While I can’t share images from this particular session out of privacy for my sweet client, what I can share is how this session made me feel. It’s what I wish I could bottle up and save for a day when I feel stuck creatively. Perhaps sharing this will help you if you’re in the same boat. And perhaps when I find myself in a rut in the future, I’ll be able to come back to this post and read the why and how that made me feel how I felt! Will it work? Time will tell! They say a photo is worth a thousand words. I also believe that a photo can take you back to how you were feeling. The dream scenario here would be that when I find myself stuck creatively, I can come back to this moment in time, view this image—and all of the many favorites I wish I could share!—and have the emotion flood back simultaneously. Sounds completely logical, right? Let’s go with it!
Before sharing the image, allow me to share some of the backstory. Over the summer, I photographed a client and her colleague. Together they are starting a new business, and I couldn’t be happier for them and how they are going to shake up their industry in the best way! More to come with their session!! Another one of their colleagues saw their gallery and loved the results. She reached out to me, and we worked together to create a stunning portfolio of images for her and her next chapter in her profession. After some back and forth tossing around ideas for locations for the session, we landed on one that she had experience with. I had also been to said location, however, outdoors during this season was not going to work. A few years ago, I photographed some senior portraits in various indoor areas of location. In all honesty, none of them fired me up. None of them inspired me in any way. Now, don’t get me wrong, my client had a wonderful experience and loved their senior portraits! The issue was on my side. Needless to say, I was a bit nervous going into this portrait session, because, as always, I want to do my best for my clients and serve them very well. I arrived a little early, took some deep breaths, and vowed to find 1 spot—just 1!—that could rise to the occasion. As I walked around, I found myself intentionally being extra open-minded to any and all possibilities. However, this one hallway was coming to a dead end. More deep breaths. Wait, there was some light…a lot of light, in fact! Beautiful, natural light streamed in from nearly all sides of this open room! This was it! This was that spark! I felt like I had found a hidden gem! If I hadn’t walked a little bit further, would I have found this space? From then on, my deep breaths turned into calm, steady ones, coupled with a wash of what I can only explain as exuberant creative energy. As I type this, I have goosebumps! I am literally feeling how I felt that day, and these are just words! Isn’t that so powerful?! The session with my new client flew by with the best energy, an energy that I want to remember and recreate anytime I want or need to do so! We were brave with trying new poses. We laughed. We shook off any stiffness that may have come from passers-by going about their day. Before we knew it, the session had come to an end, and I felt like it had just begun! I shared details of what to expect next, and we said our farewells. The gallery is one I’m extremely proud of, one that I know will serve this client very well and for quite some time as she embarks on a new trajectory in her field.
While this image isn’t profound and doesn’t highlight my client (to respect her privacy), it is part of the story and the experience. The glimmer of a bit of glare reminds me of all the natural light that filled the space, drawing my eyes toward it from the dark hallway. The colors are bright and cheery. There’s a cute bird! Plus there are peonies, and if you’ve been following me for awhile, you are well aware of my affinity for these beautiful blooms. This framed print was one of the first things I saw walking into the space, and it seemed to be a welcoming sign saying that I was going to be just fine.
Happy New Year, friends! May 2026 be filled with endless possibilities, hidden gems waiting to be discovered, and peonies!
From my family to yours, we wish would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! May your holiday season be filled with joy, peace, light, laughter, and your favorite Christmas cookies while in the company of those you treasure most! We are hosting Christmas Dinner–a late lunch actually!–for my parents. On the menu is a pot roast with vegetables, Reggie’s Mom’s mac and cheese, green bean casserole, along with some appetizers, and, yes, Christmas cookies!
