What I’m hearing from so many parents is that one of the hardest parts of this pandemic is their children’s loss of social interaction. Playing with other children helps develop their personality, as well as create self-esteem. What do you do when your child can no longer be social and play with friends? How do you encourage that grown and build self-worth in them?
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Why I choose a lifestyle approach for family sessions
It comes down to something so fundamentally simple; you have a story to tell and I’m here to help tell it through photographs.
Lifestyle sessions let everyone breathe easier. I had a session where the child didn't want to be in any of the photos. The mom was stressed and kept apologizing. I told her to breathe and that this was a time in their lives. It's so natural for kids to not want to be in photos, or to be over it within a few moments. This is how her son was feeling at this time and that's okay. We thought of ways that would be fun and natural for him. I had dad pick him up and hold him upside down. I had mom spin him and tickle him. Brother played with toy trucks with him. These are the moments that we remember. We remember storytime, bathtime, putting baby to bed, nursing, playing airplane (where you are on your back and you fly your child through the air using your feet), pillow fights, and just being a family.
Lifestyle sessions allow me to be a quiet presence in your family’s life. They allow me to capture moments that you are never going to want to forget. There are no rules when I show up to a session. I just want to tell your story perfectly.
Read MoreWhere Should Your Family Session Take Place
The thing that I love about the direction photography has gone is, is that these sessions can become anything you want them to. Often, the same question comes up, “Where do you recommend we do our family session?” My answer is almost always going to be the same: Is there a place that’s special to you? Yes, family photos are about the people in them and the emotions. However, there is also an environmental element that should be considered. Where your photos take place are going to help tell your story. Let’s look at some different examples of places that I’ve photographed families and why these locations were chosen.
Read MoreMommy and Me Session
I adore family sessions, but there is something so special about a session with a mom and her first born. Each child is unique and forms there own bond, but there is something about the newness of it all. This is mom’s first experience with her own child. This is a time where they are both learning together and growing. I’ve done a handful of sessions with just mom and her first born and they have become some of my favorites.
Read MoreExtended Family Photography and It's Importance |
Stop for a second and think about the last time you had your extended family all in one place. Think about the last time you had even your nuclear family in one place. As we get older it becomes harder to stop what we’re doing to visit our parents, children, or grandchildren. I never get to see my sister and niece as much as I would like. Every second that I get with my family is something that I truly cherish, especially after losing my grandfather and grandmother within a few months of each other. Life is so incredibly short and memories tend to fade the older we get. This is a huge reason why I photograph families. I have a deep love for documenting the relationships between them. Most families don’t get together unless there is a wedding or funeral; it’s the sad truth. That’s why I get so excited when people contact me about doing extended family sessions. Involving the grandparents makes for such a special session. It freezes time for everyone involved. It allows them to have memories long after their parents and grandparents are gone. When I was a little girl I don’t remember being in photos with my granddad. But, looking back at those photographs now I’m so lucky to have those. I might not remember the event or circumstance, but I remember how my granddad always made me feel. I couldn’t imagine not having those photographs.
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