lydia and her babies

In the middle of summer after a heavy rain storm that never seemed would end, I stepped into my woods with Lydia and her babies. It was like stepping through the wardrobe. I don’t know how much time passed as I breathlessly captured each of their soulful spirits: their impish grins, baby hands of treasures, and the way they breathed in their mother and nestled into her body. I love every image we captured together that day and I collapsed into my bed in ecstasy with river water and grass stuck to my feet .

Mamas so often are not in the picture and we need to change that. We need not only to capture her likeness but the way she made you feel: the way your body felt next to hers, the way she grabbed your hand when you were scared, the sparkle in her eye, the strength that shoots from her like the strongest sapling. And it’s never too late for that.

the mahan family | carl sandburg's home

On a humid evening in the lush, thickness of this summer, I had the adventure of photographing the Mahan family…complete with a pair of the most perfectly mischevious three year olds. We traipsed about Carl Sandburg’s home (Jamie works there as the project archivist so the grounds have very special meaning). We laughed, rolled in the grass, and searched for tadpoles. They also showered their mama with flowers and reached their arms to be in their daddy’s strong arms. There was so much love surrounding the four of them as we stood there at the end, sweaty and spent. I know it is not for the faint of heart to raise these dear boys (especially during a pandemic), but thankfully Jamie and John are full-hearted and opened armed.

The beauty of this season is waning...giving way to a different kind of beauty. Summer cools to fall, baby cheeks are thinning, and it will all never be this way again.

the smith family at home

I photographed the Smith family on the day a winter storm was rolling in. It was freezing outside but their home was cozy full of love. I went to high school with Melissa a long, long time ago and hadn’t seen her in years but I had fallen in love with the beautiful way she lives. She lives with gratitude. I love the carefree way she unschools her girls, the way she cooks and nourishes, the way she implements oils into their daily life. The day I went over to shoot, baby Koah was just a little over a month old. He was born at home surrounded by the whole family. As you’ll see in these pictures, this baby is cherished by the stair steps of big sisters he has. This spring I took a few nursing shots of Melissa under our blooming magnolias. Their nursing journey has not been smooth but we celebrated the victory of making it till today and the beauty of it.

Thank you Smith family for letting me into your home and allowing me to tell this story of this time in your full life.