If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a hundred times… photographing families as they grow and move through life’s milestone’s is a privilege I can’t even begin to describe! Though I’ve moved all over the place the last ten years, there are a handful of families that watch social media and call or message me as soon as they see I’ll be in their town for a visit. Do you even understand how great that feels as a photographer? These moms and dads trust me so much they wait for me to visit.
Sometimes I feel like a circuit preacher from the 1700’s who roamed the West. I just happen to steal people’s souls with my camera instead of saving them. So, it’s more like circuit witchcraft… but I digress.
I’d barely posted the “Surprise, I’m home!!” video to Facebook, when **blip**, a message popped open asking if I would be up for taking some photos while I was back in CA. Are you kidding me?? That’s so cool!! How could I say no? And so, a few days later I was making my yearly voyage past Oakdale to photograph these awesome kids for the 8th year in a row. Yeesh… I love these people!!
I started photographing this family when the little guy was a newborn… they’re all so comfortable in front of my camera now and totally trust my direction. They tell me who likes who and what sports they’re playing and how their latest vacations went. I get to see their pets and chickens and once, they introduced me to a water buffalo. We’ve gone zip lining and tree climbing and this year, an inflatable swan was involved! But the best part has been to watch their personalities, relationships with each other, and their confidence grow over the years.
