Three Before Four

Lindsey coaches running and has a podcast and is expecting her fourth son any day. She happens to be my running coach, and I once got to be a guest on said podcast. I also got to connect with her family when I was in Indianapolis in May. We met for family photos on the Monan Trail, where she and her husband run, often with their boys in jogging strollers.

Seeing a family interact in a place that is meaningful to them produces photos that illustrate their collective identity. The boys were so at ease on the trail, full of personality. If something stands out to me about Lindsey and Glenn, it's how much they seem to enjoy their boys. They are patient, encouraging, enthusiastic and easy going. This is not a family who takes themselves too seriously; they are quick to laugh. Hugs and high fives go a long way. I cannot wait to see how a fourth little man adds to the mix. In the meantime, this session makes me smile.

Brand New

Newborn sessions bring about such a strong sense of brand new wonder every time I photograph a family getting to know their new little. Claire's session day was dark and rainy, and it somehow enhanced the quiet awe that seemed to have settled into her family. I have been meaning to share this session for months now; our whole time together was punctuated by the real kind of joy that comes with easing into a family life that has expanded to included just the right person at just the right time.

Daily Photos: March Edition

...because paying attention makes me a better wife, friend, sibling, child, employee, citizen, human. This little project of mine, now habitual, keeps me a little more grounded and a lot more grateful. I hope you enjoy the photos.

March 1: Always, seemingly at the top of the to-do list, editing. As in work, so in life.

March 2: Breakfast as an act of self-care. No matter how hectic the morning is, since returning to a more standard 9-5 structure, I've found that sitting down to eat a decent breakfast not only keeps hanger at bay but reduces stress. I've never been a no breakfast kid.

March 3: Albert doing Albert things.

March 4: He may not love a Target run, but he's usually game for coming along for the ride. And snacks.

May 5: On the eve of our 3rd anniversary, a self portrait, because I was thinking about how the best thing I can do for our marriage is take care of me and that before we were married I was as fully alive as I am now. It's that whole put your own oxygen mask on first principle, I think.

May 6: And so begins year four. We've had peaks and valleys and everything in between, and we're in no way experts, but we keep showing up, keep trying to learn, keep trying to grow. And as much as we love each other, we like each other too.

March 7: Not cool, March 7, not cool. (But very cold).

March 8: If newbie New Englanders, then add snowblower to your must-have list. We inherited ours from the previous homeowner, thankfully.

March 9: Long exposure word play.

March 10: Long running accoutrements. They get the job done.

March 11: I spy, or spied, on an afternoon walk. She let me get much closer than I would have thought, and I had a hard time choosing a favorite photo.

March 12: First time I had kids in the studio at the hospital, and this little buddy belongs to a co-worker who gave me a release to share his superhero self as my daily photo. GAH.

March 13: Hates rain; loves snow.

March 14: Disinterested in wet cat food; loves brussels sprouts.

March 15: With daylight savings came the return of the after dinner walk.

March 16: Any given evening.

March 17: Marathon training took a while to fall into a solid rhythm this cycle, but I enjoyed long run days regardless.

March 18: The greenhouse at Elizabeth Park hinted that spring would, in fact, arrive... at some point.

March 19: "Sweetie, let's take a nice photo."

March 20: If twinning at work (and matching the studio seamless), then your boss takes a photo. I'm glad I get to work on a team of incredibly strong and capable women.

March 21: Supervising.

March 22: What did the surveillance camera see?

March 23: I love this simple portrait taken after he stopped by for a lunch date.

March 24: A hot pot dinner party with friends old and new.

March 25: Post birthday party crash, complete with leftover snacks.

March 26: Post run stretch. One of my favorite self portraits I've taken.

March 27: My bestie's little Luci loves birds, so I've started a collection of photos for her.

March 28: Hospital photographer perks include using your lunch break to meet your friend's hours old wee man.

March 29: Hospital photographer perks again so that I could get a few shots of brand new siblings.

March 30: I do a weekly photo collaboration on Fridays, and the prompt on that day was experimental. 

I asked people in waiting spaces in my building at work to allow me to take their portrait. It's incredibly uncomfortable for me to ask strangers for a photo for me and not for work, but I did it. In a medical setting, a lot of people say no. I'm used to that because it happens with hospital work, but still, it was hard. I was hoping for nine portraits to compile but ran out of time. I want to push myself in this way, and I think I'll make it a practice to try again on occasion. Because to take a portrait means stopping long enough to see someone, to look them in the eye.

When we walked the dog that afternoon, though, I took photos that whispered of spring's arrival, and they felt like something of a prayer for all of the people in waiting rooms and collaging them felt hopeful. This was Good Friday, and it felt appropriate.

March 31: The alchemy of pizza night.

As Mother's Day Approaches

Last week I attended a workshop on storytelling, and the speaker said that it's often small nuances that happen in the midst of our big life-changing stories that pack the most punch. He said looking there helps us find the stories within a story that illustrate human connection on the deepest level, drawing listeners in. That resonated.

With Mother's Day approaching these photographs of my sister and my nephew on the eve of my niece's birth kept coming to mind. Meghan's attentiveness towards and concern for Jameson as she prepared for the arrival of her daughter clarified so much of what makes her an incredible mom to both her kids. She knew he was on the precipice of change and wanted his transition to be smooth. She wanted him to know he was loved, he was ready and his place was secure. And the conflicting emotions of anticipating a beautiful change in her little family alongside of letting go of the sweetness of a season ending so a new one could begin- they showed up. Is that not the never-ending stuff of motherhood?

Maggie's birth and newborn photos are a blog not yet written, but for the lead up to Mother's Day I wanted to share these few simple photos, because they move me, and I hope they do the same for you.

Welcoming Pearl

Connection creates the most compelling story a photograph might tell, every time. When a collection of photographs communicates the unique and yet universal beauty of a family, together, in the comfortable security of just being, I find my most prevalent response to their photos one of gratitude. They've allowed me to see and document something true and good about life, about the world.

