There are some sessions that make me stop and think about just how lucky I am to do what I do.
I have had the privilege of photographing so many people through so many different stages of their lives. In this industry, sometimes I meet a client once and never see them again. And then there are the people I get to photograph year after year, watching their lives change, their families grow and their stories unfold right in front of my camera.
Maddie is one of those people.
I can remember photographing Maddie all the way back when she was in junior high. Since then, I have photographed her for random little things, watched her model for me, captured engagement photos, photographed her wedding day and documented so many moments in between.
And now? Now she is getting ready to become a mom.
There is something a little surreal about photographing someone when they are young and then, years later, standing behind the camera as they cradle the tiny baby bump holding their first child. It is one of those full-circle moments that reminds me this job has never just been about taking pretty pictures.
It is about preserving chapters. And this chapter is a really special one. Maddie and Chase are expecting their first baby, a little girl, and you can already feel how incredibly loved she is.
Of course, this blog isn't all about Maddie, although, let's be honest, it kind of is. But we definitely can't forget about Chase.
One thing that has always stood out to me about these two is the way Chase looks at her. He is completely head over heels for his wife, and that hasn't changed over the years. During their Idaho maternity photography session, I would catch him watching Maddie while she posed, smiling at her with that same look of love in his eyes.
Only now, there was something else mixed into it. That quiet excitement of knowing the woman he loves is carrying their daughter. And COME ON. My heart.
Chase is also always such a good sport. Whatever idea we come up with, whatever weird pose I suggest, wherever I ask them to stand, walk, cuddle, spin, or attempt something slightly ridiculous, he's in. Always.
Which is probably part of the reason every session with these two ends up being so much fun. There is one thing that happens every single time I photograph Chase and Maddie: we laugh. Constantly.
There are never just sweet, serious, perfectly posed moments. There are usually jokes, laughing until someone's face hurts, me probably saying something completely inappropriate, and those little in-between moments that end up being some of my favorites. And honestly, that feels like them.
Their relationship has always had so much love in it, but there is also this friendship underneath everything. They genuinely enjoy each other. They laugh together. They tease each other. They can be completely themselves.
Now they get to bring a little girl into all of that.
As a Salmon Idaho Photographer, one of my favorite things about working in a smaller community is getting the opportunity to watch people's lives evolve. I don't just photograph a wedding and move on. Sometimes I get to see the high school senior become the bride. I get to photograph the couple becoming a family. And someday, if I'm really lucky, I get to photograph the babies I once photographed inside their mama's belly as they grow up too.
That is such an incredible gift.
Maddie and Chase, I am so excited for this next chapter for you both. Your baby girl is already surrounded by so much love, and I have absolutely no doubt she is going to bring an entirely new kind of joy, laughter, chaos and adventure into your lives.
Getting to photograph the two of you through engagement, marriage and now becoming parents means more to me than I can really put into words.
This little girl has no idea just how loved she already is. And I cannot wait to see where your story goes next.