This post is part 2 of 2. Click here to read part 1.

Once Eleanor was more attuned to the possibilities of the eucalyptus grove at Natural Bridges, she grinned and explored the vegetation and generally knocked our socks off with her cuteness. Below you can see what I look like when confronted with such cuteness. I think my face was frozen like that most of the time we spent with Eleanor. I’m a total sucker for babies who have just learned to walk and are still putting everything in their mouths. I tend to smile at them until my face hurts.

You can also see what I was shooting just before that photo was taken. That’s the beauty of Red Bat Photography, folks. Two cameras, two perspectives on the situation. And if some passing tourists need their picture taken, as they did that day, one of us (in this case, Patrick) can stop taking client portraits and lend a hand for a moment.

Looking at these photos, I can remember how perfect the weather was that day, how warm the breeze was and how open the world felt, right next to the ocean under the trees. October is a beautiful month in Santa Cruz. And taking pictures of a baby is a marvelous way to pass the time.