Category: Uncategorized

So many Silver Pennies families become friends. There is no better feeling than getting to see a family again and again. Mandy and I spent the morning laughing and catching up and reliving her birth story which brought me to tears.  I adore this family and it is such an honor to capture this magical time for them.

I met the Norris family years ago and photographed Madison when she was small. I remember her gorgeous blond curls bouncing in the sunset. Her orange and pink outfit matched the sky and she glowed with happiness. Not long after I met Charlotte and now Jack. Some of my favorite people to photograph and I feel honored each and every time that they chose me.

Jack is a perfect baby. Sweet and quiet and cuddly. Their love for each other is exquisite.

Twenty.

Twenty years of friendship.

How do I even begin to write about this in a quickie post, that which could be an epic novel.  Writing about Leslie is like writing about a marriage.  A sisterhood filled with complexities and shared life experiences.  Late night giggling and crazy behavior, ridiculous fun, countless deep talks about everything.  From feeling like the world is all ahead of you and feeling like anything is possible to body heaving weeping desperation.  We have held each other close.  We’ve traveled the world both together and separately calling everyday to share and experience life with one another.

We had babies at the same time and now there is a second generation of love between us.

It’s the truest form of magic, friendship.  We have bound ourselves together in life.  Supporting one another’s marriages and family life.  And holding one another accountable to our own deepest priorities.  Anchoring each other to who we were before we were wives and mothers and responsible adults.

I could go on and on.

Oh how I adore you friend.  I hope you love your family photographs.

I believe they tell your story and illustrate a tiny bit of your beauty*full, Christ centered life.

They met on a blind date.

All her friends knew he was THE ONE for her right away.   They married on a mountain top and the Aspens were golden setting the scene on fire.  It rained and the photographs of the ceremony are rich with color contrasting her white dress and these same giant smiles.

Norah is driven like her mother.  Insanely smart and brimming with goals and ambition.  She is my daughters favorite person in the universe.  And my eyes burn with tears as I write this, I held her so often as a baby my body believed her to be mine.  I still ache to hug her the instant I see her.  She is the one who made my best friend a mother and she made my daughter a best friend.  She will make the world a better place as she grows.  She has already made my world better.

Polly is an artist.

She has the biggest heart.

There is a tenderness about her that draw you in when she speaks.  Every thing she is. . . is kindness.

Ingrid is flat out hilarious.  She is kind and silly and a beautiful blend her parents.  I adore her.

Scott is such a generous Dad.  Intentional with his words and time with them.  It’s really lovely.

This is their backyard.  I know it’s pretty amazing.  They have created a life filled with God, family, and friends, animals, and art.  And while I have an inside look, enough to know it’s not perfect.  It’s pretty darn close.

He asked her to marry him just steps from this spot.

This magical place they live everyday with their girls, trying every day to be better than the day before.  To serve others, parent well, and love each other in words and actions.

It’s beautiful.

And this place is sacred.  Because of their story here.

Dearest.

Home.

I love you Les.

There are one million reasons why I love this job. The people. . . being an observer of other’s relationships and joyful moments.  Honestly, I am naturally a bit co-dependant and feel happiest when the people around me are happy.  But sometimes I wonder if there is some underlying statement in my art.

Don’t forget.

See I have these crazy moments in my life. I’ve always had them. Moments when I know right then and there,  right when it’s happening that I’ll want to keep forever.  Standing outside my best friends front door after flying across the country alone to visit her at 11 years old I can perfectly describe the gravel under my feet, the stepping stones leading to her 70’s Mid Century modern California Ranch, the smell of the orange tree. I stood there. Closed my eyes and said aloud, “Remember this”.

And it worked.

So I did it over and over again.  At my high school graduation, when my now husband put diamond earrings like ornaments on our first apartment’s Christmas tree. And again nursing my first born, second, and last baby.

So this whole business of remembering is a huge part of who I am. And likely why I take pictures at all. So it’s not really a surprise that I love the real sessions most.

I appreciate the staged and posed studio photographs as beautiful. They are lovely and artistic and creative works of art.

But they don’t make you FEEL.

They aren’t filled thick and rich like caramel with soulfulness.

So here I’ll share some of the best form my latest in home “day in the life” style newborn session and, I’m sure, a little bit of my soul with every frame.

Congratulations Cobb family.  Your family has so much soul.

I love watching kids grow! So when this family requested a one year cake smash session I couldn’t wait to see Grant again! He’s changed so much in a year! I love that April made the cake too! It’s such a sweet session that is perfectly “them”.