More Than a Photo: Why Your Family’s Portrait Experience Matters

The photographs matter, of course.

But so do the people and

the stories behind them.

I’m not the same photographer I was when I first started more than a decade ago. And, in many ways, the families who have stood in front of my camera have shaped that evolution just as much as the experience I’ve gained along the way.

Technically, I know so much more than I did when I started. I’ve learned, experimented, and adapted as cameras and technology have changed, and I know I’ll keep at it too.

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In my early years, I was very focused on the end result. I wanted every family to walk away with digital images they loved. My attention was on making sure everything was in focus, the lighting was right, and I was creating the kinds of photographs I envisioned. We had fun, for sure, but much of my attention was on the pictures I was making.

My own children were little then, and I often found myself thinking seasonally. What kind of pictures did I want to make for Christmas? What did I want our summer portraits to look like? I was always thinking about the final gallery.

About seven years ago, something began to shift. 

I started thinking more about what it meant for families to have photographs they could actually hold, display, and return to over the years. The finished images were still important, but I began to see their value in a different way. It wasn't just about creating pictures families were happy with that day. 

It was about making something that would continue to mean something to them long after our session was over.

That realization changed the way I thought about my work. I had always believed family photographs were important, but I began to understand more deeply what photographs could do  in helping families preserve a part of their story.

That realization changed the way I thought about my work. I had always believed family photographs were important, but I began to understand more deeply what photographs could do  in helping families preserve a part of their story.

Over the last four years, I've come to think of photography even more as a collaboration. 

A session is something we do together. The conversations before a session, the ideas we share, the little personalities that come through, the unexpected laughs, and the moments in between all become part of the experience.

Every family brings something different to the process. Your relationships, your personalities, the things that make your family yours. My job is to get to know those things and help turn them into photographs that feel meaningful to you.

Your family has a story worth remembering, and I'd love to help you tell it. Whether it's been a while since your last family portrait or you're simply ready for an updated look at this season of life, let's start a conversation. I'd love to hear what's important to you and create something your family can enjoy for years to come.