Recently, I’ve had several people contact me asking if I photograph families. The short answer: it depends. Ha! Several years ago, when I decided to focus on what I truly love (seniors and weddings), I swore I’d never go back to photographing anything and everything. Truth is, I wasn’t a fan of newborn sessions, and while I did enjoy photographing families, I discovered that my style and approach wasn’t the best fit for a lot of families that were contacting me. They wanted a fun and lighthearted session, often what is called “lifestyle” photography, but then the photos they actually wanted ended up being far more traditional and closer to what you’d see done by a studio photographer. It became rather frustrating for me, because these families knew my style. Thus, I just stopped accepting family sessions.
Well….when Kim contacted me over a year ago (yes, a year ago…) about photographing her family, she begged me to do it. I was of course quite hesitant given my previous experiences with family sessions, but after talking more with her, it seemed like we were a good fit. Kim was looking for creative and unique photographs of her family and children, not something incredibly traditional. She was hoping to decorate her home with these new images and showcase the true personalities of each of her family members. Unfortunately, at the time I was on maternity leave, so we had to put off her session for a few months. Then a few more things came up, and finally, on a cold day in November, we had their family photo session. And it was WONDERFUL! Spending that hour with Kim and her family was such a treat. It renewed my hope that perhaps there indeed are a few families that are the right fit for me and my style and approach to family sessions.
I hope you enjoy these photos – they are some of my favorite from the year. They reflect so much about this family and all that they’ve overcome this year. And they showcase the carefree style I tend to gravitate towards with families and children. It’s quite a bit different than my senior portrait sessions, and probably more akin to how I photograph engagement sessions, or even weddings! Enjoy!
We photographed the majority of their session at Lake Nyanza. and even though most of the fall colors were long gone, I think we still captured the feeling of fall!
Preston is their oldest. At eleven years old, he’s right at the age where he’s not quite a teenager, but not really a kid either. It’s such an interesting age to capture 🙂
And then there’s their youngest, Gretta. Those big brown eyes and charming personality – love it!
As a new mom, I absolutely cherish anytime there is a good photo of me with my little boy. So whenever I get the opportunity to take a photo of a parent with their child, I really try to capture the bond that they share, even when it’s older kids. Because frankly, they are always your baby. I love this one…
This photo of Ryan and Kim so perfectly captures their relationship. They’ve been married for a number of years, and often when I encounter couples, the last time they’ve had a photograph taken of just them, it was on their wedding day. To me, this is what a marriage should look like after a few years – sweet, close, and happy. You’re best friends, and you’ve been through a lot together, and you’ve got each other. That’s what matters most.
We grabbed a few photos at their home, and couldn’t leave out the family best friend!
I love these last few – the light was beautiful, and they all got close together 🙂
My two favorites 🙂
Thank you SO much for allowing me to photograph your family, Kim & Ryan. It was truly a joy and honor 🙂
