Jess + MAc

I went to high school with Jess (go AP Jags ). I still remember the sleepover for her 16th birthday like it was yesterday, and then - like so many stories - life happened. We lost touch after I had my oldest kiddo. Fast forward years later, and somehow we found our way back to each other. Now our kiddos get to hang out, play, and be buds, which honestly feels like one of those full-circle moments. Life is cute like that, and I live for sweet moments.

Jess reached out in September wanting to plan a ghost face themed family photography session in Michigan. It’s Mac’s favorite character -because of course a three-year-old would be obsessed with ghost face. We sprinkled a little of that playful theme into our time together at the end, but the real magic happened when Jess and Mac were able to just be.

Her dad owns the most beautiful property here in Michigan, and it was the perfect backdrop for a documentary-style family session. We ran around, explored, laughed, and let things unfold naturally. No pressure. No stiff posing. Just a mom and her son, running free in a space that already held so much meaning for them.

This gallery is one I still think about months later. There is truly something so special about the bond between a momma bear and her kid, and I feel incredibly lucky to be invited into people’s lives - friends and strangers alike, to witness and document moments like this. That kind of magic never gets old.

Check out some of our time together below!