Tower Family :: Duxbury Massachusetts Children Family and Maternity Photographer

This morning I'm excited to share this sweet family session with you. It is all things kids and maternity and family photography that I love. Miss Gracelynn and her parents met me on a gorgeous Saturday morning in Duxbury at Shipyard Lane Beach and we all ditched our shoes and felt the wet sand squish between our toes for the duration of the session. 

Addie was in the last few weeks of pregnancy at this point and we talked about having young kiddos and how freaking exhausting it is to be pregnant the second time around. It's so bittersweet nearing the end of pregnancy. You are excited, but also faced with the reality of 'oh my goodness we are doing this again and all the diapers and sleepless nights and hormones and leaky boobs' and to boot needing to also stay focused on the kiddo who has had my whole heart the past couple years. 

Oh my, it's complicated. Beautiful, but so complicated.

I wonder daily if I'm ruining Lily's life. I know I'm not, but bringing a sibling into her life will not be without bumps. And there's the feeling of uncertainty in changing up our family routine. Four and a half years of just the three of us and I've gotten so used to how we work as a family, our dynamics and that will all change. And when Lily expresses that she doesn't want anything to change, I know deep down she's excited and it'll be wonderful most days, but oh, it digs a knife in my heart and twists it around ever so slowly. 

But then I get to hang out with families and watch them grow and see all the fun they are having, siblings playing, family snuggle piles, and I can't even wait. Everyone tells me that the moment you see your baby, the love grows. Your heart expands and you immediately see that you are not dividing your love, but doubling it.

So to the mamas out there who are having their second, third, or bless you, fourth or more, I raise a glass (of water) to you and give you a hug in solidarity. It is not easy and for all the fear and anxiety and uncertainty for what's to come, my hope is that we can embrace the beauty and love of motherhood, whatever form it takes in our lives, and give ourselves some grace that we are badass and capable of so much more than we'll ever know. 

And now I'd love to share some of my favorites with you of my time with Gracelynn, Addie and Jason!

Claire + Ben :: Duxbury Massachusetts Backyard Wedding

Claire and Ben celebrated their emotional wedding surrounded by family and friends in Claire's parents' backyard in Duxbury, Massachusetts this past July. Among endless gardens of some of the most gorgeous florals and plantings, accented with small succulents and herbs for placecards, so much homegrown love went into this day. Claire and Ben put all of themselves into creating a celebration that reflected them individually and as a couple. Ben, a chef, orchestrated an amazingly delicious menu that smelled divine and tasted like the best homecooked meal you could imagine. 

It was everything a wedding should be - personal, heartfelt, modern with respect for tradition, an intimate feeling of closeness and importance to every single attendee... I could go on and on, but I will instead share some of my most favorite images from the day. 

We started the day taking photos in some of the Duxbury conservation land, then moving on to the Shipyard Lane beach on Duxbury, Bay, and back to Claire's parents' house for the celebration to begin.

Their ceremont consisted of Jewish and Quaker traditions mixed with their own personal touches. It was such an honor to witness. The guests were just as much a part of the ceremony as Claire and Ben, truly making it feel like a family and community celebration. One of my favorite things was the time they set aside for words of encouragement, where any guest could stand up and say some words, prepared or from the heart, a poem, advice, anything to encourage and support Claire and Ben as they begin their married life together. There wasn't a dry eye in the house. 

I could go on and on, but I will instead share some of my most favorite images from the day. 

Jo :: Duxbury Beach Small Business Marketing Photography

Jo is a beautiful soul. We spent a Saturday morning together at Duxbury Beach to make some photos for her business website, so she could put a face to her voice. Jo is a psychic and runs Heartfelt Angel Connections in Hanover, Massachusetts. I'll admit, I did not know what to expect when I met her. We talked about how psychics can sometimes be stereotyped to look or act a certain way, and as she said, she needed these photos to show her clients that she's a woman, a wife, a mom, a friendly face and a warm personality. 

We actually spent quite a lot of time talking and I went home after this session knowing we were brought together on this morning for a reason. We talked about taking big leaps, even when you feel you're not ready, and being brave and throwing caution to the wind. It was a gorgeous sunny morning at the beach and I love the images we made.

Here are some of my favorites!

Ceci :: Gloucester Massachusetts Newborn Photography

I am counting down the days until spring. I really can't complain, because it snows nonstop for a day and a half, and then it's 50 degrees and rains and all the snow goes away, but with no school and my husband having to drive on a sheet of ice to get home at 5am, I'm not a big fan of this winter thing right now. I need my kiddo to go to school so she can learn and become more brilliant and so I can get my house cleaned and drink my coffee while it's still hot. Too much to ask? Come on, nature, throw me a bone! 

In November I had the honor of photographing Kristen and DJ's maternity photos in our hometown of Duxbury, Massachusetts, and shortly after, they welcomed sweet Cecily into the world. I will admit that I loved this session not just for photographing such a beautiful little girl, but to also getting to spend time with an old friend. Life is weird and fun and I am grateful for Facebook and technology for keeping me connected to friends from my youth who I may otherwise have never seen again after graduating high school. I love reconnecting, and getting to see my friend as a wife and now mother is such a gift. 

Shannon Sorensen is available to photograph newborns and their families throughout Connecticut, Massachuestts and Rhode Island. Click here to inquire. 

Molly + Sam :: Duxbury Massachusetts Engagement Photography

Oh, my dear friends...Molly and Sam are two of my friends from home, and it was such an honor to photograph their engagement photos in Duxbury, just down the road from the street they grew up on. I've had the joy of watching them get together, fall in love, face growth and change and pain, and overcome it stronger than before. I am so incredibly happy that they are getting married next summer!

They chose a special place for their engagement photos, a field at the end of the street where they grew up. In high school, they would walk together to this field, sit under the tree and talk; it's their place. It's where their love formed. Imagine the talks that big tree has witnessed, keeping their words safely protected in it's old branches. 

I wish my friends so much happiness in their life together. I am proud to share these photos with you today from their engagement session.