It was a gorgeous morning in Alameda, such a wonderful break from all the rain we have been blessed with. At 9 o’clock in the morning, the popular basketball courts at Washington Park were all but empty. Excitedly, the Bidwal family and I headed over to the Golden State Warrior Logo, recently painted on to these very popular courts. Sweet Nishan, doned in his Steph Curry jersey, his sweet good natured mood could be felt by all. I couldn’t help but think, wouldn’t Steph and Ayesha get such a kick out of this photo-shoot. Below are just a couple of my favorite images I captured as his parents clapped and played peek-a-boo behind me.

After dedicating some time to this special boy, we took a leisurely walk to the marina. It was still peaceful with people slowly starting to arrive for the Easter egg hunt later that morning. I found beautiful old large tree stump to take fun and gorgeous photos of the entire Bidwal family as well as there sweet little girl Nevaeh. This sweet girl could definitely be a model! She was natural, the trick was to get that sweet genuine smile out of her. If you’re ever wondering how to really get that laugh that you adore so much, tickling is the key! Using a feather is best, or you can fall back on peek-a-boo, as I tell adults, it works on people of all ages. Kids find it funny, and adults find it ridiculous, both resulting in a true and authentic smile.

After doing this successful session, I will now suggest early morning shoots to parents of young kids on a regular basis. The lighting is often almost as soft, as it is during the Golden Hour, but with a different hue. It is often worth the slight additional editing that accompanies a morning shoot, just to be able to photograph fresh and cheerful children. I look forward to my next morning shoot, this coming Saturday! Until next time, please join me in wishing Nishan a wonderful 1st birthday!