Sharla, Jeff and Charleston Chew – South Jersey Family Photographer

Sharla contacted me back in August, and sent me one of the sweetest emails I’ve ever gotten. She started it off by complimenting my work (and honestly, I love compliments. They make me feel all warm and fuzzy, even though I’ll immediately tell you why you’re wrong or why YOUR hair looks so much better than mine. Bad at accepting them, but love them nonetheless. I digress.). She also gave me chance to know her right away. She talked about her husband and their adorable little pug, Charleston Chew (yes, I know you just died inside. I did too.) and her love of everything Fall. And then she did something that made me smile – she told me to take my time getting back to her because she knew that I was busy with a new baby and working full time.

Was I happy that she was giving me a pass to take my time getting back to her? No way! I was happy that she knew that much about me. That she had visited my website or my blog or my Facebook page (or maybe all three), and she had really invested herself in not only my photographs, but in my life. She knew that I had a new baby, had just started back to work and by my own admission was having trouble juggling it all. And she cared.

My hope with every one of my clients is that we connect – I don’t just want to photograph your family, I want to know you and I want you to know me. I want us to create photographs for your family that are reflective of you and that tell your story. Typically, this takes a little bit of communication – a phone call, some emails, and some time to loosen up during our session. But Sharla had already connected with me over the internet, and this made me immediately connect with her. Her words were kind, caring and thoughtful. Exactly what you would expect from a friend.

I thought I couldn’t love Sharla any more, but then she showed up to our session with gifts. GIFTS! Muffins and cookies, a homemade card and a gift for Frances. A GIFT! (by the way, this is not a ploy to get my clients to start buying me gifts. I promise.)

These three were wonderful during our session. Charleston was such a gentleman, and so well behaved. A special thanks to Stef & Chris (you may remember their wedding I shot a couple months ago) for tagging along, and getting Charleston to do all his amazing head tilts. I love the head tilts – my own pup, Red, is a master at the head tilt.

We spent our session roaming around Amico Island, and I got to hear all about how Sharla met Jeff – she’s from Texas, so I was really interested to hear how she ended up in Delran! – and learned that they met at work, after she followed a now ex-boyfriend to New Jersey. Years later, married and with a fur baby, it still amazes them how fate works. How nothing in life is a mistake, just a journey. Full of twists and turns and happily ever afters.