While spending time in Germany this summer, I decided to photograph my dad, his wife and my children together. My dad was very ill recently. There were times we didn’t know whether or not he would make it. It was a very upsetting time for us and made us rethink our lives and remaining time together. I realized it would be important to document and record my dad with his loved ones through a portrait session. My kids are growing up and, though their lives are documented in thousands of images and videos, we believed strongly that a proper professional portrait, especially a portrait with grandparents and grandkids, would prove priceless. Can you imagine how amazing it will be for our kids– any kids! – to see such images in 30 or 40 years from now? I’m sure they will treasure them. I’ll be honest: photographing my own kids was not fun at all. And adding to my frustration was my Dad’s habit of making his signature, peculiar faces, his so-called Schmetz-Faces! In the end, I love how I caught all those precious moments of doing silly faces and laughing together. It was a priceless experience seen from both sides of the camera.

Don’t miss capturing such moments with your family and loved ones!