I will never stop pinching myself over how lucky I am to have friends who trust me to photograph them and their equally delightful offspring. I’ve gotten to photograph this couple, two of my very best friends and two of the silliest, most cerebral, and up-for-anything people I know, on their wedding day and during newborn sessions for their kids, and now - after a few years in between - the whole lovely outrageous bunch of them here in Groningen. We explored the Sterrenbos and a sweet little pathway and bridge along the water earlier this summer, and a good time was had by all (very much myself included). Thanks again for having me, y’all!
Steve and Jamie and kids
More Americans in Groningen goodness today, this time with my lovely friends Jamie and Steve and their sweet kids. We did a family session in the Noorderplantsoen, one of Groningen’s most picturesque parks, on a sunny Saturday morning a few weeks back. I’ve known Jamie and Steve since before both of their kind-hearted (and beautifully red-headed) kiddos were born, and it was so much fun to finally have the chance to do a photo session with all of them. Thanks for working with me, guys!
The ever-growing Permentier family!
Oh, those Permentiers :) This fun, loving and game family has officially broken the record as my most loyal customers: this my fourth shoot with either the whole family or one of their kids' families, and there's new sweet kids every time. When I say game, I mean seriously game: one family member, a fellow American, who was brave enough to try out a pretty decrepit pier for a photo wound up partially falling through the planks! I'd like to say no one was harmed in the making of this photo shoot, but I can at least say there won't be any long-lasting injuries... and we decided against pressing our luck there, haha. From a newborn shoot to a wedding to a family session back when there was just one grandchild, and now a photo shoot with the whole bunch - and all of the colourful doors in oma and opa's home in Ferwert - it's always a joy getting to capture the way this ever-growing family interacts with each other. The weather has been century-record-breaking dry and warm of late, so it was a bit of a balancing act between finding good shady spots and basking in a nice sunny walk through the countryside, but I think we managed. Thanks, as always, for working with me, guys!
Samuel!
It's been a couple of years since I got to do a newborn shoot for Jonah, the cutest tiny old man I've had the pleasure of photographing so far. Now, he's a big brother - and a big boy in his own right! His little brother Samuel entered the world with a bang on New Year's Eve accompanied by hours of fireworks, and I enjoyed getting to spend a couple of quiet hours with this sweet, newly bigger family. These at home shoots are my very favourite kind of photo session: relaxed and real. And Judith and Ton, the parents of these two sweet guys, have such a lovely home full of lovely light which was wonderful for another newborn shoot. I loved every moment of this shoot, but I think my favorite shot is Jonah stopping his ears as Samuel let us know in no uncertain terms that he was quite done with being a model for one day. Judith tucked him into a wrap soon thereafter and all was well with the world. Thanks again for having me, guys!
Benedictus 40th wedding anniversary
It was a pleasure to spend a fickle Frisian afternoon with the Benedictus family and their friends as they celebrated Jan and Tytsje's 40th wedding anniversary! I've done two family shoots with their daughter, Nynke, her partner and their daughters, but now I've covered just about the whole extended family. This was also the second time that my photography services have been given as an anniversary gift, which I'm a big advocate of. It may be a bit meta, but pictures are the way to look back on all the details and moments of celebrating life's momentous occasions. Fan herte lokwinske mei dyn houliksfeestje (of zoiets - mijn Fries is iets minder goed dan mijn Nederlands)!
Geelen family round 2!
Oh, man. An expressive, affectionate, playful bunch of people in a former sugar factory - plus water guns. These guys are the best! This is the second family shoot I've done with the Geelen family, and there are some new members of the crew since our last photo session a couple of years ago at the Suikerfabriek. That shoot ended in a pillow fight, so clearly we had to keep the tradition going: this time, the shoot culminated in a tiny, neon water gun battle on the roof of the factory.
It. Was. Awesome.
Miranda + Richard + Femke + Ian + Alexander!
He's here! This past weekend, I took the now familiar train journey to Enschede to meet Miranda and Richard's latest addition: Alexander. We all just goofed off together in the house on a warm afternoon (with periodic breaks for my glasses to defog and to snack on stroopwafels), mostly creating the "after" versions of the "before" shots that we got during my last visit. This post is a mix of portraits, candid moments and a couple of photo illustrations (diptychs and triptychs of photos we've taken over the months and years). Enjoy!
Poelman Family in Stadskanaal, Groningen
I had a lovely time spending the afternoon in Stadskanaal with the extended Poelman family, thanks to my talented friend Jet inviting me to do a family photo session. The town of Stadskanaal is right on the border of the province of Drenthe and quite close to Germany, so it's surrounded by lots of big open fields and beautiful forests, both of which are great places for a walk and a laid-back photo shoot. Thank you, Jet, for letting me hang out with you guys!
Before our official shoot started, I just took some candid photos of the grandkids and their grandmother in and around their playhouse, with bubbles, puppets, and tea parties.
