Rongstad Family ♡
Some families just feel good to be around. Kari and Roz’s family was one of those for me.
Kari was actually my English teacher during my first year of high school, which still feels strange to say out loud because of how much she helped shape that part of my life. Back then, I was trying to figure out a lot: sexuality, OCD, a personality disorder, and, honestly, just myself in general. And she always showed up with patience and kindness when I needed it most. No judgment. No, trying to “fix” me. Just someone who listened and made me feel understood during a time when I really didn’t understand myself yet. I don’t think she fully realizes how much that mattered.
Then there’s Roz, who brings this calm, grounded energy into the family. She loves maps, which honestly tracks once you spend time with her because she seems to move through the world with a lot of curiosity and intention. Watching her watch her boys was one of my favorite parts of the session. Those little moments where your kid is just running wild, laughing, exploring, and you’re standing there soaking it in without needing to interrupt it. That’s the stuff I remember.
And their boys, Immer and Orrin, definitely brought the chaos. Loud, nonstop energy, leaves flying everywhere, constant movement. Perfect, honestly. The whole session felt alive in that way where nobody was trying too hard. Just a family being together.
What I’ve seen over and over is that the best photos usually happen when people stop performing and just exist around each other. That’s what this felt like. Nothing forced. Nothing overly posed. Just warmth, trust, movement, noise, and a lot of love.
Photographing families in the LGBTQ community will always mean something personal to me, too. There’s something powerful about seeing people fully comfortable being themselves, especially when you know how hard that can sometimes be. Kari and Roz created that kind of space naturally, for each other, for their kids, and honestly, for me too, while I was there.
I left this session feeling grateful. Simple as that.
