Holiday Minis: Fall Vibes in the Coconut Grove

Christmastime on O’ahu doesn’t exactly scream snowmen, cozy fires, and snowy boots. Instead, it’s more like sandmen, Netflix yule logs, and sandy slippahs. Our holiday minis recently wrapped up and they didn’t involve sand but there was a vintage VW bus (@thealohabus) and an amazing coconut grove (@dillinghamranch). Wardrobe choices ranged from matching pajamas to aloha attire and everything in between. There is so much to share!

Let’s start with this family that I’m thrilled to call friends. Mom’s perfectly colored autumn-orange dress, daughter’s beautifully crafted keyhole back, and the guys’ carefully chosen soft neutrals (with palm trees!) all bring this beautiful family’s look together.

North Shore Trio Plus Pup

Seconds into meeting this family, they introduced their four-legged furball named Biff. “Biff? As in Back to the Future?” I asked. With an affirmative nod, I knew this crew and session would be memorable. I’m not sure who had more fun twirling around and around, mom or daughter. We got our feet sandy, our toes (and pants and dresses) wet, and chased a beautiful North Shore sunset. My deepest gratitude to this ‘ohana for spending an evening in front of the camera and making these memories.

Not So Newborn Photos

When mom reached out and said that she wanted to do a mini session with her entire family, I paused. Sessions with a bath tub and an infant are typically quadruple the amount of time as a mini, but when mom said she never had maternity or newborn photos (thanks, COVID and medical reasons), we decided to slightly lengthen the mini session and go for it. And whew, we had fun! Baby cooperated so well, big sister was thrilled to play in the flowers, dad was happily along for the ride as long as he didn’t have to get into the tub (he said it was too girly!), and mom and big sis wore matching suits (hello, adorable!).

Mom filled out a pre-session questionnaire and described that she wanted to showcase baby’s surgical scar on her opu (belly) from her newborn days, perhaps with the family’s hands around her. We strived to capture that and so many more shots to showcase the love they share as a family and as mother and daughters.

Oahu Maternity Tub Session

This isn’t mama’s first rodeo but it is her first GIRL. A flower tub served as a perfect way to celebrate baby’s impending arrival. Mom is glowing, baby is growing, and we can’t wait to hear when she joins her big brothers. Congrats!

Mahalo, Aloha Paradise Tub, for the beautiful outdoor studio.

After The Rain

It’s raining. Clients are sitting in their parked car. Baby screamed on the drive and just feel asleep as they pulled up. Is this session really happening in ten minutes? Guess what? It did! We started a little late but the weather passed, the baby perked up, and we rolled with it.

The fun behind-the-scenes story of this session is that it’s actually the second time we tried this location together. You see, we wanted to shoot here last year when Mom was expecting her beautiful little firecracker and upon pulling up to the bay, our cue to find a calmer spot down the road was when we saw the kiteboarders soaring through the air over a typically mellow bay.

We moved, and the last-minute change worked well, but Mom still wanted to get back to this spot for a family session. And I’m so glad she did! The evening sky lit up after the rain and we captured some smiles, laughs, and tender moments. Sometimes we need to embrace the chaos and trust that it all comes together. Fortunately for us, it all did on this beautiful Hawai’i evening.