Celina, Ohio Extended Family Session: 40 Years in the Making
When I got the text from a childhood best friend that they were hoping to schedule an Extended Family Session for their parents 40th Wedding Anniversary, it was definitely an honor to book. Having basically grown up with this family, I knew it would be a session filled with good laughs and constant jokes. And the shenanigans would probably all be lead by the matriarch of the family herself, Linda.
Knowing this crew would have a lot of energy and moving parts (aka kids), my sister-in-law luckily jumped in to tag team this session which was so much fun to be able to do with her! It was also a saving grace, as we pulled up to our originally planned location to find out our beautiful field of sunflowers had breathed its last breath and wilted away. We quickly jumped into problem solving mode to rattle off our other options, which is precisely when my friend Kayleigh gave me a call to let me know they were on the way. “Actually, maybe just sit tight exactly where you are and let me tell you the new plan in about 5 minutes.” Thank goodness this family isn’t easily rattled and can go with the flow as we rerouted to another beautiful spot.
Having a gorgeous evening on the lake as our backdrop, we set to work capturing the laughter and love of this crazy bunch. John and Linda are definitely the type of people that stay just as they are, in all the best ways, no matter what time has passed. They now have three grown and married children who have given them the gift of a total of 10 adorable grandkids who all clearly love their Grandma and Grandpa.
We had so much fun with this family and these kids did great! I think often times there can be a little bit of panic and stress for parents over making sure your kid smiles and sits still long enough for the photographer to capture them, but if you trust your photographer to do what they love to do you will more than likely be so happy with the results. When kids get to be kids, that’s when you really end up with pictures of moments and laughter that will remind you of the joy of that stage of life. That’s when you capture each unique, silly, and vibrant personality of who your kid is becoming.
As every great portrait session should end, we concluded our evening with a little reward of Fruit by the Foot for kids (young and old), and naturally this lead to a hands-free eating challenge.
Check out their full gallery here!
Thanks for letting me celebrate this family milestone with you all! Cheers to many more years of love and laughter to come!
The Bontrager Family Session in Granger, Indiana
The session that almost wasn’t.
The Bontrager family was scheduled for a 6pm session this past Friday evening, and the weather forecast was looking dismal at best. Storms were predicted all afternoon into the evening. It had already been a long week for this family after completing their first go round of e-learning for the school year for the 3 oldest. “Let’s wait till 4 to make a decision,” we agreed. And when decision time arrived we were still unsure. Against the odds, we decided to have a little faith and see what we could make of the evening.
And y’all…it turned out to be so beautiful!
We explored the grounds of their church, a place that is so special to this family, and chased the beautiful evening sun.
Maybe our location lent a hand in some divine intervention, but I am so glad we didn’t postpone this session!
The week prior, Ashley and I texted ideas back and forth about their potential wardrobe. As I say to many moms, figuring out what everyone will wear is often the most stressful part of pictures! I don’t want to add that stress to families, and am more than happy to give ideas and input on what outfits will work well together.
I’ve never actually been much of a “let’s go shopping” kind of girlfriend, but it turns out I love virtual shopping trips! So if you’re looking for someone to send you outfit links - I’m your girl!
Knowing she wanted to work with a few items from her kids closets, we found a color scheme that she loved and set to work on finding a dress for her (that she looked stunning in!!) to complete the entire family’s ensemble in just a few clicks!
What I love about taking photos of this family is that these siblings have such an awesome bond. They truly are built in best friends at the end of the day. They look out for one another, and they are pretty darn cute to boot! Each has their own very specific personality that balances out the rest of their tribe. Beyond four great kids, mom and dad are pretty awesome too. Mama Ashley happens to be my favorite lactation consultant in this world and she sat by my side in the very early days of navigating all of the “Am I doing this right?!” questions that came with our sweet boy. Papa Conrad has more Dad Jokes than possibly any other father that I have met in my life…combined…and multiplied.
A sweet, funny, and adventurous family always makes for an awesome session and I’m so glad I got to spend some time with this family!
Thanks Bontragers!
Coming Up.
Movin’ right along.
First off, thanks to all of you who read and participated in the Celebration Giveaway last week! Congratulations to Amy for being our winner of a portrait session, featuring her nominee, Maddie!
