Downtown Frisco Family Portraits : Chyna & Billy
My best friend's sister Chyna and her four year old son William had their portrait session last weekend. William (or as his family calls him Billy) loves me. I've gotten to know him so much this past year since his family lives right down the street from me. I stop by and visit all the time. Chyna's sister is one of my dearest friends so we hang out and chat often. Billy's mom and her sister love to send me snapchats of Billy saying adorable things about me or to me. He gave me a magnet with his school picture on it. And a few days ago he even asked me what I wanted for Christmas. I don't know how it happened but we finally got the portrait session scheduled. Originally, we had chosen to take photos in Dallas but since the weather was likely to rain and it was a far drive, we spontaneously chose Downtown Frisco. I forgot how wonderful this area is. It's spacious, has really kid friendly places like The Coop, restaurants, a dance studio, and a giant library. Coming here was so refreshing because I've been taking so many portrait sessions outdoors with nature backgrounds and not enough urban settings.
Billy got his hair cut and styled specifically for this photo session. His mom snapped a photo of him trying to nap in the car without ruining his hair. (The cutest thing ever.) Most of the time, I see Billy in pajamas, eating pickles, and playing with his toy cars. Even Chyna - I often see her in relaxed clothes, wearing glasses, hair in a bun, and snap chatting silly things her son does. Both of them all dressed up for the photo session was such a wonderful surprise and a perfect fit for the location.
The cutest kid throwing the cutest shade ever.
Most of the session, Billy was a perfectly happy kid distracted to explore. There were definite moments where Billy wasn't in the mood for photos and Chyna patiently had to talk to him and try to convince him that it would be over and if Billy behaved he would be rewarded. In moments like these, as a photographer, I think I push a little too much to make sure we get a lot of perfect shots. But it's nice to take a step back and just let parents spend time with their children. Natural interaction makes for great photos. Arguably not the best photos to use for Christmas cards but it's always a better memory when there's more than just the good ol' sit and smile routine.
In the end, we had to cut the session short because Billy was ready to go home but what we got turned out beautifully! And lucky for us, because the rain arrived shortly after we finished. Perfect timing! Thank you Chyna and Billy! I'm so happy we got to take photos! Let's do this again next year!