Family is everything! It was designed by God to make sure that children would grow up with the love, care and nurture that they so desperately need. And deserve. When done right, a family doesn’t have to tell you they’re happy. You see it in their faces. And you can feel it in the air. We had the pleasure of meeting such a family on Saturday.
From the moment the door was opened for us, we were greeted with smiling faces. The smell of Young Living essential oils filled the air. Our first glimpse was of a beautiful teenage girl with the coolest highlights. Ones she just got when she turned 15. They suited her. Our second introduction was to a sweet little girl that seemed shy at first. Until you asked about her unicorn tights and her baby doll Lily. Then she lit right up. By the time we met the parents, we felt right at home.
Color Outside the Lines
This sign in the home perfectly explains the type of parents we would be if we could’ve had children. It says “color outside the lines”. It implores children to think creatively, to not have to fit inside a certain mold. All children are unique. They have their own identities, even at a very young age. They have their own likes and dislikes. And they have their own opinions. Differences are what makes life interesting. We were very glad to meet parents who understand this concept and encourage their children to be themselves, all while still being respectful.
We decided to start our session at a huge barn they have on their property. The perfect backdrop for country portraits. The family instantly had camera-ready smiles, though me almost falling down the hill while trying to back up far enough may have helped a bit 😉
We loved getting to see the family interact, both as a whole and as smaller groups. You could see the admiration the parents have for each other. Audrey Hepburn once said “The best thing to hold on to in life is each other.” You could tell they felt this way about each other. They have found their match and they aren’t letting go for anything! Just like family is everything, they knew the love they have for each other is everything.
While we were photographing the parents, the kids playfully wrestled off to the side. While they may pretend to annoy each other like any kids do, you can tell how much they enjoy being together. To hear the giggles out of the little sister while she is hugged from behind and probably tickled a little bit was everything. Definitely something that warms the heart when you see them enjoying each other when they think no one else is watching.
These Moments Can’t Be Faked
They say you don’t get to choose your family. But the dad actually did get to choose this family several years ago. And you can tell he made the right choice. Such love in this family! And the silliness that can only be brought by a dad. He had us cracking up with all the poses he was doing. Watching the family interact when they didn’t think a camera was on them was even better than seeing them in the posed photographs.
These are moments that can’t be faked. To see a child’s love for their parent, well truthfully it brings tears to my eyes while I type this. Sometimes kids don’t fully appreciate their parents until they are grown. As I’m sitting here missing my parents that live over 600 miles away, to see children enjoying their parents and showing them love in the moment, that is PRICELESS. “Family is everything” isn’t just a slogan, it’s life for them.
A Mother’s Love
Then it was time for the “mom sandwich”. This woman has given so much to these girls. I’m not just talking about the leather jacket she let her daughter wear for the photos. The jacket the daughter is trying so hard to claim as her own (I mean, do you blame her? It’s awesome!) She helped them become the amazing humans they are. If you know her at all, you know these girls are her whole world. She does everything she can to protect them and enrich their lives. So it was time to show her a little love. So much beauty in just one photograph. And not just outer beauty.
Now it was time for some individual photos. It was windy and chilly so everyone took their turn waiting in the house. We got some updated headshots for mom and dad. It was so cute watching her peek around the corner while he was getting his photos. She couldn’t handle not looking at him when he was that close. It was very sweet.
Just the Girls
Then for the kids’ portraits. The older daughter played it cool while the younger daughter was all smiles as her mom lifted her onto the porch rail for a photo.
Then came the REALLY fun part! We got to take photos of each girl with something they love! The oldest daughter has so many things she loves, but she chose archery for her photos. With the outfit, the hair, the bow and arrow and that amazing concentration, it definitely reminded us of something out of the Hunger Games.
The younger daughter LOVES her collection of stuffed animals and dolls. And reading. So we combined those two loves into a few photos for her. There were so many toys, the 80’s child inside of me had an immediate desire to recreate the scene from ET where he disguised himself amongst the toys. She could pass for an American Doll, don’t you think? After we were done photographing this next set, she sat on the couch to read more. She just couldn’t put the book down. Reading sparks the imagination, so I absolutely love seeing kids with a hunger for books.
And then…..bunnies! We were laughing so hard during this part of the shoot because the bunny on the left was trying its hardest to escape. Just look at that face! And the bunny on the right could not keep its eyes open for anything. How do you wake a bunny up? It was hysterical!
Just a few more photos of these beautiful girls. They definitely made our job easy.
Time Spent With Family is Everything
And to end the session, we wanted to get one of the family in their natural habitat. Just sitting around at home. Just this once, at my request, the kids were allowed to sit on the arms of the furniture. The younger daughter squealed with delight, since they are not allowed to sit like this normally. The things parents let us get away with for nice photos! And the happiness kids have when THEY are allowed to get away with something. We aim to please!
So thankful to this family for allowing us into their home to capture the love they have for each other. We are grateful for every smile and every laugh. And every moment of silliness. As always, please remember to tell the people in your life how much you love them. It makes every bit of difference. Have a great day!
Love, Reneé (and Kevin)
