May is here, and honestly — it's about time.

There's something about spring that just makes you want to throw the windows open and start fresh. The light is different, the air is different, and after the long stretch of winter I am here for all of it.

I've been channeling that energy straight into the studio this month. More open space, brighter colors, little details that actually smell like the season. The kind of place you walk into and feel something shift before a single photo is taken. I want families to come in and just — breathe. Settle in. Feel like they have nowhere else to be for the next hour.

That's the whole point of being here.

If you want to grab your own photos this spring — here's what I'd actually tell you.

Not every moment needs a photographer. Some of the best family photos ever taken happened on a phone in the backyard on a random Tuesday. Here's how to make more of those happen:

Skip the special occasion. The photos that hit hardest are usually the ordinary ones — Saturday morning pancakes, a walk around the block, reading books before bed. Stop waiting for a moment worth capturing and start capturing the moments you're already in.

Turn your back to the sun. Most people instinctively face their family toward the light and end up with squinting, uncomfortable expressions. Try the opposite — put the sun behind them and let it create a soft glow. Your phone's camera will handle the rest better than you think.

Give it thirty seconds. Before you put the phone away, stay in the moment a little longer than feels natural. The genuine laugh, the spontaneous hug, the weird thing your kid always does — it usually happens just after you think nothing is happening.

A little something coming this summer.

I know budgets are tight right now — really tight for a lot of families. I'm working on something more accessible for summer that I think past clients especially are going to appreciate. Nothing to announce just yet, but if you've been wanting to come back and the timing or the investment hasn't felt right, stay tuned. I'm thinking of you.

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Here's to a spring filled with love, warmth, and unforgettable photographic moments!

With warmth and gratitude,

Giliane E. Mansfeldt