Sarah and Eisley and I scheduled and rescheduled because of rain, rain, rain. When we finally met for photos on an overcast evening, a tiny girl with the bluest eyes warily assessed me. It took a while for her to warm up, but when she did Eisley remained intently focused on her mama, wanting her close. The bond between these two makes me smile; they are the sweetest little family. Sarah is one of those moms who takes her kiddo in stride and parents with ease and laughter. Eisley is one of those babies who is inquisitive and busy. I loved watching this session unfold.
Sunsets and Sweetness
Shelly and Justin were some of my first clients, and I'm amazed at all the goodness in their lives. I've had the privilege of capturing so many significant moments. This session, Riley's six-month and Cooper's three-year session, took place a couple of months after both significant dates. That meant Miss Riley was sitting up and Mr. Cooper had even more words than you can imagine a precocious kiddo having. I love these kids. I love this family.
We played and laughed and carried on, and towards the end Justin headed to the playground with Cooper so that Shelly and Riley could do a few nursing shots. They are among my favorites from this beautiful family in all of our years together. I love her chubby hand reaching up, her feet kicking wildly, the sun setting in the distance. It was one of those sacred moments in my little corner of the world when everything seemed just right.
Austin at Three Months in Black and White
The black and whites of Austin's three-month session: this boy is loved, cherished and wanted by a proud big brother and a busy big sister. His pudgy feet kicked and kicked as their play surrounded him. His patient mama redirected them when it was time for Austin's solo portraits, but they hovered close, watching me and doting on him. I've worked with Austin's family on an ongoing basis for the better part of three years, so capturing this little man growing up makes my day. Isn't he adorable?
July Life
Snippets of life in July. Being intentional about a daily photo has caused a creative shift as well as a growth of gratitude. Paying attention and pulling out the camera daily has been so good for me. I'm looking forward to sticking with it for while. I hope you enjoy seeing as much as I enjoyed making.
July 1: Making a list of the things she wanted to do at the lake.
July 2: When it comes to baby whispering, we are a matched set.
July 3: Beers in the water and endless jumping off the boat.
July 4: Playing cornhole; taunting Mom. Let's be honest; she probably won.
July 5: After the rain.
July 6: Goddaughter. Super hero. Both.
July 7: All in a day's work.
July 8: They are so much braver than last year.
July 9: Slalom.
July 10: Celebrated Donna's birthday with a 15k. We both got age group awards and chased running with tacos. Win.
July 11: Mom sitting at my sister's bedside almost 24 hours into her labor. We thought we'd meet Jameson on the 11th, but that wasn't to be. I love this photograph, as it tells so much about the way my mom loves.
July 12: Capturing the miracle of new life amazes me always. Capturing the miracle of my nephew's arrival? I don't quite have the words.
July 13: Getting to know Jameson.
July 14: Hospital kisses.
July 15: I married a badass.
July 16: Jump!
July 17: Brothers. Eye roll.
July 18: Besties.
July 19: The linen cabinet.
July 20: Sleeping in the morning light.
July 22: When in proximity to Chicago, eating as much Chicago-style pizza as possible is essential.
July 23: My cousin Allie got married, and I loved being a guest at their wedding. A big camera photo had to happen, of course.
July 24: The skies at dusk, always friendly, even after a 3-hour weather delay.
July 25: A hard day.
July 26: Our cats prefer the dog's food.
July 27: How had he only been here two weeks, I wondered? It seems like we blinked, and he'd been here forever.
July 28: Experimenting with double exposure. Love him. Love this place.
July 29: Posed dog in the magic light. Cat walked into the frame and stole the show.
July 30: Our niece on his side meeting our nephew on my side. We scored in the family department.
July 31: Apprentices in Uncle Ty's lab.
Magic Light and Real Life
Real talk: the families who sign up for a session at the day's end when the light is golden and beautiful have regular kids, meaning kids who get tired and are sometimes a *wee bit* grumpy towards the end of the day. When Andrew and Alex arrived for family photos they'd had a big day, so we spent a few minutes just kinda being. Real talk, part two: almost any kids, given the undivided attention of their parents at the park will warm up and get distracted from said end-of-day *ahem* challenges. A little bit of play, a whole lot of laughing, some fast running and a good bit of interacting created one of my favorite spring family sessions this year. So much love shines through in these photos.
If your photo shoot feels a little crazy while in process, have no fear. Good stuff is happening, and it looks like what is uniquely beautiful in any given family, through a camera lens. I love this job.
Brand New Big Sisters Make the Sweetest Newborn Session Magic
Poppy's arrival meant two-year-old Violet graduated to a new role of big sisterhood. I love seeing the way a family grows and expands not just in number when a newborn comes home. Hearts open wide and even the tiniest toddlers discover they are capable of great big love. Violet's busy, big-girl-self nestled alongside of sleepy Poppy was not the only magic moment at the session, but it is a good place to start in sharing a family's warm welcome of a second beautiful daughter.
Newborn sessions are day in and day out among my favorites, and in sharing this session I want to share that I am running a newborn special through the summer. Full newborn sessions with all digital files are $550 (a $300 savings) or with 25 digital files are $425 (a $125 savings). Maternity options are also available. If you or someone you know is due June through August, I'd love to hear from you. I want all families to have beautiful photographs like Poppy's sweet session!
