family photojournalism :: the N family

these "little years," they go by too quickly. if we don't stop and freeze-frame them, they seem to slip away.

D and her husband J have very full lives with lots on their plates. they've moved around several times for D's work. but they have these three little ones, ages 5, 3, and 1 who are incredibly precious to them. and so, though it was late in the season and the weather was abysmal, they asked me to come around and photograph some of their family moments together at home on one of the ONLY free days they had left before the new year. 

we started our session with a walk to the bus stop where we met their oldest as she got off the bus. back at home in the warm house, the littles played with trains a while. then J put together an amzing dinner, while D read to the bigs in the in-kitchen recliners (best idea ever!). they shared a meal together around the kitchen island, then transitioned to "lightening baths" (which just means super fast baths), getting into pajamas, and a popcorn party by the fire. 

spending an evening with the Ns was cozy and somehow familiar. so glad to have had the opportunity. 

one nice thing about family photojournalism sessions is that they aren't weather-dependent, really. they can happen at any time of year, hybrid of indoors and out. i have another christmas-y one coming up soon. can't wait! contact me. i'd love to come tell your story, too.

milk time :: breastfeeding portraits (vol III)

Once again, Milk Time was amazing. It's like an IV drip of warm fuzzies to be around all these beautifully bonded mamas and babies all afternoon. I just LOVE it. 

I'm so grateful for and inspired by these mamas. And a special thanks to Cedar Tree Birth and Wellness for allowing us to use their space for this event. It was the absolutely perfect venue.

Here are a few previews from the sessions. We had 10 mamas, but only 8 are pictured here. 

Interested in being part of something like this in the future? We'll be doing it again, hopefully before I give birth at the end of March. Stay tuned!

PS: you can see shots from the previous two Milk Time events here, too.

smile :: the deyoungs

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...

then birth photography...

and a newborn session...

a milk time shoot...

and now, dear Will is 1 year old...

I'm thinking I should make frequency punch cards for some of my clients! Like, buy 4, get 20% off your 5th? Something like that... :)

smile :: the wolfman family

Mark and Janelle have been moving all around the country for the last few years. There had been so many new starts in new places, and somewhere along the way family portraits got neglected. They hadn't had any since their son was born (he's 1.5), and so were so excited for this day.

Janelle knew she wanted some solid portraits -- the four of them dressed in a coordinated color palette and smiling at the camera -- but she also appreciated my family photojournalism work, so I did a hybrid session for them at their home. I guess it ended up being mostly family photojournalism style, but i love the portraits we came out of this session with as well. It was really natural to move between the two types of shots, all while keeping a playful feel so that the kids would be smiley and not require too much bribery (note: if you bribe your kids to behave during family photo sessions you are SO not the only one; all of my clients do this!). 

I think these children has some of the brightest smiles and brilliant eyes ever. 

Tip from Mark and Janelle: to get candid smiles out of your small children during a portrait, try subtly tickling them in the ribs or under the arms as they sit in your lap or are in your arms. Works like a charm. But be sure maintain a normal portrait-worthy facial expression on your own face while doing this. 

birth photography :: harper danger

harper's one-of-a-kind birth story spanned almost every possible scenario, from home to hospital, "dry land" to water, working hard for vaginal birth to an ultimate cesarean section delivery. but through it all, there was such love and such humor. 

casi (the mama) is a student midwife. this is her first baby, and the midwives who assisted her throughout her days and nights of labor were the same midwives she works with, who have become, as she put it, "her people." because of the depth of trust amongst her and her partner and her birth team, there were inside jokes, comfortable laughter, and raw emotions expressed throughout her birth journey.

casi is uber-knowledgable, she was prepared, and she is no stranger to all the gritty details of birth. yet no matter how knowledgeable and prepared and familiar a woman may be, when it comes to your OWN birth... somehow it will always surprise and challenge you in ways you couldn't even have anticipated. that was certainly true for casi. yet through all the curve balls she was thrown, for all the times we all thought birth was imminent (and then it wasn't), for the changes of plans and difficult decisions among the way... through it all, she listened to her intuition above her head, and she found her way through, supported by "her people." and the fruit of their long journey -- a journey that started before harper was even conceived -- is the sweetest reward.

a couple notes that will help you follow the story: there are a couple sections of missing time in these photos. i left their company twice over the 2.5 days that they labored. i was gone overnight, then rejoined them after they transferred to the hospital the following morning. i also left just before their c-section and returned the next morning to capture them all recovering together. :)

now i'll let the photos speak for themselves, as you go along with casi and lesley on their wild adventure to welcome their superhero daughter, the amazing harper danger!

PS: i'm running a winter birth story special right now. be sure to check it out if you're expecting your own little one between january and march 2015.

birth photography :: olivia grace

steph and jarrod have this amazing way of communicating with one another without using words. he can read her face and know what she needs. watching this in action throughout their long labor was pretty touching. 

inductions are often long processes, but theirs was even longer than average. when i arrived early saturday morning, 12 hours into their induction, steph was walking and working through her pitocin-induced contractions with a quiet serenity that left me in a state of disbelief that she was even in labor. between contractions, we'd chat, and they'd laugh together.

several hours into it, now extremely tired and feeling each contraction with more intensity, steph opted for an epidural (it was my first time watching one be administered -- fascinating!), which brought her back to her talkative state and then into a much-needed nap while i wandered downtown kalamazoo in search of cupcakes and used books. 

it was late at night, and near the 40 hour mark, when jarrod texted me in the waiting room where i was taking a breather: "she's fully dilated. i think you should come back now". i happily rushed back in, enjoying the energy of imminent birth that hangs in the air at such a time. with nervousness and determination, steph pushed for about an hour before we got to see this beautiful little face appear, their sweet, as-yet-to-be-named girl. 

and i have to tell you, the look of pure maternal bliss and love on steph's face as she snuggled her baby against her for those first 30 minutes was one of the holiest things i've seen. that love filled the room with a tangible grace. mother-infant bonding is one of the most incredible things!

PS: I have a winter birth photography special on right now, so if you're expecting in january, february, or early march, check that out.