For as long as I can remember I have loved photographing people when they aren’t paying attention to the camera. In fact, it was really the only type of photography that ever seemed interesting to me. Why would you cluster people together and tell them to smile? It seemed boring, especially when all you are in middle school and all you had to work with was a Kodak point and shoot. No lights. No backdrops. Just shenanigans. Instead of making sure everything looked perfect, I was far more interested in remembering what was happening. (And, yes, thank god my teen years predated social media.) That instinct, to watch people and tell stories, never left. And it’s why my clients never have to stress about their photo sessions.
You are your most beautiful when you aren’t trying to be.
Most people are not professional models. And, as such, most people have a really hard time acting natural. My solution? Let’s cut out the acting part.
My lifestyle family sessions center around planned activity for you and your family. Instead of relying silly prompts or lots of directions I’m going to do everything in my power to make you forget I’m there, or at least that I’m holding a camera. I want you focused on your people. When we’re present with the ones we love, something shifts. We become more interesting, more beautiful, more ourselves. There’s a reason we have the phrase, “Find someone who looks at you the way…..”
You don’t need to worry about what to do with your hands when they are already busy doing something else, like holding a child’s hand or fixing the collar on your partner’s jacket.
Stories are more fascinating than perfection.
A beautiful photo might stop you in your tracks, but the story behind it is what stays with you. When you’re working with a documentary family photographer, you don’t need to stress about how pretty the location is, whether your family is dressed just right, or whether your