nobody does it better.

this post is for the moms.



i spend a lot of this season of my life watching other people live theirs. haha, sounds weird when i phrase it like that, doesn't it? not that i don't have my own life... i do. filled with so many wonderful people and adventures and things to be thankful for. but at this exact moment, i do not have a spouse or kids or a lot of commitments and responsibilities outside of myself and my job. and most of my job is to chronicle other people's lives. it's a great learning opportunity, and i am soaking it all up.

i've been thinking lately about being a mom and what that might be like. personally, i can't wait. but i see that it is a HARD job. you grow these small people who are completely dependent for every need, and then in a flash... they are off and running (literally). your job, almost overnight, becomes less of a sedentary one and instead fills a role resembling jack-of-all-trades circus master. you comfort, you instruct and guide. you corral, you set free. you fix everything and other times teach them how to do it themselves. you find solutions to hunger when all that can be found are a few crackers at the bottom of a purse and help with pesky older siblings that won't stop with their incessant teasing. you kiss and make life better when needed.

dads are very important. VERY, very. i do not mean to minimize their role in a child's life... it's huge. but there's something lately i've been realizing about moms and i can't quite verbalize what i'm going for here, except to say there's nothing quite like a good mom who sincerely loves her kids. and when i say "love" i don't ONLY mean the feel-good, mushy kind of love- i also mean the "i'm doing this because it's best for you" kind of love. i feel like that kind of full-circle love and guidance helps kids get the confidence they need to start figuring out who they were made to be. these little people who are bits and pieces of their parents but also extremely unique in and of themselves and resembling small blank pages with futures and potential largely untapped and unknown.

all this to say, as someone who may very well be a mom at some point in the future: watching you inspires me. so, thanks. keep doing what you do. and lest you feel as though it's a tough and somewhat crazy job at times- know that you're doing good work. it matters a whole lot... so keep it up. :)

hello from the coast!

i just love the ocean.

any body of water, really. lake pond river ocean stream. doesn't matter. but ocean is my favorite (shh, don't tell the others).

something about the smell, the sights, the sounds- it's absolutely mesmerizing. i get to the beach and feel like the weight of the world has been lifted off my shoulders. i can breathe better, think better. everything IS better. i could live here and die here and be amazingly content. or... i could just come visit as often as i can and be great with that, too. :)

here are a few snaps from the camera, of what my friend colette and i saw on a perfect fall night. all photos by me except the shot OF me, which is by colette. uh- i now tend to make crazy faces in front of the camera. unintentionally. this one's tame, relatively speaking... oh dear. :) :)




(photo by colette port)









headed to sleep now, listening to the sounds of the surf right outside. perfection. :) g'nite.

(part of) joelle + stephen (wedding)

good evening!

tonight is a comfort food sort of night. i must confess, i came home after a semi-long day about an hour ago and ate a random/odd assortment of pita chips (had to finish up the bag), tater tots (any form of potato=the BEST!), and a package of cherry pop tarts. now... would this be my top pick for comfort food? no. however, i've been out of town for nearly two weeks. the pickings are slim. :) i predict a trip to the grocery store is most definitely in my future.

i am exhausted. and when i'm overtired, i tend to feel hungrier than normal. hah. :) yesterday was a long day of travel after a fabulous week and a half in new york which included several weddings, time with family and friends, and a few family photoshoots with kids that could strongly compete for the title of the cutest small human beings ever to live and breathe. :) while i was sitting here eating nonsense, i thought to myself- HEY! why not share a few images on the ol' blog? so, without further ado, here are a few photos from the getting ready process for the beautiful wedding of stephen and joelle.

















have a happy beginning to your week! i'll be back with more to share, soon.

they have my heart.

people are fun to photograph.

around this time of year, i don't have a lot of time to really appreciate what i do. right now as i type i'm (again) in another airport, waiting for another cross-country flight to take me to another three weddings and a handful of families. i barely have time to fit in a little bit of a life, nevermind taking a minute to reflect on what i love about this job. but people are great. people are my favorite- to spend time with, to work alongside, to try and understand.

even though ALL of my clients are amazing, there's just something about the kids- they are incredible treasures. here are a few random shots from just a sampling of the families i saw and worked with during my last trip to the east coast, which is where i'm headed again right now. enjoy, because these are some wonderfully beautiful and handsome little people. :) the whole world is before them to learn and explore and the possibilities are endless. so much yet to be discovered. i love every minute i spend with these guys and am thankful to have the privilege of capturing some of their grand adventure.

georgia + eric (wedding)

here's a semi-wordless, picture-heavy post about a july wedding that was just stunning. thanks georgia and eric for allowing me to be a part of your big day! as for me, i'm getting ready to go enjoy my holiday weekend, i hope you do the same! :)