I stayed at my friend Barrett's house in Blue Hill after a wedding the night before in Sedgewick. (Those images to come soon!) After a yummy breakfast of fresh popovers, Barrett always cooks great, we squeezed in a family session, sans Dad who had to work.

There were some challenges to overcome. Like all families, not everyone is on board for the same thing for the entire time! Finn whom I had photographed a bunch when he was a baby and toddler,  now older really wanted to exercise his opinion of no photos. We worked around it. There was a choice to cooperate and go to a friends birthday party on Thursday. I am posting some now so Barrett can see we got some good ones and for sure the party is on for Finn! I respect kids opinions and if they do not want to be photographed. Eventually, almost always they come around. In all my times shooting I have only ever had one that refused the entire shoot, and that particular child was going through a difficult time in her life.

I think every mom deserves good portraits of them with their family, the bigger the family the more they deserve it! I never want to paint a picture that behind the scenes someone doesn't storm off pouting or gets mad at a sibling, because that isn't reality. But the reality is that even with that, we get good stuff. Here are a few images from our morning together.

But all the magic I have ever known I've had to make myself.

~Shel Silverstein