January 1, 2024

Happy 2024! The snow is coming down and there’s an inch or two on the ground. I’ve got a family photo session in about an hour and I’m reallllyy hoping the snow is still coming down then.

Snow makes pictures more magical. I used to hate the cold and not really think twice about the excitement of snow. But being in the #tundraofmaryland where winter comes early and usually stays too late, you learn to embrace the snow. And you learn that the beautiful, magical snow makes the long winter more tolerable. For some, not all who live here like the snow, believe it or not…ha!

Trying to figure out what to do later in the day, post-photo session. It’s New Year’s Day AKA the last day of holiday break. The kids go back to school tomorrow and I AM PUMPED for routine to return. For my alone time to return! My friend Maureen and I were talking about this last night. We love Mondays. Tomorrow is not Monday but it’s the day we return to weeks that start with Monday, the Mondays where we go to work and do our work and get to be alone with our work.

Maureen and I actually have a podcast together. You can listen to it here. Words and stories and humans from Deep Creek + Garrett County, MD. We love it here!

Back to what we might do today…my ideas were bowling, ice skating and exploring the Rock Maze in the snow. The bowling alley, which is appropriately called The Alley is a cool place (if you’re visiting Deep Creek, you should check it out), but it’s closed today. Only one of my kiddos wants to try the new ice skating rink in Grantsville (recommended for anyone visiting in winter) and I might be secretly hoping the kids and our friends choose a snowy stroll through the Rock Maze or some other forest scene in our parks because when they’re covered in snow, it’s straight up Narnia.

Man, the flakes are coming down right now and they’re so pretty. It better be snowing for my session this morning!

I’m taking pictures for Cedar Ridge Retreat Homes, formerly Cedar Ridge Log Homes. These guys, and I say “guys” because that’s a normal part of my vocabulary but also because it’s literally a bunch of guys that run this business. And maybe their mom…I think she helps, too.

It all started with a man and his four sons. They made a big move from the other side of Maryland to our mountains and lake of far western Maryland and are building beautiful homes for really cool people. How do I know they’re building for cool people? I’m in the process of meeting their people, their homeowners.

Lead Creative Andrew (one of the sons) has invited me into the business for the next year to capture the homes. But not just pretty, polished, empty scenes in a finished house. Families IN the house, using their space. Families on retreat mode. I’ve photographed two families so far. Kids playing Uno Attack at the giant dining table, kids playing dinosaur bingo in the living room. S’mores at the fire, charcuterie in the kitchen and putting on ski gear by the front door.

Today, I’ll be capturing another family at their retreat home. Hanging in the game room area downstairs and capturing the snowy backyard are on the agenda.

I better wrap this up and get ready, but I’ll leave you with this, words from Andrew when we were initially discussing this year-long project: “Last Wednesday I went back to Gaithersburg for a meeting. Gaithersburg was where I spent most of my life. I was shocked at how suffocating it was. So many businesses, so many people, so much traffic. It felt crushing on the human spirit. I couldn’t wait to get back to Deep Creek and go for a walk in the woods. Thats what I want to show people. That these retreat homes are for them to recharge and reconnect.”

The morning coffee was good today. Until next time… 🙂