Linda got in touch with me after high school friends and clients Alison and Beth kindly recommended me to her for a session with her blended family.

I arrived early at our meeting place, Horn Pond in Woburn. I hadn’t been there before and wanted to scope it out before starting around with the family for their session. Our meeting time came and I didn’t see the family - I knew there was Mike and Linda, their golden retriever Jax, and four nearly adult kids with a fifteen year old being the youngest.

I spotted such a family, but they were being photographed already. Something seemed weird to me. Was that my family and had they brought a friend to take photos during our session? Or maybe they’re just playing around before I find them? I was so confused! Perhaps it was just a coincidence that another family with grown kids were having a session at the same time.

I kept side-eyeing the group with that other photographer though. That dog! Along with sending the names and ages of everyone as I’d requested, Linda also sent me a photo of her dog, Jax. Golden and white-faced. That was the dog!

Then as I milled around awkward and confused, I heard some of them say “Summer!” which is Linda’s daughter’s name. That’s when I knew for sure, THIS WAS MY FAMILY!

I approached them and we discovered that the photographer who was working with them had also been waiting for a client named Linda. Apparently the photographer had not really introduced herself or asked for everyone’s names before jumping in and starting a session with the wrong family.

“Well, thanks for warming them up for me!” I joked with the photographer and we had a good laugh.

The family and I marveled at the bizarreness of the situation as we made our way to the first spot for a photo, and Linda said “Somehow it didn’t seem right!” She felt the personality of the imposter photographer didn’t match up with what she expected from someone recommended by Alison and Beth, two of the funniest women you’ll meet. Linda also noted that the other photographer was posing them in a way that didn’t seem to match with my style of shooting.

As we stood pond-side for our first shots, I said or did something goofy or funny and Linda said, with some relief “OK, yes, this makes much more sense!”

We had a delightful time, and I discovered beautiful Horn Pond in the process!