Four Summers Running | The Goodell Family at Chautauqua Institution

Some sessions feel less like work and more like a summer tradition, and this one is exactly that. This was my fourth year photographing the Goodell family at Chautauqua Institution, and every single time, it’s a highlight of my summer.

There’s something so special about watching a family grow up in front of your camera year after year. The big brother who used to need convincing to sit still is now the one making everyone laugh on command, covering his eyes and grinning up at the sky. And the baby brother I met last summer is now a full-blown toddler in round glasses and a red, white, and blue romper, toddling across the lawn hand-in-hand with his big brother like it’s the most natural thing in the world.

We spent the afternoon wandering the grounds at Chautauqua Institution — under the big shade trees, near the family hammock, right down to where the lake peeks through in the background. Their sweet dog, Molly, joined in for a few frames too, because what’s a family session without the dog. In between the posed moments, this family did what they do best: goofing around, stealing kisses, and letting their boys just be boys.

Sessions like this are exactly why I love what I do. Watching these two grow from year to year, and getting invited back into their summer every single time, means more to me than I can really put into words.

If you’re looking for a Chautauqua Institution family photographer who will grow with your family summer after summer, I’d love to be that person for you too.

Ready to make this an annual tradition of your own? Inquire about your family session here and let’s get your session on the calendar.

Katie Graham Photography is a Chautauqua Institution and Chautauqua Lake family photographer based in Bemus Point, NY, specializing in candid, returning-client family sessions year after year.