11/16/2024
It was August 2005 when I first photographed the Kelley family. With their eight beautiful daughters, this family left an unforgettable impression on everyone they met. As a young photographer, I remember pulling out every trick of the trade I knew — photographing them as they chased our now-retired tandem bike and having them link arms while walking to keep the youngest from running off. Somehow, these girls understood my vision, turning our session into something both fun and memorable.
Fast forward 19 years, and the Kelleys have returned — now a family of 28! Feeling like a proud, distant uncle, I was thrilled to reunite with them and meet the newest additions. After nearly two decades apart, seeing all the daughters — and meeting their son I hadn’t met before — now grown into adults and parents themselves filled me with a wonderful sense of familiarity and gratitude.
Photography has given me the privilege of capturing countless special chapters in people’s lives over the past 25 years. But perhaps its most profound gift is the powerful lens it provides to reflect on the passage of time.
