Winter Days

Love is experienced as attention. And taking pictures is one of the ways I give myself my own attention.

The paperwhites have bloomed and begun to topple over. Dirt scattered over the old brown table. The handmade wooden flowers found at the thrift shop slip into place on the shelf by the window, where the paperwhites stood. The days are cold and skies mostly gray. But not too cold for long drives in the car or patches of blue sky or hidden gems.

Woo-Hoo!

It’s wonderful to end the year with a little good news.

My photo book, A Virginia Summer, was chosen by the MILK photo book team as runner-up for book of the month.

AND, my story is featured on their website! I’d love it if you’d pop over and read the post.

A collection of nostalgic summer imagery

Storyteller: Donna Hopkins, United States

There’s a particular kind of beauty found in unhurried days—moments that unfold softly, without expectation or agenda. In her thoughtfully crafted MILK Photo Book, Donna Hopkins documents a season shaped by stillness, familiarity, and the subtle shifts of everyday life. Created effortlessly using our MILK Design Studio, her collection of images brings together personal photography, natural light, and lived-in landscapes to form a cohesive visual narrative. Rather than chasing spectacle, Donna’s images focus on the moments that often sit between special milestones throughout her explorations in Virginia. Here, she shares her approach to photography, the stories behind her images, and why making a creative photo book became an essential way to preserve her photos with intention.

Snead’s Farm, Summer 2025

Christmas Reset

I used to long to live in one of the beautiful historic homes in the downtown section of our city. I think I imagined a kind of life different from the one I live, and maybe more special in some way. But what I have learned over time is that a house is just a house and inside every house there lives a family with joy and heartache in equal measure. Things are often not what they seem from the outside looking in. This Christmas has been challenging; I’ve been sad for reasons I can’t quite put my finger on. All of our parents have passed away (Dave’s mom just passed in November this year). Our children our grown and Christmas looks different now. I keep showing up as the version of myself that tries to make everyone happy, and in the process, I make us all miserable. It’s time to let go of my own biases about aging and reset my expectations. Energy is my most valuable resource and I need to be more careful about where and how I spend it.