Blood makes you related. Loyalty makes you family.

So on what may have been one of the last really nice weekends of the year, I met with Coty and Stephanie and their 3 children at the Wasem Fruit Farm in Milan, Michigan.

I may never do another family session again that does not involve some type of activity to keep the interest of multiple children! It worked out so incredibly well that I had the hardest time choosing which of their many awesome photos to post. I tend to have that problem a lot lol!



Coty and Stephanie were a hoot. Coty is definitely the teasing protagonist in their relationship and Stephanie's love for him and his antics were very apparent.
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They are so adorable! 
Then there were the children.
Jade
Micah
and Xavier.


Jade, age 9, very much possesses all the wisdom and solemnity of the oldest child.
She also harbors a deep love for Five Nights at Freddy's toys.
When I was her age I loved to read Edgar Alan Poe and watch Frankenstein movies so I definitely love a child with a dark side lol!
And since I was also the oldest child in my household I could really relate to beautiful little Ms. Jade.



Then there was sweet sweet Micah. I'd be lying if I said I grew weary of photographing her adorable and perfect 6 year old face.
Between her exuberant personality and the sprinkling of glorious freckles across her little nose I was in photographic heaven.



Of course we can't forget the little man. Three year old Xavier. Lover of all things that go zoom.
At the last minute I had thrown a little airplane and pilot hat into my bag. The images that resulted from the combination of boy meets toy are so perfect and endearing I could cry.


Thanks so much to this awesome family for letting me document a moment in their lives. May you always be as happy as you are now.

Much love, Nancy.

And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.

This past July, on the 28th of the month, Eric Kinney proposed to his girlfriend Brianna Kalmbach, 6 years to the day of their first date. On that same date next summer, July 28th 2018, he will make Brianna Kalmbach his wife.
I. Love. That.

Since Eric popped the big question while he and Brianna were out camping, it seemed perfect to Brianna that they should head back into nature and the forest when it came time to take their engagement photos.

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Finding both woods and beauty in nearby Nichols Arboretum in Ann Arbor, we had a perfect day in the warm 70's surrounded by the burgeoning Autumn colors. And making it all the more perfect was when I found both Brianna and Eric to possess the kind of infectious carefree smiles that make my job oh-so easy.
So while we communed with nature and each other, I captured their relaxed natural style as well as their love for one another.
Brianna is a fellow artist and Eric is a musician/drummer, like my own fiance, so we had lots to gab about.
And let it be stated here and now, that in my own personal experience, if anyone can live in a small space with another person AND their drum kit and manage not to kill him or others, then they are surely a match made in creative heaven :D

I wish Eric and Brianna all the best on their upcoming wedding and in the next phase of their lives.
Much love to you both!

One year down, forever to go.


Mike and Megan Wadowski were married last year on July 2nd, 2016 and next month marks their 6th year together as a couple. So they wanted to get together for a photo session to celebrate their anniversary.

 I am notoriously awful with remembering names but as soon as our session got under way Megan helped me out by telling me that all of their friends call them M&M.
 

Not only did that make their names stick in my mind but it also made perfect sense, because Megan and Mike could not have been any sweeter than if they were actually made from chocolate!
Some people are just easy to love off the bat and they are two of those people.

Of course we got pretty close, pretty quick, when about 10 minutes into the session, while walking backwards and framing my shot, I tripped over a rather large tree root and hit the ground hard and fast like I planned the darn thing. Without missing a beat I jumped back up and kept shooting. No one was hurt, except for maybe Mike from laughing so hard!! Now you know why I don't photograph on the edge of cliffs!

At any rate, after that I am pretty sure it was easy for them to feel comfortable with me. And whenever Mike was in danger of giving me a forced smile I would remind him of the time I fell flat on my backside and that would bring an instant gleam to his eye and a smile to his face.
Hey, you do what you got to do. Like I said. I planned that ;)

Happy Anniversary to these two awesome people. I meant it when I told them I hope to see them again and again.

Some of my friends become clients, and some of my clients become friends. And that is one of the best things about what I do. 

Much love to you both M&M.