Sometimes we get gifts we didn’t ask for, gifts we didn’t think we wanted or needeed. And sometimes we end up wondering how we ever lived without them. 2020 brought pain and loss and isolation but as I went through my 2020 photos to put together my annual family slideshow and album, there was no denying that it also brought much more.

1. More time outside I I thought that we spent a good amount of time outdoors but 2020 took it to new levels and removed the barriers we would have been constrained by. In 2020, a nice day was defined as pretty much any day when it wasn’t hailing. Just being outside was welcomed and we took more long walks, hikes and spent more time in our own yard and exploring places that we’d never even heard of than we ever had before.

2. Sincere gratitude for the everyday, mundane parts of our lives

As 2020 rolled along, every day seemed to remind us of things that we couldn’t do anymore, places we couldn’t go and the little interactions that we missed. As someone who happily works for myself and spends a lot of time on my own, I didn’t necessarily think that I would mind being hunkered down at home. It’s not as if I am used to a busy, social office environment or tons of small talk with people all day. But I quickly realized that whether it was my in-person yoga classes, interactions at a coffee shop or just seeing familiar people out and about while on my daily runs, those connections matter.

Going to restaurants or a movie with my family are never the things that we think of as major events but when you take all of those indirectly social experiences away, it’s like the color in a photo was taken away. Things like our annual Cape vacation and the kids playing on sports teams have always been fun but this year, they were lifelines.

Will we take all of this for granted again in a year? Possibly….probably. But for now anyway, we are acutely aware of how much the little moments shared with others and all of the routine things we do really matter.

3. A dog…..and a trampoline!

A dog was something we talked about as a “maybe someday”. Mike never grew up with pets but he had adapted easily to life with cats. The extra responsibility of a dog was not appealing to him though and made me a little nervous too. We have older kids who sleep in and the last thing I wanted was to be getting up at 5 AM for a dog or unable to take spontaneous day trips or overnights trips because of a dog. We were in agreement, no puppies! Well, so much for that plan! We brought home a 9 week old golden retriever in late October and joined the Pandemic Puppy club. Turns out he sleeps like a champ and has been a pretty awesome addition to our crew.

As for that trampline, it was previously a “No way” but by April it was a “Why not?!” and it’s been a godsend for the last 10+ months. Were it not for this bizarre situation we are in, I’m not sure when or if either of these things would have happened but 2020 made lots of people take unexpected leaps.

4. Hope

The year was dark in so many ways but there was also hope. Standing side by side with hundreds of people in June at a gathering to support George Floyd, it was palpable and in November, it was undeniable. The nation is far from “fixed” but the unrest this year ignited change and the end of the Trump years may be the best gift of all that 2020 brought us.

5. Time

If you are a gushy sentimental parent like I am, you are always longing for more time and cursing the pace at which it flies by. Well, be careful what you wish for, right? Maybe this year gave you more time together with your family than you ever wanted and surely, it wasn’t all the magical sort of time you may have been envisioning.

Still, I found myself thinking that there will likely never again be a time in their lives where they are together this much. They were 7 and 10 when this started and are now 8 and 11. They are no longer in the same school and will only experience that for one more year when Zoe is a senior in high school. We are lucky in that they were aleady pretty tight but this last year brought them closer than ever in ways that no other experience we could have created ever would have.

For so much of this last year, we only had each other and we all leaned into it pretty hard. We didn’t ask for it, we didn’t want it and we deeply grieve the experience and moments that we lost but we can feel all of that and simultaneously feel gratitude for the parts of 2020 that changed us for the better.

At the end of each year, I put together a collection of our photos and video clips to make a slideshow for the year. When we view the final product from our couch on the TV, it always feels like a trip we are taking through the last year and this year in particular was bittersweet. This is our 2020.

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Melrose Stays Home was born from something that caught my eye on morning runs and after dinner walks around our neighborhood. This was during the first couple of days after we were all told to stay home and press pause on life as we know it. Families were out in the driveways, coloring with chalk. Families were taking walks after dinner, all together. Parents were sitting on the front lawn with their kids blowing bubbles or playing catch. Mind you, it was March– not exactly the best time of year for weather in New England.

These are beautiful but not extraordinary moments and yet it was suddenly all that I saw, everywhere, every day. It was clear that a new kind of life was taking shape and demanding to be noticed, even if it was only going to be temporary.