Pearl's newborn session, just three days after her birth, stands out to me because the joy and energy in her family as they adjusted their lives to welcome this tiny person felt tangible from beginning to end. I saw so much love, from her confident, proud biggest sister and her finding-her-way little not-quite-as-big sister to her smiles-never-left-their-faces mom and dad. It felt like they'd all been waiting for her all their lives and like in 72 short hours her permanence in their hearts and home was long established. I saw so much connection that day.

Daily Photos: February Edition

The shortest month held a long length of calendar ordinary and extraordinary. Life and love in in-law visits and a newborn niece paired with days good and days hard at home. Some days picking up the camera feels like a block to check, but the reality is that the slow or boring or too-full days captured trace details of life. I often look back  and find simple photos that foster so many memories of entire days. Looking at the mundane makes both the more vibrant and less exciting that much more gratitude inducing, I think. February, then, was a mix. Here it is my February in 28 frames.

February 1: Snack, with with the work macro.

February 2: Less than 25% of surgeons are women (read: too few, as super-heroic as their male counterparts and utterly competent), and the best way I know to showcase the incredible work they do is to pay attention when I get to document them at work. Hospital lighting is hard. Black and white is my friend.

February 3: A migraine set in first thing, and Ty left town that afternoon. I spent most of the day passing hours on the couch and in bed.

February 4: Committing to a spring marathon means committing to the weekly long run.

February 5: Millie's hydration preference.

February 6: Aspen, I think. My favorite tree in winter's grey hues.

February 7: Snow day seen from the medical center... and a selfie.

February 8: Building Connecticut community looked like my co-worker and now running buddy Lauren coming over for curry and brownies.

February 9: Morning. Albert hijacked my breakfast-as-self-care photo and tried to steal my egg.

February 10: Nap time. But honestly, the rainiest day, and Ty was still out of town. I felt all together uninspired to take a daily photo. Still, Darby's paw presented so this. :

February 11: Double exposed... a Valentine's Day trial that I never actually executed for the holiday. A self-portrait combined with "Honey and Salt" by Carl Sandburg, a poem about marriage (and the inspiration for naming my former wedding photography business).

February 12: Babs, my mother-in-law arrived, and Darby's look of sincere adoration and connection makes this one of my favorite photos of the year so far.

February 13: One of the things I appreciate most about Ty is that when he sees a task that needs doing, he gets it done. He rarely leaves things unattended. I admire his work ethic.

February 14: Valentine's Day with Babs and the Olympics.

February 15: Millie claimed this blanket from the day Ty brought home a tiny stray he found on a run, and it remains her favorite napping spot.

February 16: A bleak day, pondering Parkland.

February 17: I found my in-laws watching the Olympics sitting so similarly to how Ty and I sit sometimes that it made me smile. Tom arrived the day before.

February 18: These two, shoveling after an all-night snow. I felt that "memorize this" urge as I watched them work together, chatting and laughing. We traded lake projects for winter chores in moving north, and they remain the same get-the-to-do-list-done-early-with-a-grin-on mirrors of each other. It's always good to see them together and was so good to have the in-laws in New England.

February 19: I set the table and went to get our food and turned around to...

February 20: The after-work welcoming committee. Every night. 

February 21: "I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always,
As long as I'm living
my baby you'll be." -Robert Munsch

The next day Jameson became a big brother. I look at the photos I took on the eve of Maggie's brith and feel such tenderness for my nephew. It's a big change for such a little guy. 

February 22: Margaret Joan's first impression of us was less enthusiastic than our first impression of her. Photographing any birth is incredible, but photographing my niece's birth... what a gift.

February 23: The reluctant big brother and a failed family photo attempt.

February 24: Mitchell, party of four, brought to you by the Ritz cracker that facilitated Jameson's cooperation.

February 25: The Maggie smirk. Little miss was happy to be home and surrounded by family, methinks.

February 26: Pops trying to coax Jameson into his chair for a sibling shot, because no way we were getting him into a shot where he was close to Maggie. 

February 27: Back home to my circus.

February 28: Morning perch and that sunlight streaming in.

Adventure Awaits Always, Anywhere

Alicia and I emailed back and forth about session location, settling on a reservoir her son loves. We parked and headed towards the water, crunching leaves and sharing stories. We talked food and dogs, the stuff of everyday life. Once we arrived at the water, it was all skipping stones and yoga poses and family moments. I got to see kid hugs and high fives. I captured Andrew signing "I love you" alongside of Julia's "namaste" atop a tree stump. I tend to feel a session is going well when I am capturing genuine interaction with little direction, which was basically this entire shoot.

The sense I had when as I watched the goodness that is Alicia and Justin and Julia and Andrew is that for them, adventure awaits always and anywhere. They love to be outdoors. They know how to be present in the moment and content. When I wrap up a session like theirs I feel like I've been given the gift of seeing a family living the beauty that is uniquely theirs.

His Name is Freddy; We Call Him Froo

I don't know why we call him Froo but soft launching my way into sharing some favorite recent work with my nephew Freddy's newborn photos. I knew Debo and Tyler were going to be incredible parents when they told us they were expecting, but there's a difference between knowing and KNOWING. From the moment I arrived at their house, the sense of calm and normalcy would have made you think they'd had a baby for years. Their awe and wonder at their little man were present, for sure, but their transition into parenthood wasn't even a blip on the radar. They took to parenting their kiddo with ease. I'm drawn to the bath time photos at the end of this post, because I think they capture both the tenderness of new parents and the confidence with which Debo and Tyler chose to operate out of as new parents.

And little Freddy? Well, he captured the hearts of everyone who walked through the door. He belonged and belongs in this family. He snuggled in and watched with wide-eyes and let us love him. Going back and looking at these newborn photos makes me so excited to watch him grow and change and become. He's just right. Babies are the best idea. These photos make me anticipate 2018 sessions!

