And a story. Because I’m still in awe at this small world we live in.

Lila’s mom is Erika, the owner, baker, and mastermind behind the delectable bakery in the Highlands called Living the Sweet Life. Erika and I met for the first time this summer when we happened to be working together at Lauren & Rian’s Chatfield Botanic Gardens wedding.

And this is where the ‘small world’ comes in..

Because when she introduced herself, Erika told me about her man JP – the same JP who happens to be a long lost dear friend of mine from days of yore, back from those years spent gallivanting around the globe. I met JP while living and working in Switzerland, in the tiny alpine village of Crans-Montana, where I worked for 8(!) summers (JP was there for two of them) It is a place that is so important to me, and the friendships formed during those years hold a special place in my heart. So to be able to reconnect in this circuitous manner is incredible. I’m still in awe. And honored to have the opportunity to photograph their newborn baby girl.

A few of my favorites from our session..

My warmest congratulations to this sweet family. Living the sweet sweet life. ♥

One thing I love about photographing families is documenting the interaction between the children and their parents – real authentic moments with all sorts of personality shining through.. A few of my faves giggles love ♥

I have worked with this family for several (5+!) years now.. and I just adore them. I love being able to get a glimpse into their lives over time, documenting these kids as they change and evolve, and I still can’t get over how grown up they are! (I even did a baby’s first year package when A, the youngest child, was born)

These are some pretty wonderful kiddos, with some pretty wonderful parents. A few faves..

so precious.. love the sea of pink!My warmest congratulations to the three of you!!

I’ve written about Tuesday and her family several times before – so feel free to click on the following links to see previous blog posts and history… like their family portrait session in the fall of 2008 when sweet little Tuesday was in the throes of battling neuroblastoma. Or the details about the 2010 fundraiser in Tuesday’s honor HERE. Or  highlights from last year’s St Baldricks event.

And that brings us to today. Or rather, that brings us to last Friday, when Team Tuesday headed to Fado‘s in downtown Denver for the 2011 St Baldrick‘s event and raised over $13,600(and counting!) towards pediatric cancer research (in total Denver teams brought in over $155,000 for this event). So impressive. And inspirational.

So for the blog: a slideshow  (takes ages to load, but it’s worth it :) Click on the link to view:

TEAM TUESDAY SLIDESHOW

and. if by chance you want additional information, please visit the link below – it’s not too late to lend your support :)

St Baldrick’s Team Tuesday

]]> http://www.autumnburke.com/wp02/st-baldricks/feed/ 3 http://www.autumnburke.com/wp02/denver-kids-portrait-session/ http://www.autumnburke.com/wp02/denver-kids-portrait-session/#comments Thu, 11 Nov 2010 19:01:05 +0000 Autumn http://www.autumnburke.com/wp02/?p=2374 I love working with children.. I love their energy, their playfulness, their curiosity. And I love being able to capture this slice of life which, as all parents know, can be so fleeting. It is particularly wonderful when I have the opportunity to work with the same family year after year – as is the case with the M family – what a pleasure to document these kids as they grow from babies to toddlers to boys.

And these two brothers are SO much fun – to give you a sense of what happens during a portrait session, here you go:

A lot of the time my sessions look like this:

And this:

Oh, and this:

But I also love the quiet moments

and the sweet connections a final favorite:

love the black and whites of the girls – so photogenic!

and the happy couple – newly engaged! {congrats!!}and one of my favorites – I love this shot of the two sisters..

I shot this portrait a year and a half ago, during a very special session with his family. Spencer’s younger sister Tuesday, at 18 months old, had been diagnosed with neuroblastoma cancer.  (you can see the blog post HERE) And a few short months later, in January 2009, 2-year-old Tuesday passed away,  survived by her parents, her two brothers, and her twin sister.  And her extended family. And the countless lives she touched.

So it is in his sister’s honor that her brother Spencer, along with several of his classmates and many others within the community, will be participating in the upcoming St Baldrick’s charity event to be held at the Douglas County Fairgrounds this Friday, March 19th. They have gathered sponsors and will be getting their heads shaved to promote awareness and raise money for pediatric cancer research. For anyone interested in sponsoring Team Tuesday – either by donation or by volunteering to get your head shaved :) – click here to visit the St Baldrick’s website. Or if you’d like further information feel free to contact me. I will be on hand documenting the event and I’d love to see you there.

And. If you know of a family who is facing similar circumstances. Or even someone who has been putting off getting a family portrait. Please have them call me.