Some Families Become More Than Clients

Ten years ago, I walked the long dock at Grider Hill Marina looking for a family staying on a houseboat. As I made my way to the very end of the pier, I found them on what I still remember as the perfect houseboat. None of us knew it then, but that first session would be the beginning of a friendship that would bring us back together again and again.

A few years later, they returned for their son's senior portraits. Then, last year, it was their middle daughter's turn. This year, I had the privilege of photographing another milestone for their family with their youngest daughter. Watching these kids grow up and being invited back for each chapter has been one of the greatest gifts of this job.  

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Their mom is one of those people you never forget. She has the kind of laugh that fills the room and makes everyone around her smile. She's warm, genuine, and has a way of making you feel like you've known her your whole life. Every session is filled with laughter, easy conversation, and the kind of comfort that reminds me why I love photographing people.

Lately, I've been challenging myself to grow as a photographer by experimenting with new techniques, fresh compositions, and different editing styles. I never want to become comfortable or simply recreate what I've already done. Every session is an opportunity to learn something new and push my work a little further.

These images did exactly that. They raised my own expectations and set a new standard for the kind of work I want to create going forward. From the light to the emotion to the final edits, everything seemed to come together in a way that left me genuinely excited about what we created.

Photography has introduced me to so many incredible people over the years, but families like this are what make me truly love what I do. It's an honor to be trusted with moments that can never be recreated and memories that only become more meaningful with time.

Thank you for inviting me back into your lives year after year. I had an absolute blast creating these images for your family, and I'm so grateful for the trust you've placed in me over the last decade. Here's to the next milestone and many more memories together.

Funny Story Add-on.  Those very first pictures in the creek were something.  There was a very young fat stray dog down there.  It was actually to fat to believe it was a stray but so feral that I don't think it couldn't have been a stray.   The dog would run through the water and leap at my lens and then run back through the water and straight up to her white dress.  It was a challenge, but we made it through with only a few spots.