Guest Blog by John Ford

One of the nice things about traveling from Sharon, MA to Appleton, Maine is the dedicated four hours of reflection time spent getting there. Sure, most people would probably say that’s too long to travel, but I’ve found that time to be a welcomed reprise from the world and the prerequisite for entering “Maine Time,” which is far different than  “Massachusetts Time.” In Maine, it takes a minimum of a half hour to get anywhere. Time is protracted in Maine, and I’ve come to love that, too.


Often during the rides, Ann-Marie and I listen to audio books on our way North ( Remind me sometime to give you some great book recommendations). Other times, she listens to photography pod casts with her ear buds, and I just enjoy the quiet time thinking. I usually tell myself that during this trip I’m going to focus on some issues and work through some solutions in my mind. Or, I plan to to formulate a nice story to blog about. However, I find that my focus lasts for about 30 seconds, and then, like a frenetic squirrel running from tree to tree, my thoughts start to bounce from one random thought to another. During the most recent trip I couldn’t help but to think, “Do smart people have the capacity to think longer thoughts, and is that why they’re smart?”


Although, I also realize that while I struggle to focus, my brain is also competing with my musings by consciously and subconsciously computing the millions of pieces of information that is required to keep my car traveling safely on the road. It’s probably a good thing that my focus is overridden by self-preservation.


In any event, here are a couple of random thoughts I had during our recent trip to Maine. 


One of these random thoughts was about sleep. I could write a whole blog on sleep. When I worked the midnight shift ( ten years in total) I came to truly appreciate the body’s need for unadulterated shut-eye. My sleep pattern became so disrupted and disjointed that, at one point I was close to hospitalization. Thank goodness those days (and nights) are in the past.


In my 66 years, or approximately 23,496 nights of potential sleep, I have had plenty of good slumber. Yet, during this life, only a very small number of nights of remarkable sleep. The kind of rest that feels like you’re waking from another world.  Maybe three remarkable sleeps total - and two could be credited to whatever drug they give you before an Upper GI and a Colonoscopy. 


The best natural sleep I can remember occurred when I was 12 years old.I had the 
the best sleep I had ever had. It was  the  summer of 1968. I was on a New Hampshire camping trip with my family. The campground had a small pond and a row boat which could be used at will. Rowing a boat by myself was a thrill to a 12 year old and I spent hours perfecting my maritime skills in the warmth of our late August vacation. Exhausted, I later returned to our old ten-man, cabin style, tent. The pungency of the thick, slightly mildewed, canvass was the comforting smell of those rare vacations that we took. It’s funny how your brain can magically recall odors. 


I feel bad for kids nowadays. Today, most families don’t go camping and if they do they usually have one of those fancy nylon LL Bean jobs that beautifully repels rain and can be put up in seconds.  Our tent took hours to put together and my father would systematically lay the parts out before my mother and I were assigned our places for the moment of truth. Something like the itinerant tent raisers at the Barnum and Bailey Circus. We also had those foldable cots that were awesome, particularly when compared to constantly deflating air mattresses, or the hardness of the ground.


I had fallen asleep on one one of those cots and I awoke a lifetime later with the setting sun playing on my face. My hair was wet with sweat and my body truly felt as if I had been transported to another place. I was in a fog, but also truly energized. What made the waking moments even more eerie was that as I peered outside the tent there was no-one to be found. My parents and siblings were absent. In fact, the whole campground seemed deserted. If I had reached the age of shaving, I would not have been surprised if I had found a Rip Van Winkle beard sporting from my face.  As I stood alone outside the tent, the world seemed so lonely and scary, but it also felt so wonderfully refreshed and exhilarating, due to this unearthly sleep I had just physically experienced.


I didn’t know at the age of 12 that some 54 years later  during time transport to Maine, I would be again reliving that experience. But, that’s what “Maine Time” does, it transports you - sometimes to places that are neatly tucked away on a camping cot in 1968.


I find myself hoping that someday I can experience a sleep like that again. In the meantime, I can look forward to my next colonoscopy. I think it’s scheduled for 2024. “Hey, Ann Marie, did I miss the exit?”
​

Everybody has a story and if you’re lucky enough to have the time, most people are willing to share theirs. That’s what I like about retirement and the State of Maine.  I have the time to engage people and solicit their stories, and almost everyone in Maine is friendly enough to engage in conversation.

