My Own

Sometimes I feel guilty.

I feel guilty because I have amazing camera equipment, 8 years of experience behind a camera, tons of knowledge on how to process images to make them look their best, the ability to find and use great light and awesome backgrounds to make incredible photos….and despite all that I don’t pick up my camera nearly often enough to document my own children.

It’s something that I am trying to work on. I guess it’s just hard to grab my camera when something happens. I usually want to enjoy and live in that moment instead of worrying about the lighting, which lens to use, what angle to shoot from. Sometimes I want to just watch. Just marvel at my children and how they are growing.

Still, my memory is not perfect. The moments I live in are good ones, but they fade and I forget. So I am trying. Trying to worry less about the hassle of getting my camera, less about the details of shooting a perfect picture, and less about editing the photos later. I’m trying to be a better photojournalist in the story of our life.

Today, I took pictures of my sweet Penny. She doesn’t do much these days but eat, sleep, and smile. But oh, how I adore her squashy rolls and her chunky cheeks! It may not seem like much, but this is what I want to remember from this stage in her life. Because when I look at these photos I want to remember how I used to hold her close and nuzzle her almost-bald head. I want to remember how adorable her chubby thighs were. I want to remember how my heart felt when her face broke into a huge grin.

It’s the simple things that make a beautiful photo, because it’s not the photo itself that is special, but how it makes you feel and what it makes you remember that is important.

Splish Splash

One of my favorite things is when clients come to me with fun ideas for their photo shoots. It could be a great prop, a cool concept, or a particular interesting location for their shoot. No matter what, I am up for anything and love photo shoots that are an adventure. Adventures lead to incredible photos that are often outside the box. What could be better than capturing photos that are uniquely special to you and your family?

This Mommy came to me with a great idea for a photo shoot with her 8 month old son. She told me about how much she loved giving him a bath in the evenings, how his eyes would get bright and he loved to splash and giggle. She asked if we could start his shoot in the tub.

I loved the idea immediately.

So at the start of this shoot we played in the tub, and it was so much fun I want to do it again…and again..and again.

True to Mommy’s word, this little boy’s eyes grew so bright and happy the moment he sat down in the water. It was so much fun to capture a moment that is so dear to this Mom and her son. A memory she will tell him about when he is grown. And now she has the pictures to show him when she tells him about those days. LOVE!

The Katz Family 2011

I must admit…I get attached.

It’s bound to happen when you watch a family grow over the years and have the immense pleasure of capturing those changes in pictures. I grow fond of the people, the moments I get to share with them, and the hope that I will get to see them again in the future to further document their family over the years.

So the photos I am about to share are emotional to me, because after several years of capturing this beautiful family, this will be our last shoot together. They are leaving the area and moving to a new home, a new school, and a new life. I am happy for them but sad that I am saying goodbye to a family that I adore and will miss very much. Before leaving they asked me to capture their beautiful family one more time and I couldn’t have been more thrilled. We chose a lovely orchard in Sunnyvale and spent the evening together soaking up the delicious Bay Area light and warmth. Sydney and Austin were darling, as usual, and Emery stole my heart with her wide open grins. Seriously…Kristen…your children are STUNNING!

As I edited the images later I smiled to myself often. It’s so clear in every photo how gorgeous, loving, and joyful this family is. I feel so grateful to have spent so many amazing moments with them over the last few years and that I was able to provide them with so many photos of this precious time in their life.

Kristen and David- your children are so darling! I am so grateful for your friendship and kindness. Good luck as you start out in your new life but keep in touch!

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Meghan MacAskill Photography is going through some changes that I can’t wait to share with you all! I am really enjoying making some minor updates right now that will hopefully lead to major updates in the future. For now, it may seem small but we are changing up some colors on the website…

Hello grey! I am loving how you make the photos in my website pop and how classic and elegant you are. Love.

Sneak Peek: The Katz Family

I’m swimming in gorgeous photos from this shoot with the Katz Family last night but I had to come up for air just for a moment to share this perfect moment. So many more to come!

Alive and Kicking!

