Shannon Montez Photography Blog » San Jose's Family and Child Photographer, Shannon Montez, captures all aspects of family life: Families, newborns, children, babies, high school seniors, and weddings.

These guys were some of our first friends when we moved to San Jose over 9 years ago. They were our neighbors. We would cook dinners for each other often, hang out almost every day. They lived so close that we could put on a baby monitor and play games at one of our houses, just steps away, after the kids had gone to bed. Good times. As seems to always be the case once kids get older (and adding a few more), moving farther apart, and all those things that happen as life gets busier and busier, we don’t see each other as often any more. Writing that all down… suddenly it feels like a tragedy. Sad how we get caught up in the day to day and don’t look up often enough to see what’s around us and make time for things besides the overflowing to-do list.

Anyway… here are the images!

This guy wasn’t even walking or talking when we first met!

The ladies love those blue eyes and blond hair and dimples…

This one is one smart kid and a very loyal friend…

Brothers.

Matt had just finished the police academy (actually, it was for correctional officers and was more difficult than the police academy… he got injured but made it through on sheer determination). This pose was to illustrate the toughness and to celebrate the victory.

Hey guys… let’s get together soon!

This baby feels like it belongs to me, just a little bit. I don’t think her parents would agree… Mom is my daughter Sophia’s teacher… but that’s practically related, right? Which means this baby practically is mine. Right? No? Oh.

Anyway… have you ever seen a more beautiful baby?

I love the colors here…

A snuggle with grandma…

Gosh, she’s YUMMY…

Perfect. Look at those lips!

Thanks Mrs. H for being an AMAZING teacher, and for letting me play for a bit with your perfect sweet baby!

We’re really on a biking kick around here. We can’t get enough! This awesome spring weather is amazing and we just can’t stay inside.

And now, it’s time for a big first for my Last. Friday afternoon, he learned to ride a bike!

Take a look:

I’m taking credit. I was the one that taught him how to ride. But when Dave got home from work and pulled around the corner to see Franklin in a ball in the gutter after just crashing (his first crash), Dave decided he needed to be watched a little more closely and I was happy to turn over the duties of coach and take the duties of photographer/videographer. The video quality may be a little iffy, but actually, I love it! I shot it with my 5D… I had to manually focus my lens (thus the periods of blurriness in the video), but it feels kind of artsy to me! Maybe I’ll learn to edit video and dub it with music someday. Maybe.

It makes me so happy and just a tiny bit sad to see this, knowing that we’re nearly out of the really big firsts as a little kid. We’ve been through four first baths, first smiles, first steps, first words, first teeth, first days of school. I guess his first lost tooth is the next one… but there really aren’t many left (of the little kid ones, anyway… we’ve still got first love, first date, first heartbreak, first day of college, etc… to look forward to!) But I’m trying to enjoy each day as it comes. I love my bigger kids. We are having so much fun!

A few stills of the little man’s happy accomplishment:

My husband has stolen my computer, looking up information for the garden and planning it out with a little diagram he’s making in some program.

I love that he can make a diagram and plant a garden. We spent the day yesterday clearing it out to make room. We’re totally going to be urban farmers this summer. We’re even thinking about getting chickens. Maybe. Wouldn’t it be cool?

It was a big cool weekend for the family, with much to share. But it will have to wait until tomorrow (when I have access to my computer!)

I’ve showed you this great family before. I love them. They just can’t take a bad picture.

This cutie just makes me smile.

This shot… I just adore it. In the image right before this one, she was a little sad. But then she got the pacifier… look at the bliss!

Their kitchen is so warm and cozy and cute… I had to get a shot of them being together at the table.

I first met this little guy when he was less than two weeks old. Then again when he was crawling, and now he’s walking!

It’s so much fun for me to capture all these little accomplishments. They change and grow and learn so much in one year, it’s amazing.

I love the sky and water in this…

I love this multi-generational shot with the maternal grandparents. You can just see how adored this boy is!

Dad’s face melts me here. Total contentment.

This shot… anyone who has a toddler, tell me you don’t do this about 20 times a day!

If you’ve been following the blog for a few years, you know Michael. He’s the son of some friends of ours, and he suffers from a skin condition called EB. It’s seriously one of the crappiest diseases I’ve ever heard of… due to a lack of collagen in the skin, their skin is extremely fragile and can blister and tear by simply rubbing it. I found an article about it, and some of the hopeful treatments, here in the NY Times.

As hard as it is, their family has settled into the everyday. Heather has turned bandage changes into a science and can do it in a fraction of the time it used to take. Michael started preschool. The boy already knows all his letters and numbers and is starting to read, not sure what they can teach mr. mini-genius, but he’s making friends and loving it anyway! Heather got a part-time job. Ryan got a new job. It’s nice to see that besides the bandages, they are doing well! His third birthday was last fall… here are the images from his birthday session.

(some have been touched up a bit, so the focus is on his beautiful face rather than what blisters might have been on his face at the time)

The paper doll family was left over from his grandparents’ visit a couple days earlier. When Michael first saw it, he said it was a “a party!”

He’s a happy, delightful boy.

Headed out to his first day of preschool… a big moment!

When Salene called me to talk about her upcoming wedding, I was SO excited! The wedding was going to be held at the ranch Dave runs… Big barn. Dinner in the courtyard. Boots. FUN!! These two are so full of personality and are so great together. They had a really amazing wedding day and they care so much for each other. It was a really amazing day.

Dave (my Dave) took this one of the guys. I really like it!

Salene’s kids. Have you ever seen cuter kids? I was tempted to just follow them around the whole day and capture their cuteness.

The perfect setting…

This shot cracks me up.

They brought these fake teeth. Hilarious!

Mr. Man got all tuckered out.

A good old-fashioned barn dance!

Playing with light again…

A little warm-up post as I get back in the habit of blogging daily!

As I was preparing Salene and Dave’s wedding, I couldn’t decide which ringshot to share… So why not just share them as a set? Ta. Da.

I’ll share the rest of the wedding tomorrow!

(You know, once I’m all rested up from all my bike shopping and obsessing… still no new bike, but I did play with a few!)

I’m not sure I can handle another day without having one of these:

(source)

I could pretend I live in Amsterdam and ride everywhere… put a basket on the front and make sure there is always a baguette in it or something. Or maybe Piper! That would be fun. Anyway… I’m loving this weather lately. Perfect. I’ve been taking my bike out almost every day, but my bike is just not this cute, I have to bend over to ride, and that big fat seat sounds heavenly.

I think it’s time to run another blog a day run! How about… if I miss a day before April 15 (tax day, right?), the first person to catch me gets a Panera gift card? It motivated me last time!