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For the moments that become memories.
Wildflower Wonder There are photographs we take because something important happened, and then there are the photographs that become important simply because they captured a little piece of life we didn't realize we would miss. The missing front teeth. The curls that never quite stayed in place. The way a little hand disappeared inside Dad's. The kitchen table covered in crumbs. The baby who would only fall asleep on your chest. The family dog who insisted on being part of every photograph. At the time, these things can feel so ordinary that we barely notice them. Years later, they can be the very things we wish we could step back into. That might be my favourite thing about photographs. They don't just remind us what something looked like. They can bring back a feeling.
You dont need a Reason We tend to think photographs need an occasion. A new baby. A graduation. An engagement. A birthday. A family reunion. And of course, those moments are wonderful reasons to pull everyone together. But sometimes the reason can simply be: this is us right now. Your children are this age right now. Your family has this particular rhythm right now. Your grandmother laughs this way right now. You are living in this house, walking these trails, carrying your baby through these rooms, stopping for ice cream on summer evenings. There is something beautiful about deciding that an ordinary season of life deserves to be remembered too.
Let Life Happen I don't expect everyone to arrive at a session knowing exactly what to do in front of a camera. Honestly, I don't want you to. Some of the best photographs happen after we stop trying so hard to make a photograph happen. We might walk, play, explore, tell stories, dance, run, cuddle, or simply spend time together. I'll give you direction when you need it, but I also want to leave room for the things that happen naturally. Because that little moment when your daughter reaches for you? That's yours. The laugh that happens when your husband says something ridiculous? That's yours too. Those in-between moments are often the ones that tell me the most about a family.
A Photograph Is a Little Time Capsule There will come a day when the baby doesn't fit quite so perfectly in your arms. The little boy who never stopped moving will eventually be taller than you. The favourite sweater will be outgrown. The house will change. Family traditions will evolve. The people you love will grow older. Life keeps moving, whether we're ready for it or not. Photographs give us a way to hold onto a little piece of it. Not because we want to live in the past, but because there is something wonderful about being able to look back and remember not only what our family looked like, but how this season felt. So when you're wondering whether now is the right time for photographs, I don't think you need to ask yourself whether you have something important enough to celebrate. Look around instead. What would you want to remember about your life exactly as it is today? Maybe it's the way your children pile onto your bed on Sunday mornings. Maybe it's your grandmother's hands. Maybe it's the chaos of getting everyone out the door. Maybe it's the way your little girl still wants to be carried even though her legs are getting too long. Whatever it is, I would love to photograph it. Because sometimes the moments we think are ordinary turn out to be the ones we never want to forget.
For the moments that become memories.
Wildflower Wonder One of the first questions I get when someone is planning a session is, Where should we go? There are plenty of beautiful places to take photographs, but I don't think the prettiest location is always the best one. Sometimes the place that makes the most beautiful photographs is the place that already means something to you. Maybe it's the trail you walk every weekend. The park where your children learned to ride their bikes. The beach where your family spends summer mornings. The neighbourhood where you fell in love. Or even your own backyard. When a location has a little bit of your story in it, the photographs tend to feel like your photographs, rather than simply beautiful pictures taken somewhere beautiful.
Start with the Feeling Before choosing a location, I like to think about the feeling we're trying to create. Do you want something quiet and intimate? A little adventurous? Playful? Romantic? Wild and outdoorsy? A wide-open field gives us room to run and move. A wooded trail can feel cozy and tucked away. An urban setting can bring a completely different energy. And sometimes being at home gives us the most honest version of all. There isn't one right answer. The location is simply another part of telling your story.
Beauty in every Season I also love photographing through the seasons because each one gives us something completely different. Summer brings long evenings, tall grasses and warm light. Fall gives us colour and that unmistakable feeling that everything is changing. Winter can be quiet and wonderfully simple. Spring has a softness to it that feels like everything is beginning again. I don't think we need to wait for the "perfect" season. There is something worth photographing in all of them. And sometimes the season you happen to be living in becomes part of what makes the photograph special years later.
