NIKKI!!! I had such a great time trekking all over the farm with you guys!! I hope these pictures are everything you were hoping for!

Nikki asked if we could set up a family session at their favorite place – THE FARM!!! YES!!! ALWAYS!!

THESE ARE MY FAVORITE PHOTOS!!!

I LOVE THOSE SHOTS!!

I took SO MANY photos of this family on the farm – so stay tuned!!

 

Heleen and her family were submitted by here sister for my BEAUTIFUL contest in March of 2021!!

We set up a Monday evening in September and it was an absolutely GORGEOUS evening!!

I hope you can FEEL the happiness in these photos!!

I LOVE this sheet with the shadows!!! You might have figured out that it’s my new favorite thing!

GORGEOUS!!

The definition of childhood – a big stick as a sword!!

PURE PERFECTION!!

Heleen – I LOVED hanging out and chatting about life and Jesus with you!! I can’t WAIT till next time!

 

I ALWAYS look forward to this session each fall!!

Autumn changed the location at the last minute and I am SO glad she did!!

I LOVE REFLECTIONS!!

Silhouettes show SO MUCH emotion – don’t you think!?

We tried to catch the last few minutes of sunlight before it disappeared over the mountain – but it moved quicker than I thought it would!

I DO LOVE THAT ONE THOUGH!!

AND it made for PERFECT silhouettes!!

AUTUMN!!! This is my favorite session of ours yet!!! THANK YOU A MILLION TIMES!!!!

WHERE WILL WE GO NEXT YEAR!?

Brandie messaged me and asked if I had any openings for fall photos – thankfully I did!!

We met at my FAVORITE creek!!

Part of the challenge in coming to this creek with several clients is finding new ways to see it!!

I LOVE THIS ANGLE!!

Brandie!! Thank you SO MUCH for spending a little bit of your afternoon with me!! I hope to see you again soon!

 

 

I went to college with Saunseray – so we’ve known each other a LONG time!

BUT – Jared’s cousin Alyssa is one of Saunseray’s best friends! Alyssa got a gift certificate for them and we were finally able to work out a time together!

Aren’t they such a gorgeous family!?

THE BOYS!!

THE GIRLS!!

PERFECTION!!

PERFECT!!! I LOVE THAT SHOT!!

SO MUCH FUN!!

I am in LOVE with these silhouette shots!!

THE BOOKENDS!!!

I realized when I was editing these photos that I didn’t have any of the 5 kids together – except a silhouette.

Luckily they live not too far from me and were able to meet me in downtown Corning between sessions the next weekend to grab a few!!

Saunseray – thank you SO MUCH for meeting up with me again!! I appreciate that you were so understanding!!!

I hope to see you again soon!!

 

 

 

I’ve been taking pictures of this family for nearly 10 years!!

This year they met me at a favorite creek exploring spot!

OH MY GOODNESS!! I LOVE THAT SPOT!!

Sherry – thank you SO MUCH for making the drive to this GORGEOUS spot!!

I wonder where we should go next year!!!

Heather has become a favorite client of mine!! Am I allowed to say that!? Because I just did!!

SO – I was SO excited when she got her mom a GIFT CERTIFICATE for Christmas last year!!

We scheduled for August but had to reschedule for September – which worked out BEAUTIFULLY!

FALL IS MY FAVORITE COLOR!!

THE GRANDKIDS!!

THE GUYS!!

THE GIRLS!!

OH!! THOSE FACES!!!!

THE SWEETEST LITTLE FAMILY!!!

THE CUTEST COWBOY EVER!!!

I can’t stand the cuteness!!

The light was SO gorgeous that night!! The people – the property – EVERYTHING!!

Heather – thank you SO MUCH for asking me to spend the evening with your family!!

I’ve been taking photos of Myrana and Tyler and her family for several years! Their engagement and wedding and their first pregnancy. I saw them last summer for a creek session AND a silhouette session and LOVED the photos we got!

Myrana had announced that they were pregnant with baby #3 last fall! She had told me that their due date was the end of April – right near Fitzy’s birthday. A little girl. A little girl that she had prayed for.

I was thinking about her in April and decided I should check on her FB page to see if their little one – a girl – had arrived yet.

I was heartbroken when I checked her page to find out that their daughter Prestynn Mae was stillborn.

I once had a momma who delivered her 20 week old baby reach out to me asking how I dealt with the pain of our loss.

We lost our babies at 10 weeks. They were alive. They had a heartbeat and then it stopped. I did not hold their body. I did not see their face.

I don’t know the pain of losing a child after holding them. After seeing their face. After waiting 9 months only to deliver them and hand them back to the doctor.

Staying in the maternity ward to recover but without your child in your arms. I don’t know that pain.

Myrana and Tyler have their hope in only one thing. Jesus. They know that she was welcomed into heaven into His arms knowing ONLY love.

HOWEVER – that doesn’t make the day-to-day surviving any easier.

You want family photos to be happy. Smiles. Joy!

But what do you do when a part of your family is missing – forever?

There is still joy in life and you find it – even if it’s for a moment.

You throw rocks with your little boys. You hug them tightly and kiss their faces.

You find strength in each other’s arms. You lean into each other like never before.

You hug your “little” brother.

You look at that little face and you smile.

You look at the world through their eyes.

You try your best to enjoy the miracle of now with the ones that are in your arms.

You celebrate the people that have made it through so much life together – easy times and hard times.

You make sure to include her in your family photos because a photo without her in it seems too empty.

You say her name. Prestynn Mae. When people ask how many kids you have – you say 3.

You talk to your little ones about their little sister.

You somehow navigate your own grief and help them with theirs.

You don’t pretend to be strong. You are strong but strength also looks like crying when it hits you.

You say that you miss her. You say that it’s a hard day – or week – or month – or year.

You find joy in every place that you can. You tickle your kids.

You give them smooshy kisses.

You hold that little and big brother and tickle him to get a real smile.

Myrana & Tyler – like I said – I don’t know the depths of the pain you are going through.

I admire your strength and your voice. You will never let her memory die.

We will never understand SO MANY things this side of heaven.

Thank you so much for allowing me into the spaces of your life that capture the joys and the hurts.

We stopped for a few silhouette shots before making our way into the waterfall!

PERFECTION!!!

I LOVE THAT ONE!!!

Sometimes I have a hard time believing that I’m in Waverly NY and NOT Hawaii when I’m in this waterfall!!!

OH MY WORD!!! I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS SHOT!

MAYBE EVEN MORE IN BLACK & WHITE!?

GORGEOUS!!

PERFECT!

ONE OF MY FAVORITE SHOTS OF THE EVENING!!

Macy & Justin – thank you SO MUCH for spending the evening with me!!

THANK YOU for getting IN the water – you guys are the BEST!

I hope to work with you again soon!