When your best friend gets in touch with you about wanting family portraits for the year, you think one of two things: 1) The pressure is on to deliver because, well….SHE’S YOUR BEST FRIEND and 2) There’s really no pressure at all because, well, SHE’S YOUR BEST FRIEND. Tracy is my second sister…my biggest believer and fan and, coincidentally, her wedding to Kevin the first I shot on my own (yes, THAT is how big of a believer she is in me). I don’t know where the time has flown, but somehow between now and that first time she and Kevin stepped in front of my camera for an engagement session, I’ve been photographing every Gorjup milestone in between. Getting to watch a marriage develop into a family is such a blessing of the work we do as photographers. It’s even more special when the person you’re capturing it for has attended every slumber party you’ve ever hosted from the age of six (and still sends you links to those mutual, long-forgotten junior high fixations….Sweet Valley High…cough…cough).
Tracy, I love you to the moon and back — you and Kevin and that little half-pint Mallory of yours :) Mwwahhhhhh!
Her daddy can really get her going with the giggle fest ;) 
There is something about this image that every time I see it, I fall back in love with it. 
Tracy lets me take her anywhere I want for photographs. Which is awesome and kind of like the grown-up version of being the teacher when you’d play “school” as kids. (Okay guys, now you go sit over here…… haha) 
What a cute trio! 
Does this ever get old? ‘Cause I know I never tire of photographing it! 
It still boggles my mind that Tracy has a 14-month old whose hair she can FRENCH BRAID. Yep, that’s right. She’s not even 2 yet and already Mallory could be a baby shampoo model.
When Tracy and I used to talk about getting married and having kids and what those kids would look like (’cause…DUH..you TOTALLY have these kind of conversations in between games of M.A.S.H.!) she always told me she wanted a little dark-haired, blue-eyed baby girl. T, I’m so glad you got your wish. It’s beautiful to see you two together like this. 
Mama’s quite the bargain shopper …. this adorable trench? $12 at the Baby Gap. TOTAL SCORE :) 
And finally…rest assured, no babies were harmed in the making of this image. Matter of fact, Mallory and her dad LOVE to play “toss” (much to Tracy’s chagrin). 
Ahhhhhh….daddy’s girl!!! 
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Beautiful Gail. The black and white of them kissing and Mallory looking at the camera is STUNNING! Absolutely brilliant.
Oh G, these are too precious! I absolutely love this session, they’ll cherish these photos:) I can’t believe she’s only 14 months with THAT MUCH HAIR!!
the black and white kiss? perfection! <3
awww what a sweet heart! I love that you get to capture your best friends growing family. It truly is a blessing and you do so well at it :)
Trac- first off you look absolutely amazing! As for your family, so adorable. Mallory is such a little ham :)
I LOVE that black and white kiss shot with Mallory in the middle…to me, it feels like safety. That little cutie is safe in her parent’s arms and in their love for each other. Great capture!
Love them all!! I think my favorite has to be the beautiful little girl being tossed in the air by her dad! Love that one so much!
beautiful, gail – the photos AND the family! they are stunning! and i love the action shot, it will be worth it some day, tracy! ;)
Thank you! I love them :) And you can tell in the throwing picture that I am poised to shove Kevin out of the way and catch Mallory if need be!!
awesome photos, and OMG sweet valley high!!!! no one here I know has read them (well anyone I’ve asked in my age group!) I was OBSESSED with those books, and collected them all. that went downhill when the Sweet Vally University came out. but anyways. blast from the past this morning, thank you!
That little girl is adorable, and I love the one of her in the coat. so cute!
I’m sorry — wasn’t she, like, a newborn just a few days ago? I remember that first photo shoot and can’t believe she is already more than a year old!
It might have almost killed Tracy, but the picture of Mallory in the air is priceless!
Beautiful!! And Tracy looks just like her mom in that first shot. :)
I don’t know if it’s the words you wrote to go along with these photos….but I feel like I can feel your love of this family flow out of the pictures. They are so intimate and personal….I feel like I know this family after just these few photographs. Gail, you rock.
Lovely stuff, Gail–and family.