Last year at this time, I met up with the Severins at Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis. Last year, they were technically a family of just 6, as Miss Hadley was still cooking in Mama’s belly! This year, Hadley is here and she has completed their family of seven! She was so obviously the life of the party, the thrill of all her siblings. She is truly adored by all, and anyone can see why! I loved finally getting the chance to meet her and see how she fits in with her big brothers and sister.

We met up at the Piney Orchard Nature Preserve in Odenton and enjoyed a stroll through the just-barely-changing colors of the fall! The day was perfect, with warm sunshine and crisp air. One thing that I love about shooting the Severins is that mom, Maureen, always reminds me that the “imperfect” photos are sometimes the best ones. She wanted me to know that while she enjoys the photos of everyone smiling and looking happy, she also wants to remember the moments in between – even if that involved tears! I love this attitude so much, and think that it’s important to embrace family photos with a good dose of patience and realistic expectations, and to just love your children for who they are and the phase of life you are in at the time you are in it!

At the end of the session, we got back in our cars and I followed their van to one more spot I had never been to before. It was just a quick pull off the side of the road to this cute old barn. Maureen told me that she has passed by this spot for years and would always think to herself, “That would be a fun spot for family photos!” When she told me that, I just knew we had to jump on it. I love it when clients come to me with specific locations in mind, especially when it has meaning to them or is a spot they have always wanted photos of. I was so glad we did it, because the images at the end are my favorites from the whole session!