Look for Places Where You Can Be You When I'm choosing a location with a family, I'm not only looking at what will look beautiful in the final photographs. I'm thinking about what we can actually do there. Can the kids run? Can we walk together? Is there somewhere to sit? Can we explore? Is there room for a little bit of chaos? Those things matter because I want you to feel like you are spending time together, not spending an hour trying to stand perfectly still. A beautiful location gives us the backdrop. What happens between you is what makes the photograph.
Your Favourite Place Might Be the Best Place Sometimes people tell me they don't have a special location in mind, and that's completely okay. We can find one together. But if there is somewhere you've always loved, tell me about it. Maybe it doesn't seem particularly photograph-worthy to you. Maybe you've walked past it a hundred times and never thought twice about it. I see locations a little differently because I'm always looking for the light, the little pockets of beauty, the way the landscape moves and, most importantly, how we can use it to tell your story. So the next time you're somewhere you love, take a look around. Notice the light. Notice the trees, the paths, the little places your family naturally gathers. And ask yourself: Could I imagine remembering my family here? If the answer is yes, we may have just found our place.
For the moments that become memories.
Wildflower Wonder If you've ever had a family photo session coming up and suddenly looked at everyone's closet thinking, What on earth are we all going to wear? you're not alone. Getting dressed for photographs can feel like one more thing to figure out, but it really doesn't need to be complicated. My favourite sessions are the ones where everyone still looks like themselves when they arrive. Comfortable, confident and able to move is always a good place to start. I usually recommend choosing one outfit that you really love first, and building everyone else's clothing around it. It could be a beautiful dress, a favourite sweater, a pair of overalls your little one looks adorable in, or even a colour you know photographs beautifully on you. From there, think about coordinating rather than matching. Everyone doesn't need to be wearing the same colour or the same style. In fact, a little variety usually makes the photographs feel more natural. Different textures, layers and complementary colours give the eye somewhere to wander and keep the whole group from looking like they were assembled from the same clothing rack.
Think About Movement This is one of the reasons I love photographing families outdoors. There is usually some walking, sitting, cuddling, running, playing and occasionally a little chasing involved. So when you're choosing an outfit, give yourself permission to move in it. If your daughter wants to twirl, can she twirl? If your toddler decides the path needs to be explored at full speed, can you keep up? If you want to sit down in the grass with your family, will you be comfortable doing it? The best outfit for a photograph is often the one you can forget you're wearing.
Don't Forget the Little Things I love details. A pair of little boots. A favourite cardigan. A beautiful necklace. Bare feet. A worn-in pair of jeans. The sweater your child insists on wearing everywhere. You don't have to make every detail picture-perfect. Sometimes the things that are genuinely part of your life are exactly what make the photographs feel personal. That said, I would leave anything you spend the entire session adjusting at home. If you're constantly pulling at a skirt, fixing a collar or worrying about a shoe, you're thinking about your clothes instead of enjoying your family. I'd much rather have you laughing than wondering whether your shirt is sitting perfectly.
And Then There's the Weather Especially here in Alberta, we have to be willing to work with what the day gives us. A little wind can make a dress move beautifully. A cloudy afternoon can give us soft, even light. A crisp fall day gives us layers and texture. Winter brings an entirely different kind of magic. You don't always need perfect weather. Sometimes the weather becomes part of the photograph. So if you're standing in front of your closet wondering what everyone should wear, don't worry about finding the perfect outfits. Find the things that make you feel good. Choose pieces that work together without looking identical. Bring a little personality. Dress for the season. And most importantly, make sure you can move. Because once we're together, I want you thinking about the people beside you, not whether you remembered to tuck in your shirt. And if someone shows up in their favourite pair of dinosaur socks? I'm probably going to photograph those too.
For the moments that become memories.
