When you’ve got family scattered across the province and the country, Martintown family photos aren’t something that you plan casually at the last minute. When Becky reached out back in February to book a half day documentary session with her family, I was thrilled – both because I would get to work with this family and that they’d wisely opted for a half-day session. Multi-generation sessions need a little more time because of the sheer number of people involved; it takes time for moments to happen between all of the different combinations of people, and being gifted with a full four hours meant that I could join them and really dig in.
When I think back on this session, it really did just feel like a family hanging out. The Paquette family is a close one and it shows in their easy interactions with one another. They enjoy one another’s company and the fact that the kids overlap in ages means that the girls have playmates when they’re all together. The adults would take interest in something, whether it was a game of pool or cleaning up fallen apples, and often the kids would come to join in (and often take over) whatever activity was in progress. :P
The balloon fight caught just about everyone by surprise and quickly took on the feel of a grudge match between Becky and Rhys. Based on Lennox’s reaction alone, you’d think we’d ended up in the Olympics of balloon fights! I also had a good laugh watching as the girls learned how to terrorise their parents with the hose, courtesy of Rhys’s teaching. I mean, is it even really summer until you learn to have total distrust in your child around a garden hose?!
Even though my parents have one hanging in their yard and the boys and Calla love it, I’d never really stopped to consider just how much joy a tree swing adds to a child’s life – or, certainly, the lives of these particular children. :) There was so much excitement and thrill found in just this one simple activity! I told Willa that she reminded me of Merida from Brave with her auburn hair flowing in the breeze, so I was thrilled to have caught a little hero shot of her with her hand out as if she was working some magic of her own.
The reason I love these sessions – and this session – so much is because I get to soak in all of the joy of a family spending time together. I get to laugh at the casual wit, the sibling sarcasm, and the toddler weirdness. I get to take a calm breath and focus on the quiet beauty of grandparent/grandchild relationships. I get to see how adult children and their parents continue to form their own bonds with one another.
Here’s a look at a beauty of a session with the Paquettes:
I’m Ang. I’m a family photographer offering coverage like these Martintown family photos, as well as family photography in Brockville, Ottawa, Cornwall, and SD&G. Laughter is important in my life and in my work and I want to show you the beauty, the humour and the timeless little moments of connection in your everyday. Want to see more of what kind of creativity can come from a Cornwall backyard summer family session or an Ottawa documentary family session? Want to see what else happens when you bring me along for a half day of family fun? Start here!
