Atlanta And BeyondAmanda
Summerlin
Photography
Atlanta & beyondest. 2009

Jacksonville North Carolina Family Photos | Moriah and Kevin

Today I want to share some photos of some very important people with you, Moriah and Kevin, and their three beautiful children Kaia, Cori, and KJ. I first met Moriah and Kevin when I photographed their gorgeous wedding in New Orleans in October of 2011. At that point, I had barely been shooting weddings a year, and they hired me on the recommendation of a mutual friend. I’d never been to New Orleans before, but when I got there, I fell in love. With the city, and with Moriah and Kevin and their families. I’ve been a devoted fan ever since, visiting them in multiple cities around the country whenever Kevin would get assigned to a new location and I would happen to be working nearby. Watching their family grow has been amazing.

Moriah asked me once why I was, in her words, ‘so good to us’. I’m not the best with words, so I stammered out something about how kind they are and what a joy it is to be around them, but that wasn’t quite right. Since then, I’ve thought about it more and I think I have a more complete answer now.

The first thing you realize when you spend a minute with them is that they are really in love, all of them. Moriah and Kevin love each other and their kids with such tenderness and respect and kindness that you just want to be near them as much as possible. I never had that kind of family, so anytime I see it, I’m enthralled. When you look through these photos, you see parents who adore their children, children who completely trust and love their parents, and two people who are deeply in love with each other. They’re genuine and kind, and they’re raising their kids to be the same. They’re creating a place where it’s safe to explore ideas and be creative and express joy and love and frustration and curiosity, just every part of growing up and being human. Moriah in particular is the embodiment of joy. You can see genuine kindness in her eyes, and I think that she brings that out in everyone she is near.

And finally, the universe always brings me to Moriah and Kevin when I’m in a time of transition. They don’t realize this, but they helped launch my career. That amazing wedding dress that Moriah’s mom made and Moriah and Kevin’s pure joy in every photo had wedding blogs emailing me asking to feature their photos. Then, a few years later, when I was deep in grief from the loss of my brother and searching for meaning, they let me invite myself into their home to make photos of them just having a regular Sunday at home. It was not just healing, but it also helped me figure out how to bring more meaning and depth to my work so that I felt I had purpose again. And now, in the middle of a pandemic, just seeing beautiful familiar faces and making photos of a family I’ve come to think of as an extension of my own was precisely what I needed.

So, Moriah, the answer is that you all give me more than I can ever give you, and I’m forever grateful to you and your amazing family. Thank you.

Amanda Summerlin
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