Family « Diana Lupu Photography

Archive for the ‘Family’ Category

08.9.10

We’ve just recently found out that some very good friends of ours will be having the b-word. You know, the word that you’re too afraid to say out loud because all of a sudden it becomes something that’s a possibility. Yea, the b-word is happening around us a lot lately and we couldn’t be more thrilled. Especially since it’s happening to our friends first. =) Truth be told, Adi and I are extremely excited at the someday-possibility but after speaking about the possibility for more than 6 minutes, we go into freak-out mode. I’m talking full-on panic attacks at the idea that a little person will one day walk into our world and suddenly, we won’t be able to go to the movies at 12am or eat breakfast at 1pm on a Saturday. I begin to make excuses revolving around the fact that having a baby means waking up around the clock and that surely, I’ll forget. My baby will starve because I was so deep in my sleep that I couldn’t hear the screams. Yea, I make excuses. But last night, seeing our friends and realizing there’s a little baby inside, growing and making itself already known, I began to anticipate and the excitement overtook the panic. And you know what? I think I’d wake up. And dare I say, I think we’d be pretty good parents some day. Mean time though, we’ll practice on our friends and I’ll get to know the baby Gap section better.

Speaking of little ones, this lil’ hand belongs to another friend’s adorable baby boy, who has a lot more strength than it may appear. Especially when he’s hungry. Happy Monday!

Posted in Family, Personal, Photography | 1 Comment »

07.9.10

We were making crepes at my best friend’s birthday. Actually, if we’re going to be honest, we were eating the crepes… complete with nutella, strawberries, and banana. Nothing on earth could have pulled me away from my crepe…nothing except for what Anda was about to tell me. As if she were telling me Nordstrom was having a sale, she candidly declared, I’m pregnant… in between bites. As if it were no big deal, she just snuck in that extra piece of information…you know, in case I was wondering. Shrieking from excitement, I dropped my crepe and hugged my friend. And just like that, Anda’s little family of three was growing and expecting a new lil’ addition. By the end of the night, I told her we were going to do a maternity photoshoot no matter what. And though I’ve never shot one before and am in no way a maternity photographer, we were still doing one. As the day approached, I began to get nervous…very nervous. Though this was a good friend, I didn’t want to disappoint…I didn’t want her to walk away thinking I had no clue what I was doing. And I definitely didn’t want her to think I should get pregnant and feel how uncomfortable the positions I was putting her in were.

As we shot around, I eased up…and fell in love with life. With the life that was growing inside of her. I can’t wait to meet Abby’s little sister and one day show her pictures of what she looked like inside Mommy’s belly. I can’t wait to tell her how she kicked when her mommy and daddy kissed. How her big sister proudly showed me her little shoes. And I really can’t wait to tell her how I found out her mommy was pregnant with her…in between bites of our strawberry and nutella crepes. Anda, Steve, and Abby, thank you for letting me take pictures of your beautiful, expanding family. I was honored and left feeling so blessed to have you for friends. I can’t wait to meet the lil’ angel. Here are a few of my favorites from the shoot! The light was heavenly and Anda looked like the most beautiful mommy ever.
Hey Anda, careful…I think that was the look that got you in this mess in the first place….

Posted in Family, Photography | 6 Comments »

07.1.10

I always say that I’m a girly girl because of my mom. I was the little girl who watched my mother get all dolled up on Sundays for church with hats and high heels (it was the 80′s after all) and pretty beaded purses slung on her shoulder. I’d watch her dresses blow in the wind and wish for the day I could wear one. I thought my mom was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen and I wanted so much to be just like her. We’d go home and I’d spend hours in her closet as she let me try on every pair of shoes she owned. And even though my parents bought the old wives tale that if they’d shaved my head bald at the age of FOUR, my hair would grow thicker and more beautiful (it didn’t and I won’t go there), I still insisted on hats. Lots of pretty hats. Just like my mom. My parents had very little when they first came to this country, but no matter what, my dad made sure his two girls were always dolled up. Because he knew, I wanted to be just like my mom.

I shot a beautiful momma and her growing belly the other day. Anda is expecting another little girl to join big sister Abby…a big sister that looks at her momma as if she’s the most beautiful woman. A big sister that asks for red nails just like her mom. One who drinks her milk at Starbucks just like her mom drinks her coffee. And one who waits patiently as her mommy French braids her little curls like a big girl. I quickly realized how much children imitate their parents and how this mom will soon have two little girls who will want to be just like her in a few years. Two girls who will watch her put on makeup and ask for lipstick too… who will admire her heels and try to walk around the house with them on… girls that will want flowy, pretty dresses and purses too big for them. And if their daddy has to play the lottery to keep up with all three of his girls, he will. Because he knows that they’ll want to be just like their mom.

As I was positioning Anda for a photo, Abby decided she wanted to pose just like her mom too. And I just about melted. More to come soon from this fun-filled photoshoot! Happy Thursday Everyone!!