Once again I fell off the face of the planet. I have an excuse! It has something to do with this little one…

Yes, that’s right. Our third girl and second baby in less than two years! Are we crazy? I’ll let you be the judge…

Her name is Penny Rose MacAskill and she was born on May 21st, 2011. We simply adore her and all her delicious chunkiness. While she has been keeping my hands more busy than my camera these days I have enjoyed the time I have had to focus on my family.

But now that she’s here and almost 7 weeks old I am back in business and taking photo sittings again. My how I have missed you all!

Stay tuned because there are many exciting things to come for Meghan MacAskill Photography this year!!!!

A Lakeside Wedding

Anna smiles a special smile when she talks about Nick. A smile full all the memories of the years they have shared, the times they held fast to each other during the rough patches, and love for the man who helped her reach for her dreams. They’ve had good times, and hard times, but through it all they always came back to each other more in love than ever before.

In the end, they chose to be together. They chose to love one another. In July, on the shore of Lake Almanor, they chose to love each other for the rest of their lives. They promised forever. Amidst the sound of the water, the smell of pine in the air, and the sunlight filtering through the trees, they sealed that promise with a kiss.

It was a beautiful day. One I was honored to take part in. Anna and Nick, thank you for inviting me into your life to capture the love you share. I feel so blessed to have been a part of it.

Some of my favorites…

My amazing assistant, Jackie, got these two:











I’ll end with one of the first dance that makes me smile every time I look at it. It says it all.

Just like that

A day goes by.

Then two… Then three.

Before you know it it’s been months. That’s how fast life happens. Every second flying by, running through your fingers like trickling water as you desperately try to hold onto it. Capture it. Keep it.

Time molds us, teaches us, ages us.

And then, with one photo, time stops. With one gorgeous photo you can capture that moment, that breath, that feeling. Photos are more than a click of the camera or a picture on the wall. They are moments in our lives that we never want to forget. They are the illustrations to our storybook. The art of life.

I’ve been a busy artist. Here are some of my favorites from the summer!

Owen

Peyton

Bennett

Marcello

Emery

Hadley

I met Hadley’s Mommy when we were both expecting. Six months ago we sat for a little while after church exclaiming over the many difficulties of pregnancy and childbirth. She was expecting her first, and me; my second. We hit it off and I found myself driving home thinking about what a beautiful pregnant woman she was. I watched her grow and get more anxious as the time grew near. First babies are always so special, and I couldn’t wait to meet this one. I was so thrilled when these first-time parents invited me into their home to capture their sweet first daughter. Baby girls are so near and dear to my heart since I have two.

She wears a bump on her tender little head. A reminder of a not-so-long-ago arrival into this world that was not so easy. She slept willingly for a little while, just long enough for us to get a few perfect shots, then she decided that she has to know what is going on, and she fought sleep the rest of the shoot. We didn’t mind. We held her and wrapped her up, and took pictures anyways.

Babies don’t have an off switch. You have to go with the flow in a newborn shoot, and if things don’t go perfectly- hey, that’s real life! I like to remember things as they really were, not as I want them to be. I revel in the imperfections. They make the best photos and the best memories.

Hadley, I love your little bump, your wide open mouth when you sleep, and your stubbornness. You made my heart smile.

Sydney & Austin

Their names match two locations on opposite ends of the map. Two beautiful places very far apart, but with many similarities. Accordingly, these two beautiful children couldn’t be more similar, and more different at the same time. Sydney was obliging and grinned generously. Austin pouted and smiled only for gummy bears.

Sydney and Austin are not twins, though people think so all the time. They are brother and sister with an age gap of less than a year and a half. Now Mom and Dad are expecting baby #3, and I can only imagine how beautiful their new addition will be!

Mom wanted some photos of just the kids, but when the time came the location and light were so beautiful, Mom and Dad hopped in for some of the shots as well. I couldn’t have been more thrilled. Hello gorgeous family in gorgeous light! Yes please!

I strongly feel that a child portraiture session is not complete without the parents. Children are so intrinsically linked to their family, to their Mommy and Daddy, that you just can’t capture the true fullness of a child in a session where the parents are not there too. I’m so glad I got to capture the fullness of these two dynamic and stunning children with their stunning parents.