A Bittersweet Goodbye — One Last Summer at the Lake

Every once in a while, I’m invited to capture a session that feels like a quiet love letter — to family, to a home, to a lifetime of memories that words alone can’t quite hold.

Recently, I had the privilege of photographing a family who, like so many here in New England, grew up nestled between the trees and the water, in a lake house that has become so much more than just a house. It was their grandparents' home — the heart of every summer, every celebration, and every memory stitched into the fabric of their childhood.

Before saying goodbye to the home they all cherished, the family gathered one last time — three generations strong: Grandma and Grandpa, their daughters Krystal and Karissa, their husbands, and five energetic, joy-filled grandchildren. And this session, more than most, felt sacred.

The laughter echoed off the water as the kids ran through the yard, chasing each other, just like their parents had decades before. The air was full of nostalgia, a little bit of ache, and a whole lot of love. It was clear that this place had raised them all in its own way — with pine trees as sentinels and the lake as their constant rhythm.

One of my favorite moments came when the kids climbed up onto the canoe rack that Grandpa had built with his own hands. It’s just a simple wooden structure, weathered by years of sun and snow, but in this family it’s iconic — a landmark of their time spent together. That rack held not only the family’s canoes, but a thousand lazy afternoons, fishing poles, sandy towels, and stories told between cousins.

This session reminded me of why I do what I do. It’s not just about capturing faces. It’s about telling stories — of places, of people, and of the love that binds them together. Photographs become anchors. Long after the house is sold and the furniture moved, these images will still whisper: “This was home. This was where we loved each other.”

To the lake house family: thank you for letting me witness this day. For opening your hearts, for embracing every imperfect, beautiful moment, and for reminding me that goodbye doesn’t mean forgotten — it just means carried forward.

Here’s to summers by the lake. To the canoe rack and the climbing tree. To grandparents who made everything possible. And to the photographs that will keep it all close, long after the last splash.

And before we can leave— after the laughter, the hugs, and the goodbyes — there was one last moment that said it all.

Without a word, he placed his hands on the bark, looked up, and began to climb.

Because in this family, you don’t leave the lake house without one last climb.

A quiet tradition. A final touch of magic. A way to say, “I was here, too.”