Wildflower Wonder I have a little secret about photo sessions. You don't actually have to be good at having your picture taken. In fact, I'd much rather you forget about the camera altogether. Some of my favourite sessions involve very little standing still. We might go for a walk, play a game, tell jokes, explore a trail, dance, have a snack, or see who can make Dad laugh first. I might give you a little direction along the way, but I don't need everyone staring at me and smiling for an hour. That isn't really how families spend time together anyway.
Giving everyone something to do Especially with little ones, I find that giving them something to do can change everything. Instead of asking a child to stand still, we might let them run ahead and come back. We might look for something together, pick up leaves, throw rocks into the water or have a race. Sometimes I'll ask parents to whisper something silly into their child's ear. Sometimes I'll have everyone walk toward me. Sometimes I just let things unfold. And every now and then, the best photograph comes from something that wasn't planned at all.
You’re allowed to have fun Please laugh. Real laughter is one of my favourite things to photograph. If something funny happens during your session, don't worry about whether you're "supposed" to be looking at the camera. Laugh at your partner. Laugh at your kids. Laugh because someone just stepped in a puddle. Those are the moments that make photographs feel alive. And if you're nervous at the beginning, that's okay too. Almost everyone feels a little awkward for the first few minutes. You don't need to arrive knowing how to pose or what to do with your hands. I'll guide you through it. My job is to make the camera feel less important.
Let the Kids Be Kids I never want a child to leave a session thinking they spent the whole afternoon being told to behave for photographs. If they're energetic, let's use that energy. If they're curious, let's explore. If they're cuddly, let's cuddle. If they need a little break, we can take one. Sometimes there will be a beautiful photograph where everyone is looking at the camera. Wonderful. And sometimes there will be one where your son is halfway up a tree and your daughter is laughing so hard she can't look at anyone. I'm happy with both.
The Best Sessions Aren't Perfect There may be a crooked shirt. Someone may get grass on their pants. A toddler may decide they are absolutely finished. Someone might make a face at exactly the wrong moment. Good. Those things are part of being together. A photo session doesn't have to look like a perfectly choreographed version of your family. I want it to feel like your family. So come ready to move, play and be a little silly. Bring the people you love, wear something you can run around in, and leave your expectations at the door. I'll take care of the photographs. You just have to have some fun.
For the moments that become memories.
Wildflower Wonder There is a particular kind of magic in photographing little people.
They don't always understand why we're taking pictures, and they certainly don't always feel the need to follow the plan. They have their own ideas, their own pace and usually a very strong opinion about whether they would like to participate. I love that about them. When I'm photographing children, I'm not looking for a perfectly behaved little model. I'm looking for the things that make that child who they are.Maybe she always tucks her hair behind one ear. Maybe he carries the same stuffed animal everywhere. Maybe your toddler scrunches their nose when they laugh. Maybe your daughter holds onto your finger with her whole hand, even though she is perfectly capable of walking on her own. These little habits are easy to overlook because you see them every day. I don't. When I photograph a family, I'm watching for those details. The expressions that appear for half a second. The way siblings interact. The little mannerisms that parents sometimes don't even realize they've become accustomed to. Those are the photographs I find myself looking for.
Let Them Bring Their Personality One of my favourite things to do during a session is give children room to be themselves. If they want to run, we can run. If they want to investigate every rock along the path, we can investigate rocks. If they want to hold onto Mom's hand for the entire session, that's completely fine. And if they arrive wearing a superhero cape, I am not going to be the person who asks them to take it off. Sometimes the things we might have considered distractions end up being some of the best parts of the photograph.
Parents, You Don't Have to Fix Everything This is something I wish every parent knew before a session. You don't have to make your child smile. You don't have to convince them to look at the camera. You don't have to apologize if they're shy, energetic, serious, silly or simply having a day. I can work with all of those things. In fact, sometimes a serious little face is exactly what makes a photograph beautiful. And if we need to stop for a snack, a cuddle or a little reset, we can do that too. There is no prize for getting through a session without a Goldfish cracker.
