smile session
Kristen and Ben and their two boys live south of the city on a working farm, where they grow -- amongst other things -- hothouse tomatoes via a unique irrigation method and keep chickens. They're the early risers, the makers of wholesome local fare, the wrestlers and runners, the humble kind-hearted ones. It's a joy to be in their presence.
I joined them at sunrise on their farm one October morning and this is a glimpse of the magic that unfolded in their unscripted smile session.
Sarah and Matt are in a crazy busy season of life, which makes it so that their quality time together is pretty limited. So when they both had a day off, they made plans to make it super special, packed from beginning to end with fun ways to connect. For part of that special day, they chose to have a formal photo session. Now I might seem an unlikely choice for a fancy-formal shoot; it's pretty atypical for me. But Sarah captivated me with her vision of a rented designer golden gown, tuxedos, and beautiful architecture. Even more than that, their story and their desire to spend some time celebrating their marriage is what got me. :)
We had many unexpected twists that could have ruined this special photo session, but in the end we overcame against all those odds and had a rather magical time. Couldn't be happier with how they came out. Don't they look amazing?! And can't you just feel their affection for one another?!
in the time since i last photographed this family, we've had the opportunity to grow in relationship in a multifaceted way. mark has become our family chiropractor, janelle helps us think through administrative aspects of tim's work with the stockbridge boiler room, and through these connections -- and our shared desire to see kingdom come through our respective work -- affection has blossomed into friendship. these people are very dear.
it was the loveliest way to spend a September morning chasing them and their adorable kiddos around barefoot on the beach in holland, watching them cuddle and play and love on one another with such sincerity.
blessed to know them. and if you need a fantastic chiropractor and wellness educator, go see Dr. Mark and his team at Rivertown Family Chiropractic.
harrison's mommy and daddy met at aquinas when they were undergrad psychology students. they brought him back there to do this photo session of him at 9 months old. i wager he's their proudest accomplishment and greatest joy.
this family also opted to make me their photographer, which means i have 5 years of fun ahead of me, watching them grow.
if you put 5 boys near a river and walls of rocks for their family photos, they will find dead crayfish and climb those walls and disappear around bends in the path. and so that's what happened here, when we chose a park with those features as a family photo location. and you know what? i just loved that it brought out their boyish natures so clearly!
still, we managed some solid family photos -- some in which all boys are smiling wonderfully at the camera! and some sweet ones of mom and dad, too. i'm showing you mostly the happy in-between moments below, with a smattering of portraits. :)
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...
