All newborn sessions are special to me. New moms and dads welcome me into their most intimate moments as their new baby has just been welcomed into their home and into their lives and suddenly their lives have changed for the better. I am so appreciative for all of my clients who have allowed me into this personal space of theirs to capture images for them that will last a lifetime. This newborn session was super special because it happened on Mother's Day, and the mom was a first time mother! It was so special to be able to tell her "Happy Mother's Day!" as she opened the front door holding her new, perfect, and precious little baby! 

After losing my own mom, Mother's Day becomes a difficult and confusing holiday to celebrate. It's a day of mixed emotions for me and I never really know how I am going to feel until that day. I love the thought of celebrating my mom on Mother's Day and doing/eating things that we would have done had she still been here. But I have the be honest, the second I log onto Instagram and see everyone else with their moms, I find my tune suddenly changing. It's so amazing to see everyone honor their mom and dedicate a day to pamper her (because moms deserve all of the recognition that they can get), but I just wish I could pamper my mom one last time! 

On this Mother's Day though, my attention was drawn to this new mom as she started her journey into motherhood! Isn't that what Mother's Day is all about? Not only recognizing YOUR mom, but all of the other incredible women out there that are putting their baby's needs before theirs and putting in many hours of sleepless nights, late night feedings, and unconditional love? Now, THAT is how I want to celebrate Mother's Day every year! 

Jess, you are an amazing mommy and Emmie is so lucky to have you in her life. I've never seen a baby look at their mom the way that she looks at you...it's an instant connection and bond that will never be denied! You and Dave have such a beautiful little family and I cannot wait to photograph Emmie again in a few months! 

Jess and Dave purchased my Wonderfully Made package that includes three sessions: maternity, newborn, and milestone. If you'd like to book your first year package, go to the contact page at the top so we can be in touch! 

This family has been one of my biggest supporters in my career and I am forever grateful for them. They took a chance on me during my first few weeks of being a photographer and I will always appreciate their faith in me. The Bookout family has two of the most precious little boys that you will ever meet! Yes they have a lot of energy and want to play, but to their core they are just sweet and scrumptious!! It's hard for me to be around them and not just want to hug and cuddle them the whole time! The Bookouts are naturals in front of the camera and make my job SO EASY. This was yet another session that I had to cut myself off from shooting more images because everything was just magic! 

Also, a PSA to any families looking for childcare in the Austin area...the Bookout family is opening a local preschool in Manor, Texas that is dedicated to providing quality early childhood education. I was a teacher with Kathryn and have seen her work ethic and passion when it comes to educating children by using developmentally appropriate practices. If I had children and lived in Manor, Texas, we would be enrolling our children immediately! The Bookouts have worked so hard to make this dream become a reality, and I am so excited for their new adventure! If you know anyone that is looking for quality childcare in Manor, Texas, go check out The Busy Bee's website for more information! http://busybeemanor.com/  (And no, they did not ask me to post this...I just truly believe in their business and mission! )

Also...can you please look at these sweet brothers holding hands in the picture above? Completely unplanned and completely precious! I think it's safe to say they love each other! And lastly... don't you just LOVE golden hour? There's simply nothing better for a photographer than a night with light like this! Enjoy!

It was the first day of my first year of teaching and I was a nervous wreck. In my head I knew that I had no reason to be nervous about meeting toddlers, but I felt this nervousness/excitement to meet them and form lasting relationships with them. The first student who walked through the door was this timid, yet happy, boy who was curious about his new classroom. I was closest to the door, so I offered to give him a tour. During the tour, he was asking so many questions about what toys were in the class and what kind of books were in the library. I could tell from the first few minutes that this little boy was excited about learning... which is music to a teacher's ears! As the rest of the day went on, we started forming an even closer bond and were adjusting to our new schedule. 

This little boy has faced more challenges in his short life than most will experience in their lifetime, but there was not one moment on that first day that I associated him with his past- all I saw was a capable, funny, smart, and caring student of mine! Even though he used a white cane to navigate the hallways of our school and was learning Braille while the other students were not, he faced every challenge head on. He taught me to change my way of thinking and how to adapt to each individual child's needs. I became more sensitive with his needs, which in turn, made me more sensitive to the other student's needs. This change of thinking challenged me to be a better teacher and all-around human being. 