Recently, Ann Marie and I took a trip to Boothbay Harbor, Maine, to visit her parents. She asked me if on the way we could stop at a small art gallery in Boothbay Village to view the collection of photographs from the recent Maine Photography Competition. I’m always up for appreciating artistic creations, so we stopped and entered the Boothbay Region Art Foundation Gallery. We were warmly greeted by a very friendly,  colorfully attired, woman who was shuffling some paperwork. In her Maine vernacular, she encouraged us to enjoy the show. It was early afternoon on a Sunday and we pleasantly had the entire gallery to ourselves.

There were so many wonderful images to view and absorb. As we dawdled in front of each photograph, we discussed our likes and general impressions of each work. I couldn’t help but think that many of Ann Marie’s photos were equally as good as the finalists.

One of the photographs to win an honorable mention was taken by Rick Reynolds who formally resided in our home town of Sharon, MA. Rick now resides in Cushing, Maine. His photograph was a beautiful black and white shot of a Maine lighthouse being embraced by the sea under a canopy of a forbidding storm clouds. What a small world it is, I thought.

After about an hour of enjoyment, I finally settled on my favorite. It was taken by Maine photographer, Michael Hagenbuch of Tenants Harbor. His photograph entitled, “Home To Home” just tugged at me emotionally. I found myself unable to pull away. In my opinion, works of art have to employ two essential ingredients; they have to have interesting subject matter and the work has to critically draw an emotional connection with the viewer. Mr. Hagenbuch’s  photo certainly spoke to me personally, in both ways.

In the center of his photograph, your eye is drawn to a pristine, white, federal home set on a snow covered yard. The house is darkly juxtaposed  and framed by a twelve paned window, encased in an equally beautiful raised panel alcove. I love the perspective that the artist drew upon. It reminds me of all those Flemish painters that would pose their subjects under some window light and then paint them from the adjoining room or hallway. For me, the emotion that is felt is that of peaceful solitude. Yet, there is also an element of inherent loneliness that it evokes as well. A kind of pulling into one’s self. We’re observing the distant beauty outside, while simultaneously being contained and separated in this darker place. A place that feels lonely.

I immediately conclude that Michael Hagenbuch has to be over 60 years of age - although, I don’t really know anything about him. I ruminate to myself that after the age of 60 you start to see the beauty of life as it is contained within our own mortality. That’s the emotion that Hagenbuch’s work is evoking in me. I also start to  hope God is gracious to me and allows me to leave this earth before Ann Marie. I’ve never been so good at loneliness.

Okay, I rant, and wax a bit too maudlin. With Ann Marie’s approval, I decide I have to purchase this photograph. “Wow”, I think to myself, it’s my favorite in the entire gallery, and it’s priced the cheapest at $150!

I beckon our Maine host over to tell her I’m interested in purchasing. She tells me she just loves the work as well, but she then pauses when she looks at the accompanied display card. “Oh dear,”… she states. “This red dot indicates that the work is already sold”. I express my disappointment and remark that the artist could have received three times the requested purchase price. She agrees.

Amazingly, the woman then tells me that she is going to call the artist and see if he would consider making an additional reproduction for me. She took my phone number and promised to get back to me.

Ann Marie and I weren’t at her parents house ten minutes when my phone rang. “Hi, John? This is June from the gallery. I spoke with the artist and he is willing to make another copy at the same cost for you, and the member that purchased this one is willing to let you take his while he waits for the copy”.

We jumped in the car and rushed back to the gallery and thanked June for her efforts. Two women and a dog entered the gallery right after us and inquired if they could bring in their very well behaved dog. “Sure”, June cheerfully responded.  Gosh, I love Maine - no pretense or snobbery here, even in an art gallery. Ann Marie asked for her full name. “June Rose”, she proudly stated. “What a wonderful name”, Ann Marie remarked. “Well, it used to be June Webster, but I married a Rose”, chuckled June.

I awkwardly started singing, “June Is Busting Out All Over”….. from Carousel.  June, immediately froze in place and just stared at me with those “deer in the headlights”, look.  Feeling her uneasiness ( at this stranger singing her name and me thinking she had no idea what the song was), I feebly attempted to qualify my musical offering by stating that I think the song is from the musical, Carousel or perhaps, Oklahoma, I couldn’t quite recall. One of the two women that came in with the dog came to my aid by saying, “Yes, it’s from Carousel!