Photograph More Than Their Face When you look back at photographs years from now, I think you'll want more than a collection of smiles. You'll want to remember the tiny details. The shoes they wore everywhere. The curls. The freckles. The little hands. The way they fit against you when you picked them up. The bedroom they loved. The gap between their front teeth. The things that made them them. So when I photograph children, I'm looking beyond the traditional portrait. I'm looking at the whole little person. And sometimes the photograph that makes you stop isn't the one where they are smiling at the camera. It's the one where you recognize them immediately. That's the magic of the little years. They are full of details that seem insignificant today and somehow become priceless later.
For the moments that become memories
Wildflower Wonder There is something about photographing people in their own space that I really love. At home, nobody has to figure out how to act. You already know where the coffee mugs are, which chair everyone ends up in, where the good light comes through the window in the afternoon. Life is already happening. And that makes home one of my favourite places to photograph it.
your home is your story We spend so much of our lives at home that it can be easy to stop noticing it. The little table where your kids eat breakfast. The couch where everyone piles together for movie night. The nursery you spent months putting together. The kitchen counter covered in whatever today's project happens to be. These spaces hold pieces of your everyday life. You don't need a magazine-perfect house before I arrive. Actually, please don't spend the morning trying to make your house look like someone else's. I am not there to photograph your house. I'm there to photograph you in it.
your everyday routine is beauty An in-home session doesn't need to involve everyone sitting beautifully on the couch. We can make pancakes. Read stories. Play in the baby's room. Have a dance party in the kitchen. Cuddle under a blanket. Bake something. Let the kids show me their favourite toys. Sometimes I'll simply follow along while your family does something you would normally do together. Those ordinary routines give us so much to work with.
Don't Worry About the Mess There is almost always going to be something that isn't perfectly tidy. There may be toys on the floor. Dishes in the sink. A blanket that has been dragged from one room to another. That's okay. I'll move things when they are distracting, and I'll work with the space and the light we have. You don't need to spend the entire morning cleaning every corner of your house. The point isn't to create a photograph of a spotless home. The point is to create photographs of the home where your life is actually happening.
Follow the Light One of the first things I look for when I arrive at someone's home is light. A beautiful window can completely change a photograph. So can a quiet corner of a bedroom, the light across the kitchen table or the soft glow at the end of the day. You might walk past these places every day without noticing them. I can't help noticing them. I'll look around your home and find the little pockets that photograph beautifully, then we'll let the rest happen naturally.
Sometimes Home Is Exactly Where We Need to Be There is a comfort that comes from being somewhere familiar. Kids settle in. Parents relax. Nobody has to remember what they packed in the car. And somewhere between breakfast and bedtime, we get to photograph a little piece of what life actually looks like. Maybe years from now, you'll look at those photographs and remember the room exactly as it was. The little chair in the corner. The toy basket. The blanket on the bed. The afternoon light coming through the window. And suddenly you'll be right back there. That's what I love about an in-home session. We don't have to go looking for a story. We can simply come home and photograph the one that's already there.
For the moments that become memories
Wildflower Wonder I don't think your family photographs need to look the same every time. In fact, I think it can be really lovely when they don't. There are so many different ways to photograph a family, a relationship, a season of life or simply a person you love. Sometimes the best session is the one that looks completely different from the one you had last year. You don't have to find one style of photography and stick with it forever.
life is an adventure There are families who feel most like themselves outside. Maybe your perfect afternoon involves a trail, a lake, a picnic blanket and kids who come home with grass stains on their knees. An outdoor session can give us room to move and explore, and the landscape becomes part of the
maybe we need quiet
story. It might be a place you've visited a hundred times
Then there are seasons when something slower
or somewhere you've never been before.
feels right.
Either way, we can make an afternoon of it.
