Braxton our little man is 3 1/2 years old, potty trained, independently dresses himself and wise enough to know when to sneak a juice box (or 3) out of the fridge when momma’s not looking. He is intrigued with everything we do and after 10 million whys he is well educated with why we are doing what we are doing. Earlier this spring I transplanted some peony plants to move towards the house and he was right there with his Crayola shovel in hand digging away. Needless to say his little plants didn’t make it in their home but he was sure excited when mine started blooming. We got home from daycare one evening and he got out of the car and said, “Wook mommy your pwants over dare are so pretty!” After veering him away from the patch of dandelions near by, I told him we should pick some peony flowers and put them in a vase to enjoy inside. He grabbed his apple picking basket and ran full force over to the bushes to start plucking away. As much as I don’t love misquotes, I love our Minnesota summers filled with long days in the sun and long nights with my favorite dirty faced boy.

When photographing your own family, challenge yourself to not just snap pics of the moment but capture the whollleeee story. Try different angles, move with them but still engage in the activity they are doing and keep it snappy. Usually with young kids, they are entertained for about 2 minutes so get the shots you need to get and then enjoy the rest with them. Try to resist the temptation of zooming in and out, although it may be necessary, you can miss some creative opportunity by remaining stationary and not exploring with them. I always try to get the overall “scene” and then pick out little details that add character to the story. Like you see in the photos above, I was in no means standing in one spot and this moment was super sweet but it was also happened super fast so have fun but push yourself to try something new the next time your camera is bonding with the kids!