Family Pictures

All photographs are there to remind us of what we forget.  In this - as in other ways - they are the opposite of paintings.  Paintings record what the painter remembers.  Because each one of us forgets different things, a photo more than a painting may change its meaning according to who is looking at it.  ~John Berger

A very good friend of ours, who also happens to be an amazing photographer, contacted us to give us the great news that he has decided to build his professional portfolio for his business.  Jay is a humble guy, very unassuming, funny, smart and has a natural eye for photography.  When he asked if we would be interested in some family pictures, we jumped at the opportunity.  Let me tell you, it says a lot when you're excited to have your picture taken in your 3rd trimester of your second pregnancy; I most definitely trusted Jay to find a good angle and go with it - the whole entire time.

Jay has always taken pictures of us in an unofficial setting, but we've never had a chance to do a real photo session.  Being the more casual, informal people we are, I am embarassed to admit that Jonathan and I have NEVER had professional pictures taken of our family.  We tend to rely on our loved ones to share the candid shots that they take to memorialize our lives.  You can imagine, then, our excitement at being able to mix the informal setting of seeing our great friend (trust me, Jay puts anyone at ease) with some professional shots.

I'll let these pictures speak for themselves except to say (as if I have the ability to actually let the pictures speak for themselves...) that out of the over 800 pictures Jay passed on to us, it was hard not to post them ALL.  Let me reiterate that this is a HUGE accomplishment when considering my baby mountain.  Granted, I am particularly biased when it comes to the star of the majority of these photos (Clare), but he did such a great job of capturing us where we are most comfortable; outside, enjoying our time with each other.

Oh, and did I mention that when we asked if we could bring our very furry, four legged daughter with us, Jay was more than happy to accommodate her.  Shooting pictures of an energetic toddler with her best bud, who just so happens to be an energetic, rather large German Shepherd may scare some people off, but not Jay.  He took the chaos of our family in stride and didn't once let on if he was feeling exasperated with us.

If you are ever looking for a great photographer, let us know, we'd be happy to pass on Jay's information. I guarantee that you will love the results!