valerie & evan

I LOVE THIS SESSION. I love these two and their magical house and their sweet love. 

My eagerness to post these is such a good feeling. Making something that feels so authentic and happy is so rejuvenating.
It super helps that Val & Evan are some of our closest friends. We have a bimonthly dinner that leaves us all with headaches from laughing so hard. The best kind of gathering ends that way.  Shooting close friends actually allowed me to get even more intimate interactions because their comfort with me was already established. So we started the session with creativity and trust flowing freely. And that's where the magic happens. At this intersection of creativity and trust, that's where the genuine joy and authenticity comes out to play. 

leah & oli

Little explorer Oli. Wandering with him and his momma was just what my spirit needed. They have such a calm, curious, kind way about them. I love watching Leah mother Oli with such a playful tenderness. And I love watching Oli take in the world and seeing it through his little eyes for a minute.

ty 6 months

The Shipley's are always fun to photograph! They have so much fun with their son and it conveys in photographs beautifully. I love it when they can't take their eyes off of each other and their baby! So much good work is made with clients like that. 
And prepare for the. cutest. thing. Terrie told me that Ty loves bubble baths so of course we had to work that into their session! I will say it over and over again, I LOVE photographing real life things.  Enjoy this sweetness. 

mica & myla

"We are made up of tiny little pieces and we have to take care of all of them." -Myla

There's something a bit magical about Mica & Myla. They have garnered plenty of attention for their work so I will let that speak for itself (See it here!), but their connection and the way they work together is so moving. I feel so honored to have been able to capture a small slice of the sweetness of their ongoing collaboration. Myla's imagination is so so incredible and Mica's way of nurturing that is amazing. If you flip through their sketchbook with them, they have so many stories and silly backgrounds. SO whimsical.  

Take a moment out of your day to browse around their Instagram if you really want to be inspired. I have browsed through the #stuffmylasays many many times and it just always leaves me in awe.  

mary

Curiousity and playfulness seem to be reoccuring themes in all of my favorite sessions this season.

I love letting littles be themselves. Watching and capturing the way they take in the world around them is so much more priceless than them posing perfectly.   Mary loved running, checking out different leaves and climbing on rocks. I loved her little curls and the way she lights up when she hugs her parents. 

eleanor is one

One of my favorite everyday things to shoot is snacking. Toddlers eating is so so silly and cute. And I promise you will enjoy looking back on it when they eat like normal humans. ;)

I've been photographing E since before she was born! One of the best things about my job is watching littles grow. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to be a small part of so many magical first years of life. The change and personality that happens in a short year leaves me in awe. What a lovely job I have. 

nicole + family

A gorgeous family in a gorgeous location?! Yes please! 
I love that Nicole and her kids came up with shooting at the lake. It's somewhere that means something to them in this season of life. Plus I love shooting in different places. 
Enjoy these giggly goofy kiddos and their momma. I know I did!

gratitude

I realize it's cliche to talk about gratitude on thanksgiving. I am a firm beliver that you should work on making your heart and soul thankful every day, month, and season. It's not just something that should be acknowledged or practiced because there's a holiday telling you to. It's foundational to a joyful, wholesome life.  But since it is Thanksgiving, I felt what better time than to express how throughly grateful I am to everything and everyone. 

"Gratitude is a magnetic energy that draws people to us." -Anne Lamott

I think gratitude is a practice. You have to train your human tendencies, it takes a lot of grace. I'm not saying I'm amazing at it, but I do know the importance of it. Being grateful is an anecdote to anxiety, self importance, emotional imbalance, and so many other things. Of course I am only speaking from my own experience. This is just my practice. I'm publicly sharing how important you are to me if you're here. 

To my clients, the biggest thank you. Your investment into my passion and purpose is so so incredible to me. I am throughly, deeply, passionately grateful for each and every one of you. 

To my peers, THANK YOU. The guidance, understanding and encouragement I have received from you all is immeasurably soul-warming. I have this warm nest of creatives that will lift me up while also being honest with me. What else do you need?!

To the mysterious magic that are Inspiration and Creativity, thank you. (And thank you to Elizabeth Gilbert for giving us a way to talk about this magic.)

To my family, thank you. For believing in me and supporting me always, in all ways.