The Life They’ve Built // Baraboo family photographer

This extended family session took place on the grandparents’ 90-acre property in central Wisconsin, where they have lovingly restored a pre-Civil War homestead and where they manage their land to support native plants and animals. It’s a spectacular place.

I love the flow of extended family sessions — seeing features and mannerisms reappear through different generations, watching how a grandmother and grandson look at and mirror each other, waiting for the inside jokes and the moments of tenderness.

One of my favorite images from this session was a shot of the entire family and their dogs around the fire, and not one of them is paying attention to me. It’s a little chaotic, but that’s family, right? I think there’s something to be said for the pull-back, the opportunity to see your family as others do, and to swell with pride at the realization of the life you have built.