As a photographer, I spend most of my days creating images for other people. Lately, I’ve realized that some of the photographs that mean the most to me are the ones I’m making of my own family.

Like everyone else, I could take hundreds of pictures of my kids on my phone. Instead, I’ve started bringing my Mamiya 645 along and concentrating on just a few moments. Film forces me to slow down. There’s no endless burst of frames, no looking at the back of the camera, no taking another twenty just to make sure. I have to watch, wait, and decide when something is worth a frame.

And I think that’s what I love about it.

My kids are growing incredibly fast. A summer afternoon swimming at the farm in Pennsylvania, standing on the edge of a baseball field, a day at the beach, or just the four of them being themselves—these ordinary moments don’t feel particularly important while they’re happening. Then you get a roll of film back months later and realize how much has already changed.

This work has become a kind of retrospective on our life while we’re still living it. It’s less about documenting everything and more about choosing the moments I want to remember.

Maybe twenty years from now, these will be the most important photographs I ever made.

A person with wet hair smiling and lying on a towel in grass.
A young girl standing on a grassy area near a small pond, holding a fishing rod, smiling, with two boys in the background near the water, surrounded by trees.
A girl with blonde hair wearing a blue top, floral skirt, and pink sandals, stands by the edge of a river or lake, holding a fishing rod and smiling. The background has tall evergreen trees and grassy areas.
A young boy wearing a turquoise jacket, plaid shorts, and sneakers is seated on a yellow Cub Cadet lawn tractor inside a garage. The garage has a pegboard wall with various garden tools hanging, including a rake, shovels, and a broom. The scene featu
Two men sitting in outdoor chairs watching a small fire burning inside a cinder block structure in a wooded area.
A young boy in a blue shirt with a rainbow and cloud design, and striped shorts, standing on a small wooden block in the backyard of a house that is under construction or renovation. The house has a wooden porch and parts of the structure are unfinis
A woman with short dark hair and glasses sitting in a wicker chair, looking at her phone. She is wearing a light gray cardigan, a blue shirt, and sandals. The setting appears to be indoors or on a patio, with a small table to her right holding a whit
A woman with glasses and a young girl with blonde hair exchanging a small bouquet of yellow flowers outdoors near a vintage green truck.
A group of six children and one adult posing outside on a grassy area. The adult is an older man wearing a blue t-shirt and a baseball cap. The children are smiling and standing close together around him, dressed in casual summer clothes. There are b
A young girl with blonde hair wearing a pink shirt and pink shorts, standing near a boat on a dock, holding a fishing rod, with trees and water in the background.
A young boy fishing off a wooden dock by a lake surrounded by trees during daytime.
A young girl is lying on her back on a textured surface, possibly a blanket or rug, with her eyes closed and head tilted slightly to one side. She is wearing a long-sleeved shirt with cartoon princess characters on it. Her hair is down, spread over t
A young girl with curly hair and glasses lying on a carpet decorated with snowmen and snowflakes, smiling at the camera.
A young girl with a big smile, holding a large ice cream cone, wearing a striped sleeveless top, in black and white photograph.
Two children playing outdoors near a large inflatable pool, surrounded by grass and trees in the background. One boy is smiling and wearing striped shorts, while the other is standing shirtless with patterned shorts.
A group of people, including children and adults, are on a small wooden dock by a lake, fishing. A man in a yellow shirt and a black cap is casting his line, while children are watching and participating. The background includes a forested area with
A group of children and a man outdoors in a lush, green park with tall trees. The children are playing, and the man is standing nearby, watching them.
Two boys are flying a colorful kite by a lake with trees in the background. One boy is giving the kite string to the other while they are smiling and jumping.
Three children standing outdoors near a creek, with trees in the background, in a black and white photograph.
A smiling girl with glasses and a puffy jacket outdoors, with trees and a cloudy sky in the background.
Black and white photo of a young girl with a bright smile, wearing a jacket with unicorn and star patterns, outdoors with a blurred natural background and cloudy sky.
Black and white photograph of a natural outdoor scene with trees, a small pond, and natural surroundings, seemingly taken during winter or early spring.
Black and white photograph of a forest scene with tall trees, a small pond, and two people walking in the distance near the water.
Two young girls fishing from a small green boat on a calm lake surrounded by trees.
Child leaning over a wooden railing, touching the water in a river or lake during daytime, wearing a life jacket.
Close-up of a smiling child with wet, curly, red hair outdoors on a sunny day, wearing a black shirt with pink and yellow flower and smiley face designs, and standing on grass.
A grassy area with three large trees near a body of water. A stack of firewood, two kayaks, and a yellow boat are on the grass. Two people are near the water, one wearing a hat and a green shirt, the other a red shirt. A chair is on the right side of
A woman standing by a lake on a wooden dock, with two men in the background near the water, one wearing a yellow vest and a cap, and the other in a shirt, with a treeline across the water and cloudy sky overhead.
Black and white photo of two cattails with fluffy seed heads near a body of water, with blurred trees in the background.
A black and white photo of a lake scene with trees in the background and a person in a small boat on the water.
A young boy with a tattoo on his arm and wearing patterned swim trunks playing with a dog by a lake, with boats and trees in the background.
Two children riding bicycles outdoors, wearing helmets and jackets, in a park or wooded area.
A young boy with short hair and a big smile sitting at a table in front of a birthday cake, with birthday banners hanging in the background.
A black and white photo of a lake with a boat floating on the water and a hilly area with trees in the background.
Close-up of a vintage light green Dodge truck's side view mirror and part of the door with a Dodge emblem.
Two children, a girl and a boy, standing on a wooden dock near a body of water, with the girl giving a thumbs-up and the boy showing a thumbs-up. Behind them are two wooden posts, a blue paddle boat, and green trees in the background.
A woman standing on a grassy field with trees in the background during overcast weather. She is wearing a sleeveless top, shorts, and glasses, smiling and looking to her left.
A young boy with blonde hair smiling, leaning on what appears to be an older man's head, in a room with a large window and trees outside.
A peaceful lakeside scene with children playing near the water, boats docked at the shore, and trees in the background across a calm lake.
A young boy in swim shorts fishing in a grassy area near a calm body of water, with a small pedal boat docked nearby and lush green trees in the background during daylight.
A yellow kayak on a grassy field near a forest, with trees in the background and a sunset sky.
A backyard scene with lush green grass, tall evergreen trees, a body of water, and an American flag on a small pole near the trees.
A man holding a bow and arrow standing outdoors near a river, with three children watching him. The man is shirtless, wearing a baseball cap, and appears to be aiming the bow. Trees and grass surround the scene.
A young boy with blond hair sitting in a green boat on a lake, smiling, with dense trees in the background.