What I love the most about photography is making connections with families. I understand that it’s really difficult to be in front of the camera, it’s hard to give a true smile and not just one that you’ve practiced in the mirror 1000 times (ok, more than that). It’s difficult to get your kids ready, yourself ready, your husband on the same page and then showing up…. in a good mood. Trust me, I get it. I really do.

This family, they kind of have this really soft spot in my heart. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because they were one of the first families where the mom said she wasn’t referred by anyone but found my website and just felt like we were a good fit. Or maybe it’s because every. single. time. I see them EVERYONE is in a great mood. Or maybe it’s because I can email her on Tuesday and say, “hey it’s going to be a balmy 25 on Saturday, does that work?” and she says yes right away… I’m not sure… but every time I see this family, my heart is overjoyed with how much love they share, how thoughtful they are, how their cup is always half full & how they don’t take a single second for granted with their two handsome men.

I don’t want to “take your picture”, I want to be a part of your family. For just an hour or two. Or maybe even for the day.  To see how you interact with each other, to play tag with your kids, to sing silly songs, to tease dad but mostly to feel the love you have with each other. Because when all that magic happens, beautiful images that will last a lifetime for you, will magically appear in my camera. I can promise you that.

I’ve been a terrible blogger. Positively awful. Here’s why. I spend my time working really hard on getting my images to my clients in a short amount of time. To me, it’s more important than SEO, Google Searches & being rated #1 on the internet. When I’m not working hard at work, I’m working hard at being the best mom. To two beautiful loving human beings. And when I’m not doing that, I’m a wife & a workout fan. And that all comes before blogging. So please forgive me if it lacks. It just means that while I have great intentions of it happening, it’s just not my priority.

Enjoy your day, with the ones you love.

I had the honor of photographing sweet baby Bennett. This fall his mom, dad and big sister came to me for a family/maternity session and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this little guy. His grandfather is a photographer so when I hear someone in the family is a photographer too, the pressure is always on. Luckily for me, his momma follow all the rules of ensuring we have a good session and he proved to be a little honey. His grandmother was also along and it was so great to spend time chatting with them as well. Here’s a few from our session.

Family Photography Green Bay, WI. There are so many things that I love about finding my passion. The people I get to meet, the friendships I’ve made & seeing a beautiful connection of the human spirit are just a few. This summer, I had the absolute honor and privilege of taking a workshop with Erin Elizabeth Photography. If you haven’t seen her incredible work, check it out. (www.erinelizabeth.au.com) Not only did a learn a lot, but she’s originally from a small town not far from me. Fast forward six months and this beautiful family who knows her well came to me to for pictures of their new addition. From the moment that they walked in my front door, I knew I would love them. I was greeted with a great big hug from mom and grandma and just as much as I enjoyed my time photographing this beauty, I also loved my time with her parents & grandma. There is something so beautiful about seeing first time parents so relaxed and at ease. Baby Lucille (isn’t that the sweetest name!) was incredible. Besides one little “Juicy Lucy Moment” as her parents say, she was a happy camper and did beautiful for her first session. I loved seeing the connection and pure love that her parents had for one another and how perfectly her daddy tended to the new momma’s needs. All you new dads out there… there’s a lot to be said for helping out the new momma as much as possible even if you’re not sure what you’re doing. Because truth be told, we don’t know either! Grandma came with for the session too and I’m so thrilled that we included her for a few pictures at the end. This baby girl has such a bright future!

Thank you again David, Abby & Holly for such a beautiful morning!

Winter Family Photography in Green Bay, WI.

The B family braved the winter months of Wisconsin (not sure if brave is the right word, recently dad proclaimed that the day his son asked him to teach him to Cross Country Ski was one of the best days of his life), and met me for some beautiful outdoor pictures. They had never done a family session before and I would have never guessed it. From the very first frame I captured to the last their family moved along seamlessly, showing me emotion that only one can show if they truly feel it in their heart. I met dad and this beautiful little girl last fall at swimming lessons with our daughter. His eyes spoke kindness and when he spoke of his wife, he really had a twinkle in his eye. As soon as I met “mom” I could see why he would feel so much love for this sweet women. She wanted pictures of her WITH her children, in the moment, giving piggy back rides and just loving them. It’s my favorite type of family to photography – happy campers.  This family is beautiful, inside and out, they speak kindness and just take a look below – they love that mom and dad have for one another is something special. What a honor to be the first to capture this precious family.