Why You Should Have a Lifestyle Session At Home {Seattle Family Photographer}

Lifestyle Family Sessions at Home

If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ll know that I love to photograph families in their homes, the four walls in which they are most comfortable. If you’re here, you may be wondering if a lifestyle family session is for you. Here are my top reasons why I love photographing families at home.

Sessions can take place outside of the golden hour

Most photographers love shooting in the golden hour, that is the hour after sunrise, and the hour before sunset. I adore that time too, as it gives us the most beautiful and flattering light, however, it isn’t always possible with young kids. In the middle of summer, when the sun isn’t setting until after 9pm, it can be hard to keep kids not only awake, but happy at that hour. It is a lot easier to have an in home session at a time that works best for your family. The majority of my sessions start around 10am or 2pm, but I can always be flexible and come when it suits your family the most.

Your home contains items that can’t be found on a beach or in an open field

When I was photographing the family below, I saw this gorgeous chair and asked the mama to sit in it. While she was doing so, the dad told me that he bought that chair on the day that they met. Your house tells your story in a way that a public location can’t.

Your kids are more relaxed and in better moods in their own space

Most kids can take a while to warm up to new people and new locations. If they’re in their own space, the session often goes a lot smoother and we can be done faster.

You have put a lot of effort into your home and it should be celebrated

Most of the families I work with have spent a lot of time and money into creating a space that is uniquely theirs. You should be proud of the work you have put in and a photography session in your home not only celebrates your family, but the space you have put so much time and effort into.

Lastly, it’s the little things

I have so many things to list here but here are a few:

• pets can be included

• bare feet are welcome

• no-one else is watching as you have your session

• no need to travel long distances

At Home with a Beautiful Family of Four {Seattle Lifestyle Photographer}

I found this newborn session to be so fulfilling for me as an artist. Sometimes, I have a session that just seems to speak to me, and this was definitely one of those. The mood was relaxed and laid back. Nothing felt rushed or stressed. It was just like they were going about their new normal with two little ones, and I was just there to observe.

I had the honor of photographing Ezra as he made his entrance into this world. No kidding, that was the most amazing moment of my whole photography career. I wish I could photograph more births but the unpredictability plus having little kids myself, makes it nearly impossible. It is an experience I will cherish for a long, long time though. A couple of weeks later, I was thrilled to head back to their home to photograph the whole family as they adapted to a new family of four. It’s amazing how different the space felt after a couple of weeks had passed compared to two weeks earlier when he was born. There was still the same sense of peace and calm, but you could tell that the family had already adjusted and I’m sure it seems to them like little Ezra had always been there.

Big brother Soren was so sweet and talkative. We had some great conversations. Mainly about gorillas and shopping on Amazon :) Some of my favorite images are the ones where he is peeking in on baby brother as he lies in his bassinet. I adore capturing the connections between siblings at sessions and I always try to focus on that as much as parent/baby images.

It was such an honor to photograph this beautiful family again. I hope you enjoy these images.

If you’re ready to book your own newborn session, please contact me!

Welcoming Baby Number Three {Seattle Newborn Photographer}

Why I love Fresh 48 Sessions

Do you remember those early days in the hospital, when the whole world seems to stop and everything is focused on you and your new baby? Do you remember the flaky feet, umbilical cord stump, the hospital bracelets, the hats and blankets that are so unique to the hospital and the only time in your little one’s life that you’ll use them? Do you remember other people bringing you food, with all that time to sit back and enjoy that little babe? These few short hours in the hospital go by so quickly and before you know it, you’re packing up that sweet baby and heading home, and that first milestone has already passed. I don’t know about anyone else, but I would give anything to have that time back. That is why I love Fresh 48 sessions so much. Photographs are the perfect memory of such a fleeting time. A time when you’re exhausted and little things like the way that looked so tiny in the bassinet may be forgotten. When you start to forget, your photographs can always take you back to that time.

Meet Benji. This sweet little boy joins two big sisters who are equally as adorable. If you haven’t seen their family session from before Benji was around, you may want to go check it out. It’s one of my all time favorites. Benji, you are going to be so adored by your big sisters, and I know you’ll think the world of them too. Welcome to the world sweet boy.

Motherhood Sessions {Seattle Lifestyle Photographer}

Introducing Motherhood Sessions

Have you ever wished that someone would take photos of you with your kids, just like you always take of your partner with the kids? As the mom in the home, you are more than likely the memory keeper but you’re also more likely to miss out on getting in the frame with your kids. What if you could give you children a tangible gift which shows them how much you love them? A gift that you will cherish now, but they will cherish as adults.

I am so excited to be offering motherhood sessions just in time for Mother’s Day this year.

