Category: Motherhood

“You will never have this day with your children again. Tomorrow, they will be a little older than they were today. This day is a gift. Just breathe, notice, study their faces and little feet. Pay attention. Relish the charms of the present. Enjoy today. It will be over before you know it.” Like most mamas, I get misty-eyed reading this quote, knowing my children will not always be this small. At some point, it’s a realization most parents experience and it forces us to focus on the present, savoring each moment with them—with intention and purpose.

When Tamara reached out to me, I knew this session would be special because I could sense how much her children mean to her. As a single mama with two boys ages 3 & 9, she certainly has her hands full, but she is relentlessly loving, patient and kind towards them. I could see throughout our time together how much she cherishes every second with them and how much they equally adore their mother. 
Thank you, Tamara, for trusting me in documenting your sweet little family. I hope these images will always remind you of how blessed you are, how loved you are and how everyday with your boys is truly a gift. (11.09.19)

In this life, if you’re very fortunate, you stumble across a friend who gets to knows EVERYTHING about you– yet STILL loves you, is by your side through thick & thin–and despite time and distance, remains loyal through it all. That friend for me is Misti Horner.

We met in a middle school English class when, during a severe bout of the common cold (and me sneezing every five seconds), she graciously gave me Winnie the Pooh stickers to decorate the large box of tissues sitting on my desk🤣

From that day on, we were two peas in a pod, attending every dance, football game and ski trip, joined at the hip. Everyone knew us as “Kim & Mim,” and our senior class even voted us as “Inseparable Friends.” 15 years later, here we are. Very different people, with sweet little boys to call our own. So you can imagine how I reacted when she asked me to photograph her & her son Elliot. Every emotion felt, I was more than honored to tell their story. To document her deep love for him. 
And what I LOVED about this location– not only was it a gorgeous field in the middle of western Pennsylvania, every image was taken on her great-grandmother’s property where her family had lived and farmed for GENERATIONS. It doesn’t get much more meaningful than that.  (10.25.19)

When you’re driving to your photo session and your client texts, “We have an issue…,” it RARELY ends well😂 But come to find out, the issue— the field we were about to shoot in being FLOODED by an open fire hydrant— was actually a blessing in disguise. You see, there’s this MAGIC that happens when sunlight and spraying water mix, and I doubt I’ll ever be this lucky again💦☀️🌫 What we were unexpectedly given was this ethereal backdrop of mist, fog, shadows and light—and the results could not have been more heavenly!✨

However, the second we sauntered into the forest, both children began to meltdown😭😩 (I know, I know, every parent/photographer’s worst nightmare during a photo session). But no, I didn’t put down my camera. No, I didn’t stop shooting. 
Instead, when it seemed like all was lost and our session was doomed— my client, a single mother of two— scooped up her precious babies and started to comfort them in a way only a mother can. 
She didn’t yell. 
She wasn’t angry. 
She sat down in the soft grass and soothed them with her gentle voice, holding them close through every tear. 
And yet again, the sunlight shined brightly upon them, illuminating her selfless love and unexplainable strength.

Now, I’m not one who enjoys having her plans turned upside down or uncontrollable crying to occur during a session, but let me just say, if you can make lemonade out of lemons— looking for the GOOD in every situation, you might end up with the most stunning, unpredictably heartfelt moments. 
For most of us, seeing the beauty in EVERY circumstance does not come naturally— But doing so DOES change us and makes us not just better photographers, but better humans.

Finding the light in the darkness, staying calm amidst chaos and remaining patient under pressure—TOGETHER with my client—took this session from absolute ruin to one of the most meaningful I can ever recall♥️ (09.26.19)