Unexpected Magic: My Favorite Unplanned Moments
I used to think the best photos came from perfect light, perfect timing, and perfect smiles. But over the years, I’ve learned something truer, deeper: the most powerful images happen when life forgets to pose.
The moments that stick with me the most, the ones I think about long after I’ve packed up my camera aren’t the planned ones. They’re the pauses. The distractions. The detours. The real stuff.
Real life doesn’t wait for perfect light. It’s already beautiful as it is.
A Bird, a Boy, and Letting Go
One session that still makes me smile was with a sweet family and their young son. We had hoped for golden light, but the sky stayed overcast and soft all afternoon. There wasn’t a set plan just a general idea to explore, connect, and see what unfolded.
The moment we arrived, their son spotted a great egret bird nearby and became completely mesmerized. He couldn’t care less about the camera or anything else. We had officially lost him to the wild.
At first, his parents tried gently to bring him back into the moment, but I told them, “Let him be a kid. You two just be yourselves, right here. We’ll follow his lead.” And that’s exactly what we did.
Some of my favorite frames from that session are of the two of them watching with full hearts as their son walked into the water—fully clothed—chasing after rocks. It wasn’t the golden light we imagined, and it wasn’t choreographed in any way. But it was so deeply human. So full of love. So real.
Let them wander. The story will follow.
The Last Walk Through 70 Years
Another session I’ll never forget was with an older couple who were saying goodbye to land that had been in the family for generations. Seventy years of life had unfolded on that property, and this was their final sunset there before they moved.
What started as a photo session turned into something sacred. They walked the fields slowly, pointing out the old barn, the creek where grandkids played, the spot they used to set up lawn chairs in the summer. They talked about what they’d miss and what they were looking forward to next. Their eyes welled up with tears, and mine did too.
There’s one photo of them walking through the tall grass, holding hands, with the last bit of light hitting the mountain behind them. Another of them pausing to look at each other—really look—and I didn’t say a word. I didn’t need to. That moment didn’t need a script.
The land may change, but love carries everything.
Why These Moments Matter
These are the images that remind me why I do this. Not for the perfect pose or the Pinterest board dream—but for the truth that shows up when you least expect it.
The boy and the bird. The couple and the land. These weren’t just photo sessions. They were real-life chapters. And I just happened to be there to capture the page as it turned.
If you’re someone who loves the messy, moving, magic of real life… you’re my kind of people. You don’t need to perform or pretend. You just need to show up as you are.
I’ll be there—quietly, carefully—telling your story like the book it already is.
They’re quiet proof that life, just as it is, is more than enough...
