I’m often asked if I photograph weddings and why I don’t branch out in that direction. I adore weddings but not as events – because they (often but not always) lead to this. Weddings are the big bang in the life of a couple that begins new life and sparks a million other life events that are every bit as significant.

I see my family sessions as just one little spark that illuminates for others who a family is and where their hearts lie. When I do my job well that spark burns bright and my clients might even see themselves in ways they need to.

I hope these images say more than this family has some affection for the Wayside Inn or this mom has impeccable taste (both true). I pray they scream love – the real, raw, abiding kind. In a hurting world where today our country seems poised to make a mistake in either direction, love is what will buoy us as a nation. Mom always said, “love begins at home” and she’s right – one family at a time.

This kind of love is the strength of our nation, not those in power. This kind of love sparks change and growth. Our story as a nation will have a new chapter heading tomorrow but the real story is inside each and every heart and home.