Posted in Family, Photography | 4 Comments »

03.4.10

There’s somethin’ to be said about boys. I for one, didn’t even begin to understand them until I got married. And by all means, am still trying. I remember being wee little and playing catch only to come home with scraped knees because “tap, your it” meant “shove her on the ground while your at it” to them. I remember not being able to sleep during nap time in kindergarten because a certain boy wanted to see how fast his toy car could reach my head. Then there were the dodge ball games during P.E. For some reason, they had the strangest desires to literally knock the wind out of us girls. It was almost as though they got no satisfaction unless we were crying. Not Your Average Dictionary defined boys in the best possible way: “A noise with dirt on it; learns to make machine-gun sounds before saying ‘mama’ or ‘papa’”.

It seemed the older I got, the stranger they became. Until one day, when all of a sudden, out of nowhere, they began to open doors and offer their jackets. They began to give out compliments and charm their ways into our hearts. They began to appreciate our girly tendencies and even find it endearing. And we forgave them, accepted them, forgot about the rocks they threw our way, and fell in love with them.

The other day, I had the joy of taking just a few photos of two spirited and adorable little boys. Two boys that will someday, most likely run from girls and make fun of them. Boys that will probably climb trees to show off and come home covered in dirt. But more than anything, I’m sure these boys will grow up to be strapping young lads that will one day sweep a lucky lady off her feet and be the best gentlemen out there.

Children photography is not my forte but I think we managed to get a few jems. Case in point: meet little Andy. He is just the most adorable, sweet lil’ boy. He’s soft and cuddly and a pile of yumminess. So far he seems to be very attentive and quiet…I guess his parents are enjoying it while it lasts.

Andy’s showin how cool he is. Popped collar and all…

Andy has a big brother, Alex. Alex is all boy…active, playful, and so sweet. When I left, he thanked me for taking pictures of him showing us gals that chivalry is not dead.

He’s a great big brother too…

…only 3 and already stickin his tongue out at the girls…

Andy & Alex, may you grow up to be just as sweet as you are now…just as attentive to your surroundings…just as polite…and just as handsome. Though I know you’ll tease the girls, I’m sure they’ll love you anyway

Posted in Family | 1 Comment »

01.11.10

I went to highschool with Jen. She was a beautiful, popular, and such a genuinely nice person. Not much has changed since then…

Through the wonderful world of internet, we stayed connected all these years, post highschool. I always love seeing how different all of our paths turned out from what we expected. Jen is now an amazing mommy of 3 and a wife to a wonderful man. Who-da thunk it? That’s what I asked her when I met her for our photoshoot. “Not me,” she said…but she also said that she wouldn’t trade it for the world. And I believe her.

It amazes me how close Jen and her husband Micah have remained, despite the chaos of having 3 children, 2 of which are still babies. Internet friends, I woulda lost my mind and taken Adi down with me but they make it look so easy and fun, I almost left the shoot wanting to start a family. Almost.

I have to tell you all that shooting families is not an easy task. Especially when there are young ones involved. They couldn’t give a hoot about my attempt at making the pictures all artsy and I’m lucky if I get them to look at the camera, much less smile. Kids are awesome…they are just so free-spirited and really in their own little world.

Jen & Micah, you two are so amazing. Your love is so inspiring and you two make parenting look like a breeze. I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to meet your little ones and I had a blast with you guys! I hope family photoshoots turn into a tradition for you guys…I’d love to see what path you all end up on!

We started the day out at the beach: The couple of the hour: Jen & Micah! Aren’t they adorable?!

I love the framing in this one…

Jen & her boys: the lil’ man on the left is Hunter and the one on the right is Urijah..I thought that was the coolest name: A few of Mommy & Daddy:

I know, I know…who looks like that after THREE kids? It’s just not fair…;)

Jen doesn’t know this but she was one of the first people to ever ask me to shoot anything. With my camera, of course. She was the one person who without knowing it, encouraged me and believed enough in me to make me wanna bust a few moves with my camera. Because of scheduling conflicts, we weren’t able to do it for a few months and this gave me some time to practice and know my camera a little better. So Jen, thanks for believing in me and I promise to learn even more by next time!The first born & star of the family: the adorably beautiful Miss. Ashley-Fay…(the Smith’s are full of cool names): By this point, the kids were over it. They coulda cared less about the strange faces I was making or the jokes I was telling. I still love the picture but I def. made a mental note to bring candy next time… We headed over to a deserted (& safe) construction zone for some fun pictures and the kids were in instant heaven. P.S. construction zones are awesome to shoot in…not quite sure about the legal part, but that’s a whole other story. One of my faves of the day:

And of course, anytime there are kids involved…there’s always bloopers! While mom & dad were posing for me, this was playing in the background: And here’s Hunter again surprising Ashley-Fay during her moment:

HAPPY MONDAY EVERYONE!

