{ Milwaukee Family Photography | Destination Family Photographer }

This is one session I wait for all year with baited breath. I’ve never lived in Wisconsin, but I have family there and I visit every year, sometimes more than once, and without fail, I make it my priority to get a session in with one of my favorite clients EVER, my fellow photographer friend, Shyla. Take a look at a couple of our past sessions we’ve done in previous years here and here. As a fellow mom of five, she knows what it’s like to live with constant chaos and activity (especially with a lot of boys!) and has learned a lot of grace and patience, probably more than I have. ;). Our sessions tend to go on for the longest time, as we meander through our chosen locations, letting things just kind of unfold as they happen to, and capturing the moments, which might not be super poised and orderly, but full of life and personality, which is just the way we both like it. We both know that when she looks back at the galleries from those years of her life, when her kids were young like this, she’ll smile at the kid throwing sand instead of looking at the camera, or the one running out of the frame, or the one tackling his brother, and especially the one snuggling his mom. Even the one – almost a teenager – who is quickly growing much larger than her, but still wants his annual “piggyback” photo. Being a few years ahead of her in my own journey, with four of my five kids out of the house, I know how quickly those years go by, and while it seems like such a crazy whirlwind when you’re living it, how good it is to document every wild moment because you’ll miss it like you won’t believe when those times pass.

This time we went to Atwater Beach on the shores of Lake Michigan in Milwaukee, and WOW was that a treat. It was like a tropical island! It was so beautiful! I’d been to the opposite shore in western Michigan, but never this side, so this was awesome. I’d definitely go back here! So anyway, forgive me if the following is a bit of an overshare!