This year I have branched out from my fine art photography and started doing environmental family portraits (that’s just a fancy way of saying I mostly shoot outdoors). My clients and I are usually very focused on getting the perfect family shot and maybe the siblings together and maybe we add in the dog. But when I start editing, the images I am most drawn to are not the posed shots but the little glimpses of childhood that I capture by continuing to shoot while we’re moving to a new location or a new set up.

That’s when you can see a child’s fascination for ants,

or spotting an airplane overhead,

getting a taste of the “bribe” while cousins get changed,

showing off a treasured new toy,

or playing a game with Dad.

To me, these are the images that tell the story of childhood. I hope their parents treasure these quiet moments, too.

Contributed by Sandy Burr