This session changed how I view backyards
We didn't need a mountain view, or a perfect set- just their backyard, a little evening light and the love that already lived there. Stephanie's family truly shows the most meaningful moments happen at home.
When I stepped into this backyard I saw this swing and I got so excited. It was in the perfect spot and was a place these kiddos gravitated towards often.
This session was absolute beauty. Between the toddler twirls and goofy sibling snuggles, Stephanie's family let me in on their perfect, imperfect love - sunlight dancing through their laughter, little feet running through grass, and that soft in between moment where everything was just right.
This session began, like many do, with reminding mamas to take of the wrist hair tie and Dad to empty his pockets somehow I missed him still wearing his shoes—he missed the barefoot memo. But honestly, it worked in our favor. It gave us a chance to slow down, reset, and sneak in a few extra family moments before the girls were off and running.
From there, the evening unfolded in the best kind of way. We played Red Light, Green Light—and Hadley, without fail, was the reigning champion. Laughter filled the yard as the girls spun circles around, then tugging her flowy dress like it was part of the game itself, which gave us some beautiful smiles.
Eventually, we wandered toward the garden, where they proudly showed off their turnips and their treasured Venus flytrap. There was a brief turf war over a ladybug, but mostly, it was dirt-under-the-fingernails joy—the kind that only happens when you’re home, barefoot, and fully present.
Just as we neared the end, the sky started to mist and the girls were over being in-front of a camera And honestly? It felt like the perfect ending. There’s something sacred about calling it when the energy shifts, when real life nudges in. They ran in the rain, cheeks flushed, giggles still hanging in the air. The garden quieted, the rain strengthened, and I packed up with a full heart. Thank you, Stephanie, for letting me step into your rhythm for a little while. These everyday moments—wild, warm, and wonderfully imperfect—are the ones that stay with us.
