Most of the time, when I get an inquiry for a family session, it’s for a family with one or two small children under the age of 5. The inquiry is from the mother. They know that their little ones are growing up and they want to preserve their littleness in photos forever. I love taking those kinds of photos.

This photo inquiry was different. First, it was from a daughter. Second, the children in this family were not only over the age of 5, but grown and living miles and miles away from home. Instead of preserving the littleness that was passing away, this family photo session captured what years of care and love and laughter create. The camaraderie between siblings who are now adults together. The love in a marriage that has seen births, first days of schools, graduation and now have their home to themselves again. Instead of parents tickling their children to get authentic smiles and giggles, I was taking photos of a family that had years and years of inside jokes and knew all the moves to the same goofy dances.

These family photos show the fruit of the labor of many years of midnight feedings, dinner table tantrums, movie nights, day trips, fights and making up again. These photos show the end game. One day your children will grow and then you’ll sit around the dinner table as friends. Thank you, Allmon family, for the privilege of capturing tangible memories for you to keep forever.