I really dig so much how to the siblings in the F family aren't afraid to lean into one another. We spent a relaxed hour puttering around Orange Street in downtown Durham, admiring some skateboarders, and feeling bummed that Scratch Bakery was closed for the day. This family's sense of play and ease comes through in every photo here, just as it does in person.
I'm so excited about what this lady is going to be up to post college. She's kind, lovely, and is off to get a graduate degree in an amazing helping profession. I loved taking some photos to help her celebrate her graduation, and this transition into an even more exciting phase of life.
Oh man I had fun with these dudes. It was one of those wacky Spring weather days, so we just went with the flow. Hung out in the playroom for some drawing and dancing, went on a little stroll then came in when it started to SNOW, then shot the breeze with some hot cocoa. It was weekend winning at its best.
W was so into spending an hour just snuggling with his folks-- snoozing, snacking, and chatting. I really love doing "newborn" sessions when the baby is about six weeks old, because everything seems to be coming into focus by then: tiny person is noticing the world around them, parents are learning more about who this tiny person is, and everyone is a little more relaxed into some kind (temporary) routine. It was really awesome just to capture W in his kingdom, with his loyal subjects, doing all his best stuff.
I met up with this sweet crew on the rooftop of the Durham Hotel, which they helped build (!) and then headed to my favorite brick-lined street for more fun. It made me so happy to see how easy and tender the three kids are with one another and their parents. I can't wait to watch these little dudes grow!
Oh man-- the tiny wrinkly back. The newborn grumpy face. The sleepy snuggles. I can't wait to watch this Durham baby grow!
It's become a tradition to gather in the backyard with this very close extended family--Parents, Aunt, Grandmother, and the three little ones they adore-- and photograph them as they do their awesome thing. Since I saw them last time, they've added another little boy and big fluffy dog to the mix! It makes me so happy to imagine that the three kiddos will be able to look at these photos later on and see clearly how cherished they are.
I feel like posed portraiture gets a bad rap these days, and it's actually something I really love. M has such a deliberate, quiet power to her-- it felt really right go right to slow in the incredible Autumn light and just let her explore her environment and melt into her parents in an intentional way. I love the way so many parts of her personality-- curiosity, shyness, playfulness, intensity-- move across her face in these images. What cool record of her as a three-year-old person.
I've known these little dudes since they were tiny! We are related! It was such a pleasure to spend some time just watching them do what they do: sorting their Halloween loot, reading Wimpy Kid, climbing trees, drinking tea. My favorite kind of photo sesh, and the best kind of afternoon.
Playtime at Forest Theatre, brunch at the Root Cellar, and frolics outside Flyleaf Books with two sweet, spirited girls and their phenomenally lovely parents. I feel so lucky to have spent a rainy Fall morning photographing this family just as they are, which is totally awesome.
Olimpia, a wonderful fellow doula and fantastic yogi, asked for a session that captures what she's all about-- her meditation practice, her cozy private space, and her love of nature. I loved spending an afternoon learning more about what's important to her and how she fits into her natural habitat, and then seeing how her sense of joy comes through in these photos.
Baby T and his dog, Sawyer, have a storybook friendship. They follow each other everywhere, play together, and give each other lots of smooches, licks, jumps, and ear-tugs. T was born teeny-tiny, and Sawyer has been his protector ever since. I'm so glad I could document their love story along with T's adoring parents!
It was one of the last really summery weekends, and the wild Miss O took me and her parents on a tour of her favorite DC neighborhood haunts. It was so fun to see how much she had grown over the past year, and I was delighted to find that, though she is bigger and more articulate, she's also just as clever, sassy, and goofy as ever. It's pretty clear that her parents like her, too.
I was lucky enough to be the doula at H's birth, and she was such a gentle, sweet little cupcake from the start. It was beautiful to spend some time with her and her parents the day after she was born, and watch at they marveled at her deliciousness!
I loved working with A and T to plan their wedding photos, because they wanted to make sure to keep the pictures, like the wedding itself, focused on their personalities and their connection. They were so excited to be marrying each other, and each of them is so delighted by the other's particular brand of quirk. When I look at these photos now, what comes through most is how beautifully they focused in on each other on that gorgeous summer evening, and just let everything else fall away.
