Finding beauty and joy in your daily rituals and routines, Atlanta family photographer

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“To love your days is to love your life.”

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I’m always inspired by the ideas of James Clear (if you aren’t subscribed to his 3-2-1 newsletter you should be). When I came across what he had to say here (the last part especially), it resonated with why I feel so strongly about photographing the lives of families the way I do.

"Many people view their habits and routines as obstacles or, at the very least, obligations to get through. Making the morning coffee, driving your kids to the next activity, preparing the next meal-we often see our routines as chores to be completed.

But these are not moments to be dismissed. They are life. Making coffee can be a peaceful ritual-perhaps even a fulfilling one-if done with care rather than rushed to completion. It's about the amount of attention you devote to these simple moments, and whether you choose to appreciate them or bulldoze through them on the way to the next task.

Find the beauty and joy in your daily rituals and you will find beauty and joy in your daily life. To love your habits is to love your days, and to love your days is to love your life." - James Clear

Life with young kids can feel like it’s just work…all the time. When your days are a string of routines that lead you to bedtime with little time left for anything extra, it can feel really exhausting. It IS really exhausting. Maybe, if we can see that string of routines as being the point of it all—rather than a thing to get through so you can get on with other things—we will be able to see and feel more ease in our days.

And if your family is anything like my family, your routines still may not feel ease-y even with a mindset shift. But I promise, if you can have someone show you what it looks like, you will see that there is still beauty and joy in the way you tend to your family during those routines. I hope that by seeing your days you will come to love your days and in turn love your life. Cause even when the days feel messy and chaotic, there are opportunities for tender moments of connection within the daily routine.

Thanks to this family for reminding me to find the joy in shared rituals.

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Snuggle Sunday, Atlanta Family Photographer

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A cozy, fall Sunday morning

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There’s nothing I love to photograph more than a laid back Sunday morning with a family in their home. And what’s a better way to knock out family pictures than while you’re stretching into your day with snuggles and play?

The Tripathy family knows how to do it right. Sundays are for making breakfast while dodging trucks racing by. For getting in all the snuggles you can while tending to the necessary routines. For making loose plans for how to maximize the rest of the too-short weekend. For jumping on the bed and nursing sessions and naps.

This day was a cozy, fall morning at its finest. I hope they remember this day every time the leaves turn orange and the Halloween decorations line the porch.

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A night out with Conrad in Atlanta, Teen Portrait Photography

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Portraits in the city, a birthday gift

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I’m usually chasing toddlers around their homes with my camera, so it was a welcome change of pace and scenery photographing Conrad in Atlanta.

We met up near the BeltLine as the sun was setting and spent some time chatting away the initial nervousness of meeting someone for the first time. Portrait sessions are always a little uncomfortable at first. There’s a vulnerability in setting yourself up to be seen. I feel uncomfortable at first too. I don’t really love directing people around, and I definitely don’t love the feeling of having an audience of dog walkers and restaurant goers for the photo session.

But the energy always shifts quicker than I think it will. As we follow the gazes and our hunches the camera between us starts to feel more like an invitation for interaction rather than an obstacle, and the audience around us has completely dissipated. I often fall and trip in photo sessions because once I get into the flow, my relationship to the environment changes and I forget about my feet in order to focus on the frame.

As is often the case, we spent longer than I thought we would making portraits. It was play for me, and I hope it felt that way for Conrad too. I’m glad we did because the night gifted us new opportunities to find light.

Conrad’s mom scheduled this portrait session as a birthday gift to him, and I hope the feeling that lingers in these images is the gift that his mom truly sees him and honors the person he is. Which is truly the best gift.

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