2025 has been a crazy year! We went on a cruise visiting London, Belgium, Norway, Netherlands, and Iceland in May right before the boys were finished with their school year. And the very next week we moved out of our home of 12 years to a piece of property with space for the boys and Fletcher to run and play! It has been so cool to see our surroundings throughout the seasons! Summer boasted full trees, many types of birds, deer from babies to bucks, fresh berries to pick, a babbling creek, wild summer thunderstorms, and perfect weather for a swim in our pool, which we never expected to have! Fall was also beautiful with some golden yellow leaves on trees and a variety of tall grasses –perfect for hosting some of my fall mini sessions! A dream come true! And over the last few weeks, the snowfall was truly magical! While this Christmas season feels new and different, it also feels so cozy, nostalgic, and meant to be. We are so grateful to have hosted birthday parties, sleepovers, family game nights, and now our first Christmas in our new home. After moving in, I described it as an AirBnB that I don’t want to leave. If that’s not what a home is all about, I don’t know what is!
Many thanks to my sweet friend, the lovely and talented, Rebecca Shehorn, for our family photos.
From my family to yours, Happy New Year, friends! I hope that your holiday season was filled with wonder, magic, joy, and time shared with those you love most! I enjoyed having some much needed time off after a fun-filled fall season! I have so much to share with you all! The boys had 2 weeks off of school, and we did all the things! We celebrated Emerson’s 9th birthday, as well as our baby cousin’s 1st birthday! We baked and decorated cookies for Santa. We cheered the boys on at their hockey games as well as watching 2 Indy Fuel games and traveling to our first NHL game! Remington asked for only 2 things for Christmas, one of which was tickets to see the Chicago Blackhawks play! We made a short trip of it, and had the best time! Have you ever been to an NHL game? The excitement is non-stop! Although the Blackhawks were defeated by the Dallas Stars, Remington’s favorite player, Connor Bedard, scored the team’s only goal. We would definitely love to go to more games! We also spent time with family, enjoying delicious foods and treats! A the day before school started, we got quite a bit of snow so we took the boys sledding. It was so fun! Before we knew it, it was time to get back to our school and work routines.
For many, the start of the New Year encourages us to take time to reflect on 2024 and to envision what could be in 2025. And that’s exactly what I’m doing behind the scenes during these winter weeks, along with some indoor sessions and projects! Do you make New Year’s resolutions? I’d love to hear what your goals are for 2025! I am working on ironing out mine, however, at the top of my list are continuing my health and wellness journey (which I’ll have to share more about soon!), reading (please share recommendations!), meal-prepping (what are your favorite recipes?), and more!
Sharing some favorites from our fall family portrait session with my lovely, talented friend and colleague, Rebecca! Thank you, Rebecca, for these lovely family photos!! I made an album for my parents for Christmas, as well as one for us, and it was a big hit!
Many of you may know that we had a dog years ago. We found her in 2011, a mere 5 pounds, on the hottest of Sunday summer afternoons at a random sale on the side of the road. She was the tiniest little thing hiding in the back of a really big kennel. After leaving the sale, we didn’t even make it a few minutes down the road before turning around to go back to see if she was available. We held her, and that was that! She rode home on my lap. Read about Lucy here! (And here, here, and here!) (Sidenote: Lucy now lives with a dear college friend of mine. Long story short, years ago, she bit Remington’s arm one day, and with having 5 month old Emerson around, plus neighborhood kiddos, we could not allow that to happen again. Saying goodbye to her was one of the most difficult things I have ever had to do. Sharing about this brings me to tears to this day. It’s something I don’t know that I’ll ever get over. We loved her, she was a part of our family. We still talk about her and think of her. The silver lining was knowing how much Lucy’s new owners adored her. And I’m forever grateful that she went to such a wonderful home.)
I remember when we brought Lucy home, we thought, perhaps quite naively, if we can do this (this being, raise a puppy!) without having a clue what to do, that one day we may be able to take care of a baby! I know, I know, puppies and babies are not the same, however, there are some parallels to be made! Now two kiddos later, it’s like I’m starting over! I feel like we had only one night of puppy crying her in crate. That house-training didn’t take so long. Reggie reminded me that Lucy did cry more than one night, and that house-training did take awhile. Fletcher is similar to a newborn baby in some ways, however, from the start he could already walk and run and jump and nip! Ohhhh those sharp little puppy shark teeth!!! My hands are healing from the wounds of battle. Battle, you ask? Yes, such battles include, but are not limited to the following: Puppy vs Crate, Puppy vs Leash, Puppy vs Dropped Paper Towel, Puppy vs Remington’s Sock On The Floor, Puppy vs Woven Basket of Blankets. I’m trying my hardest to soak up every second of puppyhood, because he’s growing more every day, just like our boys. Speaking of the boys, Remington and Emerson have been such wonderful big brothers to little Fletcher! Chase and Fetch are favorite pastimes in our house right now. And you can bet that one or all of us are giggling with Fletcher’s antics and lovable silliness! Like when he carries a toy that is almost bigger than he is and rolls over! Or when he slides across the kitchen floor chasing after his favorite ball!
