The best way to get photos of your family is to take your camera with you wherever you go!

I often have to remind myself of this, because during the cold winter months when I’m hunkering down and doing all sorts of cosy winter activities like putting together jigsaw puzzles and playing video games… I don’t even think about taking photographs.

But when spring comes, something in me awakens.

This is a family you might have seen on my social media before, or maybe even on the blog.

You see, I've been following the Timmerman-Veley-Halladay family for a long time now.

I've been their family photographer for years, in fact.

You’re heard about family doctor, family dentist… family therapist… what else?

Well, family photographer :)

This is the power of a candid photography session.

For any parent who is undecided about documentary photos a.k.a. candid photos, I hope this demonstrates why it is so much easier (especially for toddlers) to have a candid session than it is to have a post session.

Toddlers just want to get on with their fun play. They don’t want to be sitting still or being told what to do. They don’t care if there’s a photographer who is taking photos, as long as they don’t have to change what they’re doing for the photographer :) And that’s exactly what a documentary family session is all about. Letting the kiddos play and do their thing, and just going with it, and capturing THOSE photographs.

Now, having said all this, we did manage to get a few photos of Jude not crying in the group photos, an

Today I’ve got a super special story for you!

The kind of heart-melter that you can’t help but get a little emotional about.

It’s the story of baby Leo, born during the pandemic, the second sibling to be born to surrogate mother Kera, and to be joining the family of Uli and Alex, two fathers from Italy.

It brings the term ‘blended family’ to an entirely different level! 😍

I have tremendous respect for photographers who are good at posing their clients, getting the best angles of their faces, and achieving beautiful portraits as a result. It's hard to do it well, so it earns a huge tip of my proverbial hat.

Me? I'm maybe not one of those photographers.