Cecilia is a single Mom. Her oldest son Gerardo has leukemia. When her boss (who happens to be a friend/client of mine) found out that Cecilia had never had family pictures taken, he and his wife, and Cecilia’s co-workers, arranged for me to come and do pictures for them.

They are  a beautiful and loving family and I am honored to have been able to capture them with my camera. This is a favorite shoot of mine to date, for many reasons, but one being the raw love and emotion that they were not afraid to show. They simply stepped in front of my camera and hugged and held and laughed and kissed. I gave little direction – there was no need for many words. But I feel like these pictures speak volumes.

Gerardo is sweet and kind, and so loving towards his Mom…

His two-year-old sister Amy adores him!

Andreas is 12, adorable and not into kissing and hugging on his Mom in public!

Near the end of our shoot I asked if there was a certain picture that they wanted to capture that we had not yet gotten. Gerardo and his Mom spoke in spanish for a moment and then he turned to me and said “My Mom would just like a picture of us face to face, looking in each others eyes.” That is when I got these next few, with tears in my own eyes…

What she asked for was so simple. Yet so meaningful. And as they looked at each other he bent down and kissed her forehead…

To everyone who had a part in helping make this shoot happen for this wonderful family; Thank you.

I am sure that Cecilia feels that she received a gift, but when I walked away that day I feel like I was the one who had received a gift. Funny how when we give, we often receive, unexpectedly.