Megan and Keith chose the very location where Keith asked Megan to marry him for thier maternity portraits.  How cool is that?  And what a great way to remember such a wonderful time in their lives.   We had a beautiful day for a  fun hike over the Lumberville Footbridge and lots of laughs along the way. Oh, and  PS.  For real, when you see a pregnant woman or a couple with a young child save your unsolicted advice for twitter.  :)

Good vibes at Ocean City Beach with the Durante family!  Baby Addison was all smiles and the sunlight was perfect.

While at the beach with the family,  staring off at the ocean, I couldn’t stop thinking about my all-time favorite TV show, John from Cincinnati.   After looking at my roll of pictures I wanted to create some images that reflect the Surf Noir narrative created by David Milch and Kem Nunn.  The esoteric HBO drama only made it one season, much to the dismay of a few hardcore fans (myself included)  who begged HBO to renew for one more season.  After raising enough money selling merch and taking donations on the Freinds of John Blog to take out a full-page ad in the Hollywood Reporter Magazine, the show finally came to an end.  

I don’t know Butchie, instead.

It was a blast to be apart of this intimate ceremony with Katie and Ron in Ocean City.  This sweet little get together may not have been their original plans, but the day turned out beautiful as these love birds made things official with close family by their side.  We will meet again next year for a serious party!

Congratulations, Talia and Brandon on a beautiful family! This lovely fam jam was a pleasure to photograph.  Each one of these little cuties is packed with personality with the most amazing heads of blonde hair to match!  We had a lot of fun on this shoot, so much so that I was even asked to sleepover! :)  As always, I look forward to the next time we meet up.   

Another great session with the Gonzales family!  I really enjoy hanging with and photographing this family.  Since our first meeting almost four years ago it has been good vibes ever since.  Jamie and Chad are wonderful people and parents and little Georgia is a  funny, curious happy little ball of energy.  Being able to document this lovely family is a real honor, and I can’t wait to meet their little guy when he arrives!

Congrats you two on a beautiful family. 

See their first family portrait session here!

Dogs, beers, good company, and a walk around Historic Burlington, for real, you can’t beat that.  I had a lot of fun hanging out with Nicole, Eric, Maverick, and Prince.  The cobblestone streets and cool brick buildings in Burlington remind me of my hometown, Oshawa.  Yes, I’m Joshua from Oshawa, save your jokes I have heard them all :)  I look forward to seeing these two love birds again at their April wedding for more beers!! (Not while taking pictures of course).  

It was so nice to see Lexi and Ryan again.  We met up for their maternity portrait session at Sayen Gardens.  It was also the same location for their engagement portrait session and wedding!!!  We had a blast walking around the beautiful grounds.  These two love birds are going to be amazing parents and I look forward to meeting their baby girl!

Ok, ok.  We are ready to get back to normal life already!  But all the same, we are happy to stay home and do our part to flatten the curve.  Real talk.  This is not a test of the emergency broadcast system.  This is the real deal.   And to be honest, I never thought I’d see the day when I would have to wait in lines wrapping around the grocery store, wearing a mask and standing six feet apart from my neighbor.  It feels like the first scene of a 90s apocalypse movie – except it’s not, it’s real life.  The streets are quiet at night.  There are no planes overhead, no school buses, and in many ways, life has stopped.  For those of us with little ones and working spouses, life is very different.  

All that said, we try to stay mindful of how blessed we are and keep the vibes positive at home.  Jalen’s guacamole game has improved significantly and Janessa has become quite the photographer!  Every time I pick up the camera, I hear a little voice, “Papa, can I take a few pictures?”  The last 5 pictures in this post are Janessa’s.  And not to be outdone, the three pictures of Batman, The Demogorgon, and Bendy are copyright Jalen!

Head’s up everyone – we got this.  And when things clear up, and we get back to normal, let’s have a beer, or three.

Over the past month or so,  the world around us has changed dramatically.   What seemed like a problem that only existed a million miles away a few weeks ago has made it’s way to our doorstep. The news has become hard to watch.  Social media feeds are depressing.  The outlook from our leaders is bleak.  The way this Nation operates is going to change, that is certain.  In the meantime, we have to keep it moving, keep keeping on.

Our family has been on lockdown for about a week now.  I have left the house three times for supplies and food, each trip I noticed fewer and fewer people in the stores and less available goods on the shelf.  The streets are dead quiet at night, the once ominous sound of highway 95 has gone silent.  Jalen and I joked that the streets are quiet as if they are playing the Super Bowl on Christmas day.

 So far we are healthy.  Our neighbors and friends are also healthy.  By keeping our distance hopefully it will stay that way.  

We are adjusting to home schooling, cooking 3 meals a day and spending time lots of time together.  So far so good.  About home schooling - I just want to take a minute and thank the absolutely incredible staff at Bear Tavern Elementary.  Mr. Turnbull’s morning announcements boost our spirits and give us a nice way to start the day.  Each teacher has made a massive effort to communicate, provide materials, and support.   #beartavernpride.  Thank you so very much!

Here are few pictures from our first week in the house. Enjoy, and stay safe!