Sunlight danced across the sunflower fields at West Union Gardens in Hillsboro that morning, and this late-summer session with my dear friend Ellise and her two children felt like pure joy.
I’ve loved watching Ellise grow—not just as a person, but as a mama, and now as a photographer building her own business, Ellise McKenna Photography. She has been such a steadfast support to our family, even keeping an eye on our wild boys at times, and I am so deeply thankful for her friendship.
Photographing her with her little ones in the sunflower fields felt like a full-circle moment, capturing not just their bond, but this chapter of growth, love, and beauty.
At the heart of it, this is what matters most: choosing community over competition. Supporting other photographers, celebrating one another, and building your own circle of family and friends- especially when you don’t have close family nearby, is what makes this work (and life) feel full of love and connection.
