In case you ever wondered, I love photographing kids and families. It’s like I’m receiving a behind the scenes look at the sweet and loving relationships between moms and dads and their precious little ones. This particular session was extra special for me. I’ve known Mary T. (the mom) since I was about 14. We met on a tennis court in Montgomery, Alabama at one of the many tennis tournaments of our younger years. I don’t even know how it happened, but we became friends that day and have been friends ever since. Of course, for the record, she beat me pretty soundly in that match. She was and still is a force to be reckoned with on the courts.
I’m embarrassed to admit that until this past weekend I had never met her amazing husband, Bud, nor their sweet little ones, Win and Ella Kate. When she asked me to photograph her family, I was beside myself. What I learned is that  Mary T. is still the sweet soul I met all those years ago. I can see her kindness in her children…and I know Bud is one lucky man.

Our afternoon at Aldridge Gardens will go down as one of my most favorite sessions ever.