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.

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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

thank you to all who came out to the casting call at the little shop.  what a busy morning filled with Gainesville’s gorgeous little faces!  i loved meeting all of you.  and don’t worry if you couldn’t make this session.   we will for sure hold another casting call in a few months.  just send the ladies at little shop your email so they know how to contact you.  or better yet, get linked up to my facebook page/blog (see link below) and you will be updated on any upcoming events

here is a small sample of the cuties who stopped by….

meet two of my favorite subjects, isha and rian. our fourth session to date, i have enjoyed photographing these beautiful children and seeing them literally grow up in front of my camera. four year old isha is so very sassy and gorgeous at every angle. and rian, now 7 months old, is sitting up nicely. and always with the most soulful eyes. they are quite the sibling duo!

enjoy their sneak peak taken at the haile village center…

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