Traditions

Our lives are built from the hours, days, and years we spend living. Being a parent of young children can be exhausting because those hours seem endless when you're cleaning and cooking and keeping your child safe and occupied every minute of the day. The years go by fast, and all you are left with are the memories. This family came to me asking to recreate an image they had made when they only had one child. Now that their family is complete they wanted a new one with all 5 of them in it. You'll see that silhouette down below, which actually won an award in a photography contest - click here. 

Enjoy your time together as a family. It is the best thing you could do with your family.

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What Matters Most

I love landscape photography, especially the unexpected views you don't see in your normal day to day life. Starry skies, sweeping planes, huge mountaintops, and even angry stormy skies fascinate me. Sometimes I wish I could live on the road going from one amazing place to the next photographing what I see. And yet, I always come back to the feeling that people matter more. This is why I do what I do. I want to freeze time right now because none of us will ever be this young again. Your daughter or son will one day move out and change, and this photograph, and your memory will be all you have to hold on to.

I love watching how families interact with each other. The small, seemingly insignificant ways they show affection or bond with each other make my heart happy. When I'm sitting in church I watch the families around me. I notice things like - dads with their boys on their laps doodling on a notepad together, girls resting their heads on their mom's shoulders, and husbands who put their arms around their wives and pull them in closer. Regular families loving each other everyday, despite all the challenges they face is simply beautiful. My goal is to capture that and show it to you.  No family is perfect, not even close to perfect, but they are all beautiful. For that reason I think the straightforward portraits of families together will be more and more valuable as time goes by. The mountains are beautiful, but I know you would rather see the faces of those people you love the most more.

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In the Trenches

Being a parent is HARD. Children never ever ever stop needing your attention, love, help, guidance, money, and everything that you are. Of course it's not their fault. It's just the way they are. Parenting humbles you. It stretches you farther than you knew you could go, and yet it's just the small things that bring you big rewards. That first smile, the big hug or kiss on the cheek, or that tiny voice that says, "I love you." That can make it all worthwhile.

There are lots of boring, and mundane days as a parent. You pick up the toys for the thousandth time, and change the never-ending laundry cycles. Then, there are the days you wish life was boring. Those are the days that the temper tantrums never end, and the messes are gargantuan.  All your energy is sapped and you wish for just a boring day picking up toys.

Believe it or not these images are from one of those horrible days for this family. The session starts out rocky - the most rocky I've ever experienced. I was nervous that we wouldn't be able to get the family photos we needed. I know mom was extremely nervous. I love this session even more because you can't tell it started out with tears and anger because all you see is smiles and joy.

This just makes me believe even more in not having time limits for my regular sessions. Sometimes you just need time to adjust, time to relax, and time to figure out what will make everyone happy. This also reminds me that when your life seems too hard or too out of control you just need to be patient. It WILL get better. There will be smiles and happiness again.

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What a Difference a Year Makes!

I have been blessed with some amazing clients, and this family is one of them. I've been photographing their family from the very beginning of my business 9 years ago. This particular session was the 4th one for this year as we documented this little guy's first year. He's the happiest baby you've ever seen. For each session we've included the whole family - which is more than fine with me. Families are my passion. 

I love that they brought this red rocking chair. It's the same rocking chair his mom had as a child, and now all 3 of her kids have been photographed in it. It's much more meaningful than something I could bring for him to sit in. They also brought his favorite truck. His whole face lit up when he saw it come out of the bag. I know they will always remember him pushing this truck all over their house. Memories are powerful, and hopefully this photography can bring back some of the best ones for them. Happy 1st Birthday big guy! I can't wait to see you next year.

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The Center of Our Lives - Family

My job might seem frivolous, or unnecessary in a busy world of so much to do. Getting your family portraits is so easy to put off. There are a million things you need to take care of all the time, and it just seems like a hassle. I get it! Life is crazy. Life is hard. Managing kids, a job, school, your home, and everything else is exhausting! At the end of the day what makes you the most happy? I venture to guess most of you will say your family.

Why do you work? - to provide for your family. Why do you sign your kids up for all those activities? - because you love your family, and you want them to be happy. Why do you go nuts keeping your home clean and organized and beautiful? - for your family. They are the center of our lives and the reason for everything we do. Their faces make you the happiest. Those kids will grow up, their voices will deepen, their speech will mature, and you'll wish you had held on just a little bit longer. I promise it's worth it to get those family portraits. Even if you don't hire me, ask someone to take pictures of your family. You'll never regret the pictures you have, but you will certainly regret what you missed.

I have a spot open for mini session THIS Saturday at 4:30. Let me know if you want to snag it.

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We're all together - Now what do we wear?

Your children grow up, get married, and move far away. No matter how much you wish they could all live on the same street as you it's just not practical. Thank goodness for texting, phone calls, Skype, FaceTime, and summers. Summers are the best time for schedules to relax, and we can make the time to gather together in one spot.

If you're thinking of booking an extended family photo session the thought of planning outfits can be daunting. Here are a few simple tips to make it easier. 

1. Pick 2-3 colors you love. Don't forget you'll probably be hanging these photos up in your home, so choose colors that go with your home decor. Once you've chosen those colors you'll want to mix and match them throughout the whole family. This family chose pinks and blues. It's OK to not have them all exactly the same shade of blue or pink.

If you have a particularly large group you might want to consider neutral colors like black, white and grey. Most people have those colors already in their wardrobe and it will be easier to coordinate. 

2. You can add interest with patterns. Depending on the size of your family you can get away with a few patterns that go along with the colors you have chosen. Another great way to add interest and variety is to layer your clothing. Think about adding hats, decorative scarves, jackets, sweaters, chunky necklaces, and bracelets to your outfits. 

3. Whatever you do please do not ever wear shirts or pants with large logos or wording on them. They will not be easy to read in camera and will look messy and distracting. Also avoid shirts with cartoon characters or other faces. Your eyes will go straight to that shirt in a photo instead of the person wearing the shirt. Movie and TV character sneakers are also distracting. Choose shoes that are more neutral.

4. Be comfortable in what you wear. Don't wear anything too tight or uncomfortable that you can't move around and snuggle your family in. If you're comfortable you'll look comfortable on camera. If you choose a style of dress you don't usually wear it will feel strange and you might regret it. If your children are used to being in casual play clothes, don't dress them up too much. They will feel uncomfortable and may act out. It's OK to dress them up, but make sure they can move around.

5. Don't stress too  much about it! While deciding what to wear is important it's not the most important thing about your photo session. Those faces you love are what's important. If you worry too much about the little details it will make the experience unpleasant. Do what you can do and then let it go. If your daughter in law didn't cooperate and shows up in neon orange just let it be. She'll regret it, but you'll still look great.

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