The Burgard Family: Black Hills Family Photography

I met Megan when I first moved to Hill City my sophomore year of high school. I didn't know her well, but  she stood out to me then because she was just plain nice. To everyone. All the time.  Needless to say, I was thrilled when she emailed and asked if I'd be able to take her family's pictures, and some portraits of their newest addition, Nora.

We used Megan's parents' yard, which is so beautiful. Big sister Greta thought it was pretty perfect, too, because there were stairs she could climb and room to run around in-between shots. Megan's parents wanted a few pictures with the girls, so Mike (who turns out is just as nice as Megan) stood behind me and made Greta smile. I'm not sure exactly what he was doing back there, but it worked. It was too cold to photograph Nora outside, so we shot a few by the window, and decided on an afternoon shoot at their home to get a few more.

Megan and Mike, thank you so much for asking me to take your family photos! I loved chatting with you and getting to know your girls. I hope you enjoy my favorites.

Colt turns One!

Today is my friend's birthday. He is one year old, and I'm not quite sure how that happened. In just a short time he went from a tiny, wrinkly newborn to a roly poly infant, to a boy who has teeth and can walk and say the name of his puppy.

I'm happy to know him.

Carter

I admit that by the time I am ready to leave a newborn's home, I will have become a little attached. I love hearing about their first few weeks at home, laughing at their bitty sneezes, and marveling at all those tiny parts that together make up a tiny person. At just over two weeks old, Carter was no different.

When talking with Shannon about what time of day would work best for sleepy photos, she said that anytime of day is best, because this little guy is quite the night owl. As she predicted, he slept through my arrival and his first few portraits. Somewhere in the middle, though, he decided to throw us for a loop. He was wide awake, and there wasn't much we could do about it. He was perfectly content in his dad's childhood dresser, and we ended up with some of my favorite photos of the day.  Not long after, and just as Shannon predicted, she lulled him back to sleep―like only a mama can―for the rest of his portraits. What a joy.

Addison and Shannon, thank you for letting me spend the morning with Carter. I hope you enjoy my favorites.

Will & Hayden

I could hardly contain my excitement when Katie called to schedule their session. Surely I spoke too fast and sounded oddly eager. It is possible that I may have even stuttered. I get that way, especially when it comes to all things perfect and tiny, and most especially when it comes to photographing babies with temperaments like those of Will and Hayden.

I am always thrilled to photograph any baby, but I have never had the opportunity to work with newborn twins and don't believe I've ever said that we allotted too much time. Katie and Aric were prepared to spend three hours of quality time with me. I was prepared for breaks and feedings. But the twins did not see the need, so we were finished after only an hour and a half. This included clothing changes, a family portrait, and living room re-arranging. And yes, they were awake.

Hayden has the most beautiful long dark hair, and would grab onto it tightly and forget to let go. At times this got uncomfortable for her, but I couldn't help but smile. Will has bright eyes and less hair, but with adorable swirls and cowlicks. He decided that he was ready for a nap when it came time to take the photo of the whole family. They loved snuggling and looking at each other, and are clearly the best of friends. It will be exciting for their parents to watch their individual personalities emerge, but for now, I'm sure they're enjoying a time when all is perfect and tiny.

Aric and Katie, thank you for letting me spend the morning with your family. Posted are a few of my favorites.