As a quick aside, Ann Marie thinks I have a dual personality. At home, I am often quiet, cranky and near impossible to engage in conversation. Conversely, in public I can be ebullient and chatty, while exploring all possible connections between random people.

I recently told Ann Marie that my first girlfriend, many decades ago, described me as, “charming, when I wanted to be.” Which was her way of saying that I was a jerk most of the time. She, of course, was dead on accurate.

But, here’s the best part and the point of this blog. This is how June Rose eventually responded to my ad hoc rendition of June Is Busting Out All Over.

June is a life-long resident of Boothbay and she tells me in dead pan fashion that Carousel was filmed right here in Boothbay Harbor in 1956. She goes on to tell me that 17 year old June Webster, and her friends, would come down to the harbor each day to watch the filming and to swoon over a young star by the name of Gordon MacRae. June’s brother was also chosen to be an extra in the movie. She said that all the kids  would play on the set once filming wrapped up for the day.

After my jaw hit the floor and the two women with the dog were drawn into the story, June continued by telling me that in the day all her female friends would have their hair made up to emulate the actress Shirley Jones. June would claim that Frank Sinatra showed up on the first day of filming fully prepared to play the part of Billy Bigelow. However, Sinatra immediately quit because Boothbay was a dry town in 1956. “That wouldn’t work for Frank”, the dog lady chimed in. The unconfirmed rumor at the time was that Eva Gardner, to whom Sinatra was married, told him to quit the film and get his butt to Africa where she was filming. Otherwise, Gardner threatened to have an affair with her costar, Clark Cable.  I think June’s account seems more plausible.

I find myself deeply moved by this entire exchange. What a wonderful shared story that was sparked by an awkward singing of a broadway song. What a stroke of great fortune, but such encounters are truly expected in Maine.

But wait, the story’s not over! June went on to tell us that she had the wonderful fortune of working for a local florist in 1956. As such, she was chosen to deliver a bouquet of flowers to the house where Gordan MacRae was staying. With Bubbling teenage excitement, June knocked on the door anticipating the presence of gorgeous Gordan, only to be disappointedly met by the maid. As she  handed the arrangement to the maid June was even more disappointed to hear Mr. and Mrs. MacRae arguing loudly in the background. Alas, her romantic visions of perfect Hollywood couples were quickly and rudely dashed.

Everyone has a story and June Rose had an incredibly wonderful one. Photographer Michael Hagenbuch told me his story through a hauntingly beautiful photograph. And even the two ladies with the dog joined this story and probably have some pretty good stories of their own.  I hope you take the time to enjoy life like my friends in Maine and I hope you take the time to seek out people’s stories. I know you, too, have some good stories to share, I just know it.

Home To Home
Michael Hagenbuch

       "I made all these great musicals with Judy Garland. It was all about me going
         into a barn and sayin, ‘Let’s put on a show.’ That’s what me and Judy did."
                                                              -    Mickey Rooney

No sooner had we bought our beautiful house in Appleton, Maine, some six years ago, when I began to dream about building a barn. After all, what’s a home in Maine without a barn?  

"My dream is to have a creativity barn, in my backyard, which is full of musical     instruments and every kind of paint and oils and paper, and you can just go in and                                                          make something."                                                                           
                                                                      -  Allison Janney

Ann Marie and I have owned a few properties over our 35 years plus  of marriage, but we’ve never even had a garage. I wasn’t even sure why I needed a barn - it just held me in its siren’s call with romantic and creative possibilities.
​

​ 
I dreamt and searched for barn plans for months. I printed pictures of barns and hand designed layouts and locations to place our barn on our Appleton property. Finally, three years ago, with the full support of my wife and with very little money, I secured a local barn builder from Massachusetts to realize my dream. We had the shed moved, permits approved, and the foundation poured by a local Maine contractor, Dan Ford. We had also purchased our house from Bob and Anne Ford, and you can see how God was humorously telling me it's okay with all these Ford’s involved, even though Ann Marie Ford was pragmatically reminding me that we really didn’t have the money to build.

Alas, the dream was too powerful to be constrained by practicality - I kept imagining Andrew Wyeth in the Olson’s barn  painting his work entitled, “Hay Ledge”. I imagine James Taylor in his barn recording his latest hits. But, most importantly, I imagined spending hours in the barn with my grandchildren encouraging them to use their hands to work on some creative projects - to get messy and to explore the beauty of both Maine and their minds.

