Just So Them

When families show up the day after Halloween with wide-eyed wonder still left in the eyes of the elder child, I know we're going to have fun. Jack chirped away about trick-or-treating while he chomped on the endless supply of treats that he'd collected the night before. We explored the outdoor space we'd selected while watching him show off then calm and play with his sister. Claire, meanwhile, grinned and babbled and let me see her teeth peeking through (a favorite to see... why are baby teeth so cute?). I got to witness love and laughter and a few "Jack!! Stop! No!" moments when a precocious Jack took off in one direction or another. I love when sessions go this way. It's not that everything is perfect and posed and planned. It's that it's bright and beautiful and real. The photographs that resulted from this session are my favorite of this family, and we've been working together since Jack was born. Other sessions have produced some lovely images, but these photographs, I think, show love and tenderness and are just so them. I don't have the right words for that, but I know when I've seen it through my camera lens. I'm excited to blog these and look forward to seeing these littles as they continue to grow down the road.

Little Guy, Big Enthusiasm

Two can be a challenging age, so I try to approach sessions involving a two-year-old with humor and patience and lots of ideas for what to do. This little guy required no such planning. From the moment I arrived at the house he was ready to show me around and eager to make friends with Miss Erin. Don't you love his curls? And that little hand in his pocket? It kills me. I love meeting a family and seeing how their dynamic works, and these guys love well and allowed me to catch the best of them: parents loving their darling boy and said darling boy made us all smile. I can't wait til next time!

Big Brother Love

Even before we met for this session, I knew we would capture some happy interactions, because these guys do life on the happy-beautiful-joyful side. I loved, though, that Mr. Charlie was so eager to help with "Sisters". We've been friends for a long time, Charlie and I, so I've witnessed his transition from only child to big brother, and he's so very sweet with them. His sisters are little wonders too, all wide-eyed and curious about the world. It's hard to believe this session was in October. The girls' first birthday was this week, so it seemed timely to post this blog to celebrate a beautiful family.

Windy White Rock Lake

Fall at White Rock Lake means wind and sometimes lots of it, but that didn't mean this session wasn't fun and tons of it. I've had the privilege of watching this little miss grow for the last year. This session she was more enthusiastic and vocal than a few months ago. Her parents are a good team, making her laugh and winning lots of smiles. They're such a sweet family that it hardly feels like work to be with them. I am excited to share a few photos and hope they illustrate just how good it is to be this trio.

Cousins!

When Carrie reached out to me about an extended family session for her husband's family, trying to schedule two busy young ladies proved to be quite a challenge. The weekend of our session presented a rainy day and illness. Rather than rescheduling we opted to do a session with those who were well the next day. The end result were these photographs. I love seeing the way the boys obviously adore their cousins, and each individual family looked so alive and happy. It was the kind of morning that was fun, fast-paced and sweet, with lots of laughs and warm smiles. It is beautiful to get to see. As I worked my way through the session, I found myself looking forward to the extended family session we will do in the spring, because if this partial group so obviously fits, then I cannot wait to see what happens when we have everyone all together. I would love to have photos with my sisters like the photos of these lovely girls, and if I ever have sons, I would love to have photos like these of the boys as well. So. Much. Love.

Little Girlies and Joy

This was our first meeting, and new families mean I get to hear and see their unique expression of what love looks like. These bright-eyed, beautiful little girls both gave me lots of smiles and laughs, and I got to watch their parents do that tag team thing that happens when a couple has a pair of busy girls. They did so with affection and ease, and while I'm sure there are days that aren't so quiet and simple, what stands out to me about this session is how peaceful it was. I am continually humbled by the goodness that occurs when I get to show up for a photo session and bear witness to a family who decides to fully show up for a session, bringing their best. That's what happened here, and while I love how wardrobe choices and warm light played into how these photographs look and feel, what stands out is the interactions illustrative of how a family goes together just so. So much joy to behold here...

Three, at Three

This beautiful family and I met up for the third time this fall, and the triplets are now three, talkative and full of ideas. I let the kids take the lead, and the end result was a collection of photographs that are pure joy. Any time I work with a sibling group, I want to capture both their relationships and the individual personalities of each child, and I think this session allowed me to do just that. Family photos that are illustrative of real life preserve the story of children growing up that I like to think they will one day show their children and grandchildren. When I get to photograph families who relax and enjoy the process, what is beautiful about that family naturally emerges. These guys shine, and the way they love looks good on them. I can't wait to see how they grow and change when they turn four.

Super G is 4!

