As photographers, one of the biggest compliments we get is when another photographer wants us to take their picture. I admit, my reaction to the request is always the same…a combination of humbling awe, excitement and a good dose of boot-shaking fear.

Don’t get me wrong…Andy & I feel pretty confident that the work we do makes our clients happy, and we don’t expect the reaction to be any different when our subject is another photographer…it’s just that knowing our subject is a photographer themselves does somehow turn the heat up a bit.

As intimidating as it can be, it’s also really flattering, and especially so when the photographer is willing to trust you with the thing they value most in the world…their family…particularly when the photographer has been in the business longer than you and has a very solid reputation for being one of the best in the industry.

Yes, the heat was turned up pretty high two weeks ago, when we photographed Brewster photographer extraordinaire, Amy Dykens, at her beautiful home and with her two gorgeous boys, Charlie & James. It was especially nice that it was Charlie’s birthday and we got to celebrate that with him and his family.

Amy was interested in getting some portraits of herself, which we think is wonderful and something we really need to do ourselves. It’s quite pitiful how few photos we have of the two of us…like a landscaper with a bare lawn.

Amy’s home studio is gorgeous and offered beautiful window light….exactly how we like it. Here are a few of our favorite pics of this sweet, unassuming, talented, beautiful lady…

Slightly more serious….still oh so pretty.

The birthday boy, Charlie, with his momma & little bro, James. Are they cute or what?

With their land abutting Nickerson State Park, Amy & her boys often go for long walks in the woods…so we decided to join them, but before we left, James gets playful with his brother’s super cool hat.

The beech trees were in full bloom. The color was spectacular.

James, Amy & Charlie prepare to jump off a fallen tree limb for a more candid family portrait. Love the giggles!

Way to catch some air, birthday boy!

With my sisters and so many of my friends now mothers, I have a much more profound appreciation for just how special the bond of mother & child is….when I see moms with their children my heart beats a little stronger. I hope these next couple of photos of Amy with her boys do the same for her…

Not only are they super close, but they’re also super cool!

Love, love, love this next candid moment as James snuggles with his mom and watches as his big brother gets his moment in the spotlight. Having spent just a little time with him, it is obvious that James is an incredibly sweet boy and I can’t help but think that just comes shining through in this next shot…

This next one is what was happening while James & Amy were looking on. I just looooove the colors of the leaves and the sunlight peeking through, providing a dramatic spotlight on Charley’s handsome 14-year-old face! Model scouters sit up & take notice…this boy has got a face that was made to be photographed.

Next, Amy & James had their turn in the spotlight. Oh, the joyful smiles…how they are contagious!

Something a bit more dramatic. Charley is learning to play the guitar and James plays piano…should Amy ever decide to trade in her camera for a microphone and start a band, I’m thinking this would make a great album cover, no?

Or perhaps this moodier version in black & white…

Amy has the most amazing collection of rocks. I’ve never thought much about rocks, but Amy has tons of beautiful heart shaped and striped rocks that force you to sit up and take notice. As does Charley, in this next portrait with his cool cap and piercing green eyes. This boy puts the cool in cucumber.

Playing with leaves….love the joyful expressions!

And these too….so fun!

But these next couple take the cake as my personal favorites of the day…without prompting, they all just grabbed onto one another….Aaaahhhhh, be still my momma-lovin’ heart!

Love, love, love this next one of sweet baby James and his soulful blue eyes!

Snuggling doesn’t get much better than this…

Amy, thank you so very much for entrusting us to capture this special time in your lives, for sharing your beautiful boys with us and for making us feel so completely at ease! It was so great spending this quality time with all of you! We hope you love these photos as much as we loved our time together. Special thanks too to Charley . We really appreciate you taking time out of your b-day celebration to humor us (and your mom) with some more photos…oh, the trials of being the child of a photographer! Thanks too to James for sticking with us longer than you probably would have liked. We really appreciate all of you and feel so honored that you called on us, Amy! We hope we lived up to your expectations. With love & hugs, Christine & Andy xo

By the time February hits I may feel differently, but this time of year I feel so grateful to live here on beautiful Cape Cod. Andy & I came here in 1996, unsure of how long we’d stay. But, now, 15 years later, we happily call this amazing place, which offers so much to so many, home.