"I have a studio in a barn at home - we rehearse there, we film there, and we record there.  It’s fun to hang out with my guys and see what comes out next."
​James Taylor

​My lumber was ordered and arrived on site some three years ago. My barn builder started the project only to get injured on one of his builds. My lumber then sat for a long time. I was nonplussed on what to do, although my dream had only solidified more than ever.  

​

Ann Marie would save the day. She had been riding around  taking pictures on Clarry Hill Road in Warren, when she happened upon some folks building a beautiful post and beam house. (I would later be gently edified that they were timber frame builders). 

​ I immediately went to the site and amidst the flurry of activity I shouted up to the workers on the roof. I asked if I could speak with the foreman. Two fellows called down saying that I was speaking to them. One of them was a handsome younger man. He was both athletic and lean and reminded me of the famous long-distance runner from the 1970’s, Marty Liquori. He introduced himself as Michel Bunker, Co-owner of Heritage Timber Wrights (I would later learn that Michael
was also a long-distance runner).

Over the crest of the roof appeared an older, wizen 
looking man with a full beard, glasses and wiry body. He reminded me of a civil war general ready for action. He introduced himself as Bob LeRoy.

​ 
I tried to briefly encapsulate my situation and was hoping they could give me some advice. Both men took the time out of their busy day to patiently listen to me, and they even told me that they would stop in at the end of the day to take a look at what I had. True to their word, around 5:30 in the evening, Bob pulled up. We talked for about a half hour as he assessed what I had for lumber. Thus, our relationship with Heritage Timber Wrights was born.

​A couple of weeks ago after spending the winter getting prepped in their Searsport shop, my lumber was brought to our site.  On delivery day we worked with Michael, Jesse, Charlotte, Jerri and Alessandro. They were professional, yet also very warm individuals. 
Ann Marie and I immediately knew that this relationship was going to work.

​This week we were very excited to have the crew arrive and to begin the process of 
assembling their handiwork. We were equally excited as to how excited they were. Some hadn’t slept the night before thinking about all the little idiosyncrasies involved, and like children anticipating the excitement of Christmas morning. I love these types of people. 

​People that work because of the beauty and respect for the artwork, which in this case is timber framing. We’re lucky in life when our profession chooses us, not the other way around.

​Bob took charge of the site and like a battle proven general watched over every aspect of the build and the safety of those under his command. Generally, quiet, I learned that he has had a storied career working in Montana, Wyoming, up-state New York, among other places. He even had an early career as a hockey player. His lean stature assuredly made him fast on the ice, but as he self-admitted, not too good at the rough and tumble checking style of the 1970’s. Bob is a self-made man and a person that knows how to lead and mentor people through example.

​There were two women workers on site, Jerri, a tall, agile, and incredibly hard worker with a very noticeable sensitive and caring side. And, Charlotte the thinker.

Charlotte not only works on site, but she also helps in the design and development of construction plans. Her stature belies her enormous physical capabilities, and you can tell that both Jerri and Charlotte have earned the respect of Bob. To make matters even more sappy - they are both genuinely nice people. I am also pleased to imagine that these two women could capably pull off this build just by themselves.

​Then there’s Jesse. Where do I begin?  He is young, in his early 40’s, with a long scraggly Maine beard and a personality cross between philosopher and comedian. I joke to Bob that I would pay just to hear Jesse talk about life for hours at end. Jesse appears to be Bob’s right hand man, anticipating every next move with agility and tons of knowledge.

Bob tells me that Jesse has had other very successful careers, and when the time comes, he will feel the need to embark on some “new” creative venture. I only wish I could have been like  Jesse when I was younger.

​

​Alessandro may be the youngest of the crew and most likely the least experienced. What he may lack in the building experience he readily makes up for in the technical end of media production of the crew. While helping through the build, he is simultaneously taking photos, videos, running their drone and capturing the magic of a timber frame build. He also has a wonderful way of connecting with clients through his affable and warm demeanor.

Last on site, but certainly not least is, John. He is a big strapping six feet four inches. John easily and adeptly positions timbers, tools and his equally big personality, like a ballet dancer. Bob jokingly tells me they needed a “moose” on the job, that’s why they hired John. But John is far more than that, you can see that in the reluctant smile that he gave Ann Marie for a requested photograph at the end of the day. His graying beard and wry smile can’t hide the hardworking and sensitive heart within. I overhear him talking to his better half and says, “Not on the phone with all these guys around….. oh, okay, I love you, see you later”.

