You may or may not have noticed that my blog has been a bit…okay, completely… silent for a while until recently. I could make up excuses. Heck, I even did to myself for a while. But the truth is, the last couple of years have been filled with big moments for me and my new family. I needed that space to really live it…and I am so glad I did. What I saw and felt has changed me deeply personally and as a business owner.

Part of this business that has ALWAYS held true is that I absolutely love my couples and families. There is not enough time in the day to really show everyone how much they mean to me but, if you don’t already know this, let me tell you that, when I photograph you, especially year after year, you truly become part of my family. I love seeing you all grow and succeed. You all are what set my heart on fire and keep me working late into the night.

After starting my own family, I realized something really important for myself and for my clients. It isn’t always the perfectly posed and styled moments that matter. Sure, they are great to have for cards, to hang on the wall, or to share with other family members. But truly, those aren’t the images that I cherish and know will bring me joy years to come.

When I think about my life and what I want to bottle, it is the good little stuff like the way my son, Charlie, melts into my chest on the couch in the morning, his sweet little way of waddling down our lane chasing leaves, and the way his face lit up the first time we took him to the zoo. This is the good stuff. But how do I preserve that for us while still living it? How do I give this gift to my families… These aren’t the moments that I am invited to capture. How do I change that?

It really hit me when I was obsessively photographing Charlie while we were at the Zoo for the first time together. It dawned on me that I hadn’t actually just looked at him, absorbed his smile, or mentally bottled his shrieks of joy because I was so desperate to preserve that moment for us. How many of you do that?! It is such an easy trap. All I could think was, “wow, I wish that I could have someone who could capture how we all feel right now in this special moment.”

All that to say, I want to be here to capture those moments for you. I want to be the fly on the wall that saves those special smiles, big firsts, and the true spirit of your family. It can be something as “mundane” as your Sunday breakfast tradition or capturing a day in your garden together or a family trip to the fair…. Whatever your family does together that is special, I want to preserve it for you.

These sessions are designed to be 90% ACTUALLY candid and 10% styled (when the moment just seems right). As much as possible, I want to be invisible to give your family space to just be you. Nothing would make me happier than to know that, years from now, when you look through your photographs, they bring you back to that moment, just as you were.

I will be sharing more over time, but, for now, I wanted to share an especially joyful “As We Were” session with you. For this session, the gorgeous and abundantly sweet Rawlings family had me join their family trip to the fair. They played, ran, dressed up like super heroes, ate ALL of the fair food, and shared the sweetest moments. Such a fun (and delicious!) privilege to sneak into this day and capture these moments for them.

Thank you for trusting me with your most important stories.

Yours, <3 Gaby

*As We Were sessions open for booking now. “Usual” styled family sessions are still offered as well.*