Imagine family photos as fun, lively, loving, and tender as these adorning the walls of your home. Now imagine what that would mean for your kids — to see their place in the world, how much they're loved, and that it's okay to be fully themselves.

Last month, I opened up a model call for a mom and kids to meet me at Splendora's Gelato in Charlottesville for a fun afternoon date. Afternoons like this of course feel so magical for kids — but I know they do for moms, too. My vision was to capture that joy through expressions, color, and light. The sunny, terracotta-painted walls of Splendora's made for the perfect backdrop!

Because this was officially a keepsake video session, I shot all of their photos exclusively on 35mm film, so I wouldn't have to bother toggling between the video and photo settings on my camera. Not only did this keep things simple, but it gave us that beautiful, nostalgic feeling that only film can offer.