I stepped out of my zone. Sort of.

The Johnson family invited me into their home to photograph their new daughter Melody. We had a lot of fun just hanging at their house. I love photographing people where they are most comfotable. You are able to see so much deeper into who they are, just because they are in familiar surroundings. It takes an element of stress or awkwardness out of the shoot.

However in doing it this way I had a challenge. I had to recreate a studio photo that was taken of their older daughter Natalie when she was just 3 months old.

I am not a portrait studio. I don't claim to be. I don't want to be. Posing kids with pumpkins and wagons with them clapping their hands and smiling is not what being a kid is about. If you want photos with your kid's and pumpkins, we are treking to a pumpkin patch. I like the real deal. Yeah, there is mud at the pumpkin patch, but isn't that how your child is normally - covered in mud?

There is a time and a place for studio portrature - don't get me wrong. But there are photographer's out there who really enjoy doing that. I am all about the dirt, grime and joy of childhood.

That being said ... I think I did a pretty good job of getting a studio-like shot of Melody.

Then I was over the Studio thing... So they all piled on the bed.

And then ... we jumped on the bed. That is more like it :)