Monthly Archives: October 2013

Life on a farm – Southborough, MA

While I’m 100% positive that working the land on a farm is way more difficult than I could possibly imagine, these two little loves make it look dreamlike. This is a family I’ve photographed over a half-dozen times; the kids know me by name and may be getting too smart for my silly jokes and tricks! I last saw them over the summer at the Public Garden watching them chase ducks and play with sticks. They seemed all grown up during this most recent shoot – maybe it was the setting, the time of day, or their adorable attire, but more likely, it was how they seemed to appreciate the beauty before them in the same way an adult would. We had a beautiful night on this lovely, sprawling farm and even got to hang out on the giant tractor. Little O and N, I continue to stand in awe as you grow and take in the world around you. Christen and Steve, I love seeing you both; thank you for sharing your children with me.

Thanks so much for yet another wonderful session, Christen & Steve. To view the complete gallery, click here (password protected; please contact either the family or me if interested).

 

Two-year old energy – Melrose, MA

What I would give for the amount of energy my kids seem to have, even when they are carrying a sleep debt (which, if you ask me, is most of the time seeing as they wake up at 5am). They just seem to go and go, all without an ounce of caffeine. And so seemed to be the case with this little one. Little N, according to her parents, is full of energy and keeps them on the go all the time even though she doesn’t particularly like to nap. Needless to say, we had fun in their backyard with pig piles and gymnastics moves. Little N, I love your spirited energy – feel free to send a little my way.

Maura and Curt, your little one is adorable! Thank you so much for a fun backyard shoot. To view the complete gallery, click here (password protected; please contact the family or me if interested).

 

 

Three’s a crowd – North Reading, MA

Yes, three may be a crowd, but triple the love, right? When Jennifer contacted me about a family session, I got goose bumps because of my soft spot for twins (I have twin nephews!). What began as a family of three quickly turned into five when Jennifer and Matt had a set of twin girls, baby N and baby A. The ground was quite wet the morning of our session as it had rained overnight, but that didn’t stop this crew from having fun at this quaint park in North Reading. The fall foliage was almost at its peak and the kids seemed to have fun taking it all in. Big brother S plays his role quite well and baby A and baby N seem completely content and enamored with their brother.

Jennifer and Matt, thank you for a fantastic session in the pretty leaves! I hope you all had as much fun as I did.

To view the complete gallery, click here (password protected; please contact either the family or me if interested).

 

Foggy fun – Newton, MA

The morning of this session, there was actually a “dense fog warning” as I was driving to this family’s home. When I arrived, both Suzanne and Mike were game for giving it an old college try despite the weather. The kids, big sister M and baby B, were set to go and seemed excited to play in the mysterious air. I first met this lovely family about a year ago when baby B was first born. I love seeing my newborn session babies grow and baby B was no exception. He has developed into a very active little boy who tries hard to keep up with big sister M. And who can blame him? Big sister M loves to explore and run and flip and jump and hang upside down! After taking a few more posed shots in the backyard, we had a ton of fun taking a little walk through some nearby woods and into a clearing. And the fog made for an interesting backdrop.

Suzanne and Mike, thanks so much for another great shoot! The love you have for your children is evident in the joy that you have in being with them.

To view the complete gallery, click here (password protected; please contact either the family or me if interested).

 

 

 

Happy birthday, Mom

And now for something completely personal & cathartic – a small tribute to my mom on her birthday. She would have been 60-something today (I’ll keep her exact age private; a woman never reveals her age, right?).

I lost my dear mom to cancer 4 1/2 years ago in May, 2009. That October, I became a mom to my oldest daughter, Annabeth; she would have been my mom’s very first grandchild.

There are days, most days, when I wonder how she did it with four children; I have moments when I struggle with two. There are days when I, with intention, try to emulate her – her silliness, her kindness, her creativity (she was always good with crafts), her dedication to her children, and her selflessness. There are days when I try to talk to my girls about their grandmother and show them the memory book my sister made for them. Some days it feels as if this all happened 10 years ago; and then there are the days when I find it hard to believe that it happened at all. And every day, every single day, I stop and wish I could sit down with her to talk to her about what it was like for her when we were little and ask her advice. Above all, I want a mom hug – you know, the kind that moms give: a full-on, warm embrace that makes you feel like everything will be OK no matter what. She was good at those. No, wait, she was the best at those.

Two weeks before she passed, I had asked some friends (thanks, Marlon and Amber!), to come take some photos of my mother with my three sisters and me, along with our husbands. She had a great day that day, only to be followed by a sharp turn for the worse not even 24 hours later. The images from that day touch my heart in a way that I cannot explain. They are invaluable. They are part of the inspiration for what I do.

When I think about my mother, some of those images are the first to pop into my head. Not only because they are the most recent ones, but because we knew as we were taking them that they would likely be our last family photos with her. Those moments were genuine, living in the moment, let’s-be-ourselves-because-we-have-each-other moments. We were loving and silly (my Mom was always good at silly). We were present. It was a good day.

And for good measure, here are a handful that are some of my favorites from the way back machine (some more way back than others).

~~~

I miss you, Mom. Every. Single. Day. I hope you are proud of me going after this dream. You always told me, “do what you love and success will follow.” I am heeding your advice, feeling finally like I am doing what I am meant to do – being a mom and pursuing this passion of mine. You would love all 5 of your grandchildren, Mom; they are amazing, parenthood is amazing. Here’s to you. xo

photographystephanie goryl

stephanie [at] stephaniegorylphotography [dot] com

Wakefield, MA

(just north of Boston)