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12.28.09

So now that all the holiday madness is nearing an end, I guess it’s safe to say that I can start my reflection process over the year that was 2009. There are some years that just stick in your head and others that just kind of drift away. Lets see…1990 was the start of my singing career as I would jump around the house singing Ice, Ice Baby and Can’t Touch This to my completely annoyed parents who had to invest in ear plugs. Oh, and thank you Aaron Spelling for 90210. 1991 was the end of Dallas…Oh, my poor grandmother. I distinctly remember being in Romania with my family and having a good 75 people over to watch the end of JR, Bobby, and Sue Ellen. Tragic. 1994 was dedicated to OJ…and the “where were you during the OJ chase?”. 1995 was the year of the internet…that dial-up sound was music to my ears and chatting until 3am on aim was just about the coolest thing since sliced bread. 1998 I became boy crazy. Lets fast forward through that. 2000 I met my future husband, although he was just my peer counselor at the time. FYI: I didn’t have major issues…just gym class. 2001 was the year of the September 11 attack…a year that we will never, ever forget. 2007 was the year I married the love of my life.

This year too, is one of those years that we will likely never forget. As a country, we’ve had a lot thrown our way. As a family, we’ve experienced happy times, and some difficult ones too. As an individual, I’ve made many discoveries and have been challenged like no other year. I’ve also kinda sorta grown up a bit and kinda sorta loved it. I have reached some goals and am still working towards others. Overall though, its safe to way, the year has been crazy. Crazy awesome, and other times, just plain crazy. Either way, I can’t wait to see what 2010 has in store and if it will be a year that I’ll remember for great things. BRING IT.

Here’s something I’ll look back at this year with a big goofy smile:

Posted in Family, Just Because, Personal, Photography | 1 Comment »

12.21.09

As the holidays are fast approaching and my holiday shopping is nowhere near being done, I’m reminded of a special photoshoot that took place not too long ago. One that made my heart so happy…just like this time of year does. I’m reminded of the importance of family, of laughter, of perfectly coordinated outfits, and of m&m chocolate chip cookies. That’s exactly what this photoshoot was like. And believe me, anytime you feed me m&m chocolate chip cookies or any cookies for that matter, I can almost guarantee your photoshoot will be that much more fun. This comes in handy for men who don’t always enjoy having their pictures taken. Well friends, this family consisted of two men (one who’s a tad younger) and they had FUN. I know this because they told me. And I responded with another bite out of that cookie… and another…

Its a good thing Adi knew CPR from my cookie coma…he resuscitated me and I was able to feast my eyes on this….

Meet the Crisan Family! Full of life, love, and style

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It may be because I’m an only child but I’m always in awe of sibling relationships. Although they’re at a rough age in terms of getting along, I was amazed at how close these 3 were! You could feel the love they had for one another and the bond was very apparent. Emily, Andrew, and Jessica, may your bond continue to grow and your friendships last forever.

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The men in the family are cooler than cool. Popped collars and all….that’s how they roll.

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Next, we chased the sun at the beach and had such a blast together!

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A favorite of mine:

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A few of mom and dad with the best light of the day…

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These beautiful girls could probably get away with murder…oh, to be a daddy’s girl.

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I’ll end on my kind of eye candy…
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May you guys always stay this close and may you always have this much fun!! Thank you for making me feel like a part of the family and believing in me!!

Posted in Family | 3 Comments »

12.12.09

Last night I had a little holiday party with a few near and dear friends. These girls are awesome with a cherry on top. Ahem..I should say *women* since 3 of them are moms, but for some strange reason, I don’t enjoy being referred to as “woman”. In fact, I get insulted! It just feels so…old. Like the other day, this child in line at an undisclosed store referred to me as a “woman” and I was thisclose to driving myself to Nordstrom to get the latest and greatest anti-aging miracle workers. Anyway, back to my awesome girl friends. I admire young moms a lot because I feel like I just could not do it. I often wonder if there is a pill that gives you patience, understanding, knowledge, and an unbearable amount of energy that they are just not telling me about. One particular mom says its no pill, it’s Google. Thank you Lord, for Google. Someday, I will definitely be that mom who Google’s everything. Why is this child keeping me up at odd hours in the night even though its fed, changed, and burped? What happens when I find that my child has eaten a whole box of cotton balls? Why does my child throw things at my head? Yea, I’ll Google it all.

Six months ago, when I first started learning my Olympus camera, I turned to these mom-friends for help. I asked if I could practice on their children and boy, was I in for it. Let me just start by saying that child photography is quite possibly as hard a job as a firefighter or triathlon runner’s. As for stressful, I say its neck and neck with heart surgery. I was sore, I was sweaty, I was out of breath, I was exhausted. Mentally, I was drained. But, I learned a ton and more than anything, I loved seeing the look on these mom’s faces when they saw their beautiful children in the photos. Here are a few from the different shoots that I look back on with joy… joy that I got to return these wonderful babies back to their mommies, and joy that my girl friends have adorable, wonderful children that do not throw things at them. Or me.

Meet Abigail and her mommy….this was actually the second shoot I ever shot.

Meet Abigail and her mommy