When Veronica first reached out about booking an extended family session in the desert, I swear my heart did a little happy dance. Extended families are my love language, and the desert? That’s basically my favorite backdrop. So, when she said, “We want both,” I was so excited. Besides I adore Veronica, she was my son’s kindergarten teacher and there are some people who are just meant to be teachers, and she is one of them.
The two families are connected through brothers Felix and Ruben. Felix arrived with his wife and their two sweet daughters – Scarlett and Olive. While Ruben and Veronica brought their four kids— Deidra, Aubrey, Ruben, and Remi (undisputed video game champion). They wore the best of fall tones—greens, tans, burgundies, and burnt oranges that made the whole desert glow. Honestly, my camera was thriving.
This crew loves a good dad joke, and trust me, I put that to work. I told Ruben and Felix, “Hey guys, lean in and tell your family your best dad joke.” The smiles that came from their families were pure gold. I also had to bring out my favorite sibling challenge: look at each other and the first one to laugh loses. Usually it’s an instant win, but Ruben’s boys? Stone. Cold. Champs. So yes, I absolutely sent Ruben in for some tickle-torture reinforcements. No shame in my strategy game.
Veronica told me that family dinner time is their most cherished time of the week, and let me tell you, I feel that to my core. And then, right at the end, someone suggested a shot of just the two brothers. At first they gave me the classic “stoic but polite” smile every adult man defaults to… until I asked the kids to yell out an embarrassing story about their dads. One kid delivered an absolute masterpiece, and those brothers cracked— that right there? Magic.
It’s moments like those that remind me why I adore what I do. Families bring their history, their quirks, their inside jokes, and I get to bottle them up into something they’ll have forever. Veronica, your crew was an absolute joy, and photographing you all against the Arizona desert backdrop was truly a gift. Thank you for trusting me with your memories.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Photographer – Kim
