What a wonderful year 2022 was. It was filled with lots of familiar faces that I’ve photographed for 6-7 years in a row, as well as several new families I got to meet for the first time. I photographed 46 families and 18 newborns. I did my first lifestyle newborn mentoring session for another photographer, and I started making plans to start a class for parents on how to take better vacation photos (more on that to come later). March and August were my busiest months for newborns, while September and October were my busiest months overall. I was able to return to Fresh 48 sessions which makes me so happy! Here are some of my favorite images for the year. I am so grateful to each and every family who booked a session with me this year. Here’s to a wonderful 2023!
Why You Should Have an In Home Family Session {Seattle Lifestyle Photographer}I ma
I make no secret that in home sessions are my absolute favorite, but there seems to be a common misconception that in home sessions are for newborns only. There are lots of reasons why a family may opt for an in home sessions that I’d like to share with you today.
The weather in Seattle can be challenging, particularly over the cooler months. It often feels like it rains from October through to May. This can be a nightmare for rescheduling. If you have an in home photography session, there is no need to reschedule if the weather isn’t great. Not only does it not matter if it’s raining, it also doesn’t matter if it’s freezing cold outside. You’ll be toasty and warm in the comfort of your own home.
No shoes needed. That’s all.
Kids are more comfortable in their own home.
In the summer, the hour before sunset (the best time to shoot outdoors) is incredibly late which means keeping kids up past their bedtime. The best time for in home sessions is mid morning or mid afternoon.
Your home helps to tell your story. There are things in your home that are meaningful. You can’t find that on a beach or an open field.
An outdoor location can add a lot of time onto your session, depending on the location chosen. Many locations are a good 30-60 minutes away, adding on up to two hours to your session. With in an home session, there’s no travel time!
In home family sessions feel cozy, warm and intimate. I believe they’re the best way to capture your family’s love story.
What is Lifestyle Photography?
“Don’t shoot what it looks like, shoot what it feels like” - David Alan Harvey
Lifestyle photography falls somewhere in the middle between a completely journalistic photography style and a smile-and-look-at-the-camera posed style. Lifestyle photography captures families loving on one another while still being somewhat directed by the photographer. The majority of my lifestyle sessions take place in your home. Newsflash - you do not need a newborn to have an in-home session! That seems to be a common misconception. Many people think that in-home sessions are for newborns and outdoor sessions are for families with older kids, but I have photographed many families in their own homes with breathtaking results. There are many reasons why I love in-home sessions but one of the major reasons why I love shooting in-home is because that’s where you’re most comfortable, and when you feel comfortable, it shows in your images.
When I arrive, I will take a quick walk around your house to determine where the best light is. Once that’s complete, I’ll slowly get out my camera while chatting with your kids until they feel comfortable with me. A lot of people feel awkward having their photo taken. Please know that this is completely normal! My goal is to make this as relaxing as possible. I will always help guide you into position, however, I’m not going to ask you to look and smile at me. Once you’re in position, I’m going to ask you to look down at your kids, tickle them (if that’s their thing), snuggle with them, read to them, play with them. This will help create meaningful images that show your kids how much they are loved.
How should you prepare your house for an in-home session? First of all, your house doesn’t have to be perfect. You have kids, it should look like they live there, however, please keep in mind that anything left out has the potential to be photographed. If you don’t want it in your images, put it away. I usually use the main bedroom, living room and kids rooms / nursery so if you want to tidy up, focus on those areas.
What should you wear to your in home session? I recommend that all family members are barefoot. I will have you sit on your bed, or snuggle on the couch, places where you wouldn’t normally wear shoes. It’s also easier for you that way because it’s one less thing to worry about! I have an online styling service for all my families and you are more than welcome to use it to pull together outfits. You can be as casual or as dressed up as you like. The most important thing is that you’re comfortable!
Any questions? Reach out! I’d love to chat with you.
Little Kids + Golden Hour {Everett Family Photographer}
If you’re thinking about a summer family session, you may be concerned that keeping your little ones up until sunset will be to tough for your family. The sun sets late here in the Seattle area in the height of summer, and many parents share this concern. Here are some tips to help you make your family session go as smoothly as possible when it’s later than bedtime:
Plan for a quiet day. Your session day shouldn’t be spent rushing around running errands, playing at trampoline parks or participating in hours of sports. Instead, try activities like reading, doing puzzles or snuggling on the couch.
Let your kids sleep in if they want to. Today is the day to avoid waking them up at their normal time. If you normally need to wake them for daycare or school, try not to keep them on their normal routine and let them sleep as long as they will.
If your kids still nap, try to push their nap out further into the day. While it may seem like your ruining their routine, one day won’t do much damage. If your kids don’t nap, try having some “quiet time” by reading books in bed or just resting for a few minutes.
To avoid them getting hungry during the session, bring a snack for them to eat right before we start. You may want to avoid changing them into their photo session outfits until after they’ve finished their snack.
Kids are often distracted in a new place, particularly if we’re photographing them in a new outdoor location. If they’re normally grumpy and having meltdowns at bedtime at home, they will more than likely be so distracted in a new place and by doing something outside of their normal routine, that they don’t even notice they should be sleeping.
Lastly, please remember that if you really want that beautiful golden summer light, that keeping them up past their bedtime will totally be worth if and every time you see your images on the wall, you’ll think about how beautiful they are, rather than the one day you skipped your normal routine.
If you’d like to schedule a summer session, please contact me here. I would be so honored to work with you.
Welcoming A New Baby Girl {Everett Newborn Photographer}
This sweet baby girl joined her family in February and as always, it was such an honor to be asked to capture them as they transition to a family of four.
Baby Makes Three {Seattle Newborn Photographer}
Welcoming a New Baby Boy {Edmonds Newborn Photographer}
A New Family of Three {Everett Lifestyle Photographer}
Welcome to the world little Theo!
Welcome Baby Finn {Seattle Newborn Photographer}
If you’ve been following my work, you may recognize this sweet family from just a couple of short months ago. Back in February, their newborn daughter’s session was the last session I did just 5 days before my own baby was born. I was so happy to get their session done in time because from the very first email, I just knew I had to photograph this family. After waiting several years, they were finally parents to their sweet daughter through the gift of adoption. You can check out their first session here. In a beautiful turn of events, they became parents again just 3 months later to their beautiful baby boy, Finn. Here is their love story continued.
A Beautiful Sunset Session {Seattle Lifestyle Photographer}
It is always such an honor to be asked to come back to photograph a family time and time again. This was my fifth session with this gorgeous family. It’s been so fun to see their family grow over the years. They own a great piece of land in a beautiful spot outside of Seattle and this was our second time shooting there. We also did their newborn session there, but that was indoors of course. Go check out that sweet session here.
This session was one of the smoothest we’ve had. The kids were all in great spirits and everyone seemed to be having a good time just being with one another. We were able to shoot quickly and still get a great variety of images.
If you’re ready to schedule your own family session, let’s connect.
