an hour with the Lairds

I’m hoping to tell the story of many families in my lifetime. My journey with Tawni + Ryley and their sweet quartet started the day they announced two big big things: their second child was a baby girl + they were planning on spending forever together. After popping a pink smoke cannon in front of about 40 of their closest friends, Ryley knelt down on one knee and asked Tawni to keep choosing him forever.

2 months later, the whole gang (with some new bling on mom’s left hand) made their way to my studio on main street Durant, NIKO, for some maternity portraits.

Their older daughter, Isabella, was anxiously awaiting the arrival of her new best friend, and I was soaking up every moment of the connection between the three (almost four) of them.

I don’t take it lightly that I’m the one in charge of freezing these huge moments in time. I’m increasingly trying to work authenticity into my work, adding in poses that aren’t poses, direction that leads to confidence and loosens up all the discomfort of being on the other side of the camera unsure of what to do with your hands.

I’m hoping to capture families in their trueness.