vacation photojournalism :: the esis family

One perfect and breathlessly beautiful morning on the shores of Lake Michigan with the Esis family at a beach house (an airbnb rental) near St. Joseph. I could have stayed all day. And not just because of the aesthetically pleasing rooms, the views, or the weather, but also because the company of this family was so easy and natural.  

Antonieta found me through a FB group we are both a part of due to having both taken the same course at the Define School a few years ago. She's from Ohio, but as her family was vacationing in MI this summer, she needed a MI photog (and wonder of wonders, she chose me)! Though she obviously brought her own cameras along on the trip, she had also just turned 40 and wanted to celebrate that milestone, this vacation, and the importance of mama being in the frame with her kids by arranging for a photo session. I'd say those are three GREAT reasons. 

She is a gifted photographer, seeing light uniquely and capturing expansive joy in human beings, and most especially her two "bigger kids," her sons. I highly recommend that you take a few minutes to jet over to her website and get lost in her work when you've finished here. 

But for now, come along for a whirlwind hour at the lake house, where there is Jenga and kites, beach walking and shenanigans. 

family photojournalism :: the malinowski family

Eric and Jessica are getting ready to leave the house to which each one of their babies has been brought home from the hospital following their births (or, in the youngest's case, born in the living room!). Needless to say, there's years of memories layered up in this house. There's been incredible joy and deep sorrow, faith put into action, love chosen and demonstrated across all the seasons. 

Jessica and Eric invited me to do this documentary, in-home session as a way of immortalizing their beloved house and bringing some closure to their years there. Already the house isn't in quite the same state is had been, since it's already been listed and staged and sold, but for now, it is still theirs. I got a little teary right alongside Jessica as I empathized with the process of saying farewell to a place where so much life has been lived. 

I love these images. I love the way this family plays together and loves one another. 

fresh48 :: halo

The atmosphere has a distinctly sacred feel to it when you walk through the door where a brand new human has just entered the world. It seems like maybe one should slip off one's shoes, and sink into reverence. This is how it felt when I came through the front door of the home where Halo had just been born the day previous in order to do the Fresh48 session her parents had arranged.

Her daddy greeted me at the door, cradling her in his arms. But immediately I was struck with a crazy thought based on a simple observation. Noticing her legs pointed straight up in the air, I asked, incredulous, "Wait! was she born breech?!" I knew they'd had a home birth and breech home births are a rarity so I wasn't sure what his answer would be. "Yeah!" he replied, with enthusiasm, going on to tell me the crazy story of the moment when the midwife realized it was a BUTT rather than a head emerging from the birth canal. He had loved every moment of witnessing his daughter's unusual entrance, while his dear wife Karen was too in the zone to realize that she was delivering a baby breech. Probably a good thing, she says, since it might have made her unnecessarily fearful. Thankfully, their midwife is trained and experienced in helping babies come into the world in breech presentation, so the entire experience was more amazing than terrifying. :)

Walking into the bedroom where Karen lay resting, we got to work documenting their tender snuggles and tentative touches, all of them getting accustomed to one another, taking in Halo's beautiful face, perfectly round head, and sticking-up-legs (don't worry, they'll go to normal position in a few days). :) Such a beautiful baby she is, and with parents unabashedly in love with her. 

And for those who are interested in birth-y details, you might like to see this next bonus image: Halo has a large bruise on her upper thigh near her butt cheek, as this is the part of her body that was leading the way through the birth canal. Just as a baby's head will often bruise and swell when born in the more usual cephalic presentation, so will a butt, apparently! 

fresh48 :: zeke wagner

Just two days after I met with Jami and Adam about their upcoming home birth, she went into labor -- spontaneously and two weeks early! Being in denial that this was really "it," she put off calling me to come. And then suddenly it was all moving so fast and... well, she never did get to call me and so i missed this little one's remarkable home water birth. Such a bummer. 

BUT, on the rare occasion when this happens, we always make up for it in other ways. Starting here, with a Fresh48 session in their home when their son was just a few days old. I found them looking fresh and energetic, and welcoming visiting grandparents. Their 3 year old son, Leo, had just returned home from spending a couple nights his grandparents and was keen to kiss and touch his new baby brother. 

Without further delay, I give you baby Zeke. Brand spankin' new...

Every Fresh48, birth, and newborn session I do multiplies my excitement to have my own little squish this winter! Eeek!  

snuggle :: the boyer-gorton family

Three cheers for clients I get to grow with! I first met this sweet family when their daughter, Hazel was just a tiny newborn and we did a Life With A Newborn session at their house. Now they're awaiting the arrival of another little one. We used a snuggle session as an excuse for a few belly shots, though I have to say a snuggle session with a toddler ends up being way more active than snuggly. ;) Still, I'm loving these images and I'm very much looking forward to joining them at their home for another Life With A Newborn session before the summer is through! 

birth :: alec glendon

Melinda and her family moved back to the US from central America midway through her second pregnancy. In addition to the myriad difficult transitions involved in such a move, Melinda's husband Santiago often works overseas, which meant that his ability to be present at the birth was uncertain. preparing for the possibility of his absence, Melinda assembled a dream team for herself, knowing that she'd need the support -- and photos to show Santiago later -- if he wasn't able to be there. as a doula herself, she hired two amazing doulas -- Laurie and erica guthaus -- to attend her, and she booked herself at Midwifery Matters Birth Center with their great nurse midwife team. 

in the end, it turned out that Santiago was in the US and therefore very much present -- and offering the amazing support of near constant counter-pressure to her sacrum! -- throughout. but it moved FAST. by the time her mother and laurie got Melinda safely to the birth center (which was well over an hour away), she was already very nearly ready to give birth. after the somewhat intense arrival, she sunk into the welcoming water of the beautiful birth tub and quickly found her center again, relaxing into the rhythm and pressures of her body working hard to bring out her baby. she was so surrounded every step of the way with all sorts of support. it was beautiful to see the effect of a focused, caring birth team dancing well together all around Melinda. 

then it was time to leave the water, to work through those final difficult contractions on the toilet before moving to the floor (hey, ya do what sounds best in the moment!) to mightily push her baby out. he was very nearly born in the caul, in fact his head came out that way, but due to meconium in the water, the midwife wisely ruptured the bag before the rest of his body was born. the look on melinda's face when she pulled him up to her chest was ecstatic relief and truly a very moving moment. i hovered over her and her four support people clustered around her as she clutched him close and said over and over again, "i did it! i did it!" since gender was a surprise, she waited several moments before looking, but announced beforehand that she could tell by touch that he has a second son. :)

they then moved to the bed and got tucked in to enjoy more than an hour of uninterrupted skin-to-skin time before the newborn exam and melinda's own clean-up began. 

a fast-moving but peaceful birth. what a gift. 

Photographing births is hands down one of my greatest joys. Because I'm gearing up to have my own (fourth) baby in December, I'll be taking a hiatus through March. But i plan to get back to it in April, and it's not too soon to book me for your birth if you're a mama due in April and onward. I also have availability for one birth in November of this year yet.