These adorable boys wanted to stay nice and close to their mom and dad during our fall photo shoot, and that was perfect because I love photographing family snuggles.
And then they wanted to run around in the leaves for a while, and that was perfect, too.
I especially LOVE these mom and little boy pictures. ♥
In November, my friend’s in-laws where visiting, and they all wanted to get some pictures of the whole family together. It was a chilly afternoon that turned into one of my favorite ever extended family photo shoots. They walked around and explored the Botanical Gardens, snuggled with the kids, and smiled a lot. I LOVE so many of these pictures. The light was beautiful that day, and the expressions relaxed and genuine.
I love when a little girl has hair just like her mom’s. 🙂
This mama always makes me smile…when I see her, when I think of her, and when she sends me totally sweet emails that are full of excitement and gratitude.
Awesome photos…..!!!!
I met this family when the big sister was 8 months old. It was so nice to see them again in the fall, and now they have little twins!
When my clients ask me what they should wear for their family photo shoot, I sometimes give color suggestions based on the location. This family went with the opposite of my suggestion, and I’m so glad they did! I think what they’re wearing is perfect for them. The one thing I always do tell my clients: wear what feels comfortable to you and reflects your style. I want you to feel and look like yourself at your photo shoot and in your pictures.
I’m so glad this beautiful family followed that part of my wardrobe suggestion. 🙂
This is post I wrote in 2013 and then left in my drafts, to change the wording a bit, and maybe to add some pictures, and then forgot about. So I’m going to publish it now because it’s important and meaningful to me. I think of these two e-mails often and got teary reading them again just now. 🙂
2013 –
My feelings have evolved over the years about the service I provide to my clients, from giving them something nice to hang on their wall, to capturing their special memories, to something even more profound. Maybe I had already realized what pictures were doing for people. I’m not sure. And then this past spring, one of my clients wrote this:
“So I keep replaying the slideshow of our mini-session and I can’t help but tear up and smile. I got stuck staring at the picture of the three people on the bench, thinking how happy they all looked and what a beautiful family it was- then it clicked that it was my family. I’m so grateful to know you and honored to be blessed enough to benefit from your gift. Thank you for capturing the moments that help me realize what an awesome life I have.”
And I cried, like I did again just now reading it, and it really clicked that this is what I want to do for people. I want to show them how beautiful they are, and what awesome lives they have. Yes, I want them to have special art for their walls, and I want them to look back years from now and remember what life was like, real every day life in their home. Most importantly, I want them to really see the beauty in their lives, and understand that those moments of joy frozen in time happen more than just at a photo shoot. That joy and smiles and time together can be abundant, and enjoyed to the fullest when we are present in the moment.
That same month, it happened again, another e-mail I’ll never forget.
“How do you do that???? That is amazing!!!! I said to my husband, we don’t look like that and he said, I guess we do look like that. I knew my daughter was beautiful but what you captured is amazing!! And, you caught us in our best moments. I don’t feel that pretty… Thanks for showing us our light and our beauty and our happiness!!!! What a gift and a treasure you have given us!!!”
The satisfaction and happiness I feel when I read or think of these messages lets me know that this is absolutely the career for me, and my purpose, and that I am living authentically. And that feels so good.
© 2025 Maegan Dougherty Photography|ProPhoto5
Just beautiful!