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

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

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

one of the highlights of our california vacation was meeting our new nephew, deven. almost four months old, this little cutie was super alert and had the sweetest smile. he was soft and cuddly and just almost made me want to have another baby (i said almost!). he was happiest in mama’s arms, as she was to hold him. and what a handsome mix of indian, filipino and puerto rican heritages! he is destined to be a heartbreaker.

here are a few snaps of bright-eyed mr. deven….

thanks for reading,
mikifoto by mallika malhotra

over the top smiles. hearty laughter. silly faces. dancing feet. these are all words in the universal language of childhood.

so when the Min family arrived at our photo session and informed me their daughter did not speak english, i had to stop and think about how i would communicate with her. i spend a ton of time talking to the kids to elicit natural expressions and smiles and eye contact. if little chloe couldn’t understand a word i was saying, how were we to interact? so i relied on my inner child….i made crazy cartoon like faces. i balanced water bottles on my head. i played peek a boo behind my camera. and i relied on the rest of the family, especially big brother danielle to translate. and luckily, it all worked out. because honestly…
kids are kids in any language.

here are some images from their family photo session at kanapaha park….

thanks for reading,
mikifoto by mallika malhotra

meet the hall clan. two handsome brothers joined at the hip, jacob and james. jacob with the bright smile and james with the soulful eyes. and little sister, samantha was a true energizer bunny. she was on fast forward and loved to explore her one year old world. all cute little buttons who adored their parents. just a tight-knit, good looking crew. there was a moment of worry that a family photo was not captured….but i promise you there are many. all with personality and oozing with love.

take a look at the hall family sneak peak…

thanks for reading,
mikifoto by mallika malhotra

many of us (me included) equate Ronald McDonald with golden arches, happy meals and drive thrus. we forget that there is an actual Ronald McDonald house here in Gainesville open to families in need. and this special place has already helped over 28,000 families since 1982, who have come from all of Florida’s 68 counties, 46 other states and 34 foreign countries. all live outside of Alachua County and have a child 21 years or younger being treated medically in Gainesville. some families stay a night, while others may stay for months, depending on the nature of their child’s situation. families are asked for a $10 a night donation, but are not turned away if they cannot pay.

i was invited to photograph some families who stayed at the house.  they came from all over, one even from indiana.  and i was touched and humbled by their stories.  they were all survivors with courageous spirits.  hopeful eyes.  and an overwhelming gratitude towards the house.  a place that provided comfort in an uncomfortable time.

here are some images of the children who were sick and their families who travelled to Gainesville to provide them the best medical care possible….

and if you’re interested in helping out the house, here is a link on what you can do.

thanks for reading,

mikifoto by mallika malhotra

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