A newborn curled up in the nursery. A mother and her baby by the window. A family gathered together at home. A quiet morning with your favourite people. These sessions don't need much activity. Sometimes a little space, beautiful light and the people you love are more than enough.
about the two of you You don't have to wait for an engagement or anniversary to have photographs taken together. I love photographing couples simply because they are in love. We can go somewhere you enjoy, wander through the city, spend an afternoon outdoors or find a beautiful little corner and let the session unfold from there. There is something especially wonderful about photographs that celebrate a relationship without needing a milestone attached to it.
Maybe It's Just You I also think there is something powerful about having photographs taken of yourself when you're not standing beside your entire family. Maybe this is the year you want photographs that feel like you. A personal branding session. A portrait session. Something artistic. Something romantic. Something completely different. You are allowed to be part of the photograph too. Not just the person taking the pictures.
You Can Change Your Mind One of my favourite things about photography is that there isn't a formula you have to follow. You might have a newborn session one year and an outdoor family adventure the next. You might celebrate an anniversary with photographs of just the two of you, then bring the whole extended family together the following summer. You might decide that this year you want to document your business, your pregnancy, your home or simply yourself. The photographs don't have to tell the same story every year because your life isn't telling the same story every year. So instead of asking yourself what kind of family session you're "supposed" to have next, think about what this particular season feels like. Is it wild? Quiet? Playful? Romantic? A little bit of everything? Start there. We'll figure out the photographs from there.
For the moments that become memories
Wildflower Wonder Some of the most meaningful photographs I've taken have happened in the middle of a change. Not quite where someone started, and not quite where they're going. A growing belly before a baby arrives. A new family finding its rhythm. A teenager standing on the edge of graduation. Two people preparing to get married. A child leaving home. A family settling into a new chapter. There is something about these in-between seasons that makes me want to slow down and photograph them.
before everything changes There is a particular sweetness to photographing a family just before it grows. Maybe you're expecting your first baby and still trying to imagine what life will look like. Maybe you're adding another little person to a family that already has its own
When Everything Is New
wonderful rhythm. I love giving those sessions room to be about more than the belly. The way your partner looks at you. Little hands resting against you. Siblings
Then suddenly, the baby is here. The days can feel long and blurry and completely full. There are tiny fingers, sleepy stretches, late-night feedings and a new little person being passed from one set of loving arms to another.
wondering about the baby. The
Newborn photographs don't need to be elaborate.
anticipation.
Sometimes I want to photograph the quiet things. A
All the little pieces of your family that exist
baby sleeping against Dad. A big sister touching tiny
before someone new arrives.
toes. Mom holding her baby by the window. The details that belong only to those first few weeks.
When They're Ready to Go Some transitions happen much later. Graduation is one of them. There is something wonderful about photographing someone who has spent years becoming themselves and is suddenly standing on the edge of whatever comes next. Those sessions can be full of personality. Dress up. Bring the cap and gown. Bring the best friend. Bring the car, the dog, the instrument, the things that feel like this particular chapter. Don't just photograph the achievement. Photograph the person who made it there. Not Every Milestone Has a Date Some of life's biggest changes don't come with an invitation or a ceremony. Maybe you've moved into a home that finally feels like yours. Maybe you've started a new business. Maybe your family has grown. Maybe you've been together for twenty years and suddenly realize you don't have many photographs of just the two of you. Maybe you're simply entering a new chapter and want to mark it for yourself. You don't need a traditional milestone to make something worth documenting. Sometimes you just know that life has changed.
Give the In-Between a Little Attention We are very good at photographing the beginning and the end. The birth announcement. The wedding. The graduation. The finished house. But I think there is something beautiful about the middle too. The waiting. The becoming. The figuring it out. The ordinary days when you're not quite who you were, but you're not quite who you're becoming either. Those seasons deserve photographs too. So if you find yourself somewhere in the middle of something right now, don't rush past it. Look around. There may be more beauty in this chapter than you realize. And one day, you may be very glad you stopped long enough to photograph it.
