Visual Uprising Photo

I have a friend who doesn't care very much about photos, and it blows my mind every time she says it. She doesn't photograph vacations, doesn't take very many pictures of her kids, and even once said she didn't care all that much about her wedding photos 😱 It's hard for me to understand how people can go through life without wanting to take photos, even of milestone moments. I feel like I see in photos. I see a scene and know I want to photograph it. I know what the image will look like (or, at least, what I want it to look like). I love going back through old photos of family and friends and reminiscing. I get a little teary eyed when I edit client photos. I LOVE photos and all the emotions they bring up in us.

I'm going to bet that if you follow me, photographs are important to you too, and if they are, there is no time like right now to schedule that family session and get emotional about what we create together 😉

If you've ever wondered what an in-home family session with me *actually looks like, this post is for you! I like to think it's much more laid back and enjoyable than you might think. I've heard from more than one client that they weren't sure what to expect when booking this type of session, and it ended up being more fun than they could have imagined. I've even had a husband or two say it was their favorite family photo session, because it didn't feel like a family photo session 😉

I recently pulled down some old medium format cameras I've had on a shelf for years, realized they still work, and promptly ordered film for them. I've also been playing around with an old Mamiya 35 mm that was donated to . Seeing me with so many different cameras, one of my girls asked how many I have, and why I needed so many. I asked her how many plushies she has, and why she needed so many 😄 I explained that each camera was a little bit different and would give different results (to some degree). I also just love cameras, so there's that. She then asked me, (and I know this sounds like a made up story, but it isn't), why people love photos so much. I told her that, for me, it's because it's one of the few ways we have to preserve our memories. I said, "what if I didn't have any pictures of you as a baby? or any video of you as a baby? Can you imagine having no idea what you looked liked, or what I used to look like?". This answer seemed to satisfy her and we moved on to something else. But later, the best thing happened. She came into my room with a camera her Nana bought her for Christmas. It's one of those that has a little printer with it, and you can immediately print the photos you take. It was still in the box, as she has previously showed no interest in it. She asked if we could figure out how it works, and I said OF COURSE. I also noticed she added film for her Polaroid camera to her birthday wish list ☺️ I imagine this interest will come and go for her, but I will sure foster it while I can. And so we're off, my daughter and I, to make tangible memories together for as long as she's interested!

Over the last year I have been pushing for a shift to in home photography. It's what I feel passionate about in this stage of my photography career, and I think it gives clients photos that are truest to who they are. That said, a good ol' mountain top sunset session will always have my heart, and I will never, ever say no to a client who wants one. This family drove up from Charlotte, NC to frolic around on Whitetop Mountain for an evening, and we had such a lovely time! When I sent the sneak peeks, Aly (mom) replied, "Love, love, LOVE them. They look amazing - so giddy!". And that's really all I could ever ask for, is clients who feel giddy over their photos ☺️ If you also want a gallery full of amazing photos that make you feel giddy, reach out and let's get something on the books!

At our first Field Notes (photography) meet up, we all came away with a prompt to work on. Mine was motion blur. It's something I've always loved and have incorporated sparingly, but I wanted to explore more of. I recruited a friend's daughter as my model, and we traipsed around the mountain one recent evening. I ended up with some fun images, and a desire to keep at it. I remember hearing (I think it was Summer) say we first had to learn the rules of photography before we could break them. Here's to always learning and growing and breaking the rules in the best ways.

My oldest child graduated from high school last week. I dropped him off for his last day of school and waited until I was out of the parking lot to let the tears fall. There are so many cliche sayings about how it all goes by so quickly, and we know it does, in some sense. But watching him walk into school, that school, for the last time, hit me in a way I wasn't prepared for.

We think we know to savor it, take pictures of it, file it away in our memory. All the little moments, all the big moments. And then time slips right on by and we wonder if we'd done everything we could do to enjoy it while we were in it.

We had our first photo walk yesterday evening. We explored in and around the old school in Lansing, NC, and had the most beautiful golden hour. Spending an evening with fellow photographers and creatives brings me so much joy and inspires me in new and exciting ways. I can't wait to see what becomes of this little community we are building. I know it's going to be special. I can feel it in my bones.

Scott and I took a walk yesterday evening with one of our girls. We are lucky enough to have trails right out our front door. We chose one that leads to a beaver dam, because we wanted to see their work (it was impressive). On the way back, we stopped by a section of the creek that is lined with trees and freshly bloomed flowers (it was also impressive). Juliet grumbled a little when we stopped because she knows we love to stand by a creek and just stare for a while. In the end, she did conceded that it was quite beautiful. The sun had already dipped low, so we missed golden hour, but I bet it's incredible in that spot. I'll be walking down there again soon to confirm, and you better believe you'll get pictures of that too.

When I talk about family sessions, I’m not only referring to those with children. Families take many forms. Couples without kids, partners with beloved pets, individuals who have chosen a different path, or close-knit groups of friends who feel like home. However you define it, your connection matters. “Family” isn’t one fixed idea, and I want every kind of bond to feel seen, valued, and worthy of being remembered.