My family sessions are experiences far from anything considered “normal.” A laid-back attitude with no-pressure prompts are the backbone of how I photograph families authentically and honestly.

There will be no, “Sit down and turn your head to the left, now smile!”

Rather, there is exploration, play, curiosity. There is time spent from the beginning in getting to know you, your child, a warming-up period crucial to capturing anything worth remembering.

Children don’t do well being dictated to, but they do respond to play. They love when you show them how the camera works, let them take their own photo, pushing the big buttons all by themselves. They want this stranger also interested in the bug they just found, the leaf, the big rock tossed into the water. Before I photograph anyone, I first interact.

These experiences encourage movement, tickle fights, maybe getting a little dirty. We meet in places that feel meaningful to you: backyards and favorite creekbeds, kitchens making pancakes for dinner.

In a session that feels more like play in front of a photographer that feels more like an old friend, magic can happen. The pressure of being what we think we ought to be falls away, and we can be present in front of our children. We don’t have to micromanage if the person behind the camera is getting the shot. She is. She did.