home sweet home

It was clear from the start of this session that I wasn’t at the Aluise house, but their home.  A house is where people drop their stuff and sleep.  A home is where our memories are made, perseverance is developed, our laughter rings through the air, our tears are dried, and we learn what it means to love through the triumphs and tragedies of life.  I was in a home.

The Aluise home was a beautiful place to photograph, not just for it’s physical beauty but for the gentle bond I could see with each of the family members.  Mom and Dad’s love is a clear rock solid presence for their girls.  My husband and I have always joked that he would probably be a very different father if our 3 boys were 3 girls.  It was really incredible to see this Dad have a firm and loving hand with his daughters; it’s a tricky combination that dads often struggle to balance with their daughters.   The respect these girls held for their mother and father spoke volumes as I spent the evening with the family.

I love the moments of moms just being moms, fixing hair, straps, and dresses!  These are our moments!  I warned the girls that Dad was probably not going to let them get married for about 25 years and he said, ‘more like 30!’

Mom and Dad often enjoy having fine wine together.  I knew I wanted to incorporate this into our session.  They joked they felt bad sitting relaxing enjoying wine while i was working.  I said, ‘that’s actually perfect and how every family session should be.  You sit back and enjoy your family while I preserve your memories!’  They even offered me a glass but I figured I should wait till I was done working!

Family sessions shot at home offer unique opportunities to incorporate favorite spots where your memories are made reguarly, but perhaps not recorded.  The girls were so comfortable and it was a joy to record their enthusiasm and affection for one another in their play. 

Soaring like eagles! 

Sisters are forever!

These last two are moments I would paint if I had inherited any of the artistic talent to do so from my grandmother!