When I was first asked to photograph this session, I noted that it was in Sandwich, Illinois, a place I had never been. I typed the address into my phone and found that it wasn’t too far away. As I drove through the cornfields and tiny town, I couldn’t help but wonder where I was going. I arrived to a lake surrounded by cute cottages. It was a hidden gem of a community committed to perfect summers. I was so pleased when I reached my destination and pulled into Illinois’s cutest lake house. The adorable a-frame cottage and perfect private beach is the perfect spot for this family to gather. The beach was a beautiful spot even in the morning, and I pictured the family gathered around the campfire near the lake at sunset.
To photograph this sweet baby boy with his parents, grandparents and extended family was a pleasure. Through his years, this baby boy will learn to swim, fish and boat on this lake. I imagine so many summers of him chasing his cousins on the beach and watching the sunset each night. When other clients recommend me to their friends and family, it just fills my heart and reminds me that photographs are a gift.
PS. If anyone ever invites you to their cottage in Sandwich, Illinois, be sure to go.
While writing this post, I was listening to This American Life.
