Some photoshoots are like no others and stay imprinted on my mind forever. And such is the case of this 2013 Michigan Christmas shoot. I love it as much today as I did then and it stills fills me with the nostalgia of simple days. I hope it speaks to you too, especially now when so much innocence is lost in the clutter and clatter of Cyber shopping.
It all began with my obsession to find and photograph an old farmhouse with a traditional Christmas decor. One that would reflect the simplicity and beauty of handmade items.
Angela and Matt Kuncaitis’ 100-year old Amish farmhouse (complete with an 1800 barn, a windmill and 11 outbuildings) turned out to be the perfect spot. However, when we flew there for the shoot there was not a snow flake in view! What would be a Christmas shoot without snow? We managed to shoot the interior but decided to fly back for exterior shots as soon as the snow came. I kept in close contact with Angela (and the weather channel!) and as soon as snow was in the forecast Mark (from Los Angeles) and I (from Florida) flew back. When we arrived late that evening it was barely beginning to snow. Needless to say I stayed up all night watching the meager snow falling from my hotel window. And then, it happened! A little after midnight the flakes became fatter and fatter and started to fall faster and thicker. I was SO excited!! By first light you could see the lush, pristine, white blanket covering fields, trees , street and homes.
It was snowing, it was cold, it was lovely!!
The time had come to fetch the horse, sleigh and greens to decorate.
Making do with whatever is available. Keeping it simple but festive. Hanging boughs of evergreens and branches of berries decorate the house exterior. Tied with jute twine, the bundles are framed by the divided windows.
A retired mailbox on the porch now serves as a decorative outdoor vase for fresh-cut greens. Placed near the front door, it creates a fragrant welcome for guests. Humble decorations are precious reminders of the faith and values the family shares.
Holiday cheer extends to an old streetlamp decorated with greens and fitted with a candle for a subtle glow.
Jim, a Belgian draft horse, pulls Angela and Favour and Peter (her two youngest children) through a frosted landscape. A lot of Amish farmers live in the same village as Angela and her family. They don’t use any electricity and don’t own vehicles with engines either. Angela and Matt have copied a lot of their customs. They travel using a horse and sleigh, go to bed when the candles go out and use what they have and what the farm and nature offers them.
The family enjoys hot chocolate after an afternoon of ice skating on the near-by frozen pond. A small Christmas tree is getting decorated by little Favour.
Tiny socks and leggings are hung to dry while the children are making marshmallow treats and warming up by the fire.
Then it’s time to go back to the house where Favour is anticipating the visit of Santa Claus and the family is busy getting the rooms ready for the celebration.
Come in!!
Forgoing perfection and glamour in favor of character and charm, the family has made the holiday season a time when their down-home philosophy can really shine.
“We were not trying to duplicate the life we had before,” Angela explains of the family’s move from a typical suburban home several years ago. “Our goal was to roll back the hands of time and immerse ourselves in a simpler way of life.”
Angela has transformed the once-scruffy farmhouse, now dubbed Maple Valley Farm, into a captivating home. “It’s especially warm and cozy at Christmas,” she says.
Angela’s thrifty decorating skills shine especially bright during the holiday season. After Thanksgiving, the family starts harvesting the greens, rose hips, boxwood, winterberries, dried sunflowers, and hydrangeas they will use to decorate the farmhouse (as you can imagine I fell in love with this tiny kitten named …Meatloaf”!!)
“Bundling branches and berries into bouquets and garlands is an activity young and old alike can share,” Angela explains. “We use anything and everything we can find on the farm.”
Mix and match: Angela made covers for the dining room chairs and matching placemats using lots of different remnants and second- hand pieces of fabric.
The whole house is lit with candles and oil lamps that combine to create a lovely soft, atmospheric glow. There’s a thick green garland around the fireplace and Angela made the stockings with jute trim herself.
Gifts await in every room……
Angela and Matt feel that they are rich, particularly at Christmastime. Being able to celebrate using things you already have, make yourself or can find is so rewarding. The gifts the family give each other are very simple too. Buying something at a yard sale or restoring it is an option as well.. Everything is wrapped with love.
When the decorating is done, names are drawn for the family’s gift exchange. Instead of store-bought rolls of paper, Angela and her brood turn paper grocery bags inside out and cut them into pieces for gift wrap.
All the work is done. The house is ready for Santa and Favour is eagerly awaiting his arrival. But it’s still only Christmas Eve and in spite of her excitement the sweet girl can’t stay awake all night.
Sweet dream, little one, and to all a very merry Christmas!
It was a very windy day, a very cold day, one might even say: FRIGID. But I am so grateful for the opportunity to realize a once-in-a-lifetime Christmas shoot dream The Best EVER! Thank you Angela and the Kuncaitis family! xoxoxoxoxo
All photos Mark Lohman. Produced and styled by Fifi.