Innocence
Curiosity
Exploration
Defining
Adventure
Devotion
Perfection
Commitment
Excitement
Anticipation
All wrapped up.
Posted on February 23, 2010
This sweetheart, with her gummy smile, is wrapped in a hand made quilt. The fabric patches are special. Each taken from the clothes of Grandma’s children, nieces, and nephews. I would call it a story quilt. Can you imagine the stories that go with each little piece? There’s a lot of love tangled up in there. Heirlooms are great items to include in your photography session, particularly with children.
She was already six weeks old before I met her for the first time, yet she already knew her place in the family. It was usually in mama or daddy’s arms.
She’s healthy, and happy, and she’s part of a special minority group. Less than 1% of babies in the United States are born at home with a midwife, and she is one of them. Just one more reason why this on-location home session was meaningful to the parents.
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One more makes four.
Posted on January 30, 2010
A family grows a little at a time…
Baby number one was a beautiful little girl. She is so smart! And by that I mean she had just turned four and she could fill in the missing numbers as I counted to 20. That was a little counting game we played as I followed her around the yard. 
Here she looks a *little* older than four. It wasn’t part of my master plan. There she was, in this adorable dress, and all I said was “go ahead, climb up there and get comfortable.” We were at Grandma’s house and she was a little concerned that the old red chair wasn’t picture worthy. I saw in it great potential on that very cold day. It was perfect.
I love watching parents interact with their kids. The games on this day included hide-n-seek, a who-blinks-last game, and this toss-the-kid fun. I’ve only done this a few times and it always amazes me how high they are in the final image! It’s like dad helping his angel fly.
Baby number two arrived a few weeks early. So even at a few weeks old, she was still about the size of a newborn. I love that she stared at me. Maybe it was the big camera that she was trying to figure out.
Capturing the hands and feet and adorable little parts is always part of a baby session for me. I love how moms fingers spread to display her new baby’s little hand. I had never captured a baby’s hand in this way before. It is always rewarding to capture something new.
In honor of the half inch of ice on my patio, here is one last image. I love how sweet they look together. Two sisters who will spend a lifetime together.
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They always grow up.
Posted on January 5, 2010
My how time does fly. This handsome fella was once a little kid. He was a student of mine many, many years ago when I taught Art at a local elementary school. The nice smile is the same, the interesting eyes are the same, but the body now outweighs me. He’s a full fledged football player in high school. He just makes me feel old…and small. But what a joy to see that he’s doing well. They always grow up.
Middle brother here was determined not to smile for me. I won. I love this genuine laugh expression. I love that he looked down in a shy sort of way. This is a great example of “authentic.” The close up to follow was also one of my favorites of him. No smile. All eyes.
Little sister has all the personality! Bold stripes. Easy nature. Full of laughs! This spot of green was hard to find this time of year, but I have a sixth sense when it comes to finding little niches in a given location. She reminds me of all the reasons younger kids are fun to be around. They are hopeful, enthusiastic, fun spirited, and are mostly not yet aware of the realities of life. It’s the age of ‘bliss.’ Some days I wish I could un-grow-up myself and go back to that age.
Mom and daughter had to have a few alone, away from the boys. It’s amazing how our offspring take on just enough of our characteristics to connect them to us. Simple little laugh lines, the shape of a chin, or the texture of our hair and the twinkle in our eye, it all comes together to make someone unique, yet so much alike.
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Family fun.
Posted on December 29, 2009
This may be the last of the beautiful fall foliage for 2009. Most of our session was focused on the kids, but one of our goals was to capture a relaxed family portrait. When our littlest member here decided that standing still for that was not as much fun as exploring, I asked Dad to scoop her up and twirl her around. The end result was just what we needed. Kids having fun. Parents laughing. Relaxed posing. Sometimes the kids just need the adults to have a little fun.
Toddlers are always a challenge. Letting them explore takes their mind off of me, the one with the big, obvious camera. Along our woodsy hike she played with the branches, picked up tiny things on the ground, and looked for squirrels in the trees. And then she stopped. She sat on that stump and looked around, all by herself. Click, click, click. That was my moment.
Mr. smiley here was so easy to work with. He knew exactly what to do.
Big kids.
Posted on December 8, 2009
Those little kids turn into big kids in the blink of an eye. And if truth be told, by these ages, they don’t like being called “kids” anymore. Yet when they reach their 30’s, they will refer to these images of them selves as some that were taken “when we were kids.” I speak from personal experience. Once the “kids” start leaving the nest, it becomes harder and harder to gather them up for a session like this one.
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A growing family.
Posted on November 25, 2009
This family has grown since I’ve seen them last. A new little man has joined them. He’s a happy little one, just like his big sister. It’s fun to see how the kids have grown after a year has past. I’m always flattered when I’m invited to return a second time. It’s an honor to be the one to capture such precious family memories.
You may recognize this little beauty. She was sporting the polka dots last time too!
I like when families look real and are interacting. When our super fast toddler was zipping around, we let her ride on Dad’s shoulders for a few minutes. It gave us a great non-traditional family portrait. An authentic family.
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Mom and Dad.
Posted on November 6, 2009
At some point in our lives, most of us become someone’s Mom or Dad. If you didn’t give birth to your own brood, you may have certainly adopted a few little ones along the way. Or maybe you became the best Aunt or Uncle in the world.
Family sessions are expected during those early years. When your kids are young. What happens in thirty years? Do you stop trying to capture a portrait of yourself at some point? Have you? Why?????
This couple really made me think about that question. It’s true this image was part of a big family session, BUT, look at how adorable they are! There is such a story to tell about this couple. Their years together. Their history. Their journey to this bench, on this day, with their children and grandchildren watching them off camera. You should want to celebrate your love and your changing relationship throughout the years. This image is just as precious as the one they took on their wedding day. Surely they are different people now. Changed by all the events of life that have happened since. Please don’t let 20 or 30 years go by without documenting your story. Your children, grandchildren, and extending family will be thankful.
Large family groups rarely escape the posing. Sad, but true. It is nearly impossible to let 10 people just stand around while I shoot. There must be some organization. After all of that, I do make an attempt at a little nontraditional creativity. These little guys, twins, were the latest addition to the family. A brief focus on them gave me this image. It was my favorite. Their two different expressions just sums up the whole event. We covered the bases.
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