I’ve photographed the Martins a few times over the years, starting with Amy and Kevin’s wedding, and always love seeing them and their family. This year the matriarch of the family bought a cottage and wanted photos of her two sons and their young families at the meaningful location.

Lake cottage properties are sentimental but can also be challenging. Water is beautiful but can cause a glare or harsh light depending on the geography or time of day. And sometimes the property is small, or uneven, or lacking a large enough clearing. The Martins have great neighbours who kindly allowed them to use part of their property for some of the session, which gave us great light. And we got plenty of portraits on their cottage lot as well – a great combination.

The Martin grandchildren vary in age and it was a hot night, but they rallied and with some coaxing, chasing, and a couple bribes then ended up with plenty of great images. I was happy that they remembered me and were looking forward to having their picture taken. These images are the epitome of childhood – wild hair, playing with cousins, catch frogs, and having fun on the lake.

Thank you, Martins, for having me back to document your family memories.