Dawn Tacker

The changes that a year brings once again completely astonish me! Here is Miss Madeline just past the one year mark. Compare with her newborn images, and her second session late last year when she was five months old. I think she put all of her energy into growing her beautiful hair! She is developing with a super consistent personality - she is a detail girl, fascinated by the little things, and is happiest in an environment of her choosing. She has definite opinions, she adores her parents, she could happily play with water for an extended period of time but isn’t so convinced the ocean isn’t scary. It is such a pleasure documenting her first year, and watching her grow. Thank you seems hardly adequate for such a privilege and joy - but thank you Julie, Rob and Madeline!

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So fun to follow a family over the course of a year! Here is the latest installment in the story of Ryder and Kai. You can see their first session here, and their second one here. Kai has gone through such dramatic changes as he reaches the end of his second year. He is still the same loving boy, but now we can add “independent” and “assertive” to the description! Ryder too has done so much growing. He is “more” himself - more outgoing, more adventurous, even more polite and considerate! How many preschoolers can you say have that going for them?! I love my time with their family! It’s such a pleasure, and I’m so glad that we met and have become friends. Thank you Letania and Keith for a wonderful morning at Leo Carillo Ranch.

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This was a sweet shoot… Val Peterson, doula extraordinaire, had a reunion with some of her recent families at the beach. We are excited about having Val at the birth of our second baby. She has a way about her… she’s *always* smiling, super positive in a genuine way, and is just so competent and efficient! Here are a few of the babies she has helped bring into the world. Many thanks to all the great families who joined us for this shoot!

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One fabulous reason to give back - the opportunity to meet some genuinely nice families! Martha and Mark won this family beach session at a fundraiser at The Children’s School. We met one morning at Fletcher Cove to play with their three children - Tommy, age seven, Ashley, soon to turn five, and Katelyn, nearly two years old. The kids worked off lots of energy racing up and down the beach, finding beautiful seashells, and dipping their feet in the Pacific. There are few moments that are more pure and uplifting than watching kids at play on a deserted beach. Thank you to Martha and Mark for a great morning, and for supporting The Children’s School!

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How quickly a year passes by! Ready for this transformation? Here is baby Chloe as a newborn; here she is at one year old with her adorable brothers Jack and Ben, and the whole family! Observing the growth and transition in Sean and Nicole’s family is such a joy. Jack has always been a terrific big brother, and now he has two younger siblings to love. Seeing Ben grow into an older brother is lovely - he and Chloe have a special friendship. Chloe is all smiles and tracks her big brothers everywhere - it’s so nice to see a family so in love. Thank you again Sean and Nicole for the pleasure!

Chloe as a newborn

Chloe, one year old

Ben, Chloe and Jack

Chloe & Family

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Fun times! The family that plays together is a LOT of fun to photograph. Meet the adorable Ella and baby brother Kai, along with parents Michelle and Tom. Ella is almost seven years old, and loves the outdoors, dolls, and wearing dresses - she’s also a gymnast, loves to dance, and has a deep sense of curiosity. At age 13 months, Kai is the quintessential boy toddler - into everything he can get his hands on, has no fear of dirt (see last photo), and greets the world with a big warm smile. We have such a variety of images from this session; I decided to post the most fun ones. Could I get any luckier? I’ll say it again… I have the nicest families. Thank you to Tom and Michelle for asking me to photograph your family; I am touched that you chose me to document this happy time, and in celebration of your tenth anniversary!

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Lifting top-heavy heads, big huge smiles for mom, wide trusting eyes, discovering your fingers and toes - the big things about being four months old. Here’s baby Cassidy at this wonderful age, with all her rolls and beautiful baby parts. She has the most amazing eyelashes, big blue eyes that light up her face, and precious birthmarks in all sorts of places. Many thanks to mama Amy for asking me to photograph your beautiful baby girl, and for supporting Boobs on the Move at the same time! Amy was the lucky winner of a mini-session at the Magical Child Mother’s Day event. I think we made good use of this!

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I keep saying this… time flies! Here are brothers Aidan and Mason a year after we first started working together to document Mason’s first year. In our first session, Mason was just an infant; in our second session he was crawling everywhere and just starting to walk. And here he is two days ago, exploring his world! It is such a joy for me to watch a family growing together, and getting to know them over time. Amber and Dan are inspiring parents; I love how Aidan and Mason are growing up, with all the love and respect for each of their unique personalities. They are so much fun to photograph, and I am so honored to be a part of documenting their lives!

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Hello, world! Liam James is fourteen days old. He has a fuzzy head of hair, big surfer feet, and a family that adores him - right down to his Labrador “brother,” who loves to lick him all over. You can see Liam on the inside here. I never get tired of witnessing a couple becoming a family, and making a newborn baby the center of their life together. All babies should be this cherished. Congratulations to Megan and John on Liam’s birth! Thank you for asking me to document your pregnancy and Liam as a newborn. It is such a privilege.

