For the past several years, ever since Lauren was pregnant with her younger son, Peter, I’ve been fortunate enough to shoot portraits of this beautiful family on a regular basis. Normally, Lauren and Nathan schedule their portraits for a date in the Fall, but when Lauren learned she was expecting again, we decided to postpone until spring. The new baby—Marie—would be a couple months old by then and ready for her turn in front of the camera.
Each time I have the chance to see the Lebiodas, I find myself amazed by their flexibility, and by the sweetness and warmth with which they treat one another. So that we could take advantage of the soft early morning light, we planned to start at 7:15 AM. If you’re a parent, you’ll know how early that is to have a 4 year-old, a 5 year-old, and a 2 month-old up and running. But they were, and as always, they were incredibly charming and well behaved. I started by taking Lauren, Nathan, and Marie outside for a few initial shots, and when the boys, Henry and Peter, finished up their breakfast, they joined us.
The Lebioda’s house provides a ton of location choices for a photographer. It’s built into the side of a hill overlooking Lake Wylie, and whenever I shoot there, I feel fortunate for the abundance of options. This time, we spent the majority of the session outside, moving inside for a few images in Marie’s nursery, and shots of the boys playing while Marie had a snack break. When we have our sessions at their house, we always end on the playground. It’s a way of thanking the boys for being so good, which they always are. This time, we had even more reason to thank Peter and Henry, who were almost unbelievably sweet to their little sister, doting on her at every move. That little girl is lucky for the older brothers in her life.
I love getting the chance to watch families form and grow, and being able to renew my relationships with families year in and year out is an added bonus. Since I saw Henry and Peter last year, Henry finished kindergarten and learned to read, and Peter finished pre-school and started playing tee-ball. Just before she turned 3 months old, little Marie learned to roll over. And with any luck, when I have the chance to see them again, there will be a whole new level of skill and accomplishment each of them has reached.
