Family Photographer and Filmmaker | A Family Film + Photo Session at the Apple Orchard, Dayton, OH

Justin and Christa are in the boss-baby stage of life: their schedule, their needs, and their wants have to fit into the hectic neediness of raising young children. With a 3 year old and an 8 month old and two demanding careers, the family time is what you make it.

This family prioritizes the family time. This is what Mom had to say about it: “Our favorite thing to do together is having low-key time. Our schedules are so hectic. We have less time at home together in the evenings. Our weeknights are often rushed, getting home from work, eating dinner, bedtime routines…. We get home, and the next thing we know, the day is over. Our favorite times together are when there is NO agenda and we can just relax and play, without watching the clock or worrying about the next thing we have to do or place we have to go.”

I think we can all relate. A fun filled schedule is great until you realize you haven’t had a weeknight home in a month. It gets exhausting!

For this family film, Mom really had a vision. “I decided to have our family film at the apple orchard this year. We visited this orchard last year and have so many wonderful memories.  It was a crisp sunny day, Everett was so happy and playful. We chased him amongst the trees, gave him rides in the wagon, he picked and ate apples.  It was just a perfect fall day.  We have a lot of photos and happy memories from the day, and I was 6.5 months pregnant, so it’s even more of a bonus that we can now bring Alden along with us!  I also like that this setting will be without an agenda, or toys, or “stuff” and be more focused on us having fun with each other and our family relationships.”

I love that. This session was not without it’s challenges. I traveled from South Bend to the orchard near Dayton, OH and they were coming up from Cincinnati. The forecast was clear on both or our ends, but when we got there it was w-i-n-d-y and very dark. We waited it out only to have to run for it twice for showers. It was a tough call, but I’m so glad we stuck around.

I loved seeing this family play together. They have their own little game, where they hide “hum-ma-mas” from each other. Lots and lots of giggles.

This day is now cemented in time because they invited me a long. Reliving a day that means so much to them is now possible through their family film and yes! family photos, too. Experiencing those baby coos and toddler giggles will be such a joy for this family as they grow out of these stages and into the next. The boys will just love seeing their mom and dad on film, interacting with them, talking with them, laughing and playing and devoting so much quality time to them. I am more excited for them to watch this as they grow and see how much they are valued. They will see how much their parents love each other and love them. What an incredible gift. I’m so honored to be giving this family this gift.

For more information on family films, please contact me. I’d love to share my heart with you.