At first, I thought about just bringing my camera out with me and snapping candids. Taking street photos used to be one of my favorite things to do when we lived in Cambridge over a decade ago. I used to be pretty good at going largely unnoticed. But it occurred to me that being open about taking photos of families and connecting with them about how they were doing might just be the best balm for our collective isolation. So I decided to recruit families and in exchange for a photo of this strange moment in time, they would agree to purchase a gift card to one of our many amazing local businesses.

I thought maybe I would photograph a few dozen families. As I began sharing photos daily alongside the stories that families so generously shared with me, the response took on a life of its own. Within 2 months, we passed the 200 family mark.

I am proud of this project and of the snapshot in time that it offers. I knew that the stories had power on their own but I also knew that they really belonged together. The first way to do that is here and is a video featuring all of the participants set to music that I selected by artists Lady Bri, Asher and JJ Heller. Last, I am puting together all of the images and the stories shared by each family in a book format to be donated to our local library.

I love the idea of a child who is born in 2020 year flipping through the pages of this book at the library in 20 years and getting a glimpse of what we all experienced, apart…but together. Please check out the video below–Amazing music elevates the collection of some of Melrose’s finest!

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Better Way

by Ben Harper

i’m a living sunset
lightning in my bones
push me to the edge
but my will is stone

i believe in a better way

fools will be fools
and wise will be wise
but I will look this world
straight in the eyes
i believe in a better way
i believe in a better way

what good is a man
who won’t take a stand
what good is a cynic
with no better plan
i believe in a better way
i believe in a better way

reality is sharp
it cuts at me like a knife
everyone I know
is in the fight of their life
and

i believe in a better way

take your face out of your hands
and clear your eyes
you have a right to your dreams
and don’t be denied

i believe in a better way

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So you’re getting ready to welcome a new baby into your family. Maybe it’s your first…or maybe this little one is joining a couple of brothers and sisters. Either way, the nine months of waiting means there is a lot of time to think about things like what crib to get or what colors to paint the nursery and you might be thinking about whether or not to have newborn photos taken.

I offer (and ADORE!) Fresh 48 Sessions which take place in the hospital within 48 hours of delivery but the most commonly booked newborn session that I offer are lifestyle in home newborn sessions. They’ve been growing in popularity for the last few years so people have become more familiar with them. Still, I know that many moms-to-be are unsure of exactly what this kind of session is and whether it can work for them so I thought I’d address some of the most common things I hear from moms to be.

“But my home is too small, it doesn’t get great light, it’s cluttered or not perfectly decorated.”

My response? Your home is a part of the story which adds context and will be a part of your memories of this chapter. But to put your mind at ease, I promise that size is not an issue, nor does your house need to look like a Pottery Barn showroom. I have photographed families in enormous houses with rooms we did not even enter and in tiny condos where it’s a snug fit for me to fit in some of the rooms along with the mom, dad and baby. We make it work! For many lifestyle newborn sessions, we spend most of the time in the master bedroom, the nursery or the living room so there is no need to do much other than make sure the bed is made and the general area around the bed is decluttered.

As for light, I’ve been in homes with huge floor-to-ceiling windows and I’ve been in garden level condos in the South End with minimal natural light at all. As long as we can find a window, we can make it work.

But…..what makes this a lifestyle session? What will we do? How will we know what we are supposed to do?

This is my favorite part of lifestyle newborn sessions! They are all different because what happens is really led by the baby and we go with the flow. If the baby is sleeping soundly when I arrive, maybe we will start with some solo baby shots. If the baby is nursing, I’ll photograph that, as long as you’re comfortable with it. If the baby is awake and wide eyed, we’ll capure that. If the baby is being burped or being swaddled, I will photograph that. I’ll guide you to where the light is best and help you all settle in and get comfy somewhere and do what you would do if I wasn’t there. I’ll keep a mental checklist of the kinds of shots I want to get (Mom/baby, dad/baby, mom + dad + baby, siblings together, baby alone, etc) but how that plays out will look different in every home. If the baby fusses, we’ll take our time while you work through that and as you can probably guess, I’ll take pictures of that too because it’s all part of the story.

“Can my toddler/s be in the photos too?”

“My toddler is a maniac and I don’t think he will cooperate at all.“

Your older kiddo/kiddos are going through a big change with the addition of a new family member. I get it and I know just how to go with the flow and let them ease into or session so that they are a part of it in a way that works for them. I know how important the family and sibling shots are and the great thing about lifestyle sessions is that we can let things unfold naturally and capture the sweet moments of connection as they happen. And they will happen!

