We met for the first time a couple years ago at Vincent’s first birthday photo shoot. This year we met again for his little sister’s newborn lifestyle session. Shortly after a warm greeting at the door, I saw the family portrait from our first session hanging above the mantel. I instantly hoped to incorporate this first family portrait in our current lifestyle session to capture the story of their growing family. Our session ran smoothly from beginning to end, which isn’t surprising because patient parents often have the sweetest kids. I hope you enjoy “meeting” this family as much as I did!
How did you and your spouse meet?
We met in college, as we had a mutual undergraduate class. A conversation sparked over test scores and the rest is history.
Fun fact: I told my mom I was going to marry him before we had truly met, just had seen each other in passing, as it’s a very small campus. Little did I know, he had felt the same way and had been wanting to meet me for a long time. It was a big secret amongst our friends.
What do you enjoy about living in the Pittsburgh area?
We love that our careers have brought us to Pittsburgh-Me, as a pediatric physical therapist, and Mike, as a physician. We also love exploring the opportunities that Pittsburgh has to offer our children in terms of activities.
Choose 3 adjectives that describe your family.
Our family is devoted, caring, and dedicated.
Describe your children.
Vincent is a brilliant 4 year old with non-stop energy and a heart of gold. Evelyn is a sweet 2 month old with the bluest eyes to capture the world around her and a smile that melts our hearts instantly.
What are your family's favorite things to do in and around Pittsburgh?
We love exploring the fun children activities the city has to offer. Vincent loves a day trip to the Pittsburgh Zoo and lights up every time we are there, as if it’s his first time seeing the animals.
What is your family's favorite restaurant?
In true family fashion, Chick-fil-A 🙂
What is your family’s favorite meal to cook at home?
We are in a season of pre-cooked meals and easy under 30 minute meal preps. However, we rarely eat out and cook dinner every night. Even if that consists of microwave prep and heating up on the stove.
How did you decide to schedule a family session with Laura Mares Photography?
We met Laura in 2019 when she captured Vincent’s first birthday session and some family photos. We truly adore her work and knew we wanted to work with her again. It was meant to be when we only had a few days to schedule these photos before Mike returned to work and Laura had an opening that week!
How did you prepare for your family photo session?
organized coordinating family outfit options and read through Laura’s guide on family photo sessions for ideas
What is your favorite portrait from your family session?
We have three that I just can’t pick a favorite from:Â
1. The photo of our family with the portrait of Chelsea, Mike and Vincent in the background (Laura also took this photo). I feel that it captures our family’s progression and I love to see how much we all have grown as individuals, with the current photo capturing our sweet Evelyn Pauline.Â
2. The photo in Evelyn’s nursery with Vincent and Mike reading a book and Evelyn smiling at the camera. It’s such a sweet moment as a family.
3. The photo with all of our hands. I’m also wearing my Blessed Mother ring in this photo, which I was gifted on my first Mother’s Day. We are so thankful that God has blessed us with a beautiful, healthy family and our family is complete. I love that Laura captured this, a symbol of our strong Catholic faith.
Would you like to share a final thought on your family session?
We want to thank Laura for all of her hard work and attention to detail in our family photos. We were so happy to welcome her into our home for these photos and had a wonderful day with her. We will cherish the photos in our home for years to come. We can’t wait to work with her again!
Ready to document your story?
Let’s work together to create beautiful images that you can treasure for a lifetime!
