Powerful Winter Portraits at the UW Arboretum

Anna’s Portrait Session Was As Wondrous As It Was Chilly!

It’s not often that I do portrait sessions when it’s 14 degrees outside, but when I do, they’re with the amazing Anna Petrie and they’re glorious. The late afternoon winter light was stunning, the snow freshly fallen, and the snow angels and snowball fights superb!

I recommend enjoying these fun photos while sipping on some hot chocolate under a heated blanket while gazing out the window upon winter’s majesty, which is exactly what I’m doing while writing this!

-Sam

Fall Family Portraits (and Shenanigans) at the UW Arboretum

It’s no secret that I love taking fall family photos at the UW Arboretum in Madison, WI

But even though the place is familiar, Alex and Kayleigh always manage to shake things up and this year’s family portrait session no exception! Enjoy the photos of these two adorable kiddos being goofballs and go play in some leaves yourself while you’re at it!

-Sam

Fall Family Photos At Westmorland Park

Westmorland Park is a little hidden gem on Madison’s west side, and was perfect for family portraits in the fall!

The light in the late evenings in October is just spectacular, and we got to take full advantage while wandering around the cute little park for family photos. I’ve been lucky enough to take family photos for Erin, Dan, and their kids since their oldest was 11, and it’s truly a miracle to see teenagers at this age willing to still do family photos with their parents and have a decent amount of fun with it, so it’s always a treat to photograph them, and we’ve gotten to see some lovely locations during that time, and Westmorland Park is one of my favorites.

Enjoy these fun fall family photos, friends!

-Sam

Ada's Family Portraits at the UW Arboretum

Ada and her parents got to spend a fun morning foraging around the UW Arboretum for their fall family photos

Ada and her parents, (Brittyn, Carlie, and James) and I punked around the Arboretum taking pictures, playing with leaves, and finding all kinds of neat pine cones, mushrooms, and twigs. Brittyn even let Ada try on xyr hat and it made for some pretty adorable photos.

It was so nice to spend time with such a cute little forager and her family! Enjoy these magical pictures of a morning of adventure! <3

-Sam

Cam's First Portraits at the UW Arboretum

Cam got to have his very first family portrait session at the beautiful UW Arboretum

Cam was born just weeks after pandemic lockdowns began in 2020, which was a tough time to have portraits taken, but we made up for lost time on a chilly but beautifully colored fall day in October!

Enjoy these photos of Cam having a blast with Carla + Dylan (and while you’re at it, check out Carla + Dylan’s wedding photos here)!

-Sam

Sara + Jared: An October Engagement Session Filled with Serious Fall Vibes

Sara + Jared got to enjoy the lovely fall air and golden hour light at the UW Arboretum for their engagement session

I love the witchy, dark, and moody vibe of early evenings in the fall, and Sara + Jared were totally on board! Enjoy these gorgeous photos and help me wish a big congrats to these two on their engagement!

-Sam

Austin + Joe: A Graduation Celebration & Couples Session on the UW Madison Campus

Austin and his husband Joe celebrated Austin’s PHD just before they get ready to move cross country!

We roamed around the campus, stopping at Bascom Hall and the Allen Centennial Gardens along the way, and barely escaped the early evening rain (which I feel like is Wisconsin in a nutshell, so it’s a great way to spend the week before you move!) Congrats to Austin and good luck to him and Joe (and the puppies!) as they start their next adventure!

-Sam

Family Portraits at Home With the Doggos!

Lindsey, Ben, and Aisa (and Dewey & Daisy) had a short and sweet family portrait session right at their house

Which is basically the most convenient place you can have a portrait session, and it allowed us to sneak in some photos with the dogs indoors, and sneak in some outdoor photos in between rain drops!

Enjoy these fun family photos, and give all your doggos (and kitties) pets for me!

-Sam

Winnie + Fiona

I got to spend a lovely summer day with Winnie, Fiona, their parents, and their grandma!

Fiona’s 1 year portraits (check them out here) were the last family portraits I did before the pandemic, so it was nice to get to see Fiona 18 months older and to meet her new little sister, Winnie, for my first family portrait session post-vaccination!

Welcome to the world, Winnie!

-Sam

Aubrey + AJ: A One Year Anniversary Session

Aubrey + AJ revisited their wedding ceremony venue, the Field Reserve for their one year anniversary

And it was awesome! They even busted out the smoke bombs again! Check out their Engagement photos here and Wedding photos here!

Happy anniversary to Aubrey + AJ!

-Sam

Matt + Drew: A Willy Street Summer Engagement Session

Matt, Drew, and Olly had a great portrait session on Willy Street!

Matt + Drew and their furry son Olly joined me for an engagement session on a not too hot summer day, and we had a blast, as well as a great walk up and down Willy Street! Enjoy the photos from this sweet summer session. I can’t wait for the wedding in 2022!

-Sam

Charlie's Newborn Portraits

Chelsea, Doug, and Charlie had a Pride-themed family session to celebrate Charlie’s birth!

Charlie’s newborn session was filled with cuteness (obviously), matching outfits, and Pride-themed apparel. I was so happy to get to celebrate Charlie with Chelsea.+ Doug! Enjoy this adorable family and welcome to the world, Charlie!

-Sam