smile :: the fergusons

July 15, 2015 in portrait

Erinn and Adam recently signed up to make me their photographer, an honor that makes me pretty happy because i think they are super awesome. Their beloved Lily took to me right away, wanting to hold my hand on their family walk (melt my heart!), which I would happily have done if it didn't sorta take away from the idea of a family photo session. :)

This couple is great to be around. They radiate humanitarian kindness, creative expression, genuineness, and tenderness toward one another. Taking this quiet walk with them around the perimeter of the meadow behind their home was pretty therapeutic. This trail -- and especially the HUGE tree along it's way -- has been a frequented spot for them in the years they've lived here, full of memories, including carrying Lily out to that giant tree when she was only a couple of days old, standing in hushed wonder at the sacredness of life.

I invite you to come along on our walk. But first, a note. This is a Smile Session, which means it's shorter and includes some more posed images, in which they are looking at the camera and smiling. But as you'll see, the photojournalism elements are also still present, as I tried to tell this mini-story of a family walking through a favorite place together. This is the sort of thing you can also expect if you book a Smile Session for your family.

Alright, here we go...

smile :: the ford family

February 02, 2015 in portrait

Chris has been a special part of our family's life for a couple years now. She did the children's church at the Boiler Room for a long while, and then offered to take our littles into her in-home daycare one day a week while I got some working hours in. She has also babysat for us, and offered us great perspective and insight on behavioral/developmental challenges our kids are experiencing. She has always been so generous with her time, her resources, her knowledge, and her HEART. My kids adore her, respect her, and feel so safe in her care.

So it was a special treat to be able to photograph Chris with her OWN kids (well, 3 of the 4 here... we're gonna get the remaining kid in another session in the near future!), and to witness their affection and closeness as we walked their dogs through the park and ran around under the Calder downtown.

smile :: the miller family

January 19, 2015 in portrait

In November, when my Facebook page hit 1,000 likes, I celebrated with a giveaway. And the winner of that giveaway was Jill. We both knew that planning a session in the middle of the holiday season seemed like too much, so we waited until January, when things would be calmer. And snowier!

We met up out at her parents' place, which backs up to wide open expanses of fields and woods, and which was happily covered in a thick blanket of unmarred white snow. For as long as the little ones could stand it, we tromped around outside, and when they got too chilly to be happy, we moved our little party indoors, setting up camp inside of a large window through which came plentiful natural light.

Here's Jill, Jay, and their darling kiddos.

smile :: the ferris family

December 15, 2014 in portrait, family photojournalism

Anne and Andy have had me do a christmasy photo session for them twice before. It's always creative, with Anne having prepared simple props to bring along to christmas tree farms or nature centers. They've always been a combination of them enjoying an activity together AND stopping to smile at the camera while cuddled closely together. Always so fun, this meshing of photojournalism and portraits.

This time around, we decide to do something similar indoors, at their own home. When I arrived, they already had one cookie sheet of from-scratch sugar cookies (with orange zest) baked, and were ready to frost them with peppermint frosting (after their daughter offered me one to devour right inside the front door). So we photographed the making of sugar cookies with green and red sprinkles, then they snacked on them beside their large and lovely tree. And, to round things out, we took a few solid portraits by that tree (including some cat-inclusive ones), and on their adorable couch. I love these shots of this creative, expressive, and warm family.

This was so fun, that I'm consider offering holiday-season, in-home, mini-storytelling sessions centered around families doing christmasy things together (decorating a tree, baking cookies, cutting down a tree, sledding in the yard, sharing hot cocoa and cuddles, etc). That'd be fun, eh?

smile :: the ward family

December 10, 2014 in portrait

mitch, lauren, and baby rosie had me at hello. and being at their birth was a moving experience, one i was honored to be present to. so it gives me such happiness to be allowed to continue in the role of photographing them here and there. i saw lauren and rosie in novemeber for Milk Time, and we arranged this little christmasy mini-session last weekend, too, so that they could make and send out their first ever family christmas card (hooray!). we got a few natural portraits, but some of my favorites are the moments in-between.

happy christmas, ward family!

smile :: the deyoungs

November 10, 2014 in portrait

the best is when i get to make friends with clients, when i get to watch them grow through life seasons. this is what i've done with jessica, andy, and baby will.

it started with maternity photos...