This crew creates art, but it also simultaneously creates memories and relationships. The only thing that will make this build better is if they randomly stop in and talk about whatever. That’s what building a barn does for people. It realizes dreams but also generates connections with people.

Don’t let a flattering woman coax and wheedle you and deceive you,
she is after your barn.     
- ​Unknown

So what is the difference between a headshot session and a branding session, and which one do I need? A headshot session results in is a single image that represents the best you. Almost everyone needs, or could use a headshot. It’s a digital world out there and a professional headshot from someone who knows how to get your best expressions and use lighting to flatter you and, is a good investment.  As humans, we connect more with a human face than a written name. 

​Your headshot puts a face to your business, job, organization, acting audition, social media profile and many more applications. People can connect with you before they meet you. It shows a level of professionalism, you care to look your best.

A branding photo session almost always includes a headshot, but it is so much more. The images tell a story and give the viewer much more insight into who is behind the headshot. There is intent to gain customers or to sell something in branding images.

Sure you can use your cell phone to take your images, but it will look like you did. Stock images don't reflect the real you and are also not a good choice. I would love to help you create a great impression for potential customers or clients with fresh images that show a  your professional message. I love what I do and would love to work with you. Send me a text if you would like to book a session. 774-259-5279 

This past summer I had an idea to do a photo session centered around the color light blue. I am always planning photo shoots in my head and I am fortunate enough to have family members who are willing to participate in bringing the ideas to fruition. If you follow my photography at all, you have probably seen Sarah in a lot of my images. She is is my husband's cousin's daughter. She is beautiful and so easy to work with. She loves creative ventures. I knew she would be onboard for my light blue session.

 My original idea was centered around light blue on light blue. I asked Sarah if she had a light blue hoodie. She immediately borrowed one from a friend.The above image was kinda what I had in mind, until............

I received a text with this picture in it from my daughter, she knew I love old Ford pickups. My brain sprung into action.
​ IT WAS LIGHT BLUE!!!! I asked her where she was and if the truck was still there. She was having dinner with her husband and his parents at the Town Spa in Stoughton, MA, the next town over. I called and told her, "Don't move, I'll be right there!" I jumped in the car and made my way there. I could visualize the truck in my "Light Blue" shoot. My heart was racing.

When I arrived, the truck was still there.  I found my daughter and son-in-law and family. They had already been looking around to see if they could guess who the owner might be.They suspected two guys at the bar. Talk about profiling. My daughter's mother-in-law, Mary Beth, was more than happy to help me out. She asked the bartender if he knew who owned the truck. He didn't, but he said he would be happy to ask the patrons at the bar. Without hesitation, in a very loud voice, he said,"Does anyone here own an old light blue Ford Pick up?" One of the two men they had picked, said, Yes I do. Did someone hit it?

I quickly reassured him that the truck was fine. I introduced myself and asked him about his beautiful Ford. He had recently restored it and had just been at a car show in Taunton, MA with his buddy sitting next to him. I told him about my idea for a photoshoot, but incorporating  his truck would bring it to a whole new level. We exchanged phone numbers to talk later. I was beyond excited.

Charlie, the truck owner, could not have been nicer. He invited me to do photos at his house, which had a beautiful yard and the garage door was red, which matched the interior of the truck and Sarah's nails.He also drove to a sportsman's club to use a wider open area. He was amazing.

Charlie is willing to let me use the truck again for photoshoots. I would love to do senior portraits or family sessions with the truck.

If you are interested in having a "Little Blue Truck" themed shoot of any kind, Let me know, I would love to set something up for you. Below are some more images from our session. Thanks for stopping by to take a look.

My intention was to narrow my favorite non client images from 2021 down to 21, but I just couldn't narrow them down that far. The reasons these images are favorites varies. Many are not technically good photos, but they cary emotion. Some are selected because of composition. I mostly photograph people for work, but I do enjoy getting other types of images.Take a look and leave a comment, if you like. 

1. For your kids
They will love looking back when they are older to see what they looked like and what you looked like.

2. To record a moment in time
This moment happens only once. Kids change so fast. Next year, they will look entirely different.

3. Document a place in time
The location of a family session is a great way to record where you are at this point in life. Families often choose locations that have special meaning to them. This awesome family lives in Gloucester and it was very important to them have the backgrounds reflect the area they live in.

