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.