I’ve been working with the Williamson family to craft their heirloom family portraits in Cle Elum for well over a year now and I can not begin to express my gratitude, or what an absolute pleasure it’s been. Sherrill and Craig first became clients when they scheduled a session for their sweet granddaughter, Norah, on her first birthday.

We’ve spent the last year documenting birthdays, extended family sessions, and even seasonal sessions with their family. It has been incredible watching them grow, especially sweet Norah. One of the great things about photographing her regularly is that Norah and I have gotten to know each other and building that relationship has really let Norah be comfortable with me. Which makes all the difference in the world for photos!

Sherrill and I have much in common, in that she has always felt that a visual legacy is critical. As a child, she remembers asking her grandparents for old family photos, and she continues to display them today. After experiencing the loss of her parents, her desire to document their family has become even more important and I am so honored to help her build their family’s visual legacy in the years to come. Together we have created countless albums and wall art to adorn their home but this one was particularly special. This year, Sherrill and Craig wanted to update their photos to include the newest addition to their family, Maximilian’s wonderful girlfriend, Rachel, in the extended family photos.

Their portraits were created over the course of two sessions, first focusing on the entire extended family. For their session, the Williamson’s took advantage of my new styling service and I couldn’t have been more pleased  of how they showed up to their session – each and every person was perfectly styled and coordinated! Rachel was instrumental in bringing the look together, and even ordered the most perfect bow tie for their dog! They also took advantage of makeup (Revive Makeup Artistry by Patti Gomes) and hair services (Monica Stenson/Salon Estheva). It was an exquisite session at one of my favorite locations, filled with natural, authentic moments and unposed candids.

On that day, Norah was a little tired and we decided to add a complimentary second session to document Norah and her Grandmother Sherrill. Sherrill and Norah are exceptionally close, as Sherrill provides care for Norah during the day and the two are quite literally, two peas in a pod. Is there any relationship more special than that of a grandparent and grandchild?

Sherrill allowed me to create gorgeous heirloom albums of the entire extended family, in addition to one for Maximillian and Rachel, one for Kaylee and her family, as well as one for Norah and Grandma. I can not wait to help them select the artwork for their walls from this session. In the meantime, we’ve already started planning for a special Halloween session for Norah!

Why choose Mary Maletzke Photography?
“Mary makes the whole experience so easy, from beginning to end. Whether it is planning and styling, location, directing the session itself, and the design and ordering process. She makes it so fun and it is always a perfect outcome. I am so appreciative of having the wall art and albums designed for me, rather than having to try to do it myself. This truly is a magical experience.”

The Williamson’s Heirloom Family Portraits in Cle Elum