This baby girl has four big sisters.  I can only imagine what a special sisterhood they will share one day.  A big thank you to the Palmer family for inviting me into your home to experience a little bit of heaven on earth!

Just one example of what can go really, really right during a mini session.  Mini sessions are a short and sweet 20 minutes in front of the camera.  I grab as much as I can in that small amount of time -- from a few family poses to some headshots for the walls, and sometimes a few candid snapshots as well.  I find that it's fun for me as well as my clients!

This was one of those last minute squeeze-in type of sessions, but I am SO GLAD I agreed to do it.  This family was absolutely the sweetest I've met in a long time.  Can you just see that genuine love their little boy has for his mama?!  Melt my heart to a puddle on the floor.  I loved this session.  These are the type of pictures I strive to make for every family because they are the type of pictures I would want.

This sweet family won the Kimberly School District auction for this session.  And I am so happy they did!  I couldn't help smiling and laughing while editing their entire gallery.  Aren't their smiles just contagious?  I am so thankful to a community and friends like this whom trust me to take their family photos.

Want to know the great thing about mini sessions?  They're super short and sweet.  That means 20 minutes + a little treat I keep in my bag.  It was 45 degrees and whipping wind during this session but you'd never know it.  These kids were such good sports and made my job easy.

Even families with grown children can be a blast to photograph!  Here's proof.  I think these siblings had a lot of fun getting together.  They even tried to recreate an old photo or two!  Spirits were high and the light and the background was gorgeous.  It was such a smooth session and I know their mom was thrilled to get these images back.

My opinion is that summer is the best time for photos.  Case and point: look at all that soft green and yummy golden light!!!  Need I say more?  This family of three is one of the cutest I know.  I am so happy they trusted me to take their family pictures.

A family with five kids, ages 8 down to a few months. This session could best be described as controlled chaos. But it is hands-down one of my absolute favorite sessions to date. This. All of it. These are the kind of images I strive to make for my clients.  Lots of joy and connection peppered with some humor and real life disarray.  It doesn't get any more authentic than this.

Bonus fact: This adorable mama and I played the violin in college together!  This is the first we've seen each other in over a decade.  It felt surreal to meet her sweet family and to see how truly blessed she is today.

Never in the history of families has there been a more photogenic group than this one.  I honestly think that the more kids there are, the easier it is to pose the group!  This family is the best.  And I am not just saying that.  I am lucky enough to call them my friends -- and the oldest girls my babysitters!  They are genuine, kind, and talented people.  I hope these photos reflect that in some small way.

Summer sessions are where it's at!  The sun is bright, the air is warm, everyone's skin is sunkissed, and the world is green.  Extended family sessions can feel intimidating.  But I'll be honest, they are starting to grow on me, especially when it turns into five mini sessions.  Family is such a beautiful complicated mix.  I enjoy meeting my clients and getting to know them a bit.  Every family has a story.  And every family deserves to remember life as it is now... in all its perfect imperfectness.