I’ve been photographing the Oloomi family for a few years now as they’ve grown, changed, and added babies along the way. Seeing how they’ve expanded not just in numbers, but how they’ve evolved in parenthood and wisdom and grace is one of my favorite aspects of working with families again each season or year.

I get to see this sweeping view of their life through the lens of a camera – slowing down to really hone in on details that make their family uniquely beautiful and connected.

It’s magic.

I’ve told people before that photographing motherhood and family life has changed me, and I really mean it. You wouldn’t believe the beautiful interactions/connection that I observe and have even implemented in my own journey of motherhood and raising little ones.

This session is no exception.

The Oloomis met me for a last minute session at this location and it felt anything but rushed. When I arrived on site a bit before them, my jaw literally dropped because everywhere I looked there were thousands of yellow flowers in bloom! I’d photographed here so many times over the past few years and never had I timed sessions just right to catch that kind of end-of-summer beauty.

Quickly, their session really became about play and interacting in nature. Jordan is such a playful Dad who would literally roll around in the grass with them, unprompted, which I know for a fact is pretty routine in their day-to-day! The girls were giggly and just so happy to rough-house a bit with their Dad.

Ashlyn is tender and attentive in every way with her girls – it’s really so stunning to watch each interaction with them, from tucking flowers in hair, to walking hand-in-hand, to pulling each daughter in for snuggly embraces. She’s a woman in mother I just look up to so much and I’m pretty lucky to get to call her one of my closest friends.

Though I know my multiple year friendship with the Oloomis helps in the way these photos feel so authentic and true (when you get to know a family in day-to-day life, you can really emphasize the specialness of their relationships!), this family is such an example of trusting me in the course of a family session and going with my creative ideas along the way.

After the session was over and we all headed home, I received a text from Ashlyn quoting Jordan, “It didn’t even feel like we were taking pictures. Just hanging out.” And that’s probably the highest compliment I could have received as a photographer.