The Smith Family

Imagination is something that is seldom prioritized above order. I was talking with a friend recently about how many adults we meet that lack imagination and creativity. I suppose once we reach a certain age, school beats imagination out of us with grades and rubrics, and creativity is replaced with conformity for the sake of order. As we’re still in the entering stages of a new economic era, creativity and imagination are becoming covetable traits in the workplace, and those who’ve studied to the level of cogs in machines are finding themselves with less stability than they thought conformity would win them. Imagination wins. Creativity is the new Masters Degree. Those who’ve recognized the value in both are a giant leap ahead of those who wait for things to revert back to “normal.” All this to say, I’m a fan of those adults who encourage creativity and imagination…. and I might even go as far as to say I seek those people out. They inspire me to look beyond my own nose and dream bigger. They remind me how to strive for a life lived to the fullest.

The Smith family is one of those families with imagination and creativity. I’ve had the privilege of photographing their growing family for the past few years and this year’s portraits did not disappoint! Eric, Jeanine, and the kids have had a year of transition and adventure…. and as they’re preparing to move to another part of California… they wanted to mark their last autumn in Orange County with some fall portraits. In order to share how much their family has grown, and what their life together is like, they brought favorite toys, parts of halloween costumes, and joyful smiles to share. I love this family so much and I’m honored to be a part of their life. Here are my favorites from the afternoon at Irvine Regional Park…