A day in the life at the Magic House, Atlanta Family Photography

Curly kale and red nails…

candid at home family photo of a girl doing a jump on the couch while her brother plays with legos nearby

The Magic House. Tanya and her family hold a special place in my photography journey. I met Tanya when she was pregnant with her second baby. I had just had my second kid, and I knew that I would not be returning to the classroom. I was interested in seeing what it would be like to try out my new photography obsession on other families, so I asked if I could photograph them. They let me in, and they keep letting me in.

Not only has Tanya become a dear friend, but I have been able to photograph both important milestones and ordinary life for her family. From birthday parties and extended family gatherings, to the stretch into a new house and the stretch into shifted relationships. It’s all part of family life, and it’s all worth remembering what it looked like and what it felt like.

And this time, this time it felt like curly kale and red nails to me. Nourishment and pizazz. Comfortable slippers and bendy backs. Quiet lego moments and Clark Kent superhero vibes. Mystery carrots and cash. Car cleaning and washing made to be amusement.

It’s a reminder to do the regular stuff with a side of party time. It’s a handstand and hands in the air type of joy in the now. Even when the now is different than what the past thought the future would look like, we can celebrate the present light.

Let the magic happen.

Words on the outside of a window on a house that say magic house
images from documentary family photography session of mom reaching out and touching her son's chin who is looking at her in the early morning sunlight on a bed
candid image of mother and daughter in the kitchen
family gathers in the kitchen in the morning
a girl holds an iced chai in her hands. She has scrunchies on her wrists
image of a mother and daughter looking at each other and laughing while sitting at a kitchen island
image from a documentary family photography session of a girl dangling from the doorframe of the kitchen
mom holds a coffee and looks across the table with a smile at her son
mother and daughter sit at a piano together
documentary family photography image of mom blowdrying her daughter's hair

A night out with Conrad in Atlanta, Teen Portrait Photography

Portraits in the city, a birthday gift

a teen boy leans against an electric pole near the beltline in atlanta

I’m usually chasing toddlers around their homes with my camera, so it was a welcome change of pace and scenery photographing Conrad in Atlanta.

We met up near the BeltLine as the sun was setting and spent some time chatting away the initial nervousness of meeting someone for the first time. Portrait sessions are always a little uncomfortable at first. There’s a vulnerability in setting yourself up to be seen. I feel uncomfortable at first too. I don’t really love directing people around, and I definitely don’t love the feeling of having an audience of dog walkers and restaurant goers for the photo session.

But the energy always shifts quicker than I think it will. As we follow the gazes and our hunches the camera between us starts to feel more like an invitation for interaction rather than an obstacle, and the audience around us has completely dissipated. I often fall and trip in photo sessions because once I get into the flow, my relationship to the environment changes and I forget about my feet in order to focus on the frame.

As is often the case, we spent longer than I thought we would making portraits. It was play for me, and I hope it felt that way for Conrad too. I’m glad we did because the night gifted us new opportunities to find light.

Conrad’s mom scheduled this portrait session as a birthday gift to him, and I hope the feeling that lingers in these images is the gift that his mom truly sees him and honors the person he is. Which is truly the best gift.

boy poses for a portrait sitting on edge of industrial building with arm resting on one leg up
close up portrait of a teen boy wearing an Atlanta Braves hat in front of a pink building
portrait of a teen sitting on ledge of building in atlanta
close up portrait of a teen outside in atlanta
a teen looks at the camera while his mom looks at him while wearing his hat
close up portrait of a teen in front of a mural in atlanta
a teen leans against a wall with graffiti on it in krog street tunnel in atlanta
a portrait of a teen at night on the beltline in atlanta
a teen stretches his arms out in front of a mural with his back turned to the camera lit by the streetlight
a portrait of a teen looking up with a pattern of light and shadow on his face
a portrait of a teen in the dark with a small part of his face illuminated

Here we are

We don’t have to pretend it’s not hard to celebrate that it’s still good.

We’re in that sweet spot now. Our kids are sandwiched in that magical time between 5 and 10. Everyone’s old enough to be sleeping in their own bed (well, most of the time) and wiping their own butts (ok, most of the time). They feed themselves and can even prepare food for themselves. They are old enough to be pretty independent and young enough to not be too burdened by the overwhelming emotions of puberty.

And yet, this past year has been one of our hardest years of parenting. Just as we started to relax into the freedom we gained from not having to pack diaper bags or drag along strollers, new issues started demanding our attention that were beyond our parenting knowledge and experience.

I know that there are different phases of family life and that there are different challenges and perks that come with each of them, but I wasn’t expecting this phase to be quite so demanding. Early parenthood left me physically exhausted from all the breastfeeding, rocking, diaper changing, feeding, dressing, playing, and supervising. While the immediate daily caregiving needs lessened in most ways, the way the kids need me now has evolved in more complicated and unexpected ways. This phase has left me with an emotional exhaustion that no amount of self care can manage and no late night google searches can solve. I’ve had to let go of a lot of expectations and ask for plenty of help. I’ve had to find acceptance.

This is where we are at the moment. It feels big and hard to navigate now, but we’re figuring it out. The challenges create opportunities to expand our understanding, practice empathy, and build resilience as a family.

We’re not going to always get it right, but we’re doing the best we can.

And we don't have to pretend it's not hard to celebrate that it's still good. And it’s still so very good.

I’m incredibly grateful for my dear friend Anda Marie for capturing these ordinary fragments and moments of who we were in April of 2022.