There are some families I photograph that I genuinely look forward to seeing every single year, and the Chens are one of them.

I've been photographing Sean and Christine's family for quite a while now, and every time I see them, I am reminded of just how much I love getting to watch families grow in front of my camera.

And there is an especially fun connection I have with this family— their oldest daughter is named Gretchen! As someone who doesn't meet another Gretchen very often, I obviously love that. 😉

And then there's Ingrid, who is just as sweet as can be.

These two girls are truly some of the cutest kids I've ever photographed, and they brought so much personality to their Forest Park Mini Session.

Ingrid was a little unsure about pictures when we first started. Which, honestly, is completely understandable! Having a camera pointed at you by someone you don't know very well can feel like a lot for a little one.

But it didn't take long.

A little playing, a few prompts and some time to get comfortable, and suddenly she was all smiles. By the end of our session, she was completely warmed up and having fun.

That's one of the reasons I love a lifestyle approach to family photography. I'm not looking for everyone to stand perfectly still and smile at the camera for every photograph. I want to give kids room to be themselves, play a little and warm up at their own pace.

And thankfully, the Chens are the kind of family who makes that easy.

Sean and Christine are just delightful people, and our time together always feels more like catching up with friends than simply checking a photography session off the calendar.

We also happened to have the most beautiful golden hour light. That soft, warm glow through the trees at the end of the day is one of my favorite things to photograph, and Forest Park absolutely delivered.

I'm so thankful for this family and for the years of memories they've trusted me to capture.

And I'm already looking forward to the next time I get to see them!