When Anna and I first spoke about her family portraits she expressed concern; having 3 super active boys aged 5,4, and 3. And from a mom point of view I completely understand the concern and the stress that having portraits done can cause. As a mother you want your kids to "behave" for portraits. We talked about my approach to my younger client; I want to capture who these amazing little people are and that's not always going to be a stationary smile. As we spoke Anna told me all the sweet things that she adores about her boys and what she'd love to remember about her family as it is right this moment. And, I have to admit, I cried when I read her responses. She told me about how she wanted to really hold on to how sweet and confident the boys are right now and their silliness; she told me about how kind and hardworking her husband is, and an amazing father; we talked about their busy lifestyle and the boy's boundless energy. 

I knew that these boys needed to get outside! The family just relocated to the area and I thought Kirby's Mill would give them plenty of space to just be boys. 

I loved capturing this sweet family and this awesome time in their lives. 

I love lifestyle sessions because they allow families to really capture their truth; really embrace the current season of their lives. These sessions really help to preserve memories. I know, as a mom, I want to remember my children's personalities and funny little things that are just so "them" and it makes me so happy to be able to do that for clients... especially for moms. 

In home sessions are great for lifestyle sessions because it really allows for children to be comfortable and themselves and allows for me to really see little bits of their personalities that a formal portrait session may miss. This was a large extended family in home session... four grandparents, two families, three small children. I absolutely loved how this family interacted and got along. It was so beautiful to see such a close knit, large family and I feel so lucky that I got to capture their awesome relationships. 

If you have children who are not super into having portraits done or who get really shy in front of the camera then an in home lifestyle session may be exactly the thing for you to get beautiful images of your littles exactly as they are. Maybe you really want to remember the sweet relationship your children share as siblings or that special way it feels when you're all cuddled up together. In home lifestyle sessions just allow for a more intimate portrait experience and if that's something that you're looking for consider an in home session next time you're looking to update your family portraits. 

Capturing a marriage is always really special; it's such an important moment in a couple's lives. But this felt even more elevated; Mark and Laurie weren't simply being wed, they were becoming a family. They had a perfect, intimate, ceremony and reception at Mercer Oaks. It was a cloudy morning and the sky broke just in time for their patio ceremony, surrounded by their closest family and friends.  It was such a perfect day.