smile :: the phelps family

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. :)

birth photography :: mekhi elias

stacy has had babies in all the ways. her firstborn a hospital birth with epidural, the second a natural -- and very fast -- hospital birth (and he was born in the caul!). and this time she wanted to do it at home. she knew based on her previous birth that it would be quick and probably straight forward, making her a great candidate for it. she and her husband Nate chose Leslie of Midwifery Matters to attend her, and invited her bestie and co-doula, Kathy, at Serenity Holistic Health and Wellness and her sister to be present as well.

she was more than a week "overdue" before labor kicked in. when it finally DID, she knew there were three factors that influenced the timing. It's truly amazing how the MIND can impact what that body does when it comes to having babies.  first of all, stacy and nate had poured so much love and energy into their home in the past year, redoing almost all of it from floor to ceiling. but there was ONE project that still needed doing before stacy could go into labor: the cabinet doors -- which had been removed and refinished -- needed to be re-hung.  secondly, Serenity was hosting a huge breastfeeding awareness event that Saturday and stacy was in charge of lots of the organization for it. thirdly, a full moon. so on August 1st -- just a few hours after the cabinet project was finished, and in the early morning hours of the big breastfeeding event day, and the night after the full moon -- she began labor. she tried to deny it, but by dawn it was undeniable. 

when i arrived at their home in the dim morning hours, stacy was pacing around the house preparing her birth space and also multi-tasking the coordination of event details. she stood at the bar in the kitchen, sending texts and talking on the phone, making sure everything was covered because she wouldn't be making it to the event that day. it was hard to believe she was in labor, except that she occasionally paused to focus and breathe. 

as soon as the to-do list was all crossed off and her sister and bestie-doula came through the front door, things got serious. and they got serious FAST. within 15 minutes (?) -- following nate's prayers, and through just a couple pushes in the birth tub -- their baby boy came rocketing out into the world, caught by stacy herself. and i think everyone got a little teary. 

because here is mekhi. and he is perfect.

what is photojournalism?

you know it's my favorite way to shoot. my MO. it's what you can expect from me. 

sometimes it's called visual storytelling or documentary photography. i think both of those terms work, too. 

i tried to explain some of it HERE, and i suggest you read that. the photojournalism style is what you find in my life with a newborn and birth sessions, too. photojournalism is the place i've settled because it is the most authentic way i know to express the way i see and experience the world and the people in it.

but it's not the only way to shoot, nor have i always shot this way. sometimes, i still venture into other ways of photographing people. 

i've attempted to write up a little bit of a comparison between three genres of photography that are available to anyone wanting to hire a photographer these days to have their family photographed. i think it's helpful to know a little more about each genre, then to know what YOU want for YOUR family. then you can go out and find the photographer who can deliver it. 

please note: these are my opinions, and my personal take on the differences between them. i'm sure some people would talk about this a little differently or disagree with some of what i've written here. i also know that the three types sometimes flow in and out of one another, and so the lines can be blurry! 

with that said, here, to the best of my ability, is a CHART -- yes, i am a dork -- detailing the differences between Portrait, Lifestyle, and Photojournalism photography.

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an example of a PORTRAIT

an example of a LIFESTYLE photo

an example of PHOTOJOURNALISM 

so, just know that if you hire THIS photographer, you're going to get a whole lot of column C and sometimes a little bit of A or B, but even then it'll have a little bit of C flavor because I just can't help it. :)

i look forward to working with you to tell YOUR stories.

smile :: the fergusons

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...

family photojournalism :: the debonis

for those who have the wisdom and presence to grasp it, every moment is a holy moment. and that's how life is at the deboni's home. from the moment i walked in the door, i could sense a joyful sacredness.

this family - jake, jess, and their three sweet children - savors life like the ripe raspberries and mulberries they picked and ate during our session. they grow their own food, they read rich books, they live simply, they shower one another with affection, and they are quick to laughter and forgiveness. also, they make a mean cup of cold brew. 

i could have happily stayed all day. 

and because words don't seem really adequate, i'll leave you with the pictures now. and there are many. 

life with a newborn :: jonathan micah

LaRaye and Micah were brought together quickly and clearly as they both chased their primary love: God. They were engaged rather spontaneously one morning in the kitchen of the home they now share, after worshipping and dancing together there. They became pregnant pretty quickly after getting married, and this whirlwind romance of theirs now includes a son name jonathan, who is about 2 months old at the time of this photo session. 

With world sufficiently turned upside down by parenthood -- as it always is! -- they knew that even in the midst of all the adjustments and sleep deprivation they wanted to capture the essence of this tender time on film. So I joined them one afternoon for all their little ordinary moments with their sweet son. From a nursing session in the nursery, to a smiley diaper session, a walk to their favorite neighborhood park, and the making of bullet proof coffee that they then sat down to enjoy while jonathan napped peacefully in the wrap, there's so much peace and affection here. 

Enjoy...