Anna and I had exchanged a handful of emails prior to their session, as I usually do with my new families. We had to reschedule a few times but finally our date came. It was a cloudy Seattle summer day, nothing out of the ordinary. When I read Anna's session form submission she explained that their oldest child came from adoption and that the is their fifth child as they have four biological children. It's not often that you hear of a family adopting a teenager so I was very excited to capture this very unique family.
When they hopped out of their van I couldn't believe the beauty before me. Each child dressed perfectly and mom and dad were also just as well clothed. But here is the thing... that isn't the beauty that you will see when you look at these photos. You won't see anything but instead feel. Feel their deep love and connection. They were so obviously deeply connected with each other. The respected each other, laughed, played, and snuggled. Really, the embodied what most families strive for, I think. There was an ease about them. Just simply comfortable with each other and so loving I can't even describe it. I felt honored to simply be in their presence. It was one of those sessions that left me feeling so fulfilled. Anna talked freely about the adoption of her daughter and it filled my heart to the brim with joy. It isn't my story to tell but I do encourage you to follow her journey on Instagram. Her name is cheerful_mama.
Family photography should be a lot more than a perfect portrait. It should be an experience that results in photos that speak to who the family really is. I hope I was able to even just do the smallest bit of justice to this very special family.