For the moments that become memories
Wildflower Wonder I think we get very good at photographing the big moments of a relationship. The proposal. The wedding. The anniversary. And then somewhere between those things, life gets wonderfully busy. There are groceries and school pickups and work and laundry and dinner and a thousand little things that make up a life together. But underneath all of that, there are still the two people who chose each other. I love photographing that.
you don’t need an occasion You don't need a ring on someone's finger or an anniversary circled on the calendar to have photographs taken together. Maybe you've been married for twenty years. Maybe you've been together for six months. Maybe you're engaged. Maybe you're simply having one of those seasons
let’s do something you enjoy
where you look at the person beside you and think, I really love this life we're building.
I find that couples relax much more quickly
That's enough of a reason for me.
when they aren't spending an hour wondering what they're supposed to do with their hands. So let's give you something to do. Go for a walk. Get coffee. Visit your favourite part of the city. Take the dog out. Have a picnic. Go somewhere you've been meaning to explore. Or dress up and make an evening of it. You don't have to spend the entire session looking at each other. Sometimes I'll have you walk together, talk, move around or simply forget I'm there. The photographs can happen around the experience.
the little things are my favourite I'm always watching for the little things between two people. The way one person reaches for the other's hand. A private joke. The look you give each other when nobody else knows what you're thinking. The way someone fixes their partner's collar. The laugh that happens when you both realize how ridiculous you feel being photographed. Those tiny interactions tell me so much more than a perfectly posed photograph ever could.
romance is in the air Please don't worry about being too affectionate. If you naturally hold hands, hold hands. If you kiss, kiss. If you make each other laugh, keep laughing. If you're the couple who spends an entire walk teasing each other, I'm happy to photograph that too. There isn't one correct way for a couple to look in photographs. I want to see your relationship. The playful parts. The quiet parts. The ridiculous parts. The really lovely parts. All of it belongs.
Take the Picture While You're Still Becoming One of my favourite things about photographing couples is knowing that the photographs will eventually become a record of a particular version of their relationship. Maybe you're newly married. Maybe you've just become parents. Maybe your children have grown up and you're rediscovering what it's like to have an afternoon to yourselves. Maybe you're simply still figuring out what the next chapter looks like. Wherever you are, that's your story right now. So take the afternoon. Put on something you love. Go somewhere together. And let someone photograph the two of you exactly as you are. Not because something big is happening. Just because you are still here, still choosing each other, and still becoming the life you're building together.
let your brand look like you
Wildflower Wonder Branding photographs can be a little funny.
We want them to look polished and professional, but we also want people to look at them and immediately recognize the person behind the business. And those two things don't have to compete. The best branding photographs I've taken don't feel like someone stepped into a studio and became a completely different version of themselves. They feel like the person I met when we started talking about their business. So before we think about poses, outfits or backdrops, I like to start with something much simpler:
start with the actual work
If you're a hairstylist, let's photograph you doing hair. If you're a baker, let's get flour on the counter. If you're a florist, I want to see the flowers. If you're a realtor, let's get you out showing a home, meeting a client or doing the little things that fill your day.
more than one picture One of the biggest things I think about during a branding session is variety. You probably don't need twenty photographs of
If you work from a desk, we can photograph
yourself standing in exactly the same spot.
you there too.
You need photographs that can actually do things for
Your work already gives us so much to
you.
photograph. We don't need to invent a
A smiling headshot.
version of your business that doesn't exist.
A wider image with space for text. Something of you working. A detail of your hands. A photograph that feels more relaxed. A few images that show your personality. Maybe something horizontal for your website and something vertical for social media. When we plan a session with that in mind, your gallery becomes much more useful than a collection of slightly different headshots. .
your personality belongs here This is where I think branding photography gets really fun. Your business may be professional, but that doesn't mean every photograph needs to be serious. If you're funny, let yourself be funny. If you're colourful, bring the colour. If you're calm and understated, we don't need to manufacture energy that isn't there. If your favourite part of your work is connecting with people, let's photograph that. People aren't only choosing a business because of what it offers. They are also getting a sense of the person they will be working with. Your photographs can help that person meet you before they ever walk through the door.
