I enjoyed my hour with the Kratzer’s immensely. They apologized for not being quite ready when I arrived at our scheduled time, and I couldn't help but smile. This was a newborn shoot. Their new son, Benjamin, was just a few weeks old and this session was designed to capture this utterly fleeting time in their family’s life. While the edges have faded some, the details having blurred significantly with time, I can still remember the buzzing, fuzzy haze that blankets the whole of your existence when you’re a new parent, a new mom. I batted away their sweet apologies, reassuring them that it was totally fine, and that I’d been there too.

Because it was, and I had.

This session was simply good for my soul. Sweet baby coo’s, tiny feet and toes, the simple yet somehow totally exhausting daily responsibilities of caring for a newborn - it’s all in here. It’s all part of their story as it’s currently unfolding, and I’m so honored to have had the privilege to capture these sweet moments for them.

I stood by and just enjoyed soaking up the scene, my shutter snapping and clicking away the whole time … The making and giving of bottles, testing on the back of the wrist to make sure it’s cool enough. The swaddling and re-swaddling, to get it just right. The watchful, protective family dogs, waiting in the wings, their curiosity bringing them out from time to time.

These photos tell the story of the uniquely beautiful, often messy, frequently exhausting, yet completely unmatched time in a growing family’s journey together. Thank you, Kratzer’s, for letting me be a part of it.