water slides. trains. jump houses. games. ice cream. snow cones. and an endless supply of blue balloons. these are only a few of the many fun filled activities of today’s tioga town fair. all organized to benefit the Sebastian Ferrero Foundation. a huge crowd showed up and all enjoyed the almost rainless day of festivity.

here are some photos from the day….

thanks for reading,
mikifoto by mallika malhotra

another gorgeous trio….meet sarah, katherine and tommy.  they greeted me with shy smiles and seemed a bit uncertain on what would happen in the next hour of our photo shoot.  but after some silliness, a crazy laugh contest, tickling and exploring the neighbor’s stone garden, they relaxed and revealed their inner sweetness.  the girls glowed in the sunlight and had the most radiant skin.  and tommy, with his mischievous smile and variety of expressions, had me smiling the whole time. and when we put the three together, it was like a private party full of kid play and happiness.

check out their sneak peak….

thanks for reading,
mikifoto by mallika malhotra

cousins who love the surf, sand and sun almost as much as they love each other.

thanks for reading,
mikifoto by mallika malhotra

i have to thank the raymond and colburn families for their patience. after i photographed their beautiful kiddos, i went on vacay for a week. so my usual turnaround time to see the sneak peak was way prolonged. and there is nothing worse then having to wait to see an image or two. but i hope you agree that it was worth the wait because there are plenty of gorgeous images of the brother-brother, sister-sister and cousin combos.

i had a ball with these kids. they were full of life and happy and just loved to play. kanapaha park was the perfect backdrop to have them run and be free. my camera already loves photographing the red-headed duo of ali and kate. and their cousins, jacob and kade, were just as charming and outgoing. they all looked like they came straight out of a clothing catalog.

here is the long-awaited sneak peak….

thanks for reading,
mikifoto by mallika malhotra

my oldest son, nikhil, turns 8 years old today. E-I-G-H-T!!! how did this day happen? wasn’t it just yesterday he was my first born and small enough to fit in my arms? and now he is a big man with big ideas, big opinions and big dreams.

my heart bursts when i look at him these days. a helpful son. a responsible older brother. a thoughtful friend. an eager student. he is always on the go, go, go and ready to travel, explore and learn. i just want to freeze time and keep him as this happy eight year old boy.

we celebrated with family and friends yesterday. and although the rain came down with moments of thunder, it did not stop the party. niko had an everlasting smile from ear to ear and reported that he felt so, so, so happy. and the harry potter cake from dream day cakes was truly the icing on the cake.  beautifully designed and absolutely delicious, gainesville is lucky to have such talent.

here is my pensive, loving and brilliant birthday boy….

thanks for reading,
mikifoto by mallika malhotra

i love capturing the relationship among siblings. there is always a unique synergy depending on the different ages and genders. this was the definitely the case with the aulesio girls. big sisters, gabby and sophia, were 7 and 6 and seemed almost like twins. naturally together….touching, laughing, playing, etc. then baby sister, nicollete, was a burst of sunshine. newly one, she was walking and exploring her world. and always within her big sisters protective watch. this all girl crew was filled with love and affection.

here is their sneak peak….

thanks for reading,
mikifoto by mallika malhotra

it’s not a myth….we’ve all seen those expecting mamas with that pregnancy glow. that little something extra that makes them sparkle and look oh so gorgeous. their faces just appear brighter and prettier then anyone else in the room.

this was no different for meghan, expecting her first baby in a few weeks. she had a tiny belly and looked amazing in her chic wardrobe. but what added to her beauty, was that she was truly in love with her handsome hubby, russ. you could see it. you could sense it. you could feel it. i had so much fun meeting them and sharing the morning at san felasco park. what a lucky baby girl to be born to such lovely parents

here’s their sneak peak….

thanks for reading,
mikifoto by mallika malhotra

twenty one years of marriage with four wonderful children. one son already in college. two high school teen beauties. one elementary school daughter with a love for dance. all well mannered, comfortable with each other and easy to smile. now this is one full house!

it was a HOT day at the park during our shoot, but the duncanson family were troopers. they endured the sun and humidity with a natural happy attitude. i could sense they enjoyed being together and that family was truly important. and with the kids going in all sorts of directions, mom was eager to capture them as a family. and what beautiful images they made. here is just a sample….

thanks for reading,
mikifoto by mallika malhotra

i just returned home from a 3 week vacation in new york and new jersey. this is my home away from home so it was a wonderful time spent with family and childhood friends. one of the best parts was visiting my cousin, neha in southern jersey. she has two spunky boys, naveen and ajay, and a beautiful home. we had so much fun watching the boys play together, like we did when we were younger. and she spoiled me with her expert indian cooking - dosa, samosas, pani puri, YUM! what a blast! here she is (isn’t she gorgeous?!) with her handsome men….

thanks for reading,
mikifoto by mallika malhotra

on a cloudy, rainy independence day, this little girl was a burst of sunshine. so pretty with big brown eyes, little gia won me over in seconds. i adored her colorful summer dress, especially the rosebud in her hair. and so full of expression. see how each image of her tells its own story….

thanks for reading,
mikifoto by mallika malhotra