At Home Anniversary Session | Firestone, CO – Amanda & Richard

This lifestyle anniversary session you guys. You guyssssssss. Don’t even read anything I wrote just skip to the photos!!!

Pretty great, right?

Ok, now that you’re back, let me tell you about this session!

I’ve known Amanda since middle school and Richard since high school (and I just turned 30 so it’s been a minute y’all). When they first started dating I’ll be honest, I had a hard time picturing them together. But now? Now I absolutely cannot picture them apart. These two are the definition of soulmates if I've ever seen it. It's hard to describe, but if you're ever around them you'll just see it. They just get each other in this quiet, effortless way that is so rare and so beautiful. I love how Amanda throws her head back when Richard makes her laugh, which happens often. And I love how Richard's whole face just lights up when he looks at her. Their home is full of laughter, love, and puppies.

Oh my gosh you guys.

The puppies.

DID YOU SEE THE PUPPIES??

Ok, I'll reign it in. Sorry. Cuteness overload doesn't even begin to cover it.

Anywho, back to Amanda and Richard! This was my very first lifestyle anniversary session, and honestly it has been on my bucket list for a while. I'd been wanting to try it for some time but kept putting it off because I'm not going to lie, it scared me a little. Lifestyle photography is so different from what I normally do. No posing, almost no direction, just two people being completely themselves in their own space while I follow along and try to capture it all. As someone who loves real emotion and genuine connection in photos, you'd think that would feel natural to me. But there's something uniquely intimidating about attempting to capture all of that completely au naturale, with no scaffolding to fall back on!

So I knew that if I was going to try this for the first time, it had to be with the right couple. And Amanda and Richard were exactly that. They love each other so genuinely and are so unapologetically themselves that I knew they would carry the session without needing me to guide them through it. I just had to show up, stay out of the way, and keep my camera ready. What unfolded was some of the most natural, joyful, real imagery I have ever created.

That experience taught me something I now carry into every single session I photograph, whether it's a Colorado anniversary session, a Boulder engagement session, or a surprise proposal shoot. The most powerful images don't come from perfect posing or a flawless location, they come from two people who are fully present with each other and given the space to just be. My job is to create that space, stay ready, and get out of the way when the magic starts happening. Amanda and Richard reminded me of that in the best possible way.

Now go look through the photos again. You're welcome.