I love the way some people float into your life so seamlessly, its as if they were always there. Julia is one of those people for me. Two years ago she walked into my studio, with a bounce in her step & a smile on her face…so eager to take her photography to the next level. We connected instantly. Maybe its the fact that we share the same views on the photography industry, maybe its that we both prefer to shoot life as it happens, or maybe its just that we were always meant to be friends. Whatever it is…I’m grateful to have this girl in my life. Over the past 2 years I’ve watched her spread her wings as an artist and a mother & cheered her on every step of the way. She always tells me she’s my biggest fan, but I’m here to tell you…its the other way around. There’s something purely magic about having her in front of my lens. I knew she was a bundle of sunshine the minute I met her, but to see her with her family takes it to a whole new level. She & Jona are deliriously happy together. And with Quin thrown in the mix, the cute factor goes straight through the roof. It may be a stretch to think that he remembered me from our last session but I have never had a toddler be more comfortable during a shoot.

Its every photojournalists dream to have their subjects forget about the camera, and the person behind it…and just BE. That’s exactly what happened at the end of this session. We put Quin in the water & it was as if the rest of the world melted away. For those brief moments I caught a glimpse of his sweet little spirit & felt so lucky to do what I do. Here’s a peek into the sweetness that is the Wade family…

I’m the first-born in my family & grew up with 2 little brothers. For a while it was just me & my brother Tommy ( who has also shown up on this blog, circa 2008 ) but when I was almost 8, Ben was born. He instantly turned our dynamic duo into a trio and brought so much laughter into our lives. As you can imagine, I treated him like a baby doll for the first few years, dressing the poor kid up in sequin bowties, top hats, er..feather boas ( sorry, Ben )..and teaching him my dance routines. I taught him how to ride a bike at 5 years old..and as long as I live I’ll never forget the look on his face when I let go of his bike seat & he flew down the street screaming at the top of his lungs. Despite our almost 8 year age difference, we have grown up super close. Both of my brothers are two of my very best friends. They are loving uncles to my boys, the first people I call when something great happens ( or something not so great..) and we’ve had more adventures than I can count. We grew up in a whirlwind of blanket forts, mud fights, climbing trees & chasing lightning bugs. You know you had a great childhood when there are too many good memories to count…

Ben also shares my love of photography & is pretty incredible behind the lens. He’s second-shot over 150 weddings with me since 2007 & has amassed an impressive catalog of work through the years. Not only does he consistently produce stellar images, we have such a blast every time we head out for a road trip. But in all our years traveling & shooting together, this is the first time he has actually been in front of my lens. He’s marrying the most amazing girl this winter. Victoria is the sister I always wished for..she’s an artist with astounding vision & absolutely adores my brother. My boys already consider her their aunt & think she’s the coolest chick ever. And last fall, she sat with me for hours in the hospital. We talked about wedding plans, her dress & how excited she was about this engagement session. She is a special gal and already family to me. So its no surprise that this session means a lot to me solely because of the two people in these images. We literally laughed our way through every inch of downtown, shot at Ben’s favorite coffee shop, and threw his hipster bike in the mix for a few shots.

Since these guys are family, I can play favorites…and this session is one of my favorites.

I adore this family. Isabella’s first time in front of my lens was at a wee 5 months old & even as a teeny cherub, her gummy grin totally stole my heart. Its hard to believe almost 2 years have passed since their last session with me. I was thrilled when Melanie called to book a shoot for the entire family. Isabella & Audrey are all sunshine & daisies with the most adventurous little spirits. We spent a sunny afternoon last week running through the tall grass, picking wildflowers & chasing fairies around this abandoned farm. Isabella picked a beautiful bouquet of wildflowers & presented it to me with a hug at the end of our shoot. Yep, I melted. Its not hard to see where the girls get their sweet sparkle…Melanie & Eddie are so smitten with them, their love just shines in every image. I hope the girls will look back on these images during their teen years & remember how very much they are loved. Thanks to Melanie, Eddie, Isabella & Audrey for bringing the magic & sharing their adventure with me. Lots of love to you guys.

“Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing at all..” -Helen Keller