I know I’ve said this before, but these two make me smile. A lot. I might be biased because Sophia and Drew are my niece and nephew, but still. When my sister-in-law Susan asked to set up a session while I was back in Spokane, I was delighted. While I’ve been snapping shots of these two since they were born, it was really fun to take some more “official” photos. I honestly can’t imagine what it must feel like to have kids of your own, because I love all my nieces and nephew SO much (unfortunately for Drew, he is surround by a gaggle of girl cousins!) and it makes me sad that I don’t get to see them more often. I just hope they come and visit their Aunt Kathryn in New York soon!

Kylee and Hannah may quite possibly be the two children that have been in front of my lens the most. Their mom, Whitney, is one of my closest friends and for years I have been taking their photos around the holidays. It has been wonderful watching these little girls grow up. Every time I see them, I’m amazed at how much they have grown. For as long as I can remember, it has always been “Whitney and the girls,” but now they are lucky enough to have a little baby brother, Hudson (and hopefully a new photography subject for me!).

While I was in Spokane last month, I was able to make it out to Whitney’s lovely house and property outside of the city. It has become tradition to start our session at her uncle’s old barn, which has a gorgeous, faded door that I’m in love with. We spent some time wandering around the property and down by the river before heading over to her family’s horse stable. The girls had a blast playing in the hay, while little Hudson was content sleeping in Whitney’s arms.

Each time I drive away from spending time with Whitney, I’m always overcome by her immense optimism and unwavering “can do” attitude. Despite life’s ups and downs, this girl always has a smile on her face. And for that, I am always in deep admiration of her.

My time with Whitney, Kylee and Hannah is always special (although far too infrequent!). I am looking forward to watching Hudson grow up as I’ve done—and will continue to do—with his big sisters. I can only hope that this little family has many years still to come in front of my camera.

Meet the wonderful Dawson Family! I had a blast photographing Jeremy, Alana, Charlotte and Lily…they are an incredibly fun loving and happy family. Alana and I had exchanged many emails before our session and she had told me all about her two daughters and husband. By the time we actually met, I felt like I already knew them which is always a great way to start a family session! Jeremy is in the Navy and Alana is a dedicated wife and mother to their two little girls, which I know isn’t an easy job (I’ve heard many Navy wife stories from Christina!). I have so much respect for what they both do. Three year old Charlotte was very eager to start taking photos and was a total ham in front of the camera. Little Lily was completely content watching her older sister play…she is such a cutie!

Jeremy and Alana, you have such a beautiful family. Thanks for letting me capture this moment in your lives! Enjoy!

Happy September! Can you believe that August is over?! On one hand I’m excited for the cooler, brisk days ahead that call for hot cups of tea and comfy sweaters. But on the other I am in disbelief that summer has almost ended! I’m still getting used to these Seattle summers and the fact that it never gets really hot, so I think the ending of this season always catches me by surprise!

However, I do have an exciting September announcement! This month I will booking portrait sessions to help grant wishes for women with stage 4 breast cancer. For each portrait session I shoot this month, I will be giving $100 to Get Hitched Give Hope, a wonderful non-profit that raises money for breast cancer patients.

I know few people that haven’t somehow been impacted by breast cancer – a mom, an aunt, a sister, a friend. Over 40,000 men and women will lose their lives to breast cancer this year in the U.S. alone. Yet, it takes an average of only $4,000 to grant a wish for one family who has been given a terminal breast cancer diagnosis. So, please share this with anyone you know who might be interested in a portrait session this month – and in helping make a wish come true for someone suffering with breast cancer.

And to all brides and grooms, make sure you get your ticket to the annual Get Hitched Give Hope event on October 28th where top Seattle wedding professionals will be exhibiting their services and products, with silent auctions, raffles, and a live auction! Visit the Get Hitched Give Hope website for more details.

Finally, I wanted to leave you with a sneak peek from a great family session I had on Sunday. Such a fun, sweet family! The full blog post is coming soon.