Meet my brother- and sister-in-law, their two adorable little girls and rambunctious golden retriever:

One of the trickiest parts of family portraiture is getting kids to cooperate— especially when they would rather be playing! This type of imagery requires not only patience, but also playing along. With children, if they're not happy, the photographs will show it! So what's a photographer to do? I like to turn it into a game of sorts. Maybe after each pose, I'll give them a clue to a 20-questions-style of game. Maybe that means we take frequent dog-petting breaks. Maybe that means letting them make silly faces and then look at the back of the camera. But really, these little sweethearts are such a delight. I mean, just look at them!

110% chance there are tickles going on in this picture.

And, just like that, with a little patience and a whole lot of laughter, I'm able to capture these moments. I love what I do! (Not pictured:  the girls crying when I had to leave. #AuntsAreAwesome)