My relationship with Cape Cod began when I was just a little girl. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of family vacations we would take here. My dad would rent a house for a week and he’d invite my grandparents to come join us. There were sparklers, inflatable swimming rings shaped like ducks or purple dinosaurs, my Grandma’s infamous potato salad, piles of collected sea shells and the delicious smell of sunscreen. It was the best of times!

The trips would always start more or less the same. My dad would pack up his old beat up car, loaded with far too many clothes (he did have 3 girls after all), our favorite board games, and me & my sisters. Once the car was sufficiently stuffed, we’d all crowd in and make that torturous 2-hour drive to the shore.

My sisters & I would continually ask my dad, “Are we there yet?” “Are we close?” “How about now?” or screech out his name because someone had crossed that invisible line in backseat that marked one sister’s space from another. I admit, there was also the occasional flying fist, and not always because we were playing “Punch Buggy.”

Once, on a particularly steamy drive down, one of my sisters dared me to toss my shirt out the window, which I did…by accident. It was not a good scene. Upon hearing the news…my sister, of course, ratted me out as soon as the shirt left my hand…my dad slammed the car breaks, swerved into the break-down lane, jumped out of the car and went running down the highway, darting traffic to get my shirt. Needless to say, he was not happy with me.

But, when we’d crossed that bridge onto Cape Cod, the smell of the sea in the air…all problems seemed to just melt away, like soft served ice cream on hot tarmac.

The week that followed would be filled with days on the beach, swimming and building sand castles. Back at the house, we’d play penny poker with my Grandpa, while Grandma cooked up something delicious, often involving Italian sausage or tomatoes. And, throughout the week, my dad would let me borrow his camera to document the highlights. Even then, I knew how important it was to preserve the wonderful memories we were creating.

Today, it brings me much joy to be able to do that for our bello families, who love Cape Cod as much as we do and who come here to make memories of their own.

Earlier this month, we were invited to visit with Kathy & Dave and their two super sweet kids, Hailey & Grayson, at their Nauset Beach home in Orleans. They wanted to document some end of the summer fun before they had to head back to the city, where work & school awaited them.

We photographed this lovely family a couple of years ago, so we were really excited to see them all again and see how much the kids had changed. Click HERE to see our first session together.

During our time apart, Kathy & Dave had done some work on their house/property, including building this super cool tree house for the kids! Talk about summer fun…..

Hailey & Grayson…

While Andy was trying to get the kids to laugh/smile for the camera, I sneaked into the tree house for a different perspective…

Strike a pose, there’s nothing to it…Vogue!

Peek-a-boo, I see you!

Trying to get Grayson to sit still for this next shot was no easy doing, but man was it worth it! The sun was coming in through the side windows creating this spot lighting effect that was to die for! Love it!!!

Kathy, Dave & the kids….hanging out in their new digs.

I can’t help but smile when I think about all of the wonderful memories Hailey & Grayson will make in that tree house! So fun…

Meet the other family members….Sapphire & Kiss.

I just love Grayson’s expression in this next one. Andy was asking Grayson what his favorite candy is…apparently a very compelling question to a five-year-old.

Happy faces…

The whole gang! Love is…family time!

Momma & her girl and Daddy & his boy…

Hailey is definitely not a girl who’s afraid to get her hands dirty and we love that about her. Love this next photo of her as she races up this tree…

Kathy & Dave also got this super cool vintage Willys jeep earlier this year (which they painted themselves) and were so excited to take us out for a spin. Totally rad! We all drove down the beach in it together and it is a blast!

Kathy & Dave take a moment for themselves…

Aren’t they cute! Love the kids playing in the background!

A fun family moment…

Someone created this super cool climbing structure/sculpture on the end of Nauset Beach using old driftwood. It was sooo cool and Hailey just couldn’t help herself and had to climb it. I just love this photo of her…she looks so innocent, sea-swept and so completely unaware of how beautiful she is.

Sunset & the end of another summer of memory making…

Thank you Dave & Kathy for once again inviting us into your lives with such warm, open hearts and for sharing your beautiful children with us! We had so much fun spending time with all of you and documenting you all enjoying each other. We hope these photos serve as wonderful reminders of your sweet days here on beautiful Cape Cod. With love & hugs, Christine & Andy xoxo  PS…Hailey, I promise to make sure we have time to see your home movies the next time we get together. They sound so fun! And, Grayson…if you’re very good, maybe we’ll bring chocolate!

