The Page They Were On

I'm never opposed to an afternoon at the lake, and neither were these guys. While I've photographed the littles before, it was the first time we've done family photos. It was a tag team parenting approach to keep up with two busy toddlers, and we stayed busy for the whole session. A certain young man was inclined to run, run, run, while his baby sister was newer in her walking skills. We mostly just let the kids set the pace, and the end results were a selection of photographs that illustrate what's beautiful about each individual as well as the whole family. It's fun to look at these now, a couple of months later, knowing that in the time that has passed since these session, each of these kiddos has continued to come into their own. It makes me excited for next time as well as thankful that we got to document the page they were on in the fall. They change so fast...

Shy No More

When I met Sophia, she was just a baby, and our annual photo dates have been marked by coaxing a quiet, shy little miss out of her shell. This year, I loved that Sophia's shyness has fallen to the wayside. As she's grown up, she's come into her own confidence and sense of self. It's a privilege to watch a child change like that. It's not that she wasn't a lovely little girl in previous years; she was. It's just that this year I got to see a clearer picture of who she is. She is enthusiastic, silly and friendly. Because she's gotten older and we've built some rapport, this particular session was particularly fun for me to shoot. You can see the love and life in these photos, and I am happy to get to share them.

Sweetest Sisters

The best way to get happy, laughing little girls at a photo shoot is to have happy, fun-loving little girls as your subject. These three, each with her own personality and take being the subject of photographs, simply delighted me. I have three sisters, and two of them are close in age to me, so whenever I have a trio or foursome of sisters, I find myself remembering fond childhood memories. We too shared secrets and hugged tight and were (mostly) buddies. Life is that much more beautiful and fun and exciting with a sister, and I hope that these photos give these girls sweet memories of growing up together. I hope they know they've been given a gift in each other. I see that gift in these photos.

A Hand to Hold

I started conversing with this family about photos last spring, but we never got our schedules to match up. I was excited to finally meet Miss Claire this fall, and she ran and giggled her way through this session, provided she had a hand to hold. I love the way littles draw confidence and comfort from contact with their parents. Claire may not have been too sure about the whole photography gig, but she was just so cute in her unsureness. It's was so fun to send out this gallery, because we got so many wonderful expressions from a hesitant (and at times determinedly so) little girl. Seeing her personality emerge as the session went is one of the things that I love about this work. I really want to see who a child and her family is, not just what they look like, and as she became more comfortable I was able to capture just that. I cannot wait to see how she grows and changes in the coming year.

Dumpster Diving

It's a privilege when friends and neighbors choose me to do their photos, so I loved meeting these guys at White Rock Lake this fall. Aedan is the kind of kid who takes a few minutes to warm up; he's observant and quiet and takes everything in before giving his all (not unlike me, so I appreciate that). Who'd have thought that finding an empty dumpster left open by a construction crew would be the ticket to chatter and smiles from this little guy? We got kicked out of said dumpster, but it broke the ice. It was a really fun session. This was the windiest morning, and no one complained. There was joking and laughter and easy interactions. That trio is my favorite for capturing a family, and I'm so happy to be sharing a sampling of this year's photos of my friends. Revisiting them made me smile.

Elle's One-Year Photos

What's not to love about a baby in Burberry? I hadn't seen Miss Elle since her newborn photos, and it was so fun to see her interact with her mom and dad. More important than great fashion sense was Elle's contented little self, as long as Mom and Dad stayed close by. While I was unsuccessful at making their wee girl laugh, she had big belly laughs for them. We had a perfect day at the lake for our session, and looking back at these photos makes me so grateful for beautiful families who allow me to see the way they love one another. I can't wait for two-year photos!

Paint the (Cow)town

Because Dallas is where I live, my clients tend to be on the Dallas side of the DFW area. The Redding crew hails from Fort Worth, so their annual session typically takes me west. This year we opted to use the newly updated Sundance Square, exploring in and around downtown as we went. I loved the change of pace. We had plenty of friendly banter illustrative of love and fondness and kids-who-are-mostly-friends whose parents still flirt with each other. I love this collection. We worried that we'd get rained out that day, and I'm so glad we weren't, because this session makes me smile. I'm grateful that I've gotten to know this family through the years, because they are engaging and warm. It's always a blast to work with them.

Happy Birthday, Evangeline!

On Friday, October 24, I messaged Evangeline's mama and said I hoped she was doing well as she neared her due date. Not an hour later her daddy texted to say they thought the baby was coming that day. As the day progressed labor slowed, so I didn't hear back until evening when I received a "it's time" text. Two years ago on Christmas Day I photographed the arrival of Evie's big sister, and she arrived so fast that I hurried to the birth center. Evie decided on a slower pace, though, so it wasn't until the wee hours of October 25 that her mama delivered her into her daddy's hands. Beautiful and healthy and with lungs ready to go, Evie captured her parents' hearts immediately, and I am so grateful I got to witness the miracle of new life. She is a perfect fit in her family, and these photos don't do justice to the warmth and love that filled the room.

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.

Meghan and Jay

These days my wedding work is being shared and blogged on the Honey and Salt site, but when my sister got engaged, of course I had to take some photos. It's Meghan's birthday today, so I wanted to share these as an excuse to say how blessed I am to have a sister who doubles as one of my best friends. Meghan is generous and kind, more of a baby whisperer than I (if you can believe such a thing is possible), a lover of people, a great hostess and one of the most articulate people I know. Jay is truly her compliment, and I've loved becoming his friend through the course of their relationship. It's been so incredible to be a part of their story. I'm guessing 29 (and holding) is going to be Meghan's best year yet. I can't wait for their wedding and all that is to come. The future is looking very bright for these two.

Happy birthday, Meghan! I love you to the sky and back.

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.

Triple Threat, OC Style

It's been just over three years since this crew became a part of my life and over those three years, Christina and I have become friends and launched our wedding photography business together. Christina does (stunning) portrait work as well, so we planned the session primarily with family interactions in mind. Moms tend to be holding the camera when it's time to capture candid memories, and when Mom is also a photographer, that reality seems to increase. Alongside becoming friends, Christina and I have talked a lot about the value of family portraits. We believe kids having photos with their parents matters. We believe photography can allow families to see what is beautiful and true about their lives. We want to create tangible memories of what a family being who they are looks like at any given season of life. I think great photographs provide parents with reminders of all that is good on those tough days when nobody's minding and everybody's crying and nothing seems to be working. Those days happen. But they do not define a family.

What defines a family are walks to the nearby park, running up and down the hill, collapsing into tickle fights and all the things that add up to "I love you, I love you, I love you." I am so happy with how these photographs turned out, but I'm happier to call the Childress family friends. I'm honored to be a part of their story.