I often wonder why lifestyle photography started appealing to me out of the blue. Maybe it’s because I value the freedom of expression so much more lately or perhaps it’s simply because I got tired of posing, tired of rules and restrictions. In any event, this draw to lifestyle photography came at a perfect time.

I knew I needed a new portfolio as my work from the past includes mostly typical (posed) in-studio images. I was looking for a family to experiment my new style of shooting with, and Sarah came along. When she mentioned how much she loves running her fingers and her toes through dirt and how much she loves walking barefoot, I knew she would be an ideal match to what I was trying to capture.

Sarah and her family met me at a local lake (Bear Creek State Park), and it didn’t take long before she and her girls dipped their feet in mud 🙂

When Sarah said “I love getting dirty”, she really meant it! There she is sitting covered in mud, enjoying herself and her sweet, also muddy baby!

One of things I loved most about Sarah’s family, is that they felt very natural spending time together and didn’t act awkward with me being there to capture their family. Nothing forced, just simply hanging out on a Sunday afternoon.

Often, dads will resist having their picture taken but it wasn’t the case with Allen. He really enjoyed the time with his girls and you can see how natural the girls feel with their dad. They gravitate toward him and it shows!

This capture below will forever be my favorite one. When I look at Charlie’s face, I can feel how comfortable and safe she feels in her father’s arms.

One of the greatest perks of transitioning into lifestyle photo session is that I no longer needed to trick toddlers to pose, smile or look at the camera for me. Toddlers have a mind and an agenda on their own, and all I have to do is capture their free spirit.

I couldn’t have had a better family to kick off my new journey as a lifestyle photographer. I feel truly blessed to have had a chance to get to know and photograph Sarah and her family!

I am super excited to see what this new journey will bring!