An Evening with the Hostetter Family

Every time I have one of these sessions I become more and more convinced that this is it for me. There's something sacred to me about a family welcoming me into their home, being vulnerable and allowing me to document the beauty of the everyday that for some reason our society doesn't celebrate in the same way we do the perfectly planned, meticulously staged pieces of life. These sessions are authentic, there are no pretenses and for me they often lead to connecting with other people in a meaningful way.

I loved spending some time photographing this family as they went about their evening at home. But I think the sweetest part was the long chat I had standing in the dark in their driveway long after the session had ended, sharing an honest conversation with a fellow mom. There have been times when motherhood felt lonely to me, like I was misunderstood or doing something wrong because every moment wasn't magical, and guilty for feeling like being a mom isn't my only calling in life. And real conversations with other women have been what helped me through those times and gave me new perspective. I will forever be grateful to all those women along the way and can only hope to pass it forward someday. In a small way, these sessions and celebrating the magic that we are all just as we are, feel like a small step in doing so. 

So three cheers for beautiful, laid-back fall evenings in the backyard. Swinging, game playing, porch sitting, and all kinds of laughs and loving along the way.