Baby Eva

I had the privilege of meeting Baby Eva and her mom Jo and dad Vinod. I use the word "privilege" because it truly was. This family was so kind and thoughtful. Their interactions were so sweet to watch and Baby Eva was SUCH a happy baby!
I would estimate that Eva smiled approximately 94 percent of the time I was with them. She was so happy and her little grin was just contagious. You couldn't help but smile when she looked at you.
We started the session out at Jo & Vinod's home, which had several things in it that reflected their Indian heritage. The lighting in their home was a challenge for me and it made me realize how much I really do want an extra camera body -- one with a little more power to shoot at high ISO's for better results in low-lighting scenarios. Even so, Baby Eva was so cute that we were able to get some adorable shots.



Vinod and Eva loved playing together. He was especially fond of tossing her gently up into the air and I could see why. She giggled so well every time he did that. It was always a sure-fire way to get her to grin that beautiful baby grin.



Hi there, Eva! She was a very curious baby and I could tell immediately that she was very sharp. She was so observant and when she looked into your eyes, it was obvious this girl was studying everything about you. It almost felt like she could read my thoughts. Good thing all I was thinking was, "You're so cute, little one!" :)

Jo wanted to get a few pictures of her and Eva in traditional Indian attire, complete with the bindi (a symbol of beauty, associated with feminity and sometimes with marriage) between the eyes. When Jo first put the bindi on her daughter, she was so moved. She told me that the first time she'd worn a bindi was at her own wedding -- to see her daughter wear one at such an early age was touching and emotional for her.



Look at all of that hair little Eva has! My daughter at 18 months has probably a third of what Eva had at six months. :)

The whole family hanging out in their dining room at home.

Something about this picture is so striking to me. It's not a perfect photo and I usually go for the smiles, but something about how pensive father and daughter looked as they were waiting for Jo to join us outside just got me. Eva was so content just sitting in her Papa's arms.

She was also pretty comfy being held by Mom, too. :)

We walked to a nearby park to get some more family shots and Eva quickly showed signs she was ready for a nap and pretty much done with posing for the camera. So we tried to work quickly.

Vinod was ready to interest Eva with music and videos from his MP3 player. That bought us some more time to play. :)

Then, this is what happened on the walk back from the park:

Then, after we got home, this:

Jo and Vinod, thank you for letting me take pictures of your sweet girl. Thank you also for taking care of ME before I left your home and sending me off with lots of chocolate and snacks to munch on during the drive home. I so look forward to meeting up again with you soon and having some more fun out at the park!