It's a dry and blistering, hot Sunday morning in August. A high of 100 degrees, no cloud in the sky, we’re steaming a rack of outfits in a small photo studio in the heart of Burbank, California, getting ready to meet a mom and her set of twin daughters for the first time.

Spending the morning preparing with our friend and photographer, Angella Choe, excited for what the day will bring–it’s our first photoshoot together since 2018–suddenly, we hear a door creak in the distance behind a 12 foot tall, bright white cyc-wall. Two little faces appear in our peripheral–a beaming force of energy walks in tandem, making their presence immediately known. A loud and firm, "Tito, Tita–We're here!" echoes the warehouse. (The words Tito and Tita means uncle and auntie in Tagalog, one of the ~200 different languages in the Philippine Archipelago).

Our heads turn up and all of our butterflies quickly wash away. It's as if we've known this family for a lifetime. Their aura encapsulates the room, breaking the ice, Skye and Nova let us know they’ve arrived and they're ready to get to work!

“Can we see our outfits, please!” they burst in unison. 

Mom helps us twist their hair. They choose their first outfits, and while Skye already calls dibs on a particular look, she quickly gives up the option to her younger sister who really, really wants to wear it. Let the record show, Skye and Nova are 3 hours apart (Skye takes pride in being the ate - “older sister” in Tagalog). 

Photoshoots with kids are fun, because you never know what you’re going to get. We still prep all the creative briefs, moodboards, and references for posing, and majority of the time we just hope for the best, but this duo is different. 

Skye is up first. First image, served. Angella clicks away behind the lens, we're ooing and ahhing, with big smiles all around, giving Skye minimal direction. Nova is getting her hair done across the room, hearing the commotion, eagerly waiting to join her sister on the cyc-wall. When they join, it’s effortless from start to finish. The level of confidence, charisma, and professionalism that flows from the twins is undeniable. Shot after shot is a keeper. It's hard to believe they've never done something quite like this before. 

In-between outfit changes, we witness the friendship, love, shared beliefs, and connection of twin sisterhood. We learn about their dreams. Their passions. Even their exquisite taste in R&B, Soul, and Rap music had us frequently asking, "How do you even know this song?!" They share with us what they love about being sisters, their favorite activities, and the advice they'd give to kids who may or may not have siblings.

Skye and Nova share a connection beyond our comprehension–from knowing what each other is thinking and feeling, to sharing the same favorite foods–and while there are many traits that make them similar, there are just as many that are unique to themselves. You can feel it all throughout the room how bright and special they are as a unit, and as their own person. And while we aren’t here to convince you of their power, because they already do that themselves, we hope to encourage you to let go of expectations of who kids can be, and remind you of how showing kindness, compassion, and respect to kids brings out the best in them.

Here is what happens when we create space for children to express themselves wholly: magic. 

Thank you to Skye, Nova, and Liberty for making space for us.
Thank you to Angella Choe for capturing the beauty of sisterhood.