My summer was full of LBI New Jersey family beach sessions! I met new families and got to see some families I’ve worked in the past again. I originally met this family 4 years ago when MaryRose and Mark got married at The Notary Hotel in Philadelphia on New Year’s Eve (you can check out their wedding by clicking here). Their wedding was a fantastic day filled with so much joy so, of course, I was so happy to hear from MaryRose and Mark when they had their daughter and wanted some photos at their house last year. I got to meet their super adorable daughter and their super awesome pup (you can check out some of the pics by clicking here). When MaryRose’s mother reached out to me about an LBI New Jersey family beach session with her whole family, of course I was so happy to oblige.
She’s not a tiny little baby anymore! 
All that joy! 
It is not only cool to watch my couples transform into parents, but it is pretty neat to watch the evolution of parents becoming grandparents. It is hard to describe the change that I see, but there is a subtle pride that they exude when they are with their children and grandchildren. Sometimes I’m not sure their own children even notice this, but as an outsider, I can see it and feel it and I think it is pretty neat. 
I love when a couple has been together for a few decades and they can still get this kind of happiness out of each other… 
Love the exchange of joy between these two…
I love this photo. I don’t know if everyone will and I can understand why some people may not. But this moment is very much representative of this season of childhood. Camille was not hurt or in danger. If she was, I certainly wouldn’t have been taking a photograph. She’s crying because as she got down low in the sand, I decided I really wanted to switch to my wide angle lens.
She didn’t like that.
A wide angle lens was not the right choice in her opinion.
And so, this is her reaction.
As adults, we find humor in what seems like a ridiculous response, but we also react with comfort because we never want to see our babies cry. I love how MaryRose immediately reached out to soothe her baby in this moment to let her know she was seen and mom was right here.
Is this picture going to be blown up and framed on the wall for years to come? Probably not. That isn’t the purpose it serves. It is this season of childhood that can be frustrating as a parent because you never know what will set your baby off (a wide angle lens… who’d have thought?) and it can also be funny because the reactions are so over-the-top. I want people to be able to look back at my photos and remember the seasons of life; the good and the bad of it. I want parents to remember what their baby’s face looked like not only when they laughed, but when they cried…and everything in between.
I have an image of my own daughter that is a similar type of moment at a similar age. I treasure that image because it takes me back to a time and place that doesn’t exist anymore. It helps me see how much she has changed, yet still looks the same. When she first saw that image of her she asked more about it wondering, as just a kid still, why I would take a pic of her in a saddened state. I explained to her that I happened to have my camera out already and it was a reaction to something really simple- not pain or danger- and that it was a common reaction for that age. I told her I loved her and her face so much I wanted to remember all of the expressions and all of the emotions. She found it funny that she would have reacted that way and I could see her pondering the idea that I loved her so much that even her crying face was something I wanted to remember. This is something that perhaps none of us who are lucky to be so loved can fully comprehend until we are much older or if we become a parent ourselves. That image was for me to be able to reflect on and remember. This blog is a place to share my portfolio with the world, but also a place to articulate the why behind some of my images.
While Camille’s family thinks they are somehow controlling her reactions with their silliness, Camille has realized she is actually the one fully in control of these people :o) 
Always a pleasure to see my couples again and again. So happy to capture all the joy of this growing family for their LBI New Jersey beach family session.