Dallas peeps, I'll be booking a handful of sessions in the spring, summer and fall. Connecticut friends, I'm booking a handful of sessions each month, so if you or someone you know is interested in photos, please reach out.

Daily Photos: January Edition

New year. New season. New beginnings. All that jazz. I'm not much of a resolution person beyond resolving to try to be more of the stuff that matters: more kind, more generous, more honest, more grateful, more forgiving... more human, really, at least I hope. Catching up several months of daily photos blogs over just a few days has clarified for me that I want to keep paying attention the the nuance and detail that helps me find my way back in the direction of all those mores. I hope my perspective invites you to see the mores that matters in your own life too.

January made me anticipate other mores too. More love and light, more goodness, more grace. More babies and families in front of my lens. More roots in Connecticut. More happy endings at the hospital. More passport stamps and more nieces (!!!). Here was January, day by day. It was a good month. I'm excited to have my daily photo posts caught up. Lots of 2017 sessions coming up next.

January 1: New Year's selfie after a frigid walk with my favorite. 

January 2: Back to work, back to morning rhythms. Pro tip: throw a handful of frozen raspberries in your oatmeal while it cooks. So. Good.

January 3: Dissertation writing, with the end in sight. He's a worker bee, my husband.

January 4: So. Much. Snow. I got to work from home, which meant getting a ton done while also sneaking outside for a few photos. It snowed and snowed and snowed. The shoveling and snow blowing that night was quite the chore.

January 5: Self-portrait. On Fridays this year I'm doing a weekly photo with two other photographers that we're sharing on Instagram (@52_Fridays). We're photographing the same prompt each Friday. I'm excited to have a joint project. 

January 6: Our Aussie friends returned after a few days of skiing, and we were glad to have a houseful again.

January 7: Cassidy and I took a drive to see if the lake that I often run by was frozen, and we found neighborhood kids playing hockey on it. It was perhaps the most New England moment of my life here to date. I loved it.

January 8: Dinner shenanigans. 

January 9: Did you remember the character l who loved her pets on Tiny Toons?

January 10: Flight delays kept Kate and Steve and the kids with us for a few extra days. Ty took them to the airport on the 10th, and they left us a thank you gift and the kindest card. Of course I cried. Everyone should have friends like them.

January 11: When I got the 9-5 I didn't realize how much I'd enjoy needing to get ready for work every day and having reasons to wear nicer clothes on the days I am so inclined (or have a meeting).

January 12: Free-lensing was the second prompt for 52 Fridays, and I took the shot at my cousin Amanda's rehearsal dinner. 

January 13: It had been several months since I shot a wedding, and getting to shoot my cousin Amanda and her Brian's stunning day was so much fun. They were the kind of happy that felt contagious all day long. The snow made everything gorgeous. It was lovely and made me want to shoot all the weddings (or maybe just a handful every year...)

January 14: My grandma is beautiful, resilient, strong and creative. I'm so glad she let me take her portrait.

January 15: Inaugural training run for marathon number 5. It was important to me to have a photo, so I set up the shot and Ty took it for me. 

January 16: The snow melted off, but the ice remained. So January of it to do so.

January 17: We saw "Waitress" on Broadway. It was Ty's first show. Sarah Bareilles and Jason Mraz played the leads. We drove into the city in time for lunch and picked up a pizza on the way home for dinner. Being in such close proximity to New York still doesn't quite feel real.

January 18: We drum our fingers by the banister when we walk down the stairs, and the cats go crazy.

January 19: The prompt, window light. This could be any morning or evening, him in the shadows and her in the light. His birthday. A good one.

January 20: We attended the Connecticut Women's March at the Capitol in Hartford, and this little buddy nailed all the feels.

January 21: The sun came out, and temperatures hovered a bit higher than they'd been. I walked the dog and could not believe the number seemingly very content birds.

January 22: Brought an ancient Keurig Ty had from way back when to work. Game changer. I figure I'm likely producing less waste than an almost daily Starbucks trip and am definitely saving money. Now to get a reusable filter.

January 23: The eeriest foggy walk. 

January 24: It's hard to be Albert.

January 25: Texture.

January 26: The 52 Fridays prompt was big picture. Here's what I wrote to accompany my post: A year ago we moved cross country. We wanted to try our hand at New England life. We longed for a smaller city. We dreamed of seasons. Neither of us ever felt like Texas quite fit us. Still, it was scary. Our people are in Texas, and while Texas never quite felt like a fit, our people most certainly did.

A job opportunity at the children's hospital in Hartford, Connecticut opened up for me, a perfect fit, really, in terms of my skill set and desire to contribute with my career differently after some health issues. We suspected moving would be good for us as individuals and together. I thought I'd like working 9-5 for a season. He thought environmental science jobs were less likely to be cut here. It felt like a big risk, and in long talks ping-ponging pros and cons it began to seem like a great adventure. "We can always move back..." I dared not dream of just how fertile the soil Connecticut would be for us. Our people in Texas remain our people, and we miss them. But we've grown and changed. We may have been married in Texas, but I think this last year made us a family. It hasn't been all roses, but the big picture looks like a whole lot of goodness. My commute is under 15 minutes; his opportunities look good. We can be at the beach or the mountains in under an hour, in Boston or New York in under two. And we have a house that we love in a little city that we're coming to know. I think we've found our way home. I'm not sure this double exposure totally works, but it felt like the right photo to share for this prompt.

January 27: Caturday shadow play.

January 28: Perfect Sunday.

January 29: Monday morning, before my run, before the breakfast-pack-a-lunch-rush, before the frantic shower-where's-the-other-sock, before traffic and NPR, before the stack of emails, before the team meeting, before sorting through the week schedule, before all of that, morning pages and coffee, before 6 am. Those morning pages and that coffee... keys to starting the week off right in my corner of the world.

January 30: Winter walks may be cold, but I love getting outside, especially with him and after a long day at work.

January 31: Breakfasting as an act of self-care. It's a thing. Trust me.

