As many of you know, this is a big month for JPG Photography as Rebecca and I move into our first house, thanks to FHA.  We’ll still be in the East Falls neighborhood of Philadelphia, actually only one block away from our current home studio in the City of Brotherly Love.  But more on that later.

By far, the most frequent question we’ve received throughout this home-buying process is (a.) When do you get that great tax credit? and (b.) When are you having children?

We can answer the first question pretty assuredly (i.e. as soon as we file our taxes this year), but the second question requires a bit more pondering on our part.  And we don’t yet have the answer.

In the meantime, however, we’ve had the opportunity to celebrate the absolutely adorable children of some of our favorite past clients.  Our season of kids’ photojournalistic portrait sessions began with little Johnny.  Then, in April, we had the opportunity to photograph Desmond, son of our very first trash-the-dress model, Nikki Bartle, and her husband, Greg.

When Nikki called us up a couple of years ago and said she wanted to trash her wedding dress at the Eastern State Penitentiary, we knew we had a photography pal in the making.  Her enthusiasm for Desmond’s first shoot was just as evident.  What I loved about this shoot near their home near the Willow Grove Mall is that we documented Desmond in his favorite toddler moments – peeking through the crib, climbing on Mommy and Daddy, and all around grinning from ear to ear.  We didn’t have to pose much of anything.  We just stood by and captured life as it happened.

By far, kids are the greatest photojournalistic subjects, especially young kids.  They haven’t yet learned that cheesy camera grin.  They only know to smile when they are absolutely happy with the world.  It’s a grin that is totally unselfconscious, and thus, contagious.

In May, when we were in Roanoke, Virginia for Laura and Chris’s wedding, we had the opportunity to photograph another smiley fellow.  His name was Drew, son of our 2007 wedding couple Chrissy and Nate.  Usually, Rebecca has to work pretty hard making faces, shaking rattles behind the camera, and just basically making a complete fool of herself in order to get a child to laugh (especially as the shoot approaches the ever-important nap time).  But Drew made her job easy.  He just seemed completely happy with life.  Of course, it helped that we had a big John Deere tractor to play on and the most perfect little Drew-sized bench that we stumbled upon during the shoot.

And while I’m still not sure about how to answer the question about when (or if) little Gidjuni children will roam the Earth, I can say that if we do decide to join the ranks of parenthood, it will probably in Pennsylvania. I just hope ours turn out like these kids.

If only all brides and grooms approached their wedding day this relaxed and genuinely thrilled with life, we’d be able to rid ourselves forever of posed, cheesy photos.  Instead, we’d have what I always hope for in my photo shoots – life, captured as its happening.  A story unfolding.

As always, their images are available on Pictage!