This is the year of tangled hair, staying in P.J.’s all day, going to school in our bedroom, and all the family togetherness you could ever want. We typically have a case of “The Shoemakers Children Have No Shoes” around here. I photograph my children of course, but I don’t always have creative energy to spare after photographing everyone else’s families. But this year has had lags, times when I could see the art in the moment, and shoot the documentary style I love in my own home. It was a year we didn’t see many people, so it feels cathartic to put out there what these growing children, Neko and Ezra, have been doing behind closed doors, isolated in nature, and behind the tall fence around our yard. Some of the photos are from the 10 or more days we spent solely inside our house during the wildfires. That was such a hard time as a parent as the kids climbed up the walls wanting to get out, and worrying the smoke that came in would hurt us. And scary knowing it wasn’t that far away, forcing you to think about what precious belongings to bring with you. It was the year of having to explain a lot of hard truths to our eldest Neko, too: racism, a virus that has affected the entire world, that she can’t go to school anymore, not being able to breathe the air outside, people losing their homes, and an oppressive president that was against so many things we stood for. The year wasn’t entirely doom and gloom, but cheers to the “worst year ever” coming to a close; only upward for 2021 – right!?

Did you spy the one photo of me? 😉

Tags: Documentary Family Photographer, Portland Family Photographer, Photojournalistic Family Photographer, Portland Oregon