Daily Photos: December Edition

December outdid itself this year. It held festivities as December does- at work and at home, in Connecticut, in Texas, abroad- shared with friends and loved ones. There were photo sessions and Santa parties. We took a real vacation which looked like Ty's first trip across the pond. We had a white Christmas shared with our favorite Aussies and the deepest freeze that couldn't keep us indoors. We wrapped up 2017, which definitely had it's share of challenges and broken bits, with a month full to the brim of reminders that life- albeit messy at times- is a gift. All is grace, said Saint Therese of Lisieux. Indeed.

December 1: The big guy himself lit the tree in West Hartford. Naturally, we attended. Our whole little town seemed to show up. I see a tradition in the making.

December 2: The big guy himself kinda showed up all over the place in December. As he does.

December 3: Stealth peek-a-boo. She loves the basement windows.

December 4: I call this one scramble-for-a-photo work selfie. 

December 5: December dinners.

December 6: The day before a follow up with my oncologist, a photo inspired by Sally Mann. It's hard not to feel betrayed, at times, by a body that gave me cancer. But I am grateful it was caught early, that it was treatable, that it is behind us. And I was so anxious before that appointment, but when the doctor said her goodbye she said, "I couldn't make you healthier if I wanted to." 

December 7: Millie inserted herself into our holiday decor at every opportunity.

December 8: We did a women-in-surgery feature for Connecticut Children's, and it was my favorite project to date.

December 9: A quick trip to Texas for a few photo sessions meant I got to share some holiday magic with Jameson.

December 10: Said trip to Texas meant I also got to share some holiday magic with Quinn.

December 11: See what I mean about Millie?

December 12: The creepiest, funniest cat toy.

December 13: I took a similar photo with Albert in November. I loved the way our holiday decor came together. The house felt so cheery all month.

December 14: I missed the first snowfall because I was in Texas. Waking up to the second one several days later didn't disappoint.

December 15: England and the fog of jet-lag and being with Ty's sister and her crew. So. Good.

December 16: The Hall at Christ Church at Oxford, University, which inspired the Great Hall at Hogwarts in Harry Potter. Of all the places we visited in England, both Ty and I loved Oxford the most.

December 17: When I met her she was a little kid, and she's become such a young lady. I need time to take a chill pill.

December 18: Take any given kid shopping during the holidays, and this moment is likely to happen at some point. Especially in London.

December 19: As soon as our trip was planned, Mike requested family photos in London. Check.

December 20: Cookie decorating. These two...

December 21: When your auntie tells you to shout a word your mom won't let you say. And school uniforms. Win.

December 22: Any time we come home from a trip the animals make their presence known for days afterwards.

December 23: The Aussies arrived! Also a continuation of the case study of the animals making their presence known post-travel.

December 24: I may have been far from all the Blinns, but we brought some Blinning to Christmas.

December 25: Waking up to a houseful of friends and snow falling on Christmas morning kicked off a day that I can only describe as near perfection. Such a great day.

December 26: When (read: very hard) puzzle requires lighting in a room where said lighting does not exist, Steve is your man.

December 27: Also, when your dryer breaks (read: during a snowstorm and when your house has four extra people and all the snow related laundry), Steve is your man. Are you sensing a theme? 

December 28: Wherein an evening with Texas friends and Australian friends turned into makeover day for Al.

December 29: So. Much. Spot It. Which in turn produces so much competition. And laughter. And competition (I'm looking at you, Cass).

December 30: When you have snow that has frozen to that slick icy state, definitely send the 6-year-old down the hill, starting at the no sledding sign.

December 31: It was all of 8 degrees fahrenheit outside when we took family photos. It was in the middle of a colder-than-usual snap, and their visit was shockingly cold. Still, I love that in ten minutes we made some great family photos. The final shoot of the year. Which I think I posted on Instagram as the first shoot of 2018. I lost track of time because December was that damn good. 

Daily Photos: November Edition

November looked like my oldest sister's 40th and a long weekend celebrating her at my house. I loved having my sisters and mom visit. When we bought the house I couldn't wait to share our space wth our families. It was a great way to start off the month.  November brings Thanksgiving, and we decorated our first Christmas tree. It was a travel-free month, giving life  a quieter rhythm. Ty got a nasty cold. Temperatures dropped a bit. We continued to be outdoors a lot. As the holiday season started, I found myself journaling more, anticipating December and trying to process through our first year in Connecticut. Here's November, day by day.

November 1: After work.

November 2: Freddy and Darby, fast friends.

November 3: Could he be any cuter? Those little lips!!

November 4: I took a few portraits of beautiful Bridget a day into her 40th year. 

November 5: Final Freddy hangs.

November 6: Rainy day routine.

November 7: 8 p.m. daylight savings probz. 

November 8: Plantar faciitis post-run physical therapy.

November 9: Shadow selfie.

November 10: These two ladies are hospital powerhouses. At our Department of Pediatrics 50th anniversary celebration.

November 11: That time I photographed a snake charmer.

November 12: It only took 2.5 years to get Ty to read Harry Potter.

November 13: Tomato sauce in the works.

November 14: Someone was not as big of a fan of Thanksgiving as the rest of us.

November 15: And with that it was cold weather running season.

November 16: In a continuation of Ty finally reading Harry Potter, I came home to find him like this while dinner cooked.

November 17: Getting to capture a wee man meeting a brand new sibling is something I hope I get to do on repeat forever. The. Best.

November 18: Did I spend hours looking for the perfect tree topper? Yes, yes I did. Do I love him? Yes, yes I do.

November 19: Someone didn't have to work too hard to stay on the naughty list.

November 20: Potterheads. In bed.

November 21: Millie loves fidget spinners. She's trendy like that.

November 22: Cinnamon roll prep, part one.

November 23: Cinnamon roll prep, part two. Thanksgiving Day.

November 24: A Black Friday reservoir walk.

November 25: Let's talk about stripe-y tights and car probz.

