family photojournalism :: the graveling family

Ross and Monica put their attention in the places that matter, namely in God, their family and in the neighborhood community they desire to love well. No matter if there's dust in some corners or if their children ride bikes barefoot. At the end of this life, these aren't the things that matter at all, are they? Spending a chunk of an evening with them, I was challenged by the right ordering of priorities in this family. Their children are growing in grace and truth, they are strong and confident and beloved, carefully tended to like the growing, living plants that they are. And the people around them know more fully that they are loved because of the care of this family intentionally expressed toward them.

In this time with them, they played ball in the yard, swung one another wildly around on the tire swing, made art with sidewalk chalk, took a bike ride/walk around the block, goofed off everywhere (so many smiles and so much affectionate teasing!), played their favorite game around the table, and finally sat down to dinner on the back patio. 

Enjoy this glimpse of life with the Gravelings. 

I'm a Michigan birth photographer and family photojournalist located in and serving Grand Rapids and surrounding communities. It's my great joy to tell your family story visually through in-home documentary photography. Contact me to schedule your session.

family photojournalism :: the goodrich family

Aaron and Glori live lives of deep intentionality, down to the last detail. When you listen to them talk about their lives, it quickly becomes apparent that every part of it has been chosen and executed with thoughtful care, from how they eat to the way they parent, from the jobs they have, to the way they pursue relationships with their neighbors. And it's not a dry sort of discipline that leaves you feeling that they are uptight. Rather, there's a joyful freedom that shines through; that unique freedom that comes from living in healthy boundaries. 

Their morning family photojournalism session included rough-housing and a dance party, "working" with tools on the bunkbeds, cuddling, reading the Jesus Storybook Bible (FAVORITE!), snacking, riding bikes, and digging in the dirt. With laughter all along the way. 

Their twin boys and their baby son are thriving in the love and discipline of their daddy and mommy. 

Enjoy this peek into the life of this sweet little crew. 

I do have some session times available for Family Photojournalism in the coming months. Reach out sooner than later to get your family on the schedule. 

birth :: baby t

One surprisingly snowy day in early April, i drove north to Big Rapids to meet Meadow in the early part of her labor. It was the first time we'd met face to face, and I immediately liked her. Their home radiated intention, compassion, and warmth, and besides that, I was googly-eyed over their the presence of all the Waldorf materials, and everything that that method of education implies about a family. :)

 When I arrived, her midwives were already present, and her mother was in the kitchen making us all salad and lasagna, while the children watched shows and hovered around their laboring mama, and husband Dan stood by ready at a moment's notice to offer his strength. Meadow was excited and chatty and it seemed everyone was in a state of happy, patient anticipation.

Between contractions, Meadow extended hospitality to every one of her house full of birth team members. It wasn't until after she'd seen us all adequately fed our lunches that she really got down to business, going deep inside, and into a dark solitary space upstairs to labor her baby down. At last, she climbed into the birth pool in the beautiful birth space she'd so carefully created for herself, Dan never leaving her side. Very shortly thereafter, she powerfully and quite quietly birthed her baby, and brought him up to her chest from her midwife's hands. She and Dan enjoyed a few still and maybe slightly stunned moments of gently clutching and peering into their baby's face before they even bothered to take a look between the legs and discover the gender: a boy!

Their older children came into the room with their grandmothers with looks of happy wonder on their faces and reached out their hands to welcome him and to smooth their mama's hair. Truly a peaceful and sacred scene. 

I've avoided showing any of the children's faces -- including baby's -- by Meadow's request and for respect for their privacy, and yet even without their (totally adorable) faces visible, these images tell a good, full story, and I know you'll feel the love. 

Here's a shout out to Jennifer Holshoe of West Michigan Midwifery, who took the the lead in helping Meadow achiever the birth of her dreams, and to Laurie and her assistant of Faithful Guardians Midwifery in Northern Michigan whose presence added an additional layer of support and wisdom. 

