed! I guess I assume that MOST photographers operate with that same guideline. Also? If you’re out of blog ideas one day, I’d LOVE to see some of the “goof-up” pictures. Which of your pictures do you consider to be really really bad and why?
that’s awesome!
what a perfect present!
what a GREAT guy to think of it!
He’s handsome to boot, and the mom is gorgeous!!!
beautiful kiddos toO! wow! I love all of these!
tara
love love love that last one tara – and wow, big sis laid out in bw. . . couldn’t be more perfect. and the “i was paged in the grocery” story – hilarious and sweet and endearing too!! I can just see mr. hubby frantic to get in touch with you for this, the most perfect, birthday surprise.
Okay, that little girl’s pants are the bomb. Glam rock, all the way. What a fun family. The mama has a bit of Annie Lennox in her. Love that.
These are ah-maze-ing! And I am dying for the daughters pants! Do they come in 43 year old woman sizes?
Tara – just started reading your blog. Your photos are FANTASTIC. I only wish I was in your vicinity so you could take our family photos too. They are so fun and full of life and just make me smile. Love it.
I LOVE that the hubby wanted such a great gift for his wife.
Love the daughters pants-super great!
totally a great first session for the year….
hey, my birthday is next month…..
Such awesome photos! I somehow suspected it was the Ritz when I saw the hallway photo. I love to have lunch there and then sneak out to sit in those Adirondack chairs out on that bluff.
What a beautiful family. The images you capture just astound and inspire me to no end, they are so real.
What a nice surprise for his wife. Beautiful pictures.
great story – love the images and am totally obsessed with the little girls pants! Too cool!
Tara.. these are awesome..I always love your work.. you inspire me so
so great. i especially love the one of the daughter hugging the giraffe! brilliant as always, Tara.
I like your session here, Very refreshing!!!!!
Nice Work
Aw, that little girl reminds me of my daughter at that age, sporting the coolest glasses… What an amazing photo shoot Tara – such happiness captured! Lovely family!!
amazing and now i know what i want for my birthday. psst- it’s oct 5th, i will drop major hints to JC too.
man – a birthday present like that would be a dream. maybe i should send the link to this post to everyone i know. ;) do you have their old session on here? i’d be interested in seeing that one too. :) as always, love these images.
Gorgeous pictures! Incredible family! gorgeous inside and out. you portrayed that so well! Miss you Michelle! Thanks for sharing Tara…great work
Tara, Just wanted to say you do some fabulous work. Thanks for sharing and inspiring.
http://kevinomalleyphotography.com
i need to be better about blog stalking, cause i can’t believe i missed this. the last picture is so amazing! I love love love it! the clouds and the chairs are just perfect. well done missy.
Awesome pictures! You capture such wonderful moments and make them all so special.
Oh my goodness, Tara, you are such a fantabulous photographer! I love these photos so much! Each of them is like a rock star. That little girl, in particular, looks like she belongs on the Big Screen. :)
The 2 black and white family shots at the end are AMAZING! they would be blown up huge in my house. The way the das is looking at his daughter in the one photo just melts my heart!