Fish Creek's Sunset Beach and Clark Park | A 50th Anniversary Photo Session
Mr. and Mrs. White have been married for 50 years, and they wanted a family photo session to mark the occasion. Together they have five grandchildren, and I asked the kids about their favorite thing to do with their grandparents and they said, “Make box forts!” I haven’t made a box fort in years; add that to my to-do list!
Ellison Bluffs and Harbor Park | Running from the Rain
We started our session at the Ellison Bluffs State Natural Area before it started to rain. After looking at the storm radar and seeing that we were at the edge of the rain moving northeast (everything south of us appeared dry), we decided to drive south to finish our session.
Fish Creek's Sunset Beach and Clark Park | What Year Did We Start Dating?
“On the count of 3, I want to know the year you started dating…… 1… 2… 3!”
“2015!” Karen exclaimed.
Karen’s husband, who didn’t offer an answer of his own, quickly looked at her with the most confused expression. “2015? You think we started dating 5 years ago?”
Ellison Bluffs State Natural Area | Five Year Anniversary Family Session
If you ask someone where they’ll be in five years, they’ll often give an answer similar to where they are today. Maybe they’ll think they’ll have a new promotion, but they usually don’t anticipate anything too life changing. But where were you five years ago? I was still in college studying chemistry, not married yet, and toying around with the idea of moving home to Door County after graduation. Today I have an amazing wife, house, cat, and a promising photography career. Where will we be in five years? I can’t even image.
Fish Creek | An Extended Family Vacation
It’s become a tradition to get ice cream at the end of my Fish Creek family sessions not only because it’s a fantastic motivator, but also because the results are absolutely timeless. We should all remember what it’s like to have ice cream smeared across our faces and not a care in the world.
Egg Harbor | Family and a Future Home
I arrived at Egg Harbor’s dog park parking lot, met Amanda and her husband, and followed their minivan about two miles before pulling over to the side of the road. There were no houses or driveways, but this was where we were going to photographed their family session. The property was owned by Amanda’s parents, and to this point it had only been used for hunting; however, they’re going to build their home here in the next couple years.
Sturgeon Bay's Glidden Drive | Family Beach Vacation
If I could only use one word to describe the Huffer family’s beachfront photography session, I’d pick innocence. Between grandparents choosing to play on the floor, a little boy dunking his popsicle in the sand (and not caring about the grit on the next lick), and the whole family wading in the lake while in street clothes, we were able to capture fantastic candid moments outside the standard formals. Isn’t that what a Door County family vacation is all about?
Whitefish Dunes State Park | Family Formals Worth a Frame
Cave Point is one of my most requested photography locations (and rightfully so), but one difficulty is that it is extremely busy. Instead, I’ve found the perfect spot in Whitefish Dunes State Park that gives all the views without the crowds! Melissa and her family met me there after a day of shopping and go-carting, and it was a great way to end their Door County family vacation!
Harbor View Park in Egg Harbor | Gomes Family 2020
But the Gomes family is making the best of 2020 with a new puppy and a relaxing Door County weekend at the Landmark Resort. The kids are looking forward to pancakes from Al Johnson’s, and Elianna is just happy to not be the family’s math teacher anymore!
Fish Creek's Sunset Beach and Clark Park | A Chipped Tooth and Family Vacation
It’s been a late start to the 2020 photography season with COVID and the ensuing uncertainty, but I’m excited to ease into some resemblance of normalcy. I was blessed to kickoff the summer with an awesome extended family vacation in Fish Creek!
Cave Point County Park | All Grown Up Family Session
Crossroads at Big Creek | From Hawaii to Wisconsin
The Rushes | A Fall Family Vacation
Robertson Orchards Fall Mini Sessions
Robertson Orchards Mini-Family Photography Sessions Are Here!!
The seasons are changing, so it’s time for something new :) I’m partnering with Robertson Orchards to offer fall-themed mini family photography sessions on October 6th and 8th! Sessions will be 20 minutes long between 4-6 PM, cost $199, and include a full set of digital copies and print releases to use your images how you please.
Frank E. Murphy Park | Travel, Fish, and Hats
Crossroads at Big Creek and Coast Guard Station | Back to When We Were Kids
Washington Island | Lavender, Tattoos, and Family
It was surreal having the whole deck to myself. Apart from the crew and a family who never left their car, I was only person on the ferry. Traditional ferry etiquette is to find a seat, gaze at the passing Plum Island, and maybe engage in brief smalltalk with a nearby retired couple. Instead, I circled the deck at least three times and explored in a way that I normally wouldn’t have for fear of social judgement.
Fish Creek Airbnb | Just Hanging Out With Family
At the end of the day, you don’t drive up from Chicago, fly in from Kansas, or travel from Europe for a photograph of your family “existing together”. Instead, it’s the moments like tossing a football with your cousins, competing to see who’s truly the best “Uncle John,” or watching your grandkids play with rubber lizards in the bed of your truck that make the journey worth it.
Ellison Bay's Bayview Resort | Three Sisters and Their Families
Every year, three sisters (who are now grandmothers themselves) spend a week at the Bayview Resort with their families. That’s incredible! I don’t know about you, but I can’t imagine coordinating my schedule with 31 other people for an entire week. It’s also amazing how close a family this size is. I know that my grandparents have brothers and sisters, but I don’t think I’ve ever met them (and certainly not their children or their children’s children).