I was lucky enough to spend the entire summer with him as his nanny, and it was one of the best summers that I have had! I continued learning from him and I learned how to be his advocate in the "real world" outside of school. When we went to the mall, I became protective of the way people looked and treated us and wanted to make sure that everyone around us understood what an incredible boy he was. For outsiders, it was easy for them to stare and wonder why he was walking with a white cane, but I wanted them to see past his walking tool and for them to see his heart (because boy they were missing out)! 

That summer, the mother had scheduled to have their family pictures taken by a photographer in town. I remember her saying how difficult the session was because the little boy was unfamiliar with the photographer. He wasn't as comfortable as she wanted him to be and there seemed to be a disconnect between the children and the photographer. In that moment, I had an "ahh ha" moment. I realized that I could use both of my passions (photography and children with developmental disabilities) to better serve families who have a hard time getting their pictures taken.

The more I got to know this family, I realized that there are not many local photographers that offer sessions to children that have developmental disabilities. After more than a year of praying and thinking about how I wanted to help these families, I quit my job as a teacher and opened up McKenzie Coronado Photography. Do I miss teaching? Everyday. Do I miss my old school? Of course! But, do I think that I did the right thing in following my heart and my passion? Absolutely. I have had the honor of working with children of all abilities, seeing families grow over time, experiencing couple's during their happiest of times, and photographing proud seniors graduating to their new adventure in life. 

DeSantis family, thank you for letting me be a part of your world and for opening up my eyes to the endless possibilities. And to Leo, you have changed me in more ways than I can imagine. You will forever be my student, friend, and brainiac! Thank you for your inspiration and for challenging my dreams and beliefs. You are so so so loved.

I left this session with a big lump in my throat thinking about how my life has come full circle. To say that my heart is grateful is just an understatement. 

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You guys, I have never been so excited for two strangers than I was on this day. Eliott and Katie were visiting Austin for a few days and I was contacted by one of our mutual friends that Eliott was going to pop the question while in town! After a few emails and texts exchanged between their friend, me, and Eliott, we had a game plan! I had never met or seen them before, so I asked their friend to text me pictures of them so I would know who to look for. I used all of my secret proposal tips for a smooth proposal process and waited for them to arrive to the desired spot. 

Katie thought that they were going for a bicycle cruise around Town Lake (I still will never be able to call it Lady Bird Lake, sorry.) Little did she know, her soon-to-be husband had been plotting the ultimate surprise! They drove past me on their bikes and parked them at an overlook to enjoy the view. I was hiding behind a tree because I didn't want my long paparazzi lens to blow my cover! I was trying to get a few shots of them before the proposal, but Katie kept looking my way, so I had to keep turning around and hiding my camera so she wouldn't become suspicious! There was a family that had two dogs near the spot he was going to propose, and when Katie kneeled down to pet them, I saw Eliott look my way and give me a signal that he was about to pop the question. 

They got to the overlook with the water and skyline in the background, and Eliott dropped to one knee. From a far, I heard Katie squeal and her reaction was priceless! I have never seen somebody more surprised than she was- the best way reaction for a proposal! After a few minutes of letting them talk, hug, and kiss, I came out of the trees and walked towards them. Once Katie saw me she said, "Is this really happening?!" Afterwards we took a few pictures of them together and I was in photographer Heaven! There was no posing or directing them with our mini photoshoot afterwards because their happiness and excitement spoke for itself! I loved capturing the real life conversation of Katie asking Eliott all of the questions she wanted to know the answers to. "So does anyone else know about this?" "When did you get the ring?!" "Does ___ know?!" and then in between questions she kept saying, "Is this happening?! How did you do this?!" 

Eliott, you did so good at surprising your bride-to-be and she is such a lucky girl! You two are such a precious couple and capturing your pure joy and excitement gave me such second-hand happiness! Everyone deserves to find a love like yours and I wish you guys many years of happiness! 

For all of those men out there thinking of proposing to their special ladies over the holiday season, I may have a little gift for you to help pull off the surpirse of a lifetime! To know what this gift is, email me at info@mckenziecoronadophotography.com