05/17/2026
I found myself challenged recently by a post from that said, “Let Go of What It Should Look Like.”
“One of the biggest things that holds photographers back is expectation.
We think:
* The house needs to be tidy
* The kids need to be happy
* Everyone needs to be dressed neatly
* The moment needs to be beautiful
But real stories aren’t always polished.
Sometimes the story is:
* The chaos
* The exhaustion
* The in-between
And sometimes, those are the most meaningful images of all.
When you stop trying to make things look a certain way, you start seeing what’s actually there.”
So on that note, I decided to start a little “Sunday Series” — five minutes every Sunday of putting my kids in front of my camera exactly as they are. Whatever they’re wearing, whatever they want to bring with them, no fixing, no staging… just being.
This morning Oakie made pancakes mostly by herself, so I grabbed my camera. Winston wanted to join in too. Nothing monumental or carefully planned, just sweet little moments exactly as they happened.
(And honestly, I love his little cinnamon roll tail.)
