At the start of the new year, I made a goal for myself…

I was going to consciously start taking steps to make an impact…

You might be asking, “Impact what?”

Well it’s more like impact “who”…

I meet amazing people, everyday. Either through bridal consultations for wedding photography, day of coordination for weddings at The Barns at Maple Valley Farm, through photographing their house they are about to list on the real estate market, or just strolling through the grocery store.

And every person I meet is going through a season of life. Each season is unique, each emotion is raw, and every action is a step in a direction.

Some are in the joyful early stages of the engagement period, others are overwhelmed with the shear thought of all the wedding day details, a few feel anticipation about leaving the life they have known for decades to venture into a new town, and many feel the strain of balancing work-life-family-friends-school.

So this was my goal… to use the gifts God bestowed upon me to impact people I meet in a positive way. For the time my clients are with me, I want to create an experience that brings joy to their eyes, laughter to their faces, a warmth to their soul, and God’s light to their heart. I look to create a session that allows them to be themselves, so that when I capture their images, they can look back and fondly remember the happiness they experienced.

I want to capture you. In your unique season.

When I hosted the Mini Sessions in the Peach Orchard, I was so excited to see past clients return and share what has happened in their life since our last session. And I felt honored that new faces expressed interest as well!

One new face, was Angel’s mom… an absolute sweetheart who helps out so much in her community.

She contacted me to ask if a session in the peach orchard would be ok for her daughter, Angel, and I said of course! Angel is a 17 month old with a rare syndrome called Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome.

Since April 16th was international 4-p/Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome Awareness Day, I thought it best to give a little background. WHS is a genetic disorder caused by the deletion of material within the chromosome region of 4p16.3. Individuals with this condition often exhibit small stature, feeding and gastrointestinal issues, seizures that are hard to control, intellectual disability, and heart defects. These individuals also have a loving personality, an affinity for music, and other less well known but important attributes.

The morning of the session was chilly and windy beyond belief; but Angel loved the wind blowing her hair and tickling her toes! Her mom smiled as Angel happily blew bubbles and played with her feet! (which is one of her favorite things to do) When I posted a sneak peek, I was pleased when her mom commented that I captured Angel in her element, resting on her mom’s shoulder, sucking her tiny fingers.

That is why I set my goal at the beginning of the year.

I wanted my photo shoots to mean something to my clients. I wanted to capture their unique season in a joyful light. So when they look back at their images, they fondly recall the little things. Because if you have children, you know no matter how little sleep you get, or how often they cry, they are only little once… and it flies by quickly.

So thank you both for a wonderful session and perhaps we can get a few more images in the summer with the peaches on the trees!