This growing family is absolutely precious and so much fun to photograph! We had fun dancing, playing with flowers, and giving snuggles! (No flowers were hurt in the making of these precious pictures!) Momma is pregnant with their third baby, and I know these two will be incredible older siblings! Dilworth family, you two make beautiful babies and I look forward to meeting baby E! 

I met this precious family through my in-laws. My in-laws once owned a restaurant on South Lamar and they were lucky enough to have loyal customers who they could create a relationship with. I would always hear about the "Foster girls" and how sweet they were. I felt like I knew them because I would always get a update on their life from my mother-in-law. When I finally met Katie, it all clicked why my mother-in-law enjoyed her company so much! Katie is sincere, spunky, fun, and down to earth. 

Now that she is married and has a family of her own, I was so excited to be able to take their family pictures for their Christmas card! Katie and Andy's little boy, Foster, is so precious and is going to be a huge heartbreaker when he's older! His eyes are mesmerizing and his little personality is so cheeky! Potter family, I'd photograph you everyday if I could!  

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.