WHY I FOCUS ON THE LITTLE MOMENTS

So often I hear parents say “I’m sorry she isn’t cooperating” or “I’m sorry, I really hope we got a few good ones. That was so chaotic”. Let me walk you through what a session with me is like when you have little ones.

A few weeks before your session, I send you a questionnaire asking lots of stuff like your kids names and ages, what their personalities are like, etc. so that I can try to be prepared and have an idea of what will work well for them.

Once we meet for our session, before we start to shoot, we will talk for a bit and i’ll say “hi” to your kiddos and we will just kind of get acquainted. Once we’ve socialized a bit, I’ll try to get the typical “everyone look at me and smile for the Christmas card” picture. I still do a few more of these throughout the session but a least we know we got one right away! This is also a great first picture to get everyone comfortable in front of the camera! However, if your child is shy or maybe he just woke up from a car nap and he’s not in the mood to smile right away, I want you to know that’s okay. It’s my job as your photographer to get those pictures during your session and it’s your job to help your child feel comfortable so don’t worry, we will get it!

My main goal throughout the session is to capture your family authentically. I know the word “authentic” is a bit overused but I mean it. Usually, this means following the lead of your kids. If all they want to do is be held and cuddled by mama, that’s what we’re going to do. If they want to explore, we’ll explore. We’ll play games, laugh and i’ll photograph your family as you are.

I always have a running list of poses and prompts in my head so I don’t want you to think I’m just going to throw you out in a field and say “okay do whatever you want and i’m just going to take your pictures”. But, I do try my best to make you feel comfortable so that you can take whatever prompt or pose I give you and make it more “you”. I focus on the little moments because every family is different and every child is different. Those in-between shots might look like when baby is being passed from mom to dad and she’s giggling and your toddler is wrapped around your leg because he just loves you so much. Or maybe I have you guys sitting on the floor of your new baby’s nursery and your husband wants to give you a kiss on the forehead just because. However you guys interact with one another on a daily basis is what I want to photograph.

To wrap this up, one day our babies won’t be “babies” anymore and I want you to be able to look back on their quirks and stages they went through. I prepare you as much as I can for the session in emails & guides I send your way beforehand and I promise you, that’s all you need. Come to your session to have a fun family date and let me do the rest! Enjoy some of my favorite little moments below from recent sessions!