When children enter our lives, a subtle shift occurs that changes, well, everything. Their presence is far more than simply +1.  Even news of their arrival brings unexpected experiences…some good, some terrifying.

Children give us new reasons to grow. Without thought, we readily leave selfish pursuits behind to tend to their every need. Children teach us patience, test our resilience and push us to expect higher standards for ourselves.  They open us up to new ways of loving that seem beyond the realm of possibility.

That is not to say it’s easy. No, children can be difficult and precocious. They are boundless energy unleashed at times when we most seek peace. They are rambunctious and fearless, stubborn and sometimes downright ornery. Yet at their core they are pure goodness…souls born to love….completely free of judgments and without prejudice.

Children are everything we were and all we hope to be. And simply because of their presence in our lives, we become better versions of ourselves.

Andy & I don’t have children of our own, but we have been blessed with many incredible children in our lives, including the children of our Bello families. And, the time we spend with them has certainly made our lives richer.

A couple of weeks ago, we spent an afternoon with one of our long-time bello families. Thomas, the younger brother of Rachel, one of our brides from 2005, was coming to the Cape to visit his mother, Susan, and Susan had contacted us about photographing Thomas with his wife, Kathleen, and their little girl, Eliza.

We had done the same thing for Rachel, her husband, Chris, and their little girl, Sabine, two years ago, so we were happy to get to see Susan again and spend some more quality time with Thomas and his family. Here are a few of our favorite moments from our time together.

A little tea time toast with Mommy & Daddy…Cheers!

Swings…what is it about swings that makes children light up with sheer delight and lets their parents harness their own inner child? Don’t know, but whatever it is….we love it!

Picking pears with Nana and raspberries with Mommy…Can we talk about Eliza’s eyelashes for a second? Oh, if mascara makers could only bottle what babies have naturally!

Love this…If you roll your mouse over the next image you’ll see Kathleen & Thomas getting down with Eliza! Too cute!

When I look at this next one, I hear Debby Boone’s 70’s classic “You Light Up My Life” playing in my head. Could Kathleen & Thomas look any prouder of their little girl? Love it!

If ever there was a sweet-as-pie face…this next one of Eliza is surely it! Deeee-licious!

This next series makes me smile…love Eliza’s reaction to getting a little too close to the prickly flower…

Susan has this fabulous koi pond on her property and the koi are massive, but Eliza showed no fear as she excitedly fed them with mom & dad at her side…

Climbing the apple tree with Daddy….oh, the joy!

Bellisima!

Just hanging out under the apple tree with her blue bucket…

Off to collect some apples…

A quick change, followed by some snacks and a little snuggle time…

Love these two photos…while I was focused on Thomas & Kathleen’s reaction to their little girl, Andy was behind them, focusing on Eliza’s reaction to them. Oh, the love! See what I mean about how children change our lives!! Makes my heart smile BIG!!

More evidence of how families become richer with the addition of children…look at all of the adults faces as they watch Eliza….{heart}

Family photo…

I still can remember being a young girl and the way I felt when my Dad held me…it was the safest place in the world!

Wanna play?

Yup! This next one is contender for my personal fave of the day….Eliza reminds me of Cindy Lou Who (from the Grinch) with those gorgeous big blue eyes of hers and her cute curly strawberry blond hair & red bow!

Dollies are to little girls what Manolo Blahnik’s are to their grown up counterparts and these next photos say it all…

After three hours together, Eliza was ready to call it a day and attempted to head in for dinner. Here are two perspectives of the same moment….while I wanted to capture the reach in its entirety, my talented husband went in for a closer look at the story and focused on Eliza’s delicious legs. I love it…right down to her spread toes and the dirt on her knee! Precious!

Thank you Susan for sharing your beautiful family with us once again! It was so great seeing you & Thomas again, and finally meeting Kathleen & lovely Eliza! Children grow up so quickly, and so we hope these photos serve as happy reminders of these early years for many happy years still to come.

With love & hugs, Christine & Andy xo

Fame, fortune, fancy cars, and big houses…it’s all just stuff. Stuff we may have one day and not have the next. Family, however is forever. It is where we come from. And, the skills and lessons we are taught by our family help define who we are and who we will become.

When everything else around you is falling apart, family is who you count on. And, no matter how messy life can get….and we saw just how messy this weekend as Hurricane Irene stormed up the East Coast….family is that safe place, where love comes easily and acceptance flows freely.