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Just wanted to share some of my other Spring activities… I recently had an article published in Professional Photographer magazine about being an eco-friendly photographer. You can download the entire article here. As part of my efforts for GreenerPhotography.org, I also co-wrote an article on greener promotional materials… just because I didn’t have enough to do. In all seriousness, Greener Photography is growing by leaps and bounds and I am so proud of what we’re accomplishing together. We’ve got big plans!

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Sweet baby! Isabelle is four months old and a bundle of love. She loves watching big sister Natalie, and is entranced by her own hands. This is a great age to photograph, as babies can really see the world around them, they are developing their sense of touch, and they just love to be held. Thank you so much to Martina and Eric for asking me to photograph your family; I’m looking forward to our next session!

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How quickly time flies! I’m tickled to show these images of Julian, whom I first photographed on the inside, and then as a newborn. Even then his beautiful red hair was peeking through! Here he is at a year and a half old. We had a great time playing in the garden, and getting wet and muddy. His sense of curiosity and wonder is well developed, and he’s just a lot of fun! It is such a joy to see “my” babies grow into engaging toddlers. Thank you Susannah, John, Julian and Shayla for the pleasure.

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Here’s Ella - on the outside! Welcome, baby girl. Ella arrived a few weeks early, and weighed in at a petite 4lbs 13oz. but is healthy, happy, and very much cherished. You can see her “inside” portraits of mom Danielle’s pregnancy here. Even at just two weeks old, Ella is alert, aware, and curious about her world. Parents Dani and Lasha are adjusting like seasoned pros to having Ella; this is one well-loved little girl. Congratulations again on Ella’s birth, can’t wait to share the rest with you!

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I love our “May Gray” weather, especially for beach sessions. Let me show you why! Perfectly balanced, gentle and flattering light - just right for portrait making. Megan is just two weeks away from her due date - doesn’t she have a beautiful belly? She and John are expecting their first baby - well, the first of the human variety. Their yellow  Labrador, Zim, has enjoyed the “firstborn” status for a while, and his sweet demeanor should pave the way for an easy transition to a family of four. Thank you Megan, John, and Zim for letting me document this amazing time in your lives; I can’t wait to meet your little man on the outside!

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A dancing queen, Elmo aficionado, lover of dried cranberries, an avid gardener. Meet Winter, age 17 months! Her beautiful blue eyes are an exact replica of her mama’s - isn’t her dad lucky to have two sets to enjoy? We wandered around their gardens on a Saturday afternoon, just enjoying a beautiful day. Thank you to Amy, Rich, Winter, and Zoe the Labrador for the pleasure, and for the generous donation to Her Heart’s Wish!

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Multi-generation portraits are truly meaningful, and it’s important to take the time to do these! Proud Nana Sharla knew exactly what she wanted. On a picture-perfect San Diego evening, we created some portraits of the entire family. The main purpose was an extended family portrait. Sharla’s was the winning bid at the Flora Vista Elementary School auction, and she will have her work cut out for her trying to choose her images! I also took some time to individual portraits of all her grandchildren. I think they each have such beautiful eyes, I picked a few here to share that really show them off. Thank you to Sharla & Mike, Scott & Diane, their sons Daniel and Dustin, Roger & Annette and their children Hannah and Nicholas. I enjoyed working with all of you!

Daniel, age 17

Dustin, age 14

Hannah, age 9

Nicholas, age 5

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At long last! I’m pleased to announce the Best of Eos 2008 Portrait Contest winners. Without further delay…

First Place - Lyla & Mom

Second Place - Koa in the Kelp

Third Place - Basia by the Sea

Hmmm… a beach theme! Congratulations to all the top winners, and many thanks to the hundreds of voters who participated!

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Amie & Justin, along with their children Sea, Kaitlynn, and Amber, are welcoming another child into their family! Amie is due in two months - doesn’t she look amazing? They are expecting a baby girl, and I bet that she will be held a LOT in this very warm family. And with that many built-in babysitters, this baby girl will gets lots of love. Congratulations to Amie, Justin and your family on your pregnancy; can’t wait to meet her on the outside!

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Sweet, sweet baby… please join me in welcoming Rebecca Marilee to the world! I love it when I get to photograph babies on the inside and on the outside; here are her mama’s pregnancy images. She has all of her family enchanted, with good reason. Even at Day 12, she is a charmer! She was awake with wide, inquisitive eyes for most of our portrait session, until she finally succumbed to slumber in her parents’ arms. Janet and David, thank you so much for letting me be a part of this amazing time in your lives. It’s such a pleasure to get to know your baby girl.

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Fuzzy duckling time! Little Mackenzie is five weeks old. We had a wonderful session at her home with big brother Christian, age ten, and parents Tony and Elaine. She loves to be held, she’s very intrigued by her big brother, and she let us try all sorts of fun shots without a stitch on! I had a wonderful time meeting you all, thank you for a great session!

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