Back Where It All Began
Last week, I had the joy of photographing a family, but this wasn’t just any family. It was someone who played a huge role in my childhood.
When I was little, I lived just down the road from the Corby Rose Garden, a tucked-away treasure in Belleville, nestled between historic homes in Old East Hill. It was our wonderland. After I moved to Ann Street, another family moved into the neighborhood, and that’s when everything changed.
In came Rick and Janet, with their three kids: Cody, Breanna, and Angela, all right around my age! We quickly became inseparable. We were those kids who knocked on each other’s doors daily, shared snacks, made up games, and created entire worlds in our backyards.
Breanna, (or Bree as I call her) and I bonded instantly. She quickly became my best friend. We spent hours at the Rose Garden, running between rose beds, making up stories, climbing the old fountain, and letting our imaginations run wild. That garden was more than a public space; it was our kingdom.
The Beauty of Full Circle Moments
Fast forward fifteen years, life has taken us in different directions, but like with all great friendships, whenever Bree and I reconnect, we fall right back into rhythm like no time has passed. She now has three beautiful children of her own, each with such unique, vibrant personalities, and since I recently relaunched my photography business, what better way to reconnect than by capturing this chapter of her life?
When we started planning the session, we didn’t even have to think twice about the location. The Rose Garden, of course. The place where we first grew roots. But this time, it was her children’s first time stepping into that magical little pocket of Belleville.
On a cool, golden-lit Friday evening, we met at the garden. As the kids ran around the fountain, playing tag and making goofy faces, I was struck with déjà vu. It was like watching a mirror of our childhood, only this time, through the lens of memory and motherhood.
Sophie’s Spark, Jaxson’s Joy, Gabriel’s Wonder
Bree's youngest son, Gabriel, has special needs. Watching him engage with the garden was nothing short of profound. He was mesmerized by the textures; the soft grass, the warm soil, the vibrant petals. There was a calm joy in the way he took everything in, and photographing that pure wonder was honestly one of the most moving experiences I’ve had behind the camera.
Sophie, Bree's eldest, was full of energy and heart ; silly, affectionate, and always in motion. Jaxson, her middle son, was just as goofy but with a quieter sweetness; the kind of kid who makes you laugh one moment and melts you the next. I captured some of my favorite moments between them and their family: playful, tender, and completely unfiltered. Those interactions are the ones I live for, the little pieces of personality that shine brightest when no one’s trying too hard. I saw the way Bree's fiancé looked at their kids with such tenderness, and I caught it all.
That’s what I strive for in every session, moments that are real, unfiltered, and brimming with personality. I don’t want forced smiles and stiff poses. I want giggles, eye-rolls, tickle fights, and those candid pauses where love lives. Think of it this way: when you're at the dinner table with your family, are you all sitting in silence? Or are you teasing, laughing, catching up. That’s real life. That’s what I want to capture.
This wasn’t just a photo session. It was a full-circle moment. Revisiting the place where Bree and I spent so much of our childhood, now watching her children play in that same fountain, was beautifully surreal. Sharing that space again, this time as adults, as storytellers, as parents and creatives — was magical.
And I am so, so grateful that we did this together.