You Don't Have to Become a Model You also don't need to arrive knowing how to pose. That's my job. I'll give you direction, adjust things when we need to and help you figure out what feels natural. Sometimes we'll use a more traditional portrait. Sometimes I'll have you move around or interact with your surroundings. Sometimes the best photograph comes while we're talking and you've forgotten we're taking pictures. You don't have to perform a version of yourself for the camera. You just have to show up as the person who already built the business.
Think Beyond the Headshot A good branding gallery should give you room to tell different stories. It should be able to introduce you on your website, give you something to share when you have an exciting announcement, add personality to your social media, accompany an article, fill a newsletter or simply give you a photograph that feels right when you need one. That is why I like to think about the whole collection before we begin. What does your business look like? What does your day actually look like? What parts of your personality do you want people to see? And what photographs are going to make your life easier six months from now? Because branding photography doesn't have to be a collection of photographs where you stand perfectly still and smile at the camera. It can be a collection of photographs that looks, feels and sounds like you. And that, to me, is where the good stuff starts.
For the moments that become memories
Wildflower Wonder There is a moment after every session that I really love.
The photographs are finished, the gallery is ready, and suddenly all those little pieces of a day we've spent together are sitting in front of you. And then comes the question I think we sometimes forget to ask: What are we going to do with them? Because as beautiful as it is to have hundreds of photographs living in a gallery, I don't think photographs were meant to stay hidden away on a computer forever.
print your favourites There is something different about seeing a photograph in your hands. You notice things you might have scrolled right past on a screen. You see the details. You remember where you were. You notice how small your children were, or how much someone's hair has changed, or the expression on someone's face that you hadn't really seen before. Pick a few favourites and print them. Frame one for the hallway. Put one beside your bed. Make a little album. Give one to Grandma.
fun over flawless
It doesn't have to be complicated. When you're choosing photographs, I hope you don't feel like you have to select only the ones where everyone looks flawless. Choose the photograph that makes you laugh. The one where your daughter is making that face she always makes. The one where your husband is looking at you instead of the camera. The photograph where the kids are completely wild. The beautiful portrait too, of course. But don't underestimate the photographs that make you feel something. Those are often the ones you'll come back to. .
something to look at I love the idea of photographs becoming part of your home rather than something you have to remember to go looking for. A framed family photograph on the wall. A small album on the coffee table. A collection of photographs from each year. A photograph tucked into a recipe book. A picture on your desk. There are so many ways to make them part of everyday life. And I think there's something lovely about children growing up surrounded by photographs of the people and places that make up their story. .
come back next year One of my favourite things about photographing families is seeing them again. Maybe the little boy who spent our last session running everywhere has suddenly become a serious little guy. Maybe there's a new baby. Maybe the teenager who was quiet last year has become the funniest person in the family. Maybe the family has changed completely. Or maybe, wonderfully, some things haven't changed at all. You don't have to have a major milestone every year. You can simply make photographs part of the rhythm of your life. One year outdoors. Another year at home. A couples session. A newborn session. A branding session. Something completely different. There is no rule that says your photographs have to follow a particular schedule.
Let Yourself Have Them
After all these years of photographing people, I think one of the things I would most like to tell anyone standing in front of my camera is this: Don't wait until you feel completely ready. Don't wait until the house is perfect. Don't wait until you've lost the weight. Don't wait until the kids are better behaved. Don't wait until there's a big enough reason. And once you've had the photographs taken, don't wait for the perfect place to put them. Print them. Frame them. Give them away. Make an album. Put them somewhere you'll see them. Because photographs are not really about having a beautiful file sitting in a gallery. They're about having something you can return to. Something you can hold. Something that makes you smile when you walk past it on an ordinary Tuesday. After all, that's what photographs are for. Keep the photograph.