Local photographer Anna Williams perfectly captured Lake Minnetonka’s summer bliss in her photo “Peaceful Moment.” She took the snap in 2016 on Lafayette Bay, with Big Island in the distance. The subjects are Williams’ children Maria, now 12, and Miller, 11, who were enjoying the scenery and maybe a toe-dangle in the water from their raft.
“The big white clouds in contrast to the dark water initially caught my eye, but what really interested me was that my kids were actually still for a while,” says Williams. Maria and Miller, so close in age, consider themselves not only siblings but also best friends. In fact, they run the Tiny Natural History Museum together (you can read about the museum in our October 2016 issue). Williams says that her favorite thing about this photo is the way her kids are simply enjoying each other’s company.
Taken on Williams’ iPhone 6, “Peaceful Moment” is just one of the many photos that she has snapped to document her kids’ relationship, their feelings and their transformation through different stages of childhood.
Williams herself grew up in South Minneapolis and currently lives in Minnetrista with her husband Nick, their two kids (the stars of this photo), and their dog Trixie. After studying family social science at the University of Minnesota, Williams now works in Orono as a special education paraprofessional.
“Peaceful Moment,” which took third place in the People & Families category of our 2016 Lens on Lake Minnetonka photo contest, “reminds me of being a kid and the feeling of the long, endless days of summer,” says Williams.