On a personal note, attending a birth with Jennifer was a special full-circle moment for me! She was at my daughter's birth (at that time, she was a student midwife) and photographed it. Her support was instrumental in seeing me through a really really long labor, and her photos are what made me fall in love with and decide that I simply must try my had at birth photography. I'm so grateful to her for both of those things.

I'm booking births for October and November now. 

life with a newborn :: josephine anna

You may remember Elizabeth and Nick from their maternity photojournalism session this winter. They had a lovely date downtown and I tagged along. 

And now the fruit of their affectionate and abiding love for one another is here! The darling and beloved Josephine Anna! At not even two weeks of age, I was allowed to come in and document these precious firsts. Napping on daddy's chest, the gentlest diaper and clothing changes, cuddling, nursing, being gazed at with adoration... and even her first ever bath. The tenderness in these images really grabs my heart every time I peruse them again. 

Enjoy this little snippet of the blessed newborn haze for this special family. 

Life With A Newborn sessions make me so happy and they'll make you happy, too. Promise. Reach out soon to schedule your own storytelling session like this. 

belly :: the rizley family

The Short Story version of Family Photojournalism sessions I'm now offering are the perfect way to capture small stories along life's way. Like the toddler growing as her mama's belly swells with a new baby, too. Like the way that family felt when it was made of only 3, but the promise of the 4th was quickly approaching. Like the interior of a room that Papa has labored so long and hard to transform for his little girls to share. And like the farm you bought and reclaimed, complete with the barn beside your house, where you were married, and the farm cats roaming wild.

Kurt, Aliyya and their little Cora invited me over to capture precisely those things. Here it is! :)

It's a beautiful life you're building, Kurt and Aliyya. I'm ever so excited to come back and spend time with you again when your baby girl arrives!

birth :: quintin lawrence

She had a good week and a half of prodromal labor -- the start and stop contractions that come and go in the days (or weeks) leading up to the final event that culminates in birth. There were probably 5 times that Quincy texted to say she was pretty sure labor had begun... only to have it peter out. Which is so frustrating. But she kept on living life and patiently waiting, knowing that no contraction is a wasted one!

Then, one evening I got another text. And this time the contractions were close together and the midwife, Kim, was on her way over to check things out. I had a feeling it was the real deal and wanted to jump in my car immediately. But thoughtful, considerate Quincy said to wait until the midwife gave more news because "I really don't want to waste your time." I was antsy as I sat waiting, knowing I had a 20 minute drive ahead of me. Then, another text, "why don't you know come now. Kim isn't here yet, but I think it's time. I really hope I'm not wasting your time." (I would never even feel that way, for the record! this is my JOB!). I left immediately. 

I arrived to find Quincy at the foot of their bed, deeply focused and already pushing. Probably only 15 minutes later, Quintin was born! All that prodromal labor meant that she had a VERY short actual labor! Shaking from all the adrenalin coursing through her body, but strong and in command of her small but mighty self, she stood up and strode across the room with him in her arms. She had a shower and put on fresh clothes, then got tucked into bed with her family. 

And her family! How special was that? Her almost-14-year-old step daughter was with her every step of the way, aiding in whatever ways were needed, and watching intently as her baby brother made his way into the world. Quintin's daddy, Mike, caught him alongside Kim, and handed him up to his mama with a look of pride on his face over both his wife and his son. And moments later, Mike's teenage son and their little daughter were summoned into the room to lay their eyes on their newest family member. Watching them all together, and the ways that they so attentively cared for and expressed affection toward one another was incredibly touching. There's plenty of love in this family, and Quintin is blessed to be dropped down into the midst of it. 

Oh! Another fun detail: Mike is a chiropractor, and at the end of this series of photos you'll see him checking Quintin out for range of motion and subluxations. Had he needed it, Q would have received his first adjustment right there on the bed, too. :) Three cheers for chiropractic!