4. Candid shots 
Sessions are not only about poses. So many great shots happen in between the posed ones. Interactions between family members are precious and heartwarming.

5. Enjoy a family activity
Being outside laughing and talking with your family can be so much fun. You create a memory that is remembered better because of the visual images that back up the activity. I know seeing old photos that I am in brings up the memories of what was happening during that time.

Thank you to Danielle and Zach for sharing your family with me. This is a direct quote from Danielle's instagram post:

"I was reluctant to hire someone to take family photos for a long time because honestly, I am more of a fan of candid photos; posed pictures seem forced and awkward to me. However, I'm glad that Zach continued to ask for them, that I called up my dear friend/second mom and hired her to take our photos...........

​I've been retired for over a month now and I've gone back to school. My current professor is one-and-a-half years old, and he doesn't teach using the traditional Socratic method, he's more of a hands-on type of instructor.

​I call him Professor Kooky Lukey and he's my second grandson. I know you're not supposed to give your grandsons self-fulfilling nick names, but you see, I want Luke to retain his kookiness. That's what makes him special.

​His older brother John is a first born, like me. Johnny is more the serious type; reflective, orderly, and often times obsessive and overly focused. Luke is teaching us that there is clearly another way to look at life.

​Professor Lukey has taught me that it's OK to start a book on the last page and to rip out a page or two if the desire to do so makes you laugh. It certainly makes the story more interesting the next time around.

Decades ago, in another life, when I was studying to become a teacher, I read all the John Holt books about how children learn. I loved those books, and I loved that Holt would spend hundreds of hours just playing with kids in order to truly understand the manner in which children naturally learned. ​

​I'm fascinated with how two brothers, with essentially the same shared experiences, can be so wonderfully different. Society will assuredly require that Lukey reign in some of his exuberance and Johnny will certainly have to let go of some of his self-awareness and obsessions. Hopefully, from each other, they will reach an equipoise for success. However, I also secretly hope that they retain a healthy level of indifference to what others want them to be.

​In any event, I have a lot more to learn from Professor Kooky Lukey. At 65 I can't wait until I see my 57-year baby brother so I can randomly assault him and wrestle him to 
the ground.

 Lukey has taught me that life doesn't have to be all that serious and I plan on practicing that a bit more. ​

​June 18, 2021
Dear Johnny,
Tonight I went to bed and couldn’t get these pictures out of my head. Ann Marie, or AHAH to you, just showed them to me earlier. As I tried to fall asleep I found myself overwhelmed with emotion thinking about them. I knew that my tears were speaking to me so I got out of bed and wrote this note to you.

​Someday, when you’re as old as PopPop, you will fully understand the feelings that I am attempting to express.

​When I saw this series of photographs of you I was moved with so much love and appreciation for your beauty and your incredible lightness of being at the age of three. What innocence and joy you exude in these pictures and what joy you bring to me on this upcoming father’s Day!  

When I was younger I truly enjoyed each moment with my three daughters. But often times there was not enough time for me and AHAH to catch our breath and reflect on how wonderful life truly was. However, with a generation between us, and me being closer to the final chapters, I can now see the circle of life more clearly. 

​Tonight, I am full with happy tears as I know that most of what you will experience in life will be without my earthly presence. You will love and be loved, you will experience great joy, and you will assuredly experience pain and loss. 

Love,
PopPop
P.S. When you’re old enough to understand, thank AHAH for her commitment and countless hours in learning the skills to become an artist. Her photographs have enriched our lives and will be cherished for generations to come.

Side note form Ann-Marie:
You have taught me so much and have been my supporter all the way. Love you!
 

Are you ready to get outside and have some fun? I know I am.

Why not do what this awesome family did and book a family photo session with me?

You pick the place.

Or I can suggest one. 

You come and hang out with your family and do family stuff. I just wander around and take images.

It's great when mom and dad join in.

 I love how the personalities come out when it's not just a photo session but a family activity.

Of course, I do ask for some family shots. After about an hour, I leave and you can too, or  you can stay on and enjoy your family time.

I had so much fun watching these two come out of their shell and enjoy our time together.

In the end, we have created a family memory for you that lives on in the images you will get.

Thank you Erik and Amy for  sharing your wonderful family with me.

If you would like to book a family session with me, reach out for more details and booking times by using the contact form below.