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Madison Family Photographer | Home For The Weekend

When I first started talking with Jess, my mother had recently moved my beautiful 90-year-old grandmother to an independent living facility. It was her first Christmas in her new digs, and I was struck by how much I missed her home. It was connected to my own richly layered childhood memories. Cartwheels across their acre of yard, playing hide-and-seek under her huge sewing machine, looking at all her trinkets with an examining eye, and so on. I can never go back and sink my hands into her brown shag carpeting or listen to Harry Caray narrate a Cub game on an old tinny radio through the open kitchen window.

“Stories have to be told or they die, and when they die, we can’t remember who we are or why we’re here.” – Sue Monk Kidd, The Secret Life of Bees

So, what started out as one conversation with Jess evolved into a incredible memory preservation session. We wanted to simultaneously document their today as grown (and amazing!) sister & brother & his lovely new wife with their truly fantastic parents, but also celebrate and enjoy the memories of their own special and ordinary moments in their childhood home.

There was a friendly (?) football game rival among them before I arrived, and then good wine, delicious food, happy & engaged conversation, a trip down memory lane, and then ended by roaring backyard fire and candied apples and gooey s’mores. The best! Early fall never treated us so well, and this crew was so fantastically connected. They all shared such a genuine comfort in their presence, and I can only hope that I’ll have a similar relationship with my own adult children in (an all too short) ten to fifteen years.

“Cooking is at once child’s play and adult joy. And cooking done with care is an act of love.”  Craig Claiborne

Door handle and door bell. White and yellow flowers.Family stands around kitchen with caramel apples, cheese and meat platter, wine, and smores.Family stands around cooking in kitchenFamily preps salad together.Family makes salad in the kitchen together.Black and white. Family stands around the kitchen together.Family sits in the living room looking at old picture booksFamily looks at picture booksFamily looks at old picture books togetherFamily looks at old picture books togetherFamily looks at old picture books together.Father and son cook chicken on the grill togetherFamily plays outside black lab puppyTwo girls stand outside setting the table for dinnerFamily stands outside setting the table and grillingEvergreen trees and blue skies at eveningChicken cooking on the grillWoman puts sticks into apples before dipping them in caramel.Caramel apples dipped in MnM'sCaramel apples some with MnM's sitting on trayFamily dips apple into pan of caramelFamily sits outside together at table eating dinnerFamily sits outside together at table eating dinnerFamily sits outside together at table eating dinnerFamily sits outside together at table eating dinner. fire pit burning in the backgroundFamily sits around fire pit making smoresSmores next to fire pitFamily sits together eating smoresBlack and white. Family sits together outside eating smoresFamily sits outside in backyard around fire pit eating smores.Darkness with bright fire pit and family sitting around the fireCandles on dinner table at evening with family sitting around fire pit in the background

Thank you for sharing your beautiful evening with me!

In Jess’s own words:

Jen is absolutely incredible at what she does! I was looking for the perfect person to capture family pictures as a gift for my mom. We had never done family photos like this, and honestly were pretty nervous about what the experience would be like. We had nothing to worry about with Jen! She truly made it an experience, from the pre planning of my vision, to the connection she made with us as she did the shoot. And not to mention the final products were beautiful! Jen took the time to explain the most important features of each picture, which created the story of our family. We had so much fun with Jen. She went way above and beyond what I ever imagined. We highly recommend her, and can’t wait to capture more future memories with her!

Ready to schedule your own family session? Contact me today to chat! xo, Jen

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