The Cowen Family

I can’t find words to describe the Cowen family’s in-home lifestyle session other than simply beautiful. Emily Jane’s vision for her family portraits came together perfectly with their cream and white outfits and the dreamy shiplap backdrop in their historic College Station, Texas home.

As I finished my final edits, I looked over their full gallery and thought wow, how effortless and simply stunning these look. So I sent the gallery to Emily Jane and eagerly anticipated her reply.

"You captured our chaos and made it look lovely,” she said.

Her response made me laugh because if I’m being honest, it was chaos. But then I thought about what we were able to create in that hour of chaos: tangible memories that will stay with them forever. Those photographs will hang on their walls for years. They’ll be looked at some day by Emily Jane’s grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren. They will be treasured family heirlooms.

If you’ve been putting off capturing this amazing season of your life because you think my kids would never cooperate, know that behind every family photo session is some amount of pure chaos. The beautiful moments we captured happened quickly between spurts of running around, jumping on the bed, and other activities three-year-old boys love. It wasn’t all picture perfect — it was tricky, it was exhausting for all — but it was so worth it.

Don’t be afraid of the chaos; instead embrace it. You’re going to want to remember these days — even if they feel messy and out of control in present time. So I encourage you to find the right photographer for you and your family, and take the photos. I promise you won’t regret having these memories of you and your littles to cherish throughout the years to come.