Fontainebleau State Park is one of my favorite places for family photography sessions. It offers so much variety, from majestic oaks with Spanish moss, to hiking trails, and of course the beautiful lakefront beach with all of those cypress trees! It’s the perfect place for an Adventure. Plus, I secretly love the fact that, as we all know, kiddos simply can’t resist the water! I just adore when they get all wet and sandy. It might make for a soggy ride home, but the photos (and the memories made) are always completely worth it!
Session story
Katie, the stunning mama featured in this session, is someone who when I met her I felt like I’d been friends with her my whole life. She is also someone who TOTALY gets me. She embraces imperfection, cherishes fleeting moments, and on top of all of that, she honestly values what I do. I remember thinking during our first conversation “Yes!, You get it!”. I am always so grateful when people like her come into my world.
If you know me, you know that I’m a tad bit baby crazy. My kids are pre-teens now (yikes!) so I soak up those baby snuggles at every opportunity. I especially have a soft spot for little Nolan, because his name was always my boy name, and I ended up with two girls. Little Siena, let’s just say she was NOT interested in my following them around with a camera. Haha, her phrase of the day was “NO WAY!” as she hid her face from my view. Now this may have frustrated some people, but I loved it, and I’ll always encourage my families to “go with the flow” in these situations. One of the best things about what I do is being able to document a family in the season of life they are in, even if it’s the “NO WAY!” phase.
What it’s all about
Several weeks after our session we met up for lunch again, and Katie said something to me I will never forget. After thanking me and telling me how happy she and her husband were with all of the images from their session, she spoke about how much these photos truly mean to her. I can’t remember her exact words to quote, but I do remember immediately resonating with what she was saying.
I felt the same way back when I was pregnant with my second child. I remember asking my mom, “How will I have enough love for two?!”. When I had my first baby I experienced a love that I didn’t know existed. I thought I knew what love was, but I had only just grazed the surface. This love, this unconditional, indescribable love of a mama, rocked my world and forever changed me. So, when pregnant with my second baby, I couldn’t help but wonder “Is there enough love inside of me for two?!”. My mother looked at me, smiled a knowing smile, and said “honey, your heart will grow.” And she was right. With my second daughter my heart doubled in unconditional love.
I believe this feeling was the same one Katie was trying to describe to me when she spoke about the love she has for her son and how much these images will always mean to her. As she told me this my eyes filled with tears and my heart swelled, grateful and fulfilled.
Interested in documenting your best memories and booking a family photography session? I’d love to connect!
If you’ve never been, you should definitely check out the fabulous Fontainebleau State Park! It’s a beautiful place to enjoy nature right here on the Northshore of Louisiana.
