For years, I’ve been capturing sports (because, let’s be real, with two boys, sports are basically a given) and portraiture, mostly working with women and families. It’s been an amazing journey! But when I wasn’t snapping action shots or family portraits, I was off chasing beautiful landscapes to photograph. Many of these can be found on my website, CameraJunkie.com.

Then, one day, my son called with an unexpected request—his friend had just had a baby, and would I take her son’s photos? I was a little nervous, and I couldn’t quite figure out why. I mean, I’m a photographer! I should be able to take any photo, right? Well… maybe not. Newborn and baby photography comes with a whole new set of challenges I didn’t realize! From propping their little bodies just right to making sure the temperature of the room is perfect, there was a lot more to consider than I thought.

But I said yes, chatted with my son’s beautiful friend, and soon enough, I was photographing this adorable little bundle of joy. And let me tell you, I had the most amazing time. A very close friend told me she hadn’t seen me light up like that in ages, and it hit me—I’d found something I truly loved. I love babies, I love celebrating growing families, and this experience (thanks to that sweet little guy and his encouraging parents) helped me realize that this is where my heart belongs in photography.