Every year when the kids pile out of the van, the first thing they ask me is if I remember them.
The excitement in their eyes is immediate and contagious. Kids like these are impossible to forget. Though sometimes I like to ask them if they remember me too.
This family has been with me from the beginning. I photographed them for the first time when their oldest was just a newborn. Since then, we have met year after year documenting seasons of life.
Watching them grow has been one of the greatest privileges of my work.
Their sessions are always full of laughter. The kids run and jump and race each other to see who is fastest. This year that got a little adventurous on the boardwalk. They crowd around me to tell jokes and ask if they can see the back of the camera.
When they see one they love, the announcement is immediate.
“Oh mom, Jodi is definitely sending us that one!”
Over the years they have become confident in front of the camera. Not because they are trying to perform, but because it no longer feels unfamiliar. They know what to expect. We will laugh. We will run and jump and probably end up photographing whatever treasures they have discovered along the way. (This year it was sticks.)
What stands out to me most about this family is trust.
They trusted me in the very beginning when I was still learning and growing, sending over a simple style guide and a Pinterest board for inspiration. Trusted me as my work evolved. They trusted each new location we explored together. Every year they show up ready for the next place and the next season.
At one point during this session I commented that they seemed to know exactly what I was about to ask them to do before I even said it.
“You’ve trained us well over the years,” Tyson laughed.
But what he was really describing was comfort. When something is no longer new, you relax into it.
This spring evening felt especially meaningful. The big kids are getting bigger now, and it is so fun to listen to them tell me about school and everything they are learning. And this year there was a new baby to celebrate as well.
As if the evening wasn’t already fun enough, I looked up at one point and saw two aunts and an uncle standing behind me. All three people I have photographed many times before and absolutely adore.
They had come to help with the kids so we could capture a few photos of mom and dad together. My favorite kind.
It turned into one of those evenings where you realize how much these sessions are about more than photos. We laughed, caught up, and enjoyed a spring night where the light was soft and golden through the trees and the first hints of green were beginning to show.
Over the years I have come to believe more and more deeply in the importance of documenting seasons of life.
The older I get, the more I see how quickly things change. Seasons that once felt like your entire world slowly give way to new ones. Being able to pause in the middle of it and preserve what life looked and felt like in that moment is a gift.
Photos like these become tangible memories. The kind that end up printed in albums, framed on walls, and pulled out later when children want to see who they were when they were small.
My own kids love flipping through our photo books. They recognize some seasons and ask questions about others. It gives them a glimpse into moments they were too young to remember and reminds me just how quickly time moves forward.
It is my hope that these photos become part of that same story for this family.
A reminder of the jokes, the running races, the sticks found along the path, and the joy that filled this season of their lives.
And a small piece of a story that has been unfolding for more than six years now documenting seasons of life.
Kristi and Tyson, thank you for sharing not just an evening with you and your family, but for all the years and memories.
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