Last month I featured some of my favorite mom photos for Mother’s Day, but this month it’s all about the dads.

From photographing countless families, I know some universal truths about fathers. When their kids are small, dads are so much fun. They’re a personal jungle gym, have no fear in throwing their children high up into the air, are superheroes at bringing out the best laughs, and love to mockingly join in on a tantrum. They’re a blast to photograph; some of my funniest, goofiest photos are of dads and their children. However, once their child grows up, especially if the child is a daughter, they suddenly show their sentimental side. There is nothing as sweet as seeing a dad on their daughter’s wedding day, and I have to admit, I have definitely shed some tears behind my camera during father and daughter first looks.

So, on this day, I wanted to say thanks to all the dads for always being what their child needs, and I hope you have a wonderful Father’s Day!

“A father’s smile has been known to light up a child’s entire day.”

—Susan Gale

“She did not stand alone, but what stood behind her, the most potent moral force in her life, was the love of her father.”

-Harper Lee