November 26: Christmas cheer. And Albert.

November 27: "After all this time?"
"Always," said Snape.” 
― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Loved seeing him fall in love with the books. Yes, he was on book 1 at the beginning of the month. Yes, he finished them in November.

November 28: Walking between buildings on the hospital campus, and I breathed the crisp air and looked up.

November 29: Santa Paws and the naughtiest little cat.

November 30: I got to shoot a contract for the Jackson Laboratory, and Patrick was the gentlest giant.

Daily Photos: October Edition

My favorite month, when fall arrives, and I wanted to spend every waking minute outdoors with Ty. I'd been anticipating October from the day we decided to move to New England. I love the crisp air, the changing leaves, the ease of outdoor running.  I've long loved shooting portraits in the fall, and I loved my inaugural Halloween at Connecticut Children's. October did not disappoint. I got to visit Texas. Ty and I went to a wedding at the Cape. There were date nights and weddings and babies. It was not a month without heavy days, but life happened, good and bad, beautiful and mundane. Here's a glimpse, in photos.

October 1: After a morning run with her mom, we returned to the house to find Nadine and Moxie Sunday morning-ing like pros.

October 2: Jameson modeled his Halloween costume for me. I mean, months later I still cannot handle the cute.

October 3: Before date night. A lot of the big camera selfies I take of us are pretty straightforward, but I love having them.

October 4: Whiskers.

October 5: I felt so raw. Dark days with Vegas and Puerto Rico and too many kids in the abuse clinic at work and too many sleepless nights on the home front. In our house we believe in honest talk and therapy and hard resets, and boy, that week required just that.

October 6: It was my ongoing friendship with Sam and Lucy's family that caused me to fall in love with New England. I've known them since they were born, and when they moved to Massachusetts almost a decade ago, I started visiting at least once a year. Now they live about an hour away.

October 7: Dinner shenanigans. Photo by Ty.

October 8: All I wanted to do was get in my treadmill run...

October 9: All day, e'ry day.

October 10: The last CSA watermelon.

October 11: A few days before the Hartford Marathon half I ran I was feeling pretty frustrated and whiney about a heel injury that had really hampered my training and took this photo to remind myself to be grateful that I have feet that can run at all.

October 12: Busy little bee.

October 13: My one and only and the beginnings of fall color showing up.

October 14: My first interview at Connecticut Children's included a conversation with my would-be boss about running. Not only is she an incredible boss and leader, she pounds the pavement with the same kind of drive as I do. We both got to run the half for the Connecticut Children's team this year. 

October 15: Family photos for this little yogi.

October 16: Sock game on point.

October 17: A watched pot...

October 18: Mom and Dad in Connecticut!

October 19: Weird, late-night AirBNB finds.

October 20: My beautiful Aunt Ang nana-ing my cousin's sweet little Jack.

October 21: I wasn't the photographer at my cousin Ricky's wedding, and I took just a handful of photos during the reception. I loved this one of their first dance, because Ricky's brother Mark is playing the clarinet in the background. Uncle Joe was playing piano and singing too. The most stunning of moments. 

October 22: Ty is the best uncle, and Jameson is the happiest kid. Wrapped up a weekend on the Cape with these two making me smile.

October 23: Post-wedding weekend eating all the veggies.

October 24: Peak leaf week finds. I worked really long hours that week so took photos here and there as I walked between buildings at the medical center.

October 25: Returned from date night to find Albert, er, hiding.

October 26: Airport reads. I cried.

October 27: I was in Texas for my last wedding contract under Honey and Salt and stopped in to see some dear friends. 

October 28: You know it's October when you walk into Christina's kitchen to find Hermione and Hedwig hard at work.

October 29: On the day Nadine brought Blueberry home, I got to meet her new tiniest best friend.

October 30: Breakfast shenanigans with Josh, the supermanny, and Jameson the covert dog feeder who doesn't like reprimands.

October 31: Hospital photographer turned favorite wizard for Halloween festivities. We do reverse trick-or-treating for the inpatients, going room to room, in costume, handing out goodies and wishing them well. I got to document as a participant, and of course I had to do so in costume.

Daily Photos: September Edition

I've decided to catch up all my daily photo blogs and then hopefully get back to some kind of rhythm of client blogging. I've been wanting to share these forever. September brought one part Indian Summer, one part arrival of fall. We were outside a lot. It was a quiet month. It was a good month. With that said, this was September. 

September 1: Ever watching. Because squirrels.

September 2: Grilling rituals with some of our faves.

September 3: Rainy day running results in soggy shoes and glasses in need of windshield wipers.

September 4: The tall trees mesmerize us both. We spent multiple free weekends in the summer and fall exploring nearby parks and trails.

September 5: Seeing my photos in print for the hospital both challenges and inspires me.

September 6: Arrived home from work to find Dr. Dolittle and 2/3 of his disciples.

September 7: From where I work.

September 8: Hints of fall.

September 9: Any given Saturday.

September 10: Ever watching. Mutt edition. Because squirrels.

September 11: I opened a package from Jenna to find this. She gets me. Ty promptly hung it in the kitchen.

September 12: Our CSA gave us one little tomato plant at the start of the summer, and it kept producing a tomato or two at a time all through September. It made me so excited to garden this spring.

September 13: One tiny piece of string on the windowsill. One giant game for little Miss Naughty.

September 14: Albert has gotten a bit more, ahem, rotund since relocating to Connecticut and losing his outdoor privileges (because ticks and busier street).

September 15: Date night selfie.

September 16: Zucchini bread and granola... was a breakfast-for-the-week baking kind of day.

September 17: The hornet's nest.

September 18: Insomnia nights, his and hers.

September 19: Hints of fall on the rise.

September 20: Au gratin.

September 21: The trifecta.

September 22: The reluctant muse.

September 23: First place.

September 24: Apple picking with new friends.

September 25: I was on a chocolate granola making kick, and it made for the best breakfasts. Gonna have to revive that recipe stat.

