When my second child was born, 16 years ago, I needed to make a decision whether to return to my job as a marketing and public relations consultant or become a stay-at-home-mom.  As my maternity leave days counted down I met a group of moms that were pretty much the reason I felt comfortable enough to leave my steady job and start a different chapter of my life.  I have mentioned my friend, Wendy, in other blogposts – significantly the one which described how, after introducing me to gardening, home crafts, and baking – she decided to take it all one step further and move out to a farm in the country.

Who could guess that these years later, she would ask me to visit her on the farm to take her son’s senior portrait.  It’s really so hard to believe, that the handsome young man with the easy nature and casual smile, was the toddler that used to jump in rain puddles with my kids in their diapers, then share large slices of chocolate chip bananna bread, while Wendy and I would peruse seed catalogs, planning our next season’s garden.

Here is a shot from way back then….he was one of my first subjects.

I loved photographing Sam on the farm where’s he lived since kindergarten. He was quite comfortable among the goats and roosters…and then there’s that wonderful red barn. Wendy has indicated that the barn door may be on it’s last legs, and I let her know that if she happens to bring it to my backyard in Vienna, I wouldn’t be able to refuse it!

When taking some quick shots of my daughter, we realized the hazards of photographing with animals, as the very friendly goat relaxed a little too much during the session…