on growing a family (and my new photography site)

Hey anyone who is still out there reading this never-updated-I-hope-to-change-that-soon blog. 

I have a new photography website….well, actually, I’ve had it for a while now, but its more presentable now than it was a year ago (things are slow going around here).   It’s still a work in progress…and I’d love to know what you think.  Shoot any suggestions my way.

www.saydishumwayphotography.com

I still can’t quite figure out an easy way to blog my photo stuff on that site, so for now, I’m going to do it here.   I’m just going into my busiest season of the year and I love to have a place to show some of the magic I’ve been able to capture.  Families are just beautiful, I can’t get over it.

I’ve been photographing this family for years and it has been so inspiring to watch their love grow as they’ve added new children, moved to new houses, had new adventures.  I blogged about their last photo session back here.  I love how they love each other and how they relish family life.  One of the things I love about being a photographer is the chance to get above the fray and chaos of family life and see the beauty in it all.  Being in their home, watching these parents enjoy their kids and then looking at the still captured images reminds me that family life is indeed magical.  Yes, in the moment it is grueling and often makes you want to run for your life, but these little souls who run around our houses, spewing crumbs and legos and noise all over the place are a gift, a precious splice of wonder and awe and innocence. And they’ll be gone before we know it. 

It seems like these guys get this.  And every time I’m with them they inspire me to slow down and relish the time I get to spend in the middle of all this family chaos.    

So here is some of their magic, as they’ve grown their family.

They grew from this: To this:To this:

To this:Dad went from this: To this: To this:to this: And mom went from this: to this:to this:

This little L went from this: to this: to this:and now this:

And this little R?  He went from this:

to this:to this:

to this:

and now this:

This little baby grew from this little bundle of joy: to this little adorable rascal:

And these brothers?  They went from this:

To this:

to this:and this:And this:and now this:

Here are some more from the most recent shoot:

 

          Wait, one more blast from the past:  here are the two big brothers in the same place, same shirt, same age (well close enough).     

                              

   I love how much fun these guys have during our sessions.  It’s a testament to me that you really get the best shots when everyone is relaxed and doing something fun together, especially the parents.                     

See what I mean?  It’s pretty beautiful watching a family grow.  And even though it feels like molasses as you move through that growing, looking back it happens in a blink.