A Meadow’s Metaphor: A Family’s Evolution and the Beauty of Change

It’s one of the greatest privileges of my job to be invited into my clients’ lives during the most intimate and important moments. Teddy and Maria hold a special place in my heart, as they were some of my very first clients when I began my photography journey in 2020. At the time, they had been together for seven years, and I had the honor of capturing their engagement photos at Sunset Cliffs—where two souls came together to begin a love story that would only deepen over time.

Since then, I’ve had the privilege of photographing so many milestones for them: their wedding, the anticipation of becoming parents, the tender moments before welcoming their beautiful daughter, Mia—and now, as they prepare to grow their family with the arrival of their second child.

For this shoot, we arrived at our chosen location, hoping to find a meadow full of yellow wildflowers in full spring bloom. Instead, we found that the field had been mowed down, creating space for new growth to take its place. As I watched the Mendoza family play in the wide open space, I couldn’t help but reflect on the deeper, spiritual symbolism of the meadow.

A meadow, with all its changes through the seasons, felt like the perfect metaphor for life and its cycles. The transitions that come with each stage of life—whether in relationships, family, or even within ourselves—are never easy, but each season brings its own lessons, wisdom, and beauty. Just as the meadow shifts and evolves with time, so do we. Families grow, relationships deepen, and individuals transform.

In the same way that I find endless beauty in the ever-changing landscape of a meadow, I see that same beauty in the different chapters of life. Each stage brings something valuable. And as I’ve had the privilege of documenting the Mendoza family’s journey, I feel incredibly grateful to witness and capture these moments of growth, love, and grace. Each photograph, a snapshot of a new season, a new chapter, filled with endless possibility.