I got to photograph these beautiful blonde boys at their home in Baraboo. Their yard was a dream — stone wall, wrought iron archway, magnolia tree in full bloom. When one of the mom’s friends saw these photos she said they should rent out their lawn for family pictures, and she might be on to something.

They reminded me a bit of my own boys. Seeing brothers interact with one another always warms my heart — whether one is resting on the other’s lap, or one is sneaking a lick of the other’s lollipop and thus inciting a tantrum. It’s all sweetness, at least when they’re not my kids.

Their mom is expecting a third boy in May and I’m so excited to take his newborn photos. They were very sweet about their littlest brother and wanted to make sure he got in some of these pictures, too. One of the boys recommended I “chop off” the rest of his mom for the picture so it was only the brothers, so he inspired the first black and white image of just the boys and the belly.

When it was all over they got lollipop rewards, which they earned with sheer cuteness alone. Thanks so much, Luke and George! I’m excited to see you again soon with your new baby brother.

This darling little family came from Wonewoc for their session in Wisconsin Dells. We got a bright and beautiful April morning and and so much fun with Brady and his mom and dad. He is one handsome little guy — though I asked his mom if he knew it yet, and she said thankfully, no.

I love boys this age — they adore their mothers, they are their fathers’ biggest fans, but they’re not above a little mischief. So much fun.

Family photos don’t have to be everyone looking at the camera, giving their best “cheese”-y smiles, acting like perfect versions of themselves. In fact, I think the best ones aren’t like that at all — they’re about showing the natural interactions and the brand of love that make your family unique.

Thanks so much, Brady and family, for making the trip to Wonewoc to have your photos taken with me! It was wonderful to work with you.

Okay, I’m going to admit it: These little cuties are my own.

For some time I’ve been suggesting to family clients that we could try a photo session in an urban setting. Especially with older kids, who have such style and personality of their own, the urban colors and textures could really make their images pop. Well, no one took me up on it, so I recently did a mini urban session with my own boys.

I have to say, I love the way the images turned out — it’s a very “magazine” look that is so different from what you might get with a session at, say, a park. It’s not for everyone, but definitely something for my more adventurous clients to keep in mind.

Key here is clothing. My boys wore clothes they already had at home — their “Indiana Jones” jackets from two Halloweens ago, grass-stained jeans and rumpled cowboy shirts. But anything relaxed and layered with bright colors and good texture would work.

My younger son is the fashionista (what’s the male version of that — fashionister?) of the family. He loves his accessories. It was hard to get him to take the straw fedora off for a few shots.

My husband wants a canvas of that last one for our home, and I might have to oblige him. It’s completely our sassy, stylish, gritty little boy.