If you venture half an hour south of Charlottesville, you’ll find yourself in the charming town of Scottsville, Virginia. It’s one of those unique little places that if you blink while traveling through it, you’ll miss it. Situated inside what we refer to as “Downtown Scottsville” is a handful of streets filled with adorable homes teeming with character. Living in one of the most fantastic houses is the Birckhead family. Needless to say, I was thrilled to be invited into their home to photograph their equally as beautiful family.

Over the years, Lauren and I have slowly gotten to know each other through library visits and ballet classes with our kids. I speak with sincerity when I say that she is truly a being who oozes beauty from both the outside and her heart. While he admitted that he usually wants to run away from a camera, Lauren’s husband, Duffy, was a good sport and kept their children smiling with snuggles and football anthems.

Our morning together was a hodgepodge of classic family portraits blended with lifestyle and documentary photography. Gerren and Landon, the children, showed me their favorite places to play including a small grove of trees where they were spidermonkeys and their fantastic attic converted to a playroom. Gerren was the epitome of a little model and an incredible helper, who assisted me in getting her parents laughing. Landon’s pure sweet silliness kept a smile on my face throughout our session.

There’s nothing better than being invited into a home to capture genuine joy and simple moments of a family.