Will I have portraits of the baby that I can use for a birth announcement?

Absolutely! Even though lifestyle sessions are loose and relaxed and focused on connections and authentic moments, that doesn’t mean that we won’t intentionally create some images that focus solely on your beautiful baby. I look around your home for opportunities to capture solo shots of the baby and these are always some of my favorite shots.

So how do I know if this kind of session is for me?

The truth is, in-home lifestyle newborn sessions are not for everyone. They are best suited for those who are drawn to the beauty of ordinary moments and people who embrace authenticity over perfection. You know best whether that is you and only you know what kinds of images speak to your heart. If highly posed and totally polished is more your thing, this may not be for you. But if you’re a sentimental, romantic kind of person or you’re drawn to documentary photography and images that capture all of the little details of your life, then we’d be a good fit!

More questions? Reach out and ask! Next, I’ll be working on a blog post about what to wear at a lifestyle newborn session so stay tuned!

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In 2019, I took on another 365 photo project and this week, I finally wrapped up the organizing of the photos and got to the really fun part. Putting the photos all together and creating slideshows that really tell the story of our year makes the time commitment completely worth it.

If you scroll all the way to the end, I’ve included the full length slideshow that covers one photo a day for the year. Yes, it is quite long but gives you an idea of what a finished product looks like and I hope that even if you just peek at it for 30 seconds, it motivates you to take on your own project. This year, I also created a condensed version of our 2019 that includes some photos that didn’t make the 365 project and some video clips from my iPhone because theres nothing quite like hearing those little voices. Here’s what I found myself thinking about as I pulled this year’s project together.

1. This project has gotten a little bit harder for me as the kids have gotten older. Sure, babies and toddlers are more needy than my kids are now at ages 7 and 10 but in some ways they were easier to document when they were really little. First, they weren’t off at school for 6 hours a day or out at sports, activities and play dates. But besides the logistics of just having less access to them now, there is SO much material to capture with babies and todders since nearly every experience is new to them.

With kids who are in school, much of the week is repetitive routine and I have to look deeper for the moments that stand out. Turns out, some of the best moments ARE the seemingly mundane things like eating dinner or being curled up on the couch with a book. Letting go of the idea of taking a magical photo every day (or even every week) and embracing reality is helpful.

FEBRUARY

MARCH

APRIL

2. Keeping the camera nearby or with me was key but so was giving myself permission to use the phone in a pinch. The goal is to use my DSLR and really play with different approaches to shooting. And for the 99% of the time from January through September, I used my DSLR.

But September-December is for photographers what tax season is to accountants. In some years, my 365 project has completely fallen apart come the busy fall, but this year, I embraced the phone on days when a DSLR shot was not going to happen. I still had the task of finding a moment and I didn’t lose momentum. I totally missed 1 or 2 days in late fall and in the past, that would have really bugged me. Now, I understand that old expression “Perfection is the enemy of done” and I’m more than happy with what I have.

MAY

JUNE

JULY

3. Doing something WITH the photos is so important and is the ultimate reward for sticking with a photo project. Individually, many of the images in a 365 project are just little snippets of our daily lives. Sure, some had elements like beautiful light but plenty were taken at night and are filled with less than attractive artificial light from inside our home. There are lots of cluttered backgrounds that are far from picture perfect.

But somehow it all comes together when you put the images in chronological order and then set it to music. Seeing the seasons change and watching my girls grow up before my eyes as each image flashes by and is bittersweet to say the least and is something that I hope they will someday treasure as much as I do now.

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

Short version + video clips

Long version (full year)

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Besides family work, I loved getting to work with various businesses and nonprofits this year for headshots and branding sessions. In 2019, I partnered with two amazing local women owned businesses, A Mom’s Village (https://amomsvillage.com/) and The Sweetbay Shop (https://www.shopsweetbay.com/). I am so excited about these new relationships and I look forward to more exciting collaborations with them this year.

From beaches to sunflower fields to National Parks and to tree farms, I was all over Massachusetts in 2019. I equally enjoyed cozy sessions at many of your homes. This year, along with my usual offerings, I’ll be adding sessions to document relationships with grandparents. Finally, I’m also hoping to offer snowy portrait sessions this winter. Stay tuned!

