This session took place on one of those rare weekends this spring that it actually rained. Dawn contacted me because she wanted to surprise her mom and grandmother with a 4-generation portrait session. We were thrilled to do this, especially because Dawn’s mom works at Dr. Valdez’s office (the awesome Roseville pediatrician we work with). We met with the gals before the session date just to get to know them a little and discuss wardrobe, etc., and were so excited because we knew it would be a blast. On the session date, as Dawn appproached our door, I immediately knew something was wrong. I quickly discovered after she got off a teary cell-phone conversation that Dawn had just learned that her father-in-law had unexpectedly passed away. As the rest of the family arrived, they were engaged in teary-eyed conversation. I immediately asked if they would like some tea, because what else can you do in a situation like that? Dawn talked with her husband via phone and he wanted them to stay and proceed with the portrait session. We were unsure if this was the right move at the time, but decided we would take all the time they needed. We all sat, talked, and sipped tea for almost an hour before everyone felt ready to head to the studio. I was amazed at the strength and sense of humor in these women, and knew these portraits would hold extra special meaning to them that day. We had planned to go outside at the end of the session, and of course, that’s when it started to rain. We decided this session was about overcoming less-than-favorable situations, so off we went, umbrellas and all. We felt privileged to spend this time getting to know these wonderful women, and so appreciated their openness and sharing that day.

~Stefani