These are our BUDS. Always happy to photograph them as clients but more happy to photograph them as some of our best friends. Last year we did an on-location shoot but this year we went back to their house because SamSam, their dog, felt left out and missed me too much. I don’t know what to say about these folks that I haven’t said before but it bears repeating that I love them and I’m grateful to have friends who are family down here. We watch a lot of bad movies and occasionally some good movies and we celebrate holidays and birthdays and go through good things and bad things together and sometimes I take their pictures. Their oldest son and I are buddies – we hang out at Geoff and Jon’s softball games together where he tells me important things like “I went to Target today” and asks the hard hitting questions such as “How far is your house from here?” and about 50 other questions that start with “why” in an hour’s time. Their youngest son, who has been slightly more wary of me, is now big smiles and I’m pleased to report that he voluntarily ran up and pushed me during this session while giggling and running away, which is his first voluntary interaction with me. Soon we’ll be best buds too. However, their first and oldest child, dog SamSam, will always make sure that I’m her best friend first and foremost and will bowl over all children and people in the process (I’m going to pretend she’d do this even if I didn’t give her treats).

You might recognize “Banjo Boy” from the homepage of my website, only now he’s a little over 4 years older (*sobs*) and his sister is no longer a baby (*sobs*) and Ruby the Dog is also somehow 4 years older (*sobs*). They are, however, still the best kids – hilarious, super smart, and raised on a steady diet of Garfield comic books. And not the new Garfield, either. We’re talking classic Garfield. You know, the good stuff. They also use Mr. Sketch scented markers (22 scents now!) and had a good time taking off the caps, having me smell the markers, and guess the scent. They play Badminton, which I used to play all the time as a kid. It’s like they’re living a delightfully early 90s childhood with no devices (except Duolingo, which is a favorite – and when it was discovered that I also use Duolingo, I gained a lot of street cred with the boy who then firmly moved me into the “cool” category). Kinda want to move in with them. Scratch that – definitely want to move in with them. You can find me in their backyard on the hammock reading their collection of Garfield comics.