Miller Family | Utah Family Photographer

“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.”

— Roald Dahl

New Year, New Beginnings, New Goals and Old Goals. I'm entering a stage of motherhood that's foreign to me. Normally when my babies are nearing the 2 year-old mark, I get a little sad. It feels like the official end of babyhood, and in the past, it meant looking towards growing our family. That was really hard and complicated for us, and two year-old meant I needed to start dealing with that. But now, we are done having babies, and it means my Nora is moving out of baby forever, and I'm leaving that phase forever. ALL.THE.EMOTIONS. But you know what I used to do before babies? I set goals! Big Goals! And I pursued them. I went back to school after Scott graduated and got my degree in photography at 27, because I LOVED IT. It made no sense to anyone I knew except Scott. I started my way up from a small photography studio. I started my own business when it looked like a family might never happen. I FIGURED OUT TAXES (kind of) But here I am, leaving the last decade of my life, and looking towards a whole different kind of future. One that doesn't involve shots and doctors visits and late nights and no sleep. I've changed so much this last decade. My dreams have merged into my children's. But I still have my own. So, I've decided to ignore the voice in my head that says everyone can do everything better than you, and it's been done, and you don't have anything new to add. I mean, that might be true, but it wouldn't be true to myself. So, I want to create a new kind of session. One that doesn't have a checklist in my head of shots to get, or to make sure everyone is looking at the camera. One that doesn't worry deeply about disappointing people, because I know photos are an investment! One that honors parenthood and the fleetingness of childhood. So I wrote down what I wanted and it was too, FIND MAGIC. When your babies are crawling over you, when the light dances across your face, when your tired, and play the I lay down game. When your emotions are blurry and your heart is full. I want to focus on the emotion and not the technical, which means I'm giving myself permission to not be perfect. Maybe NO ONE will want these. That's okay, I'm going to track you down and force myself in your home...in a safe and respectable way! I just think we all deserve to have our magic captured. I think life changes quickly, and I don't want to spend the next decade chasing perfectionism, because that's my nature and that's been my whole life. I want to chase love, the feeling of it, the shape of it, and way it shapes your life.
Name in progress...just like my life.
Wonder Sessions
Magic Sessions
Childhood Series
Magichood Series

Either way, it's my goal. To add some imperfection and love into your life and mine. Who wants to play along?

Snowbird, Utah Wedding | Caity and Brendan

“Only from the heart can you touch the sky”

— Rumi

It's January, just around the time I start to yearn for the world to wake up and shake out her glory. I'm a two-month winter kind of Lady, but I live in a six-month winter kind of a place. But I started to feel alive and awake today, and my mind reached out to what feeds that. For me, It's connection and beauty and good people.

Caity and Brendan's wedding was connection and love and beauty and good people. From the moment I met them, I fell in love with Caity and Brendan and their families. When people let you in and trust you, it's the greatest gift. From hundreds of hand folded origami honoring Caity's Japanese background, to a wedding ceremony at the top of the world, their wedding felt both expansive and intimate. I guess that's the dream I have for myself and everyone I meet, to feel the whole world swirling around you and to be surrounded by those who love you best.

Thank you a million times over Caity and Brendan for letting document your love!

Venue: Snowbird

How Does Your Garden Grow | Utah Motherhood Session

“Sometimes when you pick up your child you can feel the map of your own bones beneath your hands, or the smell the scent of your skin in the nape of her neck. This is the most extraordinary thing about motherhood - finding a piece of yourself separate and apart that all the same you could not live without.”

— Jodi Picoult

I tend to compartmentalize my life. I work and then I mother, and then I do the other things that help define the whole of who I am. But I find so much beauty in the moments I can grow these pieces of my heart together. That I can raise my children, while I grow my business and nourish that creativity that lives inside of me. The wholeness of being fully present in all parts of my life is my privilege and challenge every day. I admire women who effortlessly seem to find that balance. I know it's more work then it seems, but that flow through the streams of their life is the place I seek to find. My beautiful friend Amber is growing the most beautiful floral business, raising her two young children, and remodeling their beautiful home. I wanted to capture a little of her dust mote magic, surrounded by all of her loves, swirling around her like the beautiful and kind woman she is. I want more of this in my life. More for myself and more for others. I want to capture this kind of love. I floated in her orbit for a short space of time and am grateful for the opportunity of combining my loves and documenting yours. 

Beautiful flowers, children and Mama, Amber Dickson, Reverie Floral Design

If this kind of motherhood series appeals to your heart, like it did mine, let's make our own dust mote magic together, shall we?