pancakes. princesses. strawberries. gardening. love.

 

The brown family | February 2026

 

mom and daughter rolling up sleeves to dip strawberries into chocolate in kitchen, greenville, nc
chocolate covered strawberries on tray with parchment paper underneath, greenville, nc

The Brown family holds a permanent piece of my heart. Our story began back in the summer of 2021 during their maternity session, and watching their family "garden" grow—quite literally—over our yearly sessions has been one of the greatest joys of my career.


There is a specific kind of magic found in the slow, unscripted hours of a chilly February morning. For the Browns, that magic looks like the sizzle of air-fried bacon, the calculated distribution of chocolate chips onto miniature pancakes, silly games & working in their garden.

my Documentary sessions are about leaning into the 'now,' and for the brown family, 'now' is a mix of high-stakes board games and backyard discovery.

I spent a quiet Saturday morning with Tanya, Kyle & Layla navigating the playdough-poo-filled path of Don't Step In It! before pivoting to the royal elegance of Pretty Pretty Princess. I even jumped in to play, but the highlight of the round? Dad taking home the win and rocking that crown like a pro.


Between the bouts of laughter and Layla’s daring leaps off the big bed—a game she’s titled 'Take Me Gravity!'—we found ourselves back in the heart of the home. There is nothing quite like the fearless joy of a child trusting the air (and Dad’s waiting arms) to catch them. We gathered around the kitchen island for chocolate-covered strawberries—though Layla proved that sometimes, the simplest joys are the best, opting for plenty of "quality control" berry tastings before they ever even hit the chocolate.


The reason I do what I do was perfectly captured in a comment Layla made to her mom just days before their session. She asked, "Mommy, can you take more pictures and videos of me so I can remember what I was like as a four-year-old?" At just four, she already understands the fleeting nature of these days. She wants to remember the way her hair looked when she jumped on the bed and the thrill of finding "hidden treasures" in the garden, like the carrots that had been quietly growing beneath the surface, waiting for just the right moment to be found.


We wrapped up our time together where things truly begin: the garden. There’s something so poetic about a family working the soil together, pulling weeds and loosening the earth to make room for new seeds. These are the moments that deserve to be framed. Not just the smiles directed at the camera, but the dirt under the fingernails, the syrup on the chin, and the way a home feels on a perfectly ordinary Saturday.

mom and daughter mixing pancakes batter in glass bowl, greenville, nc
little girl trying pancake batter out of the bowl, greenville, nc
mom and dad in kitchen making pancakes while child sits at table playing, greenville, nc
mom posing with two thumbs up behind pancake batter bowl, greenville, nc
little girl reaching into sprinkles container on counter in kitchen, greenville, nc
putting whipped cream on chocolate chip pancakes with sprinkles and bacon, greenville, nc
putting sprinkles on chocolate chip pancakes, greenville, nc
little girl holding slices of bacon dancing in kitchen, greenville, nc
little girl eating a slice of bacon, greenville, nc
little girl eating breakfast at kitchen table, greenville, nc
little girl looking at camera under the table, greenville, nc
dad and daughter laying a piece of plastic down for game, greenville, nc
holding play dough to the camera, greenville, nc
holding play dough to camera, greenville, nc
putting play dough on plastic for game, greenville, nc
child walking on plastic for game trying not to step in play dough, greenville, nc
child walking on plastic for game trying not to step in play dough, greenville, nc
mom and child walking on plastic for game trying not to step in play dough, greenville, nc
child walking on plastic for game trying not to step in play dough, greenville, nc
dad and child walking on plastic for game trying not to step in play dough, greenville, nc
mom and child playing board game, greenville, nc
mom wearing tiara for board game, greenville, nc
mom and child wearing tiara and earring for board game, laughing, greenville, nc
child holding up necklace for board game, greenville, nc
mom and child wearing tiara for board game, laughing, greenville, nc
mom and child wearing tiara for board game, laughing, greenville, nc
dad waving at camera, wearing earrings, necklace, bracelet, ring and tiara for board game, greenville, nc
child and dad jumping on bed, greenville, nc
child jumping on bed, greenville, nc
child jumping on bed, greenville, nc
child and dad jumping on bed,greenville, nc
child and dad jumping on bed, greenville, nc
child and dad playing on bed, greenville, nc
child and dad playing on bed, greenville, nc
mom and child rolling up sleeves with baking tray and bowl of strawberries and chocolate, greenville, nc
mom and child with baking tray and bowl of strawberries and chocolate, greenville, nc
mom dad and child with baking tray and bowl of strawberries and chocolate, greenville, nc
mom dad and child with baking tray and bowl of strawberries and chocolate, greenville, nc
dad and child with baking tray and bowl of strawberries and chocolate, greenville, nc
mom dad and child with baking tray and bowl of strawberries and chocolate, greenville, nc
mom and child with baking tray and bowl of strawberries and chocolate, greenville, nc
child eating chocolate covered strawberry, greenville, nc
mom dad and child with baking tray and bowl of strawberries and chocolate, greenville, nc
child eating chocolate covered strawberry, greenville, nc
dad and daughter child, smiling, greenville, nc
mom and dad kissing over bowl of chocolate covered strawberries, greenville, nc
mom and dad kissing over bowl of chocolate covered strawberries, greenville, nc
child digging in raised garden beds with spade, greenville, nc
child holding spade and carrots in front of raised garden bed, greenville, nc
mom and daughter working together to plant seeds in raised garden bed, greenville, nc
mom planting seeds in raised garden bed, greenville, nc
mom holding carrots from raised garden bed, greenville, nc
mom dad and daughter working together to plant seeds in raised garden bed, greenville, nc
child holding carrots from raised garden bed, greenville, nc
three carrots laying on dirt in garden with shadow, greenville, nc

 

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