September 26: Power clashing.

September 27: Connecticut has a large Puerto Rican population, and I photographed my friend Glenda and some other Puerto Rican co-workers holding photos of their families in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria devastated the island. I wanted to raise awareness and share their stories.

September 28: Bradley International Airport and another weekend of boomeranging to Texas for photo shoots and family visits.

September 29: Reunited with my littlest best buddies. Jameson loves baby Freddy, and I can't imagine the mischief my nephews will get into as they grow up.

September 30: Seeing my youngest sister Debo become a mama was definitely a highlight of 2017. She is so patient, gentle and intuitive in motherhood. She loves her little fella so much.

Daily Photos: August Edition

August felt quiet. So many of these photos are daily rhythm photos, nothing overly exciting, and yet I look back over them and feel content with the memories. The highlight of the month was the arrival of my nephew Freddy, who I meet just a few days after his birth and had the privilege of documenting in his early days. I love seeing my sister become a mom and our family expand the way families do to love a teeny tiny human with an overwhelmingly big love. It is the best of what I get to photograph; it is humanity at our best.

My brother Jono visited at the end of the month as well, and we went to Massachusetts and New York as summer started to wind down, enjoying a wholly different feel to those months (in New England it cools off at night!) than the familiarity of a relentlessly hot, months-on-end summer.

While I have been in the process of pulling photos for a 2017 recap of all the incredible sessions I got to photograph and am planning on sharing them as one big "best of" as well as some individual session posts as well, I feel perpetually behind on blogging. That post requires more time than I have this morning. I'm going to shift from apologizing for that and accept that life's pace these days makes me a s l o w blogger, but I do intend to keep blogging, as I enjoy it and have heard from some of you that you do too. This project helps me pay attention to my own life, which in turn- I hope- helps me pay more and better attention to those I photograph. 

August 1: The morning rush.

August 2: Did our cats destroy the underlining of our couch and create a hammock out of it? Yes, yes they did.

August 3: Ty helped me adjust some lighting and backdrops in the studio at the hospital, so naturally I had him sit for a portrait. This is so him, and I have this photo sitting on my desk now. Eerrryyyybody, print photos of the people you love.

August 4: Farm stand blueberries.

August 5: Cat life.

August 6: It was a cool afternoon with lots of sun that almost shouted that one ought to throw a quilt on the ground in the backyard and grab a novel. So I did. Darby felt the same.

August 7: The weeds between the house and the deck looked so un-weedy. 

August 8: Our grill got so much play over the summer, and we ate like kings.

August 9: August's rhythm contained lots of dinners in with fresh fish and veggies and the 9th looked like tacos after work.

August 10: The heirlooms at our CSA arrived, and we had our pick for several weeks.

August 11: Dinner guests and bubbles and our backyard. Olivia and Emma's mom referred me my job at Connecticut Children's. We'd become friends through the process of engagement, wedding and family photos over the course of the last few years, and when she heard the photographer position had come open about a year before this photo was taken, she mentioned it to me, thinking I'd be a good fit. Crazy how much life can change in a year. Crazy and amazing.

August 12: Prepping to pickle.

August 13: Sunday afternoon feels.

August 14: The best dinner date.

August 15: Before work walk with my best girl.

August 16: Finally getting photos on the wall. Making our house home more and more by the day.

August 17: Her perch. I love the light in our house in the summer.

August 18: Ever naughty. Ever curious.

August 19: Finally, Freddy. 

August 20: Here's what I remember of Freddy's first days. He slept through the night from the get go. He stared like he looked at your soul. He was content in your arms or on the bed or wherever, the most laid-back newborn fella. He won me over. And somehow immediately I couldn't remember life without him.

August 21: Milk drunk.

August 22: First Blinn visit to our Connecticut home looked like Jono (after a very long ride in the Jeep with Ty, brave soul).

August 23: Milkcraft. Liquid nitrogen ice cream, made to order, served in waffle cones- literal, soft, bubbly and warm waffles. It is heaven for the lactose and gluten tolerant.

August 24: Old Crow Medicine Show Concert with my favorite. Photo by Jono.

August 25: Ever notice how a walk after dinner leads to the best conversations?

August 26: Times Square and one of my favorite photos since I started this project. We walked 13+ miles that day, and I'm convinced the best way to see New York is by foot, utilizing public transit and taxis as little as possible.

August 27: Wearing all our feelings about Jono's departure on our faces.

August 28: Kevin sold us our house, and I got to take his photo.

August 29: I am not crazy about this photo, though I am grateful Ty took it because I love running past our house when I do one of the loops I frequent. It feel so happy that we get to live here.

August 30: Ever watching. 

August 31: Foreshadowing fall.

Daily Photos: July Edition

I'm doing a writing prompt each day for Advent, and today's prompt was about wonder. As I sat to write, I found myself thinking a lot about daily photos. I realized a huge portion of what I've loved about this ongoing project is how it opens my perspective to wonder. I don't discover it every day, but some days in my considering what to photograph I find myself wide-eyed and amazed at the beauty or goodness or simplicity or hopefulness I bore witness to that day. Even on the hard days this is sometimes true.

My sister mentioned the other day that my little nephew Jameson's whole life is filled with wonder right now. He sees an airplane and points with a "wow." He'll stare at the Christmas tree, delighted. He begs to go outside, outside, outside all day, every day, constant in curiosity and generous in his assumptions towards wonder. It's childlike, wonder. Perhaps this project adds value to me because it propels me towards the wisdom of the very young: to be present to a moment and let it be what it is. To find a daily wow of my own. I like that thought. Here's a bit of July's wows. Can't believe it's been half a year since these days passed.

How do you find wonder?

July 1: A pre-July 4th gathering at Uncle Eddie and Aunt Nancy's. A happier couple is hard to come by.

July 2: How to Cape Cod.

July 3: Summertime hangs with the best dog in the world often looked like this.

