The true spirit of the holidays is captured by spending time with family, right? Well, if that is the case, this fantastic family has cornered the market on holiday spirit!

These beautiful children are all cousins - and friends - and they absolutely love to spend time together, whether it is a holiday or just an average day.

I first met this family several years ago when I was hired to take newborn photographs of this beautiful hazel-eyed little girl. If you have followed my work, you will see her pictures throughout my sites and previous blog posts.

Since then, her little brother has arrived, along with a few cousins to boot! The family is very close and they like to have their child portraits taken together. Of course, many photographers might find this more challenging but let me assure you that with these kids, its a FUN challenge!

They are all so photogenic and also very cooperative. But most of all, they are each HAPPY. And I mean, seriously, spiritually, genuinely happy. Their smiles come from deep down -- nothing fake or phony. They laugh and play and honestly enjoy their time together.

Each child is unique and while I strive to capture the group shots that the family adores, I love photographing looks like this one -- the looks that show each child for who he/she is. Their personalities shine through their expressions and as I have gotten to know each of them over the years, I find myself looking at each child's portraits saying things like "oh, yes, that is sooooo him" -- as if I was a relative with the inside scoop.

With this family, though, it's not hard to feel like "one of them." The reason these kids are so happy and easy-going is because their parents are that way. From the first newborn photography shoot, I felt comfortable with them and over the years I have come to think of them as dear friends rather than just the great clients that they are.

So far, I have been lucky in that the parents love photos and they seem to appreciate my journalistic, natural style photography and so they sign up each year for a year's worth of child and family portrait photography. And I look forward to every shoot.

Of course, I am not-so-secretly hoping that they will continue to allow me to photograph these amazing children and if I am lucky I will be posting senior portraits and maybe even wedding portraits of each of them.

But let's not get too ahead of ourselves here....

Meanwhile, I am going to keep photographing these captivating huge hazel eyes and anticipating this cutie's next adorable outfit (she is always dressed in the most adorable clothes).

This holiday portrait shoot was so much fun. We went to the grandparent's home in the mountains of North Georgia and they had their tree all decorated and set up already which allowed some great shots that I am sure will cause Santa to mark that "extra nice" checkmark on his list.

When is the last time you saw two cousins who were so genuinely sweet to each other? Maybe you are lucky enough to have close relationships like this within your own family. If so, you are very blessed -- and you should call me to take some pictures! ;)

This is one my favorite photographs from the holiday portrait session -- just look at the way little brother is laughing! A big, belly laugh, straight from the gut and displayed in a giant, contagious smile.

Of course as we were at Grandma and Grandpa's house, we had to include them in some photos. Watching this little guy with his Grandfather, I could easily see that the two share a unique bond.

I think this couple has a lot to be proud of - a beautiful group of grandchildren to make their holiday season so much fun and full of true holiday spirit.

I hope this family cherishes these photographs -- the childhood years go by far too quickly and these family portraits will help them remember how it was back "when we were young!"

Merry Christmas to this inspiring family. I thank you for yet another year of memories you gave to me -- I have enjoyed your children and getting to know all of you. I hope your holidays are full of love, joy and genuine holiday spirit.

Anyone who lives in Milton, Georgia knows what a strong equestrian community it is. Chances are, if you have chosen to live in Milton, you either ride horses or, at a minimum, have a strong appreciation for the beauty of these amazing animals and the sprawling farms where they live.

When my husband and I first moved to the area eight years ago we certainly admired the natural beauty of the area but, at the time, we had no idea how much the horse farms would become part of our everyday lives. Our little girl was three when we moved here and, while she would yell "hi horsey" everytime we drove past a pasture, we could not have known how deep her passion for horses would run.

Now, eight years, one more little girl and one horse later, the farm is our hangout. The girls ride both English and Western and we alternate between two farms that are both within two miles of our home. And yes, you read correctly, we do have one beautiful, young Tennessee Walking Horse who has stolen our hearts with his sweet, gentle nature.

As a portrait photographer living in Milton and working in Milton, Alpharetta, Roswell, Cumming and surrounding areas and spending as much time at the farms as I do, I would be hard pressed not to have opportunities to photograph fellow horse-lovers with their majestic companions. And I consider this an extreme privilege.

The photographs you are viewing on this blog post were taken at a picturesque farm in Milton where this mother and her beautiful daughter ride together. They each have their own horse and they are able to spend hours of quality time together each week caring for their horses and riding through through the fields and beautiful wooded trails.

When they asked me to come to the farm to do some equestrian portraits, I jumped at the chance. We were fortunate to have a beautiful, sunny Fall day and we scheduled the shoot for late afternoon. The sunlight filtered through the bright leaves, creating ideal conditions for soft, naturally-lit portraits.

As a mother, this is probably my favorite shot of the afternoon.

This teenager is a super fun, super sweet cowgirl who likes to barrel race on her young mare. Her horse is named "Abby" and, despite her young age (she is only 3!), she is a calm, well-trained, loving animal who has a visible bond with her young owner.

When my oldest daugther became interested in horses, everybody I talked with in the equestrian community encouraged me to get her involved advising me that "a teenage girl who loves horses would rather be at the barn riding her horse than anywhere else", the idea being that her riding hobby will keep her out of trouble.

We'll see how that works out, but after learning that this gorgeous teen is at the barn every day, I have high hopes!

One thing that I have already learned in the short time I have owned my horse is that once you fall in love with one of these emotional animals, you are hooked for life. While she leaves the barrel-racing to the younger crowd, this mother is just as much a cowgirl as the younger girls at the farm and she clearly relishes her time with her beautiful horse, "Pocahontas."

What a beautiful pair.

For Mom, we wanted to get some soft, surreal photographs that were a little different than the previous "cowgirl" portraits she had already done. I convinced her to traipse into the wooded area above the pastures, dressed in a flowing prairie skirt with her long hair down.

As you can see by these shots, we were able to use the dappled light and the glowing Fall leaves to achieve just the soft, dreamlike feel I had envisioned.

Of course, when doing portrait photography, I always want to give my clients the portraits that reflect who they are. I want photographs that reflect the unique personality of the person (and horse!) being photographed and not just what I think will look good in my portfolio. And, hey, when you look this good in a cowboy hat, we accomplish both!

This shot is another of my favorites. I love that it is not perfectly posed as Abby nips at some bothersome flies. The curve of her neck and her tiger-striped mane add interest and dimension to this equestrian portrait of a girl on her horse.

Mom's horse was a little more "spirited" and didn't like to do a whole lot of standing still - especially when mounted. And with Mom in a skirt, bareback and barefoot in a wooded area off the trail, things were a bit challenging -- but we got some fantastic photographs nonetheless.

To see more photos from this amazingly fun equestrian portrait session, please visit http://www.photosbykirsten.com and also become a fan of my facebook page by searching for ddkportraits on facebook.

Even if you don't have a horse at a nearby farm but would still like some portrait work at settings like this, please call me.

For information on Hunter Jumper and Western riding lessons, please check out The Farm at Pamelot and Pleasant Hill Farm, both located in the heart of Milton's equestrian neighborhoods.