I've been to this little house in Norfolk more than a few times, I've been photographing them for years now. 
(Can I just say what an incredible honor that is?) 
I was brought on to do a special session for them as a dear friend is moving away and this was sort of like a "goodbye" session. An end to a very sweet chapter in their lives. 
The bond they've formed was so precious to watch and to document. As a mother, I appreciate little friendships like this all the more. 

We began our day picking up their little friend and heading out to their favorite park in Norfolk. I have to say, it's one of mine too! 
Then we headed to the library for some good books (and to return old ones) and to play in their fantastic playroom. 
From there we stopped at May's Parlor Norfolk for the best pastries and cruffins you've ever tasted. (side note: I got the house salad and I kid you not it was one of the best salads I've ever had in my life and I eat salads all day every day. Also, I need to put in a plug for their lemon dill chicken salad because it was the most refreshing and flavorful chicken salad I've ever had! My client got the cinnamon rolls and I stole a piece of that too and it was delicious!)  

During nap time for the little one, we spent some time playing outside and filled up the little pool. It's so nostalgically summer isn't it? It just doesn't feel like summer without one of those blue plastic pools!
We hung out around the house for the rest of the day playing, reading books, and eating snacks.
It was a perfectly normal day, perfect for documenting the little moments that make up the majority of our days. 

If you'd like to talk about what a Day in the Life Session could look like for your family, I am more than happy to chat with you and find out what things are important to you and how we can get you in the frame with your family. Click the Contact button above or just click here to be taken to that page. 
Talk to you soon!

Life in the Western Branch area of Chesapeake is the best of both worlds. You're on the river, with a beautifully small community, yet close enough to everything in all the big cities and the beach.  
This family I have known for years. They asked me to come out and document a typical evening spent with family out on the river. 
Good food, good company, some crabbing (those iconic Chesapeake blue crabs!), lots of laughs, and a little paddling. 
I don't know about you, but that's pretty much my idea of a perfect evening...add in a gorgeous sunset and breathtaking moonrise...oh wait, there was that too. So, I guess it was perfect. 

There's something really special about enjoying a really low-key evening on the river without much planned. Life sort of slows down, there's no timeline for things except that you better eat while it's hot... there's no distractions... you're just unplugged for a while with the ones you love. 
It felt like a good night to make memories. 
​And that's just what they did. 

If you'd like to schedule your own Day in the Life session, let's connect (you can click here to email me). I want to hear about your family and what it is you want to remember about this season of life. 
I want to hear about what's important to you. 
Want to know more about what a Day in the Life Session is? Read this blog. 
Want to know what to expect when you book a documentary style session with me? Read this blog. 
Why documentary photography? Read this one. 

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Okay, I have to say, when a big family (and I mean big), gets together at a big beach house for a family vacation- you can count me in! Sandbridge Beach in Virginia Beach, Virginia is the perfect backdrop for this! It's a small little area that feels a lot like the Outerbanks in North Carolina. 
This family came in from all over to meet at the beach house. They were celebrating the grandfather's retirement from Princeton University.
I was immediately ushered in and got to work. There was a lot of different things going on and a lot of different sub-stories happening all at once. 

You know me, I was immediately sucked into the children's perspective of vacation. It brought me back to my childhood days vacationing with my aunts, uncles, and cousins. (I've got a ton of stories to share about that!) Needless to say, I instantly felt all the nostalgic feelings and began to immerse myself in their little world. I practically got heart eyes as I walked into their room and found that they had made their bunk beds into a fort! 

The teenagers were teenagering in the downstairs game room area. Playing pool, hanging out on the beach, lounging in the hot tub (by the way, it was 98 degrees that day!), and playing fun board/party games. I even got serenaded when 2 of the guys played Nirvana for me! I love a good jam sesh. 

They made homemade ice cream (it was a first for all of us!), pico de gallo (we debated all day whether it needed more lime or cilantro), played a game of chess, built more forts, played more games, swam a bit, did a lot of talking, telling stories, and hanging out, and before I knew it- it was time for family portraits on the beach. 
I know it sounds like a lot and yet, not a lot, but hanging out and just settling into the no-rush vibe of beach life is what memories are made of. These are the moments of vacation that will stick with them forever.
I know it's true for me at least. 

If you'd like to talk about having your vacation memories documented, I would love to talk with you. I want you in front of the camera with your family on your vacation, not behind it. I don't want you absent from every photo. 
Click the Contact tab above or just click here. Fill out the form and let's get the conversation started!