Having another dog is something I’ve wished for these past few years, and the timing has never seemed quite right. I grew up loving our Miniature Schnauzer, Ginger. She was a sweet companion, who loved being brushed and who loved playing outside. It’s always been a dream of mine for our boys to experience the love and companionship of a dog. Back in the Spring while quarantined, we happened upon some dog training videos with the cutest little puppy! I have to admit, I fell hard for this little ball of fur, who happened to be an Irish Doodle. After some research, I found that there was a breeder just north of us here in Indiana! I had already researched a similar breed after meeting one years ago on a quick trip to photograph an engagement session in Santa Monica, CA. Reggie and I had woken up super early due to the time change and jet lag, and set out for an early morning walk in search of coffee. While we were walking, a man and his fluffy dog approached us. I asked if I could pet his adorable dog, and the pup laid down on his back for belly rubs, smiling at us the entire time! I was in heaven! I asked what kind of dog he had, and learned that it was a Golden Doodle. From then on, I knew that someday, I would love to have such a kind-hearted, happy-go-lucky dog as part of our family!
As we approached Christmas, the timing sort of clicked, and before we knew it, we had the biggest surprise of all for the boys on Christmas morning! It was so hard to keep this special surprise, and I caught myself so many times in the days before Christmas almost saying, “When we have our puppy, …” or “When we bring the puppy home, …!” This one particular afternoon Remington even asked me why I was smiling so big. Of course, I couldn’t divulge why, but it was because minutes earlier we had just been able to FaceTime with the breeder to see our puppy playing and interacting! We were getting a puppy!!! We had wrapped up a few dog supplies for Remington and Emerson to open, saying they’d be able to start another business, similar to their fall leaf raking endeavors, only this one could last all year, in any season. Remington put the pieces together pretty quickly, and once he and Emerson opened a framed photo of teeny tiny soon-to-be-named Fletcher, the happy tears flowed! It was so fun and so sweet, and, yes, we do have video of the whole thing! We were going to bring home a puppy within 6 sleeps, and we could hardly wait! We ventured out to pick up all of the necessary – and some not so necessary, like a green puffer coat! – supplies for our new little four-legged friend! The night before we were to meet and bring Fletcher home, we couldn’t help but talk about and imagine what he would do, where he would run, what he would play with first, and, most of all, we hoped he would feel at right at home! I’m happy to report that Fletcher has adjusted very well, and has even been sleeping through the night for the past two weeks! Each day he seems to have grown overnight! We just love him so much!
These were taken during Fletcher’s first few days home with us. And for being in a new place, with new people, with a strange black rectangle that goes click click click…Fletcher was a total champ! I may or may not have had to bribe him with multiple treats while also teaching him to sit, stay, and look at me in a matter of an hour! Whew! Did he made me work for these? Yes! Was it worth it? Absolutely!
Oh, Fletcher…I’ll be doing more photos of you again soon to see just how much you’ve grown! He’s been with us for almost a month now!
As luck would have, Fletcher’s cozy bed arrived during our session! It only took him a few minutes to realize it was just for him!
Meet Fletcher, our silly, lovable Irish Goldendoodle!
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas! It has been so wonderful to soak in this magical season with our boys – decorating indoors and out, driving around to see lights, giving gifts to family, baking cookies for Santa, ice skating and so much more! They have no idea how much they make our days brighter! May your holidays be filled with joy and love and sweet memories! Merry Christmas, friends!
