Dear Mama: you used to be cool . . .

Earlier this fall, much of Texas was drenched by Hurricane Harvey. We all watched in dread as the storm overwhelmed the coast and left Houston and surroundings in ruins. Total chaos.

It was on one such Harvey day that I entered the fold of the Owen family, determined to ride out the storm with healthy doses of togetherness. And boy, did they deliver.

It seems that family photojournalism (aka family documentary photography) is both a quickly emerging genre and a total and complete mystery. Is this what I want? How does it work? WTF is it, anyway? Here's my go at answering those -- and other -- common burning questions.

Truth time: the documentary photographer in me loves nothing more than watching children lose themselves in a sensory experience and become covered head to toe in muck. There is something so primal and pure about children letting go of decorum and expectations and fully immersing themselves in the exploration of nature. 

The new Austin Central Library is open, and we are beside ourselves with excitement. It's gorgeous, well-executed, and -- bonus -- a photographer's dream. We went for a visit this morning and found ourselves there before it opened, but not to worry . . .

There is something about this family, living with intention and purpose in the Holly neighborhood near downtown. These sweet mamas invited me into their warm, cozy nest for a "morning-in-the-life" documentary photo session with their two young boys a few months ago.