Quite a bit of my new business relies on referrals from my current clients who tell their friends about me, who then tell their friends. When my friend Matt texted me that he told his friend Courtney about me when she needed a family photographer in Topeka, I immediately reached out. Any friend of Matt's is (probably) a friend of mine.

I met Courtney and Corey and their kids Lane and Addison at Ted Ensley Gardens on very pretty, warm Saturday afternoon.  Right away, I knew Addison, the shy one of the bunch, would be the hardest to crack, but we got there eventually. Her blonde hair and beautiful eyes made her blue dress pop so I couldn't help but snap 5 million photos of her.

And Lane. He tried to be shy and coy at first, but by the end of the session, he was jumping off of big rocks and dabbing mid-air.

As a photographer, sometimes it's hard to send out sneak peeks or full galleries and wonder if the clients will fall in love like we hope they do.  When Courtney immediately shared her photos, I breathed a sigh of relief. I always want the photos to be loved. I really think the ones below are.