Spring Break at Disney World's Flower and Garden Show

As a photographer, you'd probably think I always have a camera in hand—ready to document every moment, especially when it comes to my own family. But the truth is, personal photos often take a backseat. I pour so much of my time and heart into my clients' images that I rarely carve out time to edit (or even take!) photos just for us.

This year, I’ve decided that’s something I want to change.

For the first time ever, we went to Disney World over spring break! As Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club Members, we spend a good amount of time at the parks—definitely not as much as I’d like, but enough considering we live states away. That said, spring break was always one of those “maybe not” times due to the expected crowds. Back when we didn’t have kids, we had the freedom to go whenever we wanted. But now that Hunter is in school, we’re officially on the school calendar schedule.

To my surprise, spring break wasn’t too crowded. It was blazing hot—90 degrees every day kind of hot—but we made it work with afternoon breaks to cool off and reset.

The biggest shift this trip? I actually brought my camera. Just my backup body and one lens (a trusty 35mm), but it felt so good to play and get creative again, just for me. I only brought it out for one morning at the parks—the rest of the time my iPhone filled in just fine—but having the chance to shoot without pressure or expectations was refreshing.

While my mom took Hunter to explore Journey of Water (his current obsession), I wandered around Epcot, capturing the magic of the Flower and Garden Festival. The colors, the textures, the details—it reminded me why I fell in love with photography in the first place.

So here’s to making space for personal moments, creative freedom, and a little Disney magic behind the lens. I’m already dreaming about the next trip… maybe with a second lens next time.