Elle | Mandeville Newborn + Family Photographer

“You are the books you read, the films you watch, the music you listen to, the people you meet, the dreams you have, the conversations you engage in.  You are what you take from these.  You are the sound of the ocean, the breath of fresh air, the brightest light and the darkest corner.  You are a collective of every experience you have had in your life.  You are every single day.  So drown yourself in a sea of knowledge and existence.  Let the words run through your veins and let the colours fill your mind.”

- Jac Vanek

This quote hangs on my refrigerator. Every time I see it in the midst of rushing or being overly stressed, it humbly reminds me to not move too quickly and enjoy even the mundane minutes of my day. What’s funny is, while I often take for granted my own repetitive actions of each day, I soak them in fiercely when I’m spending time documenting my clients.

When I have clients who hire me continuously for their family’s growth and changes, I get to know them a little more intimately with each encounter. For the children, this means a familiar face who plays on the floor with them or holds them while mama finishes getting her makeup on. For dad, this often helps take the stress factor out of wrangling kids and smiling continuously, as I do not ever go in expecting them to naturally feel comfortable in front of my camera. For mom, the lady who’s heart and soul this is likely all for, this may look like sharing a story of vulnerability with me after a few encounters with her family, knowing that I’ll understand her heart and use that information to document her family with that much more authenticity. Whatever the ways my clients choose to invite me more deeply into their lives, it allows me a connection to the art I’m creating for them that is invaluable to the both of us.

Here’s a peek at my most recent visit with Allison’s beautiful, growing family…

I’ve been documenting this little lady since she was as new as her sister. See some of our past hangouts when Kate was a newborn and when she turned one.