What makes a family? How do you capture relationships on camera?

I find the key is in the connections; the unique interactions you have with each member of your family. Sometimes those connections happen naturally - one member is drawn to another. And sometimes it is revealed when I throw you all together during our session; the way you speak to each other, or the way you look at each other, how close you walk together. There is always something to find. And it's in these connections that I aim to weave the whole story of you and your most important narrative: your family.

So show me how you connect. Don't be afraid to touch each other, look at each other, joke with each other. For some this is easy, but for others I know it can be hard; it sometimes takes feeling silly and maybe a bit vulnerable. But for one hour, now is that time to pause and reflect on the relationships you've built, those unique connections you've created by the mere act of becoming family. We don't do it enough, so let's try, just for one hour...

I promise to the best of my ability to get shots of you and yours smiling at the camera, especially your children. As a parent I really do know how important those shots are. But I want you to know that my secret agenda is to discover that wonderful, silly, sweet and cheeky person that is your child, and to capture those bits of their spirit through my lens. I often see my own children in your children and look for those open windows into who they are. From that quirky smile down to that seemingly innocuous hand gesture; I am looking for the pieces that complete the whole picture of our children that only us parents know and recognize so well.

I know for some it may seem like a tall order for just an hour's session, but I've always been able to find it in some way, shape or form in the families I capture. How? Well, you all actually make it so easy for me by building your families on a strong foundation of love. And in so doing, you've already done the heavy lifting (thank you wonderful parents!). All that's left for me to do is help you get comfortable, be a bit glib (and a little silly, too!) and capture it all for you!

Everyone who steps in front of my lens has a story to tell, whether they know it or not. A part of that story can be told when you all look in my camera smiling (picture perfect!), but the true stories are told in that look between mother and child, that laughter, that giggle, or in the cutest little face scrunch. It’s in these details that I seek the true pulse of your family and the unique and special relationships that defines it.

Can I tell you something? I love it when I see throw-back images of my family and friends on social media. The first day of school for my children inevitably takes me back to the memory of their very first steps. A picture of a well-loved teddy transports me back to when we first received it. A picture of my two girls together takes me back to the very first day they met.

With two growing daughters of my own, I know what it’s like to marvel at their growth, smile at their joy and cry at their hardships. I understand how important milestones for them are and why it is so crucial to capture them in the here and now. In every family I see my own; in doing so, I ensure your family's spirit will be captured to the fullest.

I am always trying to take you down your own memory lane when I deliver your gallery. All this and more signals to me that I have provided a service beyond just capturing your family.

The journey of growth never stops. I am always finding new inspiration, new technical skills and techniques to bring to your session. But really, year after year, my biggest personal goal is to always be developing my photographer's eye; the way I see and capture the beauty in the world. And how do I do that? I do something I love dearly; I photograph my family almost non-stop as I document this beautiful life that I am so grateful we live.

As you look through my own personal images scattered amongst the beautiful families I photograph, you may see images you recognize. Perhaps the people aren't the same, but if you look closer the sentiment and emotion may be something you've seen in images from your own session. I truly do photograph your family as I would mine. And I most often see the parallels when I catch you and yours in that quiet moment, or in that small detail.

As I grow in this photography space, I find my definition of photography as an art intensifies. Art is subjective, malleable and sometimes intangible; but if I can stir an emotion when you look upon what we captured, it truly means the world to me.