This is not to say that family is always easy, let’s face it…we’ve all got some crazy in our family closets. But, if you’re lucky, your family, and the time you spend with them, is what makes life worth celebrating!

Being wedding photographers, we see and document the start to new families all the time. Two individuals from different families are drawn together by love and often their love combines to create new life….simultaneously a new family is born and two existing families grow as love multiplies in the most beautiful of ways.

As wonderful as it is for us to get to photograph the start to these new families, it is equally as wonderful when our couples come back to us to photograph their growing families. Such was the case when Jenna & Aaron, whose wedding we photographed back in 2004, recently came back to us to photograph them and their deliciously sweet little boys, Brady & Sam.

Jenna & Aaron have held a special place in our hearts for a long time. They were one of our first wedding couples and a special bond was formed. We’d kept in touch over the years through e-mail, but we hadn’t seen them in a very long time. So, we were super excited when they called to schedule a family session.

Although it felt like a lifetime ago since their wedding, seeing them again, it was as if we never missed a beat. We had such a fun afternoon with them & their boys and are super excited to share with you some of our favorite moments from their family time with us…

Brady gets a smooch from his beautiful momma, while he & his little brother show off their super fly shades.

Aaron and his boys explore the water’s edge…Life really is about these seemingly insignificant moments when we take the time to just be together. It truly doesn’t get any better than that!

A family that plays together, stays together! Love all of their expressions in this full-on moment of fun! And, can we talk for a second about the way sweet Brady is cradling his dad’s head in his hand. Seriously?! Be still my heart!

Family is….everything!

Sweet Brady and his absolutely stunning momma! I don’t know what it is about this photo of Jenna on the right, but I just love it. She is one seriously sexy momma!

Summer afternoons are meant for family time. Love the light in this next one, right down to the way it’s reflecting off the swarm of little bugs in the field. It just screams, “Summer!” to me.

Holding hands is such a simple gesture, yet, there is so much love to be found in this gentle way we connect with the people we care about…sigh…..

Beautiful boys…

I just love this next one. It’s something about Sam’s expression as he races his big brother between the grape vines that gets me. It’s like he’s saying, “This race is mineeeee!” Too darned cute!

And the warmth in this next one….both in the light and in Jenna & Aaron’s expressions as they carry their boys through this field…is just heavenly to me!

As it is in this next one….and can we talk about Mr. Mischievous’s expression for a second?

We headed to the beach for the final moments of sunset and I just love the feeling of complete joy and freedom in this next one of Sam & Brady sitting atop a lifeguard chair. It represents everything that is wonderful about childhood to me…

A little marshy exploration…

I remember going to the beach as a kid with my parents and there was something about getting wet that was just irresistible to me and my sisters. My parents would say, “Don’t go past your ankles, I don’t want you wet for the ride home.” And, as hard as we’d try, inevitably we’d get a little wet, and then a little wetter. And, before we, or they, knew it…we were soaked. I can’t help but thinking of those moments when I see this next photo of Sam, who is giddy with excitement over wading in deeper than he knows he probably should. Lucky for him, his gorgeous parents are a lot more understanding than mine were!

Watching the sun set over the horizon….Ahhhhh, a perfect family moment!

Jenna & Aaron, you two are as beautiful and full of love & joy as you were on the day you said, “I do!” Thank you sooooo much for coming back to us and sharing your beautiful family with us! You have been in our thoughts often over the past 7 years and it was so wonderful to meet Brady & Sam and to spend time with you all! We hope these photos serve as wonderful reminders of how very fortunate you are to have so much love & goodness in your lives. Thank you for sharing that with us and for bringing a little love & goodness to our lives! With lots of love & big hugs, Christine & Andy xoxo PS…We’d like to send a special shout out to Dolly for thinking of us at Christmas time! We miss you Dolly! xoxo

Every year for the past 3 years, we’ve had the pleasure of photographing Terri & Alan and their family as their three children come together from different corners of the country to reunite for the July 4th holiday here on beautiful Cape Cod. It is a time we look forward to with excitement…and, I admit, a dash of nervousness.

Terri is a talented photographer herself and one of her major projects every year is the family’s holiday card. The photos we capture are often a big part of that card, so there’s a bit of pressure on us to come up with fun, fresh settings & poses that make it exciting not only for us & the family, but for everyone who will receive the card.

