Douglassville, PA Family Session | The Gumbas - Part 2

Back in July, I met up with Sarah and her three amazing sons for a family session at St. Peter's Village.  Her husband wasn't able to join us for that session, so I offered to stop by and capture a few photos of the entire family at a later date.  That second photoshoot came to fruition last week!  Their property is the perfect backdrop for a photoshoot, so I met up with them (and the spunky Australian Shepherd that they recently rescued) at their home in Douglassville.

Sarah and Frank showed me a photograph of a family who had previously lived in their home, dated 1900. They thought it would be fun to recreate that image with their own family, and I agreed!  After we captured that photo, we walked around their property for a few more family shots.  As always, my time with the Gumba Family was filled with smiles, laughter, and chasing the kiddos around on their four wheelers.

Here are a few of my favorites from our time together.  This is my third session with their family, and their love, energy, and incredible sense of humor and "realness" has easily made them one of my favorite families to capture!

The Mest Family at Blue Marsh Lake

Early Sunday morning, I met up with the Mest Family at Blue Marsh Lake.  When we arrived, the sky was overcast and the mist was still forming on the surface of the lake - it made for some really nice lighting at the edge of the water!

This session was originally planned for Julie and Andy and their two children - but Julie's sister was out of town, and Julie asked if she could bring her nephews and mother along to surprise her sister with some pictures of her children and their grandma upon her return.  I was happy to oblige!  What a kind, thoughtful gesture!!

I had such a great time chasing these kiddos (and grown ups) around Blue Marsh Lake!  They have such fun personalities, and it is obvious that they share a strong bond.  Here are a few of my favorites from our session.

Reading, Pennsylvania 4 Generations Session | The Sheipe Family

All because two people fell in love...

This photoshoot was months in the making!  I was contacted last year by Jim and Danielle, asking if we could arrange a family photoshoot as a gift to their parents.  As a wife and a mother to 3 busy daughters, I know how hard it is to find time that we will all be available as a family - I can only imagine the difficulty involved in choosing a date and time that 32 family members (some driving in from as far away as Pittsburgh) would all be able to get together for a photoshoot!  Well, we did it!  We found a spring afternoon that would work for everyone!   ...And then, Mother Nature decided to throw a hurricane into our plans and we had to reschedule!

Two seasons later, we were finally able to chisel out some time in all of our busy schedules and create these images. Thank you, everyone, for traveling near and far... and for sacrificing watching the Eagles/Steelers game that afternoon.  I hope these portraits are cherished by your family for years to come, and I am honored that you asked me to capture these for you. 

And thank you, Forry Family, for staying behind afterwards for a quick family session.  It was an honor getting to know everyone, and sharing smiles and laughs with you.

Big thanks to my incredible husband for assisting me!  It's not easy to get 32 people into place for a large group shot, but he made it seem effortless.   (Also - I LOVE how everyone was able to coordinate their outfits for this session!  Great job, everyone!!)

I hope you enjoy some of these photos that captured four generations of the Sheipe Family.

Berks County Newborn Session | Sean

A few weeks ago, I photographed this adorable little guy and his very proud parents!  He was only 12 days new and already had his mommy and daddy wrapped around his tiny little baby fingers and toes.  It was such a pleasure meeting everyone, and I am looking forward to many more family sessions with them!

Congratulations again, and welcome to the world, Sean!!

Saint Peter's Village Family Session | The Gumbas - Part 1

Last year, I had the pleasure of photographing the Gumba family for the first time, at their amazing property.  That session is still one of my favorite sessions to date, because we ended up abandoning all plans for posed shots and took more of a candid, lifestyle approach.  I love letting kids just be themselves - I find that's when they (and their parents) truly shine!

This year, our session took place the same day as a fishing trip that Dad was really looking forward to, so we decided to focus on Sarah and her three boys.  We opted to go with a different location this time, to mix up the backgrounds from last year.  Due to the nature of the location, and the tendency of 3- and 6-year olds to want to explore, we had to be a little less "lifestyle" and a little more hands-on, but we still captured some amazing photos of the boys being themselves!  Even though they are exploring their independence at this age, it is so obvious how much they love their momma.  It was also obvious when they decided they were finished having their photos taken!  See if you can figure it out in the images below. ;)

This family has forever earned a big space in my heart!  I love them for their energy, their sense of humor, and the fact that they are just so real!  They are unapologetically authentic, and I think we need more people like that in the world.

Thank you, Sarah!  Thank you for allowing me to take your family photos, and thank you for being you.  You are such a breath of fresh air.  Your kiddos rock, too.  Here are a few of my favorites from the session.

Reading Museum | Weaver Family Session

It seems like just yesterday I photographed David's newborn session.  It's so hard to believe that this amazing little man turned 2 recently!!  David's favorite color is yellow, so I suggested we venture out to this spot that had a field full of tiny yellow flowers!  Here are a few images from our Spring photoshoot at the Reading Museum!  

Boulder, Colorado | The Hulslander Family

While I was in Colorado in May, I had the opportunity to meet up with the Hulslander family and update their family portraits!  This time, we met up at the University of Colorado, Boulder campus.  It's always great to reconnect with my high school pals and their children - especially when they are as animated and fun as Theo!!  It has been incredible watching this little guy grow up over the past few years, and I'm looking forward to more sessions together on my future visits to Colorado!!  

Boulder, Colorado | The Stelling Family

I've known Annabel since my freshman year at Lehigh University.  We instantly connected, and she became my big sister when I joined the Delta Zeta sorority.  We got our first tattoos together, and made some amazing memories together - which may or may not include getting into a bit of trouble together.  We both moved around a bit after graduation and pursued different interests, but thanks to Facebook and our mutual love of music we were able to reconnect.  Thanks to Annabel, I was able to get the photo pass hook-up to shoot the Thievery Corporation show at Red Rocks in May!  As if that wasn't awesome enough, Annabel and her husband offered to let me crash at their incredible guest house while I was in town for the show.  While I was there, I snapped a few family photos before they headed out for their daughter's first dance recital.  Lyric is one of the cutest little souls I have ever met, and she has an equally incredible personality and smile!  She is definitely going to keep Annabel and Peter on their toes as she grows up!

I'm so thankful that I reconnected with my college friend, and I can't express enough thanks for the generosity shown to me by her family.  Thank you again, my friend.

Red Rocks, Colorado | Kenyon + Stacie + Zoey

Back in April, I took a trip to Colorado to cheer on my girls (I mean rockstars!) as they raced in the USASA Snowboard Nationals.  While I was there, I met up with my long time friend Kenyon for a quick photoshoot.  Lucky for me, his lovely lady-friend Stacie and their adorable fur-kid Zoey joined him!  We met up at one of my favorite places in the universe - Red Rocks Ampitheatre!!