Technically, I told myself I wasn’t taking any new photoshoots in October. But then I got an inquiry from Margaret that I couldn’t refuse: Would I perhaps be able to come and photograph a long-standing family celebration at her farm, “Fox Lodge”, that they appropriately refer to as “Foxtoberfest”? “They will be cutting down a tree, chopping it up, carving pumpkins, having a bonfire, and deep frying a turkey,” she told me. There would also be beer and hammerschlagen. The German part of me simply could not refuse.
One of the sweetest things about this shoot is that the adult children’s family birth order exactly matched my own: three boys, and a girl, the youngest. I was immediately jealous that we had no such fall celebration on our farm. From my tree-cutting experience, it deserves to be livened up with some more fun wrap-around traditions.
The Fox Lodge crew were so welcoming and put up with an excited photographer better than I expected. They offered my ribs on my way out (in lieu of deep-fried turkey…maybe next year for that one) and posed on the tractor hooked up to the wood splitter for one of my all-time favorite family photos. Despite the rain clouds, this was one of the brightest family sessions. Thanks for having me!
