The Carpenter Family Backyard Session
I feel so lucky that I have friends in my life that have been there through almost all the major milestones that I have experienced. This mama and I go way back, farther back than I would like to admit. We met in college, back when life was way simpler, and we instantly clicked. We became roommates and navigated the post college, early adult what-the-heck-do-we-do-now phase together. It is amazing to see how far we have come since then, and how much our lives have changed.
We now have four kids between us. If you had asked us to imagine that back in our 20's, you would have gotten a hearty laugh, or a dramatic gasp. But, things change. Our first-borns are just a few months apart. Having a close friend to experience a first pregnancy with really is something special. It is a wild time filled with a rollercoaster of emotions that no one understands, except a friend that is experiencing the same exact thing.
Fast forward a few years, and we both decided to add another to our brood. We used to drink wine and watch movies, now we just drink wine and watch our kids. It is not quiet. It is not relaxing. But, I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.
Every photoshoot that I do with kids this age seems like a chaotic mess. Most of the time the parents are apologizing for how crazy their kids are acting. Perfect outfits are getting ruined by rolling in the grass. Tears may be shed. But this is just how life goes, and those moments are worth capturing too. And almost always, when parents think a photo session was a complete disaster, they are shocked when they receive their gallery and it is full of photographs of happy kids, snuggles, and laughs.
Part of being a family photographer is knowing that no matter how wild a session gets, there are always the in-between moments, and those are my absolute favorite. They may be fleeting, but they are there. This outdoor photography session was right in their backyard. There was beautiful evening light peeking through after a dreary day.
The girls twirled, chased the dog, popped bubbles, destroyed flowers. They barely sat still for more than a second, but what kids do? And their photo gallery is just the sweetest little glowing family, full of adorable sister moments. Their backyard is also where they got married which makes it that much more special.
Having lifelong friends is a rare and wonderful thing, and getting to photograph their growing families is truly an honor. Cheers to many more years of friendship Carpenter family!