Here is the full 2019 video featuring all of my families from 2019, followed by some highlights. May this year bring you health, happiness and adventure. I can’t wait to work with you to plan your 2020 session!

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It was a really good summer, full of all the things that my heart happy. Of course, I took a lot of photos along the way. (I probably take more than half of the photos of any given year in the summer!) I get through the long cold winter with the help of those photos and the promise of what’s to come!

There is a lot of talk about the pressure to make summers and holiday seasons “magical” for our kids. Some say that social media has really magnified that feeling. But personally, I think summers really are magical, without any effort on our part! It’s simply because we are led more by our senses and the pursuit of simple pleasure. Plunging into cool water on a hot day, biting into a perfectly ripe watermelon, staying outside on a warm night until there isn’t a drop of sunlight left….that IS magical!

So before client work takes over for the next ten weeks, I pulled my summer images together into a folder. I will create an album with the best of them soon. Then I created a video slideshow with music. We’ve already watched it on our television, thanks to the beauty of smart TV technology.

Whether you do it on some fancy software or using an simple app on your phone, I can’t recommend the slideshow option enough but be prepared. Your memories + music =happy tears (or maybe that’s just if you are a sap like me?) so don’t say I didn’t warn you. Here is our video followed by some highlights of the summer:

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If I can’t say  that 5 was a surprise, I can admit that I’m not quite ready for it.  If the truth be told, some days I wish for Zoe to be “almost 5” forever. Because now, undeniably, there is no more baby, no more toddler, no more preschooler even but instead a bona fide kid.   The baby rolls are gone for the most part and she’s coltish now as if she’s trying to figure out movement all over again with these increasingly long limbs. She has more to say than ever before but still has her own delightful mispronunciations  of an array of words.  She still rubs her eyes like she did at 6 weeks old when she is tired and likes to wrap herself tightly in blankets the way we once swaddled her tight like a burrito.  Sometimes, when I wrap my arms around her in bed and close my eyes, I swear she smells just like a new baby all over again.

On Zoe’s birthday this year, we went to the Town Diner at her request for one more family breakfast as Watertown residents. Dressed in her new Elsa dress, she gobbled up her French toast and bacon and milk and remarked that she might have grown a tiny bit while she was sleeping and magically turning 5. At her request, we headed to the Children’s museum where she once crawled around and where she was now one of the big kids, climbing to the very top of the structure there that once made her eyes open wide in fear.

And then that night, we had dinner at Full Moon, a little gem of a place in Cambridge. We first ventured to Full Moon when Zoe was maybe 2 weeks old, having heard about how much they catered to families. We’d heard that they understood parents of little ones who just wanted great food (and let’s be honest, their wine and beer lists don’t hurt) without getting the stink eye from staff or other patrons when their babies and kids act like, well…babies and kids.  I remember how 5 years ago, we sat down at a table for two with Zoe sleeping in her car seat on the floor and how we plowed through a plate of nachos and 2 beers, as if Zoe were an explosive who might detonate if we didn’t hurry. I remember how we had ambitiously planned to have dinner too but that just as we finished our nachos and beer,  we looked down and suddenly, she was wide eyed and staring at us. She didn’t cry–in fact, she rarely pitched a fit publicly as a newborn–but she squirmed and grunted and squawked in her little seat, just enough to worry us. As rookie parents, she made us nervous enough to get the check and head for the door, grateful for our successful outing, albeit a brief one.

It’s hard to believe that five years ago, we sat there, trying to figure this small creature out but it’s not hard like when people say, “Oh, how can that have been 5 years ago–that feels like yesterday!” It’s hard because my heart can’t remember a time when she wasn’t ours and with us and intertwined into nearly every thought or feeling that I have and every real decision I make now.   Just five years, how can that be?  She’s been here all along, hasn’t she?

Five snuck up on me, even though I knew it was coming, even though the signs were all there and even though the kinds of questions she now asks were all pointing to the inevitable. Maybe I just wasn’t ready to close the chapter on my firstborn’s babyhood, or maybe there’s never really a way to be be truly ready for that.  I can’t slow this train down but I know now how fast it moves. So I find myself lingering with her at bedtime some nights or holding onto her hand long after we have safely crossed the street.  I tell her that she’s my big girl and in the same breath, I tell her that she’s my baby.  Somehow, in a way that I know she understands as well as I do, both are entirely true.

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