July 4: Burgers on the grill so fixins on the counter.

July 5: I love our library. 

July 6: Arrived at my sister Debo's late after a very delayed flight, and Archie immediately decided he wanted a sleepover. I was so tired I didn't care.

July 7: The day Woody, one of dearest friend's baby, and Jameson, my nephew became friends and co-conspirators.

July 8: Moving away meant moving away from some of the littles I love most, and seeing these three on a Saturday morning before I shot a wedding with their mama made my day. I miss them.

July 9: My favorite in our favorite place doing one of our favorite things. 

July 10: Can you guess which niece was feeling some big feelings about their upcoming transcontinental move? This was the day we said goodbye.

July 11: Our cats didn't move with us right away, and this was their day one in our Connecticut home. 

July 12: The lush of Connecticut summer will put some wonder in your line of sight.

July 13: Stretch.

July 14: Sorting through our CSA bin.

July 15: Weekending at Ikea, as you do.

July 16: I took a bunch of photos at the Hartford Yardgoats game, mostly of the ballgame, but it was this photo that resonated with me most.  

July 17: Explorer.

July 18: Date night.

July 19: Summertime hangs with these two looked like a lot of this.

July 20: Walked out of a hair appointment to find a guy dressed as a squirrel hanging out in a tree. As you do.

July 21: New do self portraits.

July 21: Speaking of wonder... what about seeing a mascot for the first time? Also, toddlers in glasses. Gah.

July 22: Meal planning.

July 24: Married life, a self portrait. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this photo of us. Years from now I can see it remaining a favorite. We look like us to me, in the realest sense.

July 25: Chores. He works hard. He takes care of things. He rarely complains. I'm grateful.

July 26: Open window bird song trance.

July 27: Corporation Beach on Cape Cod at dusk.

July 28: Photo sessions with repeat families make my day. They were seal watching, but little Henry found the ocean a bit on the scary side and spent a lot of the shoot saying, "bye, bye beach."

July 29: Kites on the Cape.

July 30: Dallas friends visiting our home. Abigail left for college a few days after they returned from this trip, and Lucas was not quite ready for his big sister to move to school.

July 31: Happy birthday, Harry Potter. 

Welcoming Oliver

Real talk: it's been four months since I blogged, and little Oliver is almost a year old, and well, I've been intending to share these photos since he arrived. This was just before I relocated to Connecticut, and I loved seeing how proud big brother Meyer was to show me his baby. I loved seeing Mom and Dad pass their boys back and forth and handle the transition from one to two like pros. I loved the warmth in their home and the ease in the day. I knew when I photographed Oliver's newborn photos that I'd likely slow down on working with newborns for a while. It's been a quiet year for me in that department.

I'm excited, though, to be moving towards 2018 and being settled into a Connecticut routine. I'm starting to photograph family sessions more regularly here, and I'm looking forward to launching into newborns in the new year. I photographed my first Connecticut little miss a couple of weeks ago and will share those soon. I love capturing documentary, lifestyle photographs at the hospital or in families' homes as they welcome new family member. I love the ways hearts expand to embrace a tiny new baby just so. It's truly one of most incredible things I get to witness. I'll be getting back to blogging on the regular in the coming weeks, and Oliver's session seemed fitting beginning.

Connecticut friends, if you or someone you know is welcoming a baby in the new year, I'd love to hear from you. In the meantime, enjoy Oliver's session.

When Photos Become Love Letters

The moment my nephew was born last July I stood mesmerized, and to borrow a line from Bono, his first cry was a joyful noise. I had the privilege of witnessing most of Jameson's first year as an in-town auntie, and watching him grow and change from newborn to baby to toddler, somehow in the span of no time at all, helped me see all the good stuff in life. Unsurprisingly, my sister and her husband took to parenting with confidence and ease. I got to see that too.

Meghan and I always thought we'd welcome babies around the same time; that wasn't meant to be. Her precious boy, though, taught me to allow myself the grief of the motherhood I might not experience while celebrating the joy of this wee baby who won my heart from the get-go. I didn't know how redemptive his presence would be, nor did I know how much I needed tangible redemption. When we decided to move I was sad about leaving our families and saddest about losing the privilege of being a week-by-week witness to Jameson becoming himself.

I'd meant to blog his birth photos, his newborn photos, photos through the year... And somehow I never got around to it. I love that now that I finally pulled photographs I have a collection of his story through his first year, mostly in horizontal black and white for cohesion's sake (along with a very important post-birthday diptych). I've always loved documenting an ongoing story most, and this year-in-the-life makes my heart explode. These photographs, they are my love letter, not just to Jameson but to myself and to my family. He is ours, for keeps.

Daily Photos: June Edition

Connecticut life leaves less time for blogging, and yet I miss sharing in this space. Every week I write down that I'll blog a family and newborn session and plan to blog some daily photos the next week, with the hope of getting into a rotation. Alas, thus far I've failed. Miles to run and photos to actually shoot and life to live pulls me away from my screens, and that seems like a healthier rhythm, at least for me. Still, the contemplation of revisiting photos, whether those I've shot for clients or for myself, also feels beneficial. Plus it means sharing with you.

So, a too-early wake-up has me looking through daily photos and sharing June. I make no promises that I'll be back soon but I hope to share a blog or two here and there, especially as I'm gearing up for fall and my favorite season to backdrop families against.

June 1: Giving Grandma Grandpa's jersey, which the Philidelphia Phillies gifted her upon his passing. I'm glad I got to be the courier.

June 2: Perks of heading to Kentucky: a bonus visit with this cutie.

June 3: From a funeral to a wedding... that's the spectrum of life June covered. Christine and Tim's day, one of my final Honey and Salt weddings...

June 4: Favorite uncle. Also, confidential to Donna, stolen friends ftw?

June 5: After the rain. Christina, my Honey and Salt counterpart, joined me for a few days in Connecticut post-wedding, and somehow I didn't take a photo of or with her. We were at Elizabeth Park when I shot this, though, so I think of it as a visit photo. Does that count? Photographer probz.