Amy wrote, “So I would love to nominate my sassy, sweet, loving little girl. Miss Madison Grace AKA Maddie pattie is the most energetic person I’ve ever met. She is also the sweetest. No one lights up a room like her
I would have to say that her “victory” is becoming a great big sister! It’s hard for kids to adjust to not being the single child anymore. To say she’s rocked at her new role is an understatement! She’s so completely in love with her little bro and loves to give him kisses! So in a nutshell that is why I’m nominating my sweet little human!!”
Looking forward to our session, Amy and Maddie!
What a serious breath of fresh air it was to hear about so many happy things happening in your lives. It’s easy to get lost in current events. As important as it is to stay aware and stay informed, it’s just as important to have some self care, positivity, and light in your life. So to you all celebrating and finding the light in the darkness, cheers!
Second, I just wanted to share a glimpse into what’s in the works for Sheri Lynn Photography. Time keeps quickly marching forward, and my favorite season is somehow swiftly approaching as I’m starting to notice leaves turning here and there. I also see pumpkin spice lovers rejoicing and fellow cardigan lovers pulling out their favorite sweaters. It’s about to be fall, y’all! I am currently scoping out a spot to offer Fall Minis. A mini session is a shortened version of a portrait session. We will spend a half hour together and you’ll receive a small digital gallery of your portrait session. Want to capture the essence of dinner in the crockpot, apple cider, changing leaves, cooler temps arriving, and sweater weather all in a portrait of you and your loved ones? Well mini sessions might be what you’re looking for! Stay tuned for dates and sign ups!
Beyond my photography world, I have bittersweet feelings to share that we have a first birthday quickly approaching! Last night I may or may not have spent an absurd amount of time scrolling through photos from a year ago and sending video clips to my husband with a lot of emojis. I spent hours piecing together a First Year album that I may cry about when it arrives. It’s been strange planning a birthday party (and a 34th birthday party for my husband - a glimpse into the future of having family birthdays a week apart) in these wild times. I’m reminding myself to focus on the good stuff knowing that even if we can’t have everyone here that we had planned, it will still be such a special day celebrating our boy.
Let’s Celebrate.
Click. Click. BOOM!
It’s a weird time right now. For everyone. I’m completely aware of this uncharted territory we are all trying to navigate. Some of us are using this time to really get stuff done, some of us haven’t worn actual pants in awhile, and no matter which camp you might be in, you should know that you’re doing great. Pat yourself on the back. Something I strongly believe is that we aren’t celebrating our victories enough, whether they’re small or big. And in taking a leap of faith and starting a photography business, I want to be sure to celebrate pouring my energy and heart into something I love!
Launching this website is a pretty big milestone for me. An official declaration of “Hey, this is a thing I’m doing and I hope you’ll be a part of it!” So, that brings me to a little GIVEAWAY that I’m excited about!
How do I want to celebrate my milestone? By celebrating YOU! Here’s the deal:
1) Think about what or who in your life deserves a celebration right now. Job promotions, new businesses, weight loss, medical journeys, pregnancies, graduations - all big things to celebrate! Self love, non-scale victories, overcoming personal struggles and embracing personal growth - all private victories that don’t get the spotlight they deserve. Big wins, little wins, personal wins….they all matter, and that’s where I come in. I want to capture this victory for you, or someone you nominate, with a FREE portrait session.
2) You just need to hop over to my CONTACT page, and leave a message about what or who you want to celebrate. Get all in those feelings. Just submit prior to 5pm on August 21st.
3) Tell others that they should do the same! Spread the word! Spread the joy! TELL ALL THE PEOPLE! After all, 2020 could use a little cheer, right?
4) Hop onto Sheri Lynn Photography on Facebook (be sure to like!) and join me for a Facebook live reveal of the randomly selected winner of this celebratory portrait session. This will take place at 6pm on Monday, August 24th. I promise I’ll put on real pants.
5) If you’re like me and don’t have much of a history of winning contests, don’t fret. I’ll be giving away some runner-up prizes as well :)
6) One Last Detail: This portrait session must take place within 30 miles of the Elkhart/South Bend area, and the winner should plan to schedule this session prior to November.
And so that’s the GIVEAWAY! I’m really, really excited and hope to be fully overwhelmed with wonderful stories of things to celebrate!
Cheers to new beginnings, cheers to milestones, cheers to this website launching, and cheers to you and your reasons to celebrate!