Miranda + Richard + Femke + Ian + baby number three

It's always such a joy to do photo shoots with Miranda and her equally joyful family. Miranda has been my best non-Dutch friend in the Netherlands from pretty much the moment I arrived in our shared (decidedly crappy) student housing back in 2005. She is one of the warmest, happiest, most enthusiastic and honest humans I've ever had the pleasure to meet and had the even greater pleasure of calling my friend. I've gotten to do her maternity shoots for her first two energetic, smily kiddos, and their newborn sessions soon there after - the tradition continues, so part two of this shoot will be posted after baby number three makes his debut.

Miranda, mom-to-be

Miranda may be the true personification of a ray of sunshine. She is just non-stop positivity and awesomeness, and she has been a good friend of mine since we lived together in a pretty awful international student house together in Groningen - the housing was so bad, it was actually torn down a few years ago! We called it The Containers, since it was essentially shipping containers that had been sparsely furnished and stacked on top of each other, and then exchange students were made to live in them. Miranda found a way to brighten up the containers with a plastic purple chandelier and copious cups of tea, and she was actually one of the very first people to encourage me to pursue photography back in 2005. Now, eight years later, we're both back in the Netherlands, she's having a baby, and I got to take pictures and laugh with her this weekend. I can't wait to meet her little girl and I could not be happier for her new little international family!

 

Rebecca, Alain & Ilya: family shoot in Heusden

These guys are some of my favorite nerds, and they've started the important work of spawning the next generation. I've known Rebecca and Alain since I first studied abroad in the Netherlands in 2005, and since then they've gotten married, started a business together and started a family. Their son is a clone of his dad, and they're expecting their second child soon. They technically meet my unofficial international criteria too, since they are a Dutch-Belgian family, and both my fiancee and I were really happy to have a good excuse to spend the weekend with them, hanging out, eating copious amounts of baked goods and watching "Scott Pilgrim versus the World." I always appreciate it when my friends want to work with me, and I love to work with people that I know won't think I'm truly crazy for my suggestions - in fact, they're often crazier than me, which I love.

The ministry of funny walks is genetic.