June 6: Nothing says sexy like unpacking the last of the moving boxes.

June 7: How quickly this little box made of ticky tacky became home.

June 8: Running in June in Connecticut felt like heaven. Still hot some days but much, much cooler than my Texas self knew what to do with.

June 9: Our yard is a project we didn't get to this year, but it sprouted a good bit of happiness nonetheless.

June 10: Maria and Joe bought the house next door to us 40+ years ago. They ran a shoe store in town for the whole of their career. They're a good conversation, full of stories and life. On nice days you'll find them sitting at the end of their driveway, just like this.

June 11: At the local art festival we bought a print from this guy, and he allowed me a photo. His personality exactly matched the one shot I took.

June 12: Envious much? "He's making you dinner; why isn't he making me dinner?" 

June 13: New Haven.

June 14: See what I mean about our yard and happiness?

June 15: Runner probz.

June 16: Grilling pizzas in the rain was not my brightest idea, but Ty went with it.

June 17: The failed reservoir selfie. Because it makes me laugh.

June 18: Connecticut hikes do not suck.

June 19: The literally greener grass.

June 20: Him. Always.

June 21: The rose garden in bloom. Elizabeth Park, a ten minute drive (or 30ish minunte run) from our house, homes the oldest rose garden in the United States. It. Is. Stunning.

June 22: We joined a CSA and learned to cook with scapes.

June 23: Another (sigh) long travel day.

June 24: Debo's baby shower and her stunning pregnant self.

June 25: Early morning playdate with Jameson.

June 26: Luna. Liz. Lake. One of the hardest parts of deciding to leave Texas was leaving the lake where so many of Ty's best memories and so much of our story together are housed. And yet, distance aside, it remains our place.

June 27: When you're getting ready to go outside to take a photo, and it hails instead, then this becomes the photo you take.

June 28: Let's talk about the fish market which has upped the dinner game. Living close to the ocean has some major eating perks.

June 29: The backyard selfie that looks like me to me.

June 30: Three Angels, a fire, the Cape.

Family Sessions Forever

While I've transitioned to full time work as the photographer for Connecticut Children's Medical Center, I still have the privilege of working with families, albeit on a more limited schedule, in Texas, Connecticut and throughout New England. This session reminded me of all the reasons why I'll shoot family sessions forever: nuances of beauty caught in passing moments... 

Anya taking her time to warm up. Bowen coaxing Anya to smile. The whole family pulling each other close, closer, "how close can you go?" Laughing. Laughing. Laughing. I want to see these moments, to allow families to live them in front of my lens, so they (and I) remember the truth of their story long after the photographs are taken.

I've been photographing the Song family for years, and every year seems that much sweeter than the last. This session moved me, and I'm grateful to get to share it. Here's to contagious grins and belly laughs and bear hugs and perfect-though-not days made permanent with the click of my shutter. If you are interested in seeing your family through my lens, please don't hesitate to reach out. 

Daily Photos: May Edition

The eleventh month of my daily photo project looked like a roller coaster of high highs and low lows. The rhythm of creating a photo, now well-established, has become a processing tool. The days when I just click the shutter to capture something to check the block are fewer and fewer the longer I do this. The photos have become more of a journal as this practice has become well-established. I hope you enjoy seeing them as much as I've enjoyed creating and compiling them.

May 1: This is us on any given weeknight. He's the better cook. I'm the better planner.

May 2: It feels like we'll be in the midst of Erin and Ty's DIY forever.

May 3: SWEATERS!!! In May!!! My Texas self still can't believe it.

May 4: By Erin and Ty's DIY, I mostly meant Ty's.

May 5: Darby does not prefer the rainy day walks. And it rained a lot in May. Figuratively and literally.

May 6: Let's talk about Connecticut tulips.

May 7: The love affair with our backyard merits a selfie.

May 8: This is also us on any given weeknight. I was into selfies with the camera timer in May. Apparently.

May 9: Because guacamole.

May 10: A hard day. Probably the lowest low since our move. And yet, the neighbors lights on made Connecticut less lonely somehow.

May 11: I see this light through the trees every night after work.

May 12: Seeing double. Their mama and daddy really showed up for me in ways I don't know how to thank them for in May, and on this particular Friday night we ate Mexican food and laughed. It was good.

May 13: The neighborhood got all kinds of fancy as more and more blooms and greens showed up.

May 15: Insomnia probz.

May 16: Signs of spring.

May 17: One of those days. So a selfie.

May 18: That time I played videographer. I am loving that I am getting to learn some new skills at my new job.

May 19: Speed work calls if I want to run another fast marathon, and now we have a track not a quarter mile from the house.

May 20: Golden hour was nothing short of magical all month long.

May 21: Wishes.

May 22: Facetime is proof that God loves me and wants me to be happy. 

May 23:  So... this happened.

May 24: When the going gets tough, find the light.

May 25: Got my hairs did.

May 26: After the storm. 

May 27: If you're wondering what I ate in May it was primarily Hartford Baking Company bread panni'd (it's a verb) with ricotta, sautéed mushrooms and fresh tomatoes.

May 28: These two. Gosh, I don't know how we would have survived our move or some of the challenges that May in particular presented without their friendship. They have become framily so quickly, and I'm so grateful for them. Aaaannnndddd they took me out for birthday brunch against this backdrop so of course I took their photo.

May 29: How to long weekend.

May 30: We have a backyard bunny or two who lives underneath our deck.

May 31: On May 26, my grandpa, Jim Bunning, passed away. He was a Hall of Fame pitcher, and on my way to pay respects, I was able to go to the Philadelphia Phillies' stadium to pay respects. During a game the weekend after his death, they hung his jersey in the dugout, and the team graciously allowed me to hang his jersey again to take some photos for myself and my grandma. It felt like a fitting way to honor my grandpa. He loved the game.