Luckily, Andy & I tend to work well under pressure. It also helps that this is one of the coolest, most loving, fun, down-to-Earth, just great-to-be-around families you could ever hope to meet.

In addition to the annual family reunions, we’ve also been invited to photograph the wedding of oldest son, Ryan, and his lovely bride Anette. Click HERE for a look at their amazing Wequassett wedding. And, later this summer, we’ll be there when middle child, Leigh, says “I do!” to her sweetheart, Zach, at the fabulous Mandarin Oriental in Boston. We are sooooo excited! Click HERE for a sneak peek at their super fun MIT engagement session shot this spring!

In talking with Terri about her ideas for this year’s family session, she had a concept in mind for her holiday card and was looking for a colorful, funky background…preferably something involving graffiti or a mural. Unfortunately, here on the Cape, there’s very little in the way of graffiti or murals that would be right for this kind of thing…trust me, we’ve searched high & low for it over the years. Of course, if anyone knows of any we may have overlooked, please let us know.

We tossed around some other ideas and Terri mentioned the Cape Cod Lavender Farm in Harwich. As it happens, last summer, we photographed the owner’s daughter’s wedding, which was AMAZING! Click HERE for a look. So, we called Cynthia & Matt and asked them if it would be okay to use their property for our session. They graciously agreed….we love you guys!!!

This year’s lavender crop was not what it had been in years past due to the weather, they told us, but it was at the peak of picking, so timing couldn’t have been better.

Here are some of our favorite moments from our time together. Enjoy!

The dynamics of this year’s family session changed fairly dramatically, with the new addition of baby Dillion, Ryan & Anette’s too-cute-for-words son. It was the same when our nephew, Calvin, was the first baby to come on the family scene. Literally overnight, it became all about him. And, the same could be seen in this family. I just love everyone’s expression and how the focus…if even out of the corner of one’s eye…is all on Dillon. And, tell me he doesn’t know it! So cute!

Can we talk about Dillon’s two snaggle teeth? Or the expression of pride & joy on his adorable papa’s face?

Lovin’ the lavender and everyone’s color choices. FYI…Randi…the youngest daughter in the middle of the photo is a crazy-talented up & coming NY fashion designer and she made her shirt. If we were the same size, I would have tackled her and stolen it! Soooo cute!

This next one kills me….talk about all about baby. And, how about the look on Dillon’s face? Priceless!!!

The family’s newest sub-families….(on LEFT) Anette, Ryan and baby Dillion and soon to be Mr. & Mrs., Leigh & Zach (RIGHT)

These guys really know how to play and have fun together and I just love how Zach fits right in!

What you can’t see in these next photos may have been even more entertaining than what you’re seeing here…Ryan is holding an iPad with Dillon’s favorite show playing and at the same time Ryan is making goofy faces and doing whatever it takes to get his boy to smile…worked on Mom & Dad too!

Family…and a field of lavender…ain’t life sweet!?!

Love this perspective my talented hubby captured of Anette playing with Dillion, while his attentive aunties reach for him. So fun!

The most unorthodox of the lot, I think this next photo could be my favorite because it is soooooo this family! Everyone’s personality is absolutely shining through true to form and it makes my heart smile! Randi is fussing over something on her pants, Leigh is cracking up at her little sister, Ryan is probably worrying about an insect on him, while Anette laughs. Terri can’t get enough of her new grandson, who’s looking around no doubt wondering why there’s a sofa in a field of lavender and the entire family is gathered around. Alan seems to be thoughtfully taking it all in, while Zach smiles at the camera, looking happy as punch to be a part of this fun, quirky family. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!!!

More orthodox, with everyone posing pretty for the camera…but the one above is still my fave!

Peek-a-boo I see you!

Siblings….there are very few bonds as tight as this one! Oh how my heart doth smile!

Alan & Terri…where the love all began! Beautiful Randi!

Ryan was again going to great lengths to make his boy smile and it was sooo cute. Dillon was totally cracking up as was his beautiful Mommy!

Thank you Terri, Alan, Ryan, Anette, Dillion, Leigh, Zach & Randi for once again inviting us to share this special time in your lives with you! We hope we were a part of helping create some more fabulous family memories for all of you! Can’t wait to see you all again next month at the wedding and to see this year’s card! Big love & hugs, Christine & Andy xoxo