The huge front porch was a nice place to start, especially with all the corn stalks and colorful mums.

Out back we were able to take advantage of the awesome fall couple under the maples.

Look at all those sweet faces

This was my all day favorite. Nothing like a pile of grandkids!

This little guy may look familiar…Yes, that’s right it’s little Mason on the cover of this month’s issue of Kids VT. I’m honored to have my portrait work displayed on such an awesome publication and really psyched for Mason’s debut as a model! Check out this month’s baby and maternity issue and if you have a little one of your own, definitely sign up for Wee Mail to get emails about fun kids events happening on the weekends. It’s a great resource for this family!

They may hate me for it someday.

Or they may not. And if they do I’ll just remind them that they each tortured me in their own way too…so we’re even.

I was excited to not only see these guys again but the session was planned for the Lake Mansfield Trout Club in Stowe…a place you can’t access unless you’re a member (sorry, it’s invite only). Tucked away at the end of a tree-lined mountain road and nestled against a crystal clear Lake Mansfield is the rustic lodge. It’s like going back in time (and also reminded me of the resort in Dirty Dancing a little bit…hee, hee).

So, we started with the big group first. What a good looking crowd!

Although we were battling the wind in this one, it’s still one of my favorites. I just love the setting.

As we wandered around the property I was able to get pics of the couples individually.

And of course we singled out the kiddos for a few.

Laura’s parents wanted this one with the grandkids on the dock.

And Laura’s sister’s in-laws wanted one with their grandkids too!

After the group session, Laura wanted to update the family portraits while everyone was dressed and ready to go. Chase was a trooper through the double session! Maybe because he’s so used to having his picture taken at this point

It’s crazy how big he is. I still remember these photos.

He was happy to snuggle in for this shot, a favorite from the day.

We battled a bit of blustery weather that day, but it was such a rare treat for the whole family to be together that it didn’t matter. Thanks to the whole group for being a happy and willing crowd!

Now that she’s used to me, Olivia warmed up to the camera pretty quickly. That’s one of the best things about getting to see families year after year.

And now Maddie’s got a lot more hair.

Some snuggles on the front porch.

We made a pit stop in the backyard for some swinging.

Then we headed out for a little stroll to the pond where the overgrown grass made for a pretty spot for these two to play.

Next we loaded into the wagon to visit the neighborhood’s community garden. Look at these two…I hope my girls get along this well someday!

The garden has a flock of chickens and several families split the responsibility of taking care of them in exchange for taking home the eggs on their work day. As a bit of a fresh egg snob, that sounds like a good deal to me!

The perennial flower gardens were amazing. I couldn’t have asked for a better spot.

I had tons of fun shooting the Roy’s session. A perfect day + happy campers + the comfort of home = a great portrait session. Thanks Roy family!

If anyone is looking for an example of how to coordinate wardrobe choices for a large group, the McCuins are a great example. They picked a palette of blues and browns and ended up with a great mix of both color and pattern. They all go together so well without being too matchy matchy.

Jeremy and Jamie brought a new little guy to the session. Max rocked it with his jeans and fabulous hair!

We did a typical Generations Session, where we capture both the whole group and the individual families too.

I loved this one of all the grandkids with the grandparents.

This was a funny candid but I love the interactions.

And we had to get some of just the little guys (and gal)…

It was a fun session and great to see the whole family again! Thank you to the McCuins!

Here’s something just to tease everyone…

Once or twice a year I get to head down to the Sugarbush Resort to photograph some of the delicious dishes from the Timbers Restaurant for use in the Resort’s magazine. It’s a visual feast. And I get to sample some of the subjects too. Those are definitely the kind of days where I thank my lucky stars that I do what I do.

Although it may not seem like it (seriously this winter is draaagging on) summer is just around the corner. If you’d like to schedule a family portrait session for your own crew, now’s the time to get in touch! I’ll be sharing more of my portrait sessions from last season in the coming weeks just to prove that yes…sunny skies and shorts-wearing weather will come again!

Check out my favorites from their beachy family portrait session below.

Nothing too fancy. But good real estate photos need to be clean, simple, and the clutter needs to disappear. Sometimes thats not easy. The staging ends up taking more time than shooting the actual photo. It drives me nuts to see real estate listings with dark, messy photos.

The kitchen was as far as I got (there was a long to-do list before the baby came). Now I really have my job cut out for me trying to get the rest of the house with all the baby “stuff” we’ve now got around.

Meet Moriah who turned one year old last June. Her Mom Jessica enlisted my help to capture her emerging personality and that cute baby face. This is one of my favorite ages to photograph in children! Just look at all those expressions!

We set up the session at their home in Williston. I met up with Jessica a few weeks prior so that I could check out the lighting and backdrops we would have available. The backyard was the perfect shady spot to start the session.

The timing was perfect for a portrait session with Moriah. She was up and cruising but not quite walking on her own yet. Trust me, once those little ones are independently mobile, we’ll only be getting action shots for a few years!

This snuggle photo with Jess was one of my favorites.

Nothing like those big blue eyes!

We also took a short trip to the nearby bike path so that we could get some different shots. Moriah loved walking with her wagon.

I love to capture those favorite firsts…they will always be a memory.

Dads are always good for air time aren’t they?!

It was a bright and sunny midday session but we were still able to stop in a grassy field and find pretty light. I had so much fun during this session and I loved the way the portraits turned out. Later I got an email from Jessica that made my day. “We received our package in the mail today,” she wrote. “The prints look amazing- thank you so much!!  We loved the experience and it was a pleasure to work with you ” Thank you Jessica and Matt and thanks to Moriah for being the sweetest little subject!