Not sure how it happened that my little friend Super G turned 4. When I was growing my business, Grant was my nanny charge during his first year. One incredible part about being a photographer is that a lot of the littles I nannied through the years have an annual appointment for photos, so even if I don't see a whole lot of them in-between, we minimally cross paths then. These guys are so low-key and fun, so shooting around Denton was a great fit. I loved hearing an update of the past year and hearing Grant's stories from the State Fair (he'd been there the day before). This little man is learning to live big. I think everyone's favorite part of the session was hitting up Hypnotic Donuts, where Grant managed to put away his doughnut in about thirty seconds flat. I love how Grant's parents are committed to each other and to loving Grant well, and I think it shows in these photos. They're an amazing family.

The Baby Next Door...

My next door neighbors have the cutest little guy, and on mornings when they happen to be letting their dogs out when I'm coming back from a run, I get to see his sweet little grin. Getting to capture that grin for his one-year session made my day. Beckham loves my dog and wanted to grab everything in reach, and he took to family photos like a pro model. I love this whole collection, but my favorite photos might be the ones at the end of his mom and dad who told me they were engaged right in the middle of our session. I loved getting to capture a few photos of their beautiful selves and am so excited for their future.

One Family: Mom, Dad, Two Boys, a Girl and a Horse Named Al Capony

This session makes me smile for several reasons. First of all, I see personalities shining through on each child's face. Secondly, it was our second meeting, and it's remarkable how much the kids have changed in that year. Meaghan was more poised, more confident and easily conversed with me throughout the session. Max's communication and awareness grew in leaps and bounds in the last twelve months. And little Monty? He remains busy and a bit of a firecracker, but this year he had more to say and more to do. The third thing I enjoyed about this session was meeting Meaghan's horse Al Capony. His name wins, for one thing, but getting to observe a family supporting a child's passion and watching how that plays out meant I learned that love in this context looks showing up at the barn and watching her do her thing. It looks Dad going in one direction so that Mom can go in the other. I don't doubt that the increase in Meaghan's poise and confidence over the past year is directly correlated to her parents' involvement and interest in her life. And that's one way love expresses itself in this particular family.

Reasons Why

One of the privileges of meeting a new family is getting to hear pieces of their story and then getting to see the page that story is on as we engage during their session. This session took a couple of years of correspondence to actually get on the books, as my travels to Massachusetts are limited, and their two-kid, two-job routine keeps life moving. When our schedules aligned, I got to watch conversation and jokes followed by giggles. I saw big gestures, small smirks and easy conversation. It's the stuff of daily life that I imagine parents reflect on when days feel too busy or the kids can't quite seem to keep their acts together. I love taking family portraits because it creates a visual reminder of the good and the beautiful that looks unique on any given family. I think it matters. In this particular set, I love that you can see one little boy's vibrance, his eagerness to befriend me and his joy. I love that you can see his sister's calm, her steadiness and her warmth. Here are siblings making each other laugh. Here are two parents surrounding their children with love. Here is a family being themselves. It never gets old, getting to see the reasons why a family works and getting to create photographs with them so that they can see the way they fit just so.

Harper is One!

On her first birthday, I had the pleasure of photographing Harper. We'd done photos in February when I was in Delaware, and I'm amazed at how much a few months changed this baby girl. For one thing, she is going, going, going... everywhere. Her daddy wasn't home in February (he's an Air Force pilot), so I love that Harper's birthday session was a family affair. I wanted to post Harper's blog today so you can see her beautiful, vibrant personality. She had a medical procedure done this morning that requires her to be a courageous and resilient girl in the coming days and weeks, and this little light of a girl just shines, shines, shines. I wish photographs could contain the sound of a sweet baby voice, although I think her enthusiasm for life comes through. Would you say a little prayer for sweet Harper and her amazing mama and daddy today and in the next few weeks. She's going to be just fine, but they have a challenging month ahead.

Next time I see this brave one, she'll be running and talking and more of a kid than a baby, but for now, here's Harper's happy birthday session. It was happy indeed.

Brothers. Buddies. Best.

I spent a week in Lexington in June for a Honey and Salt wedding and got to photograph several families as well. The bad news is it rained the entire trip. The good news is this family did not mind one little bit. The boys' interactions illustrated that having a brother as a buddy is the best thing ever. It mattered not that midway through the session the aforementioned rain came down, in spite of sunny skies, and when it rained, it poured. Everyone brought their best selves: big smiles and willingness to play and plenty of interaction. We continued on, and I am so excited to share this sneak peek. I am loving these photographs!

