My Zo and Our Ivy

My daughter and her pup are an absolute duo of silliness and charm. Here they are, both striking a pose—though only the four-legged one is taking it seriously. Maybe a tad too seriously, actually. Zo, wide-eyed and full of happiness, has her tongue playfully sticking out in an attempt to annoy me, perfectly contradicting Ivy’s "this is serious business" expression. It’s as if they're both in on a joke that only the two of them understand, and it was impossible not to laugh when I snapped the shot. Nothing posed, nothing planned — just a spur-of-the-moment play with the Nikon and a single speedlight in a dark room.

It’s incredible how some of my favorite shots in my collection are the ones that happened completely impromptu. Which, I guess, is how my life has been—proof that if you over-plan and over-prepare, you can lose the simple joy of just rolling with it.