Franke Family | Glen Haven Portraits

The thing about family portraits is they don’t have to be fussy.

Come as you are—in the trenches of parenthood, perhaps sleepless nights, or a teething baby. We’ll create beautiful portraits no matter what season of life you are in.

As parents ourselves we can attest that it truly flies by—both the good and the hard—all of it flies by.

So take these moments, slow down, let yourself breath, and document this stage you are in currently because years later, you will look back at the photos and think ‘was my baby really ever that tiny’?

You’ll notice your tired eyes with a full and happy heart because this is your story, your family, and you should be photographed in a way that feels true and honest and beautiful all at the same time.

We met the Franke Family out at Glen Haven for their family portraits. It was our first time meeting their beautiful baby girl, but we had previously the lovely honor of photographing Joel and Emily with their dog for both their engagement session and their wedding. To witness and share in another piece of their story was a true honor. To create heirloom photos that they will cherish and show their daughter as she grows up, it’s a unique privilege that we are proud to be a part of. We took an hour, traipsed around the sand, by the water, and up the dunes documenting the sweet and the simple yet intimately meaningful moments as a family.

In Home Family Portraits | The Clarks

Whenever we have the opportunity to photograph our friends it is such a special occasion. Not only are Adam and Kelly some of our closest friends, but they are also our family as well. That means our children are cousins! That also means that their precious daughter is our niece and she has made us 'Uncle Miles and Aunt Sarah' for the first time ever.

Kelly and I had the opportunity to be pregnant side by side and our due dates were actually only two weeks apart. We were originally planning to photograph a maternity/couples session for Adam and Kelly this Fall before I went on maternity leave. But their sweet daughter surprised everyone by being born five weeks early! And since that moment, Mabel Louise has charmed her way into all of our hearts--we love her dearly.

Once Adam and Kelly came home and had an opportunity to get settled, we offered to photograph some family portraits in their home. Kelly got to wear the beautiful dress she had originally planned for her maternity session (which is one of the many reasons we both love Nothing Fits But--for their versatility to wear their dresses in any season of life). Adam and Kelly had their home decorated for Christmas and we had many picturesque settings for their photos. Underneath the dried oranges and fresh garland. Beside the Christmas tree with their stockings hung above the fireplace mantel. And after swaddling Mable so she was snug and warm, we snuck out to the backyard for a few minutes to get some photos in the snow.

We love photographing these kinds of in-home family portraits. There is something so peaceful about being invited into one's homes and documenting them in their natural environment. We felt as though we could take our time, settle into cozy positions, and enjoy the company of their precious family. And all the while we were photographing them as they were and capturing this sweet stage of life for them to remember forever.

Whitbeck Family Portraits

It was a beautiful morning to wander down to the lake to capture the Whitbeck family. After some formal portraits, we stuck around as the family prepped their breakfast of chocolate chip pancakes outside. Little hands reached in to help their grandma stir and pour the batter while other hands snuck a few chocolate chips here and there. Meanwhile, a small game of kicking around a volleyball was happening along the shore and thankfully it only managed to splash into the water a few times. We packed up our gear, said goodbye to the family, and left as they all dug into a sweet breakfast together. We love capturing moments and memories amongst family.

Gus and Melissa Family Portraits | Beautiful Lake Property

Gus and Melissa Family Portraits

When Gus and Melissa reached out about family portraits, I was so excited! I had the honor of photographing Gus and Melissa's wedding back in 2018. When they mentioned the photos, they let us know that they were staying in the same location they had their wedding. A beautiful family cottage on the lake--it was the perfect setting! How special is that they were married here a few years before and then we could meet again a few years later at the same spot? And this time, we were able to meet their precious new baby boy!

We absolutely love it when we can build a friendship with a couple. Even better when they trust us enough to capture even more big moments in their life. From one life stage to the next, it was lovely to meet up with Gus and Melissa and capture these moments.

With the whole family there, we were able to capture many different groupings. We photographed the big group--the kind of photo you print and hang on your fridge. But we also made sure to capture each family grouping and the kid cousins all hanging out. We love watching this family grow and can't wait to hopefully photograph them again soon.

Photographed by Miles + Sarah Photography

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