Introducing Holden

Here are some things about Holden's newborn session that make me smile as I blog these photos: first of all, baby Holden himself seemed to think a photo session meant extra time to snuggle with his family and to stare and sleep and be all around precious. Then there was his mom whose gentleness and tenderness with her tiny son demonstrated the amazing way a heart instantly expands to love new life. And his dad was similar but as he followed his toddler daughter around (you can't leave a two-year-old untended!) turned to me and said, "I just love my little girl." We wondered at the maternity session how Lauren would adjust to a newborn in the mix. She's precocious and busy and, well, two. The answer (and this is what I loved seeing the most): she adores him. Here's a sneak peek of Holden's session so that you can see for yourself.

Introducing John

This tiny guy has filled his family's home with love and warmth. His daddy is so, so attentive, and his mama is so, so proud. His grandma was visiting to help out, and she too is quite taken with her newborn grandson. John was eight-days-old at his newborn session, and we started out with a wide-eyed little wonder who stared and stared at me. Then his eyes got heavy, and he settled into dreamland. I love this entire set of images. When the weather allows for a few outdoor photos of a newborn, I get excited, and John didn't seem to notice the shift from inside to out. In mid-April, John's parents celebrated their five-year anniversary with a maternity session, and by the middle of May, their arms and hearts overflowed with their firstborn son. I can't wait to watch him grow!

Happy!

A two-year-old photo session on a beach with a little guy who I met on his birthday last year? What could be more perfect? Well, Bowen is going to be a big brother in a few months, and his grandparents were along for the ride. He thought the beach was delightful. I know this because he laughed every time his grandpa poured bucket after bucket of sand into a castle. He stomped his feet in the water and threw stones to watch them ripple (so long as mama's hand was reachable). I love the intensity in this toddler's eyes. Seeing the way he reached for hugs and kisses made everyone smile, repeatedly. When he noticed balloons nearby being strung for a birthday party, Bowen started to shout, "happy, happy." And that's the word to summarize these photographs: happy indeed.

"See You Next Soon..."

Alex shouted, "see you next soon," when I left their house last night; I had to drop by. It had been a few days since their session, and I guess he wanted to be sure there'd be a next time, and soon. Over time a tremendous thing happens in client relationships; babies I photographed brand new become into precocious little boys. As I watch those little boys grow up through my lens, it just so happens that they start to remember me. They start to tell me their stories and ask about my day. As much as I want to draw them out and make them laugh, they seem intent on getting me to laugh as well. They may not be the easiest ages for a low-key photo session, but they are delightful ages nonetheless. Alex and Sam are 2 and 4, and I've known them their whole lives. That I have been their photographer the whole time makes every session that much more meaningful to me. Their mom has become a friend.

I really love the feel of these photos- that the boys' eyes have light and laughter in them, that Leigh Ann looks happy and warm, that affection is woven throughout. These photos illustrate who they are at their core, and it's beautiful to see. Love photographs well.

Introducing Georgia Suzanne {Delaware Newborn Photographer}

On February 6, Georgia Suzanne arrived, making me an auntie for the second time. She lives in Delaware, where my brother serves in the Air Force, so I planned a trip as quickly as I could. Trying to find the words to express the joy I felt when I met this little peach is difficult. Her disposition is quiet, peaceful and sweet. Georgia cries when she's hungry and sleeps easily, and she is every bit as heavenly as a newborn could possibly be. I cannot wait to see who she becomes as she grows, but at the moment I want to relish her newness. New life brings a freshness and delight to a family, and ours is delighted to welcome this much-anticipated little girl. Seeing Jaybo and Kendall step into their roles as parents is so fun to watch, and I know they will do an incredible job caring for their daughter. I love her so much, and while I'm not sure these photographs express the fullness of my heart in regards to this baby, I'm excited to share them nonetheless.

The Whole Family, Finally

When we did Brendan's newborn session, his big sister was globetrotting, so we planned a second session to capture some photographs with the whole family. Then we had weather and sickness and more weather and more sickness. It took a few months, but we finally gathered to do a photo session with the whole family. I love seeing how big baby Brendan has gotten and how doted on he is. This is a lovely family with a sweetness about their relationships. Everyone showed up with their best selves. Sweet Isobel is such a confident beauty, and she's taken to the role of big sister like a pro. I am so enjoying documenting this family's story. Previous sessions can be viewed here and here.

Introducing Stella

Her mama and I had talked on the phone several times before Miss Stella arrived, and we'd planned a good bit. I arrived for newborn photos to a very awake and busy little newborn, beautiful as could be but decidedly not in the mood for photos. We took our time, though, and between her mama, her daddy and I, we eventually convinced this sweet baby girl that having newborn photographs was in fact a brilliant idea. I so enjoyed this session. Seeing the way Stella's parents work as partners and with such consideration towards one another was compelling to witness, and their complete smitten-ness with their daughter warmed my heart. I'm so pleased to share a sneak peek of Stella's newborn session and look forward to continuing to document her story as she grows.