2021 was supposed to be the redeeming year after the madness that was 2020. Professionally it was! I didn’t have to shut down at all and instead had one of my best years yet getting to photograph more families then ever (265 to be exact). Personally, it was a bit rough but we will get to that. So was 2021 really the redeeming year? Keep reading ALL the way to the bottom to find out.

But before we get to that, let’s start with the good stuff! In no particular order here are a few highlights from 2021.

23 Milestone Sessions – One of the best parts of my job as an Indianapolis photographer is watching kids/families grow. One way I do that throughout baby’s first year is though milestone sessions. I do 4 month session (baby holding head up), sitter sessions (around 7 months), and 1st birthday cake smash sessions (more on those later). Some clients even do milestone sessions for years 2+ after baby’s 1st year. These sessions are always fun and full of lots of baby personalities.

2 Birth Sessions – COVID didn’t completely keep me out of the delivery room this year (although it did severely limit my access). Towards the middle of the year, I was permitted to photograph births as long as I was the couple’s 2nd support person. This means the couple could have no other guest in the hospital besides myself. It was a huge honor and privilege to be this person. For the families that had me in the delivery room, I’m extremely grateful as I adore birth photography. If birth photography life wasn’t so unpredictable I would be at it all the time. But, with two little ones at home and COIVD restrictions at the hospital constantly changing that makes things a little harder. For now, I’ll be grateful for these two Indianapolis birth photography sessions and hope for even more next year!

99 Family Sessions – Oh how I love family sessions! We had a beautiful Spring and Summer for family pictures this year. The Fall was a hot mess (so wet and rainy), but what are you going to do about it?! Somehow we still ended up getting everyone in. This year included Spring, Sunflower, Creek Side, Urban, Fall and Tree Farm Minis. There were also lots of full family sessions in that mix too. Thank you to all the amazing families who allowed me to document their family this year as your Indianapolis family photographer.

52 Cake Smashes – That’s an average of one cake per week. That’s a lot of cake! I adore the whole process of these cake smash sessions. I love creating custom set-ups for each tiny one year old I have in the studio. Most of these one year olds I’ve had in the studio throughout their whole first year which makes these sessions extra sweet.

14 Maternity Sessions – Look at all those lovely baby bumps! I love capturing pregnancies. I would love to do even more Indianapolis maternity photography. Each and everyone of these bumps were a joy to photograph. There is always so much excitement and love for these new lives during these maternity sessions.

Birthday Pictures – I love doing special pictures for my little ones on their birthday. I try to pick something that represents where they are in life of what their passions are. My son turned 5 (and started kindergarten). He is super into science experiments. So he had a science themed birthday shoot and party. Brynn turned two. She loves to make messes, crafts, and painting. There is no doubt that she had fun with her 2nd birthday paint smash.

72 Newborn Session – It’s no secret that newborns are my favorite! So I saved the best for last. This year I got to cuddle lots of adorable newborns. We had lots of baby smiles. Some that were followed by a little bit of baby poop (but that’s a small price to pay). The studio was brimming with all these beautiful babies. However, I like to also remind people that I offer in-home lifestyle newborn photography in Indianapolis along with Indianapolis outdoor newborn photography. I love photographing your little ones outdoor, in your home or in my studio. You can choose one location or more than one. It’s totally up to you! Just let me know if you would like to get your due date on my calendar as I would love to be your Indianapolis newborn photographer for your new little baby.

A Little Extra that Can’t Be Forgotten – While this year was a fantastic year professionally it was also one of the hardest years of my life. At 17.5 weeks pregnant we lost our baby Ellie. I won’t go into too much detail here. However, I think it’s important for so many reasons to talk about pregnancy loss. If you are interested in reading more about this you can do so here.

Was 2021 the redeeming year?

In some ways yes, and in others no. Nothing is black and white these days.

Now is the point where I get a little sentimental on you. This year has taught me to be grateful for everything in my life. Life is fleeting and nothing is guaranteed. I’m so incredibly thankful for each and every one of you (my clients, followers and fans). You allow me to capture these amazing milestones in your life. You allow me to support my family in a way that I love. You gave me purpose in life when everything else was madness. I love my job more than words can express, and what I do wouldn’t be possible without each and every one of you. So thank you, thank you, thank you. And I hope to see all of you again next year.