Sessions will take place on Saturday April 27th, and Saturday May 4th. Sessions will last twenty minutes and each day there will be only three spots available to make sure you all get that beautiful evening light. Sessions will take place at Richmond Beach Saltwater Park in Shoreline. The exact location will be given upon booking. Sessions are $200 (WA sales tax will apply) and you will receive ten edited images made available in time for you to share on Mother’s Day! The following times are available:

7.30pm

7.50pm

8.10pm

If you are ready to book, please contact me and write “Motherhood Sessions” in the subject line. Please include your preferred time. I will try my best to accommodate you but they will be first in, first served.

I can’t wait to capture you with your babies!

Ezra's Fresh 48 {Seattle Newborn Photographer}

This sweet little boy was born at home so his Fresh 48 session looks a little different to most of my other hospital sessions. We did the session at his home, on his parents bed. His proud big brother jumped in for a few images. It is always so sweet to see the first born become a big sibling. It’s crazy to see how much he had changed from his birth just a couple of days earlier. I can’t wait to complete his newborn session with the whole family this weekend. Welcome to the world Ezra!

Happy Birthday - A Little Cake Smash Session {Family Lifestyle Photographer}

Cake smash sessions aren’t something I would typically offer. They are usually done in studio with a big set up. As a lifestyle photographer, I don’t use props and I normally photograph inside people’s homes, not a studio. When my littlest turned one, I still wanted to do something special for him, but without the fancy set up. I wanted to take a more lifestyle approach to it so instead of investing in a fancy backdrop, we just took him outside and let him eat cake while illuminated by the beautiful sunrise behind him. Like my middle child, he wasn’t really into the cake. It was the first time he had tried sugar, and it wasn’t a taste he seemed to like. Happy first birthday to my sweet Oscar.

A Beautiful Lifestyle Newborn Session {Seattle Family Photographer}

Photographing newborns in their homes is probably my most favorite type of family session. Being able to witness families as they welcome a new little being into their lives is an honor I don’t take for granted. II was so happy to capture this family again when they welcomed baby Anderson. I first photographed them for their maternity session and it was so great to their home and capture them as they transitioned into the role of parents. You would never have known he was their first. They were as laid back as parents welcoming baby number three or four. Little Anderson was just as laid back as them too!

One of the reasons I love in home lifestyle sessions so much is because you capture so much of the real. They are so authentic and capture life exactly as it is in those first few days. The cuddles, the feedings, the bouncing up and down. We can photograph baby exactly how he is, with no need to spend hours rocking him to sleep. If he’s happiest in the arms of his parents, then that’s exactly where we’ll keep him. Mostly, I think these sessions are so great at capturing the love and connection within the family. There is so much emotion in those first few days of a new baby’s life, and I believe it’s so important to capture it.

Choosing the right photographer for your family can be a tough choice, especially if you’re not sure what kind of photography session you’re after. If you would like to talk it over, please feel free to contact me. I’d love to go over what I can offer you so that you have a better understanding of how my newborn sessions go. In the meantime, enjoy looking through these images of sweet baby Anderson and his loving parents.

A Gorgeous Lifestyle Session At Home {Seattle Family Photographer}

It always seems like such an honor to be invited into a family’s home for a lifestyle photography session. It’s their space where they can step away from the world so it’s so special to be able to be welcomed into it to photograph them. This sweet family radiated warmth. Their session was laid back and relaxed and little Amelia is so clearly loved by her parents. Their sweet dog is the exact same mix as ours (Lab/German Shepherd) so it was fun to see what our Lucy will look like in about ten years. I love that their Christmas tree was up during this session. Including holidays, special heirlooms and personal items shows adds so much personality to your images.

Welcoming Baby Number Three {Seattle Newborn Photographer}

I adore Fresh 48 sessions. There is no time quite like the first couple of days of your new baby’s life. Baby is still squishy and new, flakey feet, umbilical cord stump and all, and time seems to stop still while everything and everyone is focused on you and your new little being. Items that are only used for two short days such as the hospital blanket and hat, as well as the bracelets around the ankles should be photographed so you never forget the newness of them. I realized that I never blogged my own baby’s Fresh 48 session so I’m doing it now. Here’s my third little boy at the very start of his time with us.

A Beautiful Golden Hour Session {Seattle Lifestyle Photographer}

This beautiful family session didn’t take place in Seattle. I was so lucky to photograph my sister’s family when I visited New Zealand a few months ago. It was chilly (by NZ standards, not really by Seattle standards) so we worked fast but the results were so lovely. We headed out to do their images, not really having a location in mind. All we knew was that we wanted to do the session in the hills. We drove, stopped a couple of times, then kept moving until we found this gorgeous spot. I love how you can see the ocean in the background and the light was pretty incredible too. My nieces and nephew are growing up so fast and I love being able to photograph them all every couple of years.

I don’t photograph outdoors very often, but I do offer a limited amount of outdoor sessions over the summer. If that’s something you’re interested in, please get in touch so we can get you on the schedule!