If someone, long ago, had told me that someday I’d meet a family that was made up some of the sweetest, most darling people I’d ever meet, I wouldn’t have believed them. But here I am after meeting the Tran-Caputo family, and I can honestly say that I’ve found that family! It was such a pleasure taking portraits of Joe and Mimi, and their two kids, Sophia and Harrison. They made their home in Winter Park, Florida ten years ago, and recently moved to Maitland Isle in 2015. But they weren’t always in Florida, or even the states! Mimi was born in Vietnam, and immigrated to the US at six months old. She grew up mainly in Orlando, while Joe spent most of his childhood in West Bloomfield, Michigan. They both earned their undergraduate degrees at Rollins College, where Joe played collegiate baseball, and Mimi played volleyball. Mimi went on to medical school at USF College of Medicine in Tampa, and completed her residency training in ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat) at University of Maryland. Mimi now works as an ENT doctor, while Joe stays at home to handle all the household affairs.
They love where they live, and you can often find their whole family enjoying their backyard on Lake Maitland, eating dinner from their grill while watching the sunset. Or you can find them inside playing board games or Pokemon, or out on the water paddle-boarding or canoeing. They love all of the local parks, and like riding through them on their bikes, and grabbing a bite to eat on Park Avenue. They all love playing tennis, and when they’re not playing it, it’s one of their favorite sports to watch. Both of their kids enjoy piano, while Sophia stays active with gymnastics, and Harrison plays soccer. When they vacation, they love to travel. Their favorite memory was a two-week trip with fourteen family members through Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. They saw world-class glass blowing, hopped from island to island in Stockholm, and gorged on as much amazing seafood as they could handle. They have a yearly tradition of celebrating Tet (Vietnamese New Year), and like going to the Central Florida Fairgrounds to watch the performers sing and dance, play games, seeing the lion dance, and eating banh chung (the traditional rice cake). They value their community, and give back to several medical charities, and also helped fund clean water initiatives in a rural Vietnamese community.
Besides adoring the family themselves, I also loved the way their outfits coordinated. We all had a great time on the shoot, and it was a privilege getting to meet and know this wonderful family. I just wish I had enough time to join one of their backyard BBQ’s. Maybe someday! Contact me HERE for your family portraits today!
