One thing I love about human beings is the intricate and beautiful narratives they each hold within them.  No one story is the same but each one has it’s own allure.  I think this is why I love photography so much.  It combines my love of preserving memories, meeting beautiful people and telling stories that will hopefully last beyond the lifetimes.

So when this family contacted me and asked if I could just come and photograph them in their home environment, I was overjoyed.  I love all my sessions and I love the stories that come out of them but these home-based, storytelling gigs really steal my heart!  This family let me into their home, introduced me to their “grumpy ol deaf dog” (who didn’t seem so grumpy to me) and allowed me to come alongside them and experience a bit of their daily life while I photographed it all.

Sometimes we feel that we need a fancy backdrops or an amazing location, the perfect lighting or the most killer props.  Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with any of those things…but when it comes down to it, the key ingredients are the connections between people and a story woven throughout.  I hope these beautiful babies look back and admire the beauty in their mom’s elegant hands or the crinkle in dad’s jeans from holding on so tight.  I want them to nearly feel that parental squeeze and hear the way their parents laughed.  I pray that fond memories of their old backyard and the way their toys were splayed throughout the home leave them with a warm feeling about their upbringing.  I want these images to tell them a novel of how they came to be and how they were loved.

Sessions like these don’t mask the flaws.  They can be fun and giggly or they can show real moments of tears and care.  While I was only with this sweet family for a few hours, I was lucky enough to see moments of exploration and discovery even in the place where they spend most of their time.  I witnessed pride from the toddler as she explained how her garden grew.  I watched the littlest perfect her new walking skills.  I saw tender moments between parents and offspring, and playful moments with grandparents and their grandbabies!  It’s in these quiet, maybe even common moments to the outside world, that real life beauty springs forth.

To the beautiful O Family.  It was such an honor to be invited into your home, to your garden and to your lives to spend time with you and capture your story in the here and now.  From loud moments of play, to quiet moments of connection, your family life is so colorful and unique.  I am so thankful you chose me and I hope these images tell the story of where you are at during these all-too-quickly-fleeting moments on the grand timeline of your lives.  Your girls were so fun to get to know, your stories so interesting and your family just a delight.  What a joy to get even a glimpse of the memoirs you are crafting…

thank you.