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As it is for many people, winter is my down time. Beginning right before Christmas and going until usually April or so, people are just not thinking about photo shoots. And I can’t blame them. The weather is icky (usually…what is up with this weather lately?!), they’re trying to unwind from the Christmas craziness, and life in general is just not as conducive to taking photos.

Or so they think .

I love winter photo shoots because I am forced to think differently. Even with the warm weather lately, it was still a bit too chilly for this little guy this morning. We tried spending some time out by his parents’ beautiful pond, but the wind was just too much for a 3 month old. So we headed back inside to warm up and just spend some time playing. I loved it.

Over the weekend I had the absolute honor of meeting three beautiful women. It makes my heart so happy to see a mom with her daughters like this. I can only hope my own daughter and I have a future full of love and laughter.

 And last but not least, part 3. This is my idea of the ideal session. We meet up at home to get those ohsowonderful homey lifestyle shots, then we dress up and head downtown, then we get all casual and go play at the park. Perfection. You see that first full size black and white? The one where they’re all snuggly? Maybe my new favorite .

I am so at home here. As I worked through ‘part 2′ of this session (you can see part 1 HERE), I felt all cozy and warm. Like, I wanted to snuggle with my computer. Weird. I know. But I cant help it. ‘At home’ sessions are my chocolate cake. Everyone is so relaxed, comfortable, themselves. And isn’t that what our goal is during our session? To capture your adorable little family in the most natural way possible? Don’t get me wrong, I love a park session or a fun downtown session, but our lives are not spent all dressed up in heels wandering around the park.

Something magical happens when a toddler gets to show me his room. They often grab my hand and pull me in, so excited to show off all of their treasures. This is what photography means to me. This is where I am at home.

In my own photography (as you can clearly see in my One Frame A Day project) I feel it is so so important to create visual memories of the simple, day to day happenings that we are going to want to look back on in 30 years. Personally, I will be much more likely to pull out the album of a true lifestyle session than a more formal session. I will want to flip through those pages a million times with my grown up babies remembering when she walked around in mommy’s heels and jewelry like such a big girl, or when she first learned how to ride her bike. Or that beautiful-slightly stinky-worn-stretched out-loved beyond belief blankie that made everything better. Or the way only a round of If You’re Happy And You Know It and that dang binki could calm him down when he was really really out of his routine and just needed to be comforted.

Many of my clients are opening up their homes to me and letting me glimpse a sliver of daily life. I hope they will continue to do so because it is the greatest honor for me.