As the holiday season comes in like a freight train, most of us will likely be spending lots of time with our families. I don’t know about you but that’s my favorite part of the holidays. I love sharing stories, fun memories and laughs with the people I love most. This year I’ll be spending my holidays in Indiana with my husband’s family.  We generally split our holidays between Virginia and Indiana but we’ve been doing a lot of traveling due to unforeseen circumstances and we need to be in our home for longer than a month ;-).

This year’s Thanksgiving and Christmas will be very different for my VA family and I wish so badly I could be there to offer the hugs and support I know they’ll need. It’s the first year we’ll be missing faces at the table and familiar voices in the air. We said goodbye to my uncle Robbie and my cousin Tyler this year. I also found out my brother will deploy some time early next year, so it seems like everyone is slowly slipping away.

Although I’ve always known how precious family is, being a photographer has drastically changed how I look at family photos. One of my very first paid sessions was for a family who lost their father about 2 weeks after our session. I learned an important lesson very early in my career that I truly could be capturing the very last photos this family will ever have of their loved ones and I should take that very seriously.

“It’s much more than just a photography session with some awesome clients, it’s a time stamp to a time when those we love were in our arms.”

A simple image can bring the mind to a place where we remember the most intimate details of the people we love, their scent, their embrace, their stare and their smile. Personally, I never want to forget those times when I was a child and punching my uncle Robbie as hard as I could to show how tough I was (NOT). I want to remember the sweet smile of a young man at our family Christmas’ ripping through wrapping paper and boxes to see what exciting new game would reveal itself. I know if I come back to these photos years down the road, those memories will be as clear as the day we made them.

We never know what tomorrow will bring. It’s so important to embrace the time we have here on earth with those we love. No amount of pride or pounds should get in the way of creating memories. The thought of a family not having photos with those who mean the most to them breaks my heart. So, I aim to change this for 2 families this weekend. I have opened 2 30 minute slots for extended family shoots this weekend only. These shoots have no maximum people, so the more the merrier. These sessions are perfect for those who have family in town for the holiday. I’m offering special pricing for these 2 sessions only. If you know it’s been way too long or you don’t have any photos with your whole family I encourage you to make it a priority and grab one of these sessions. You will be glad you did.

Call me at (574)238-0684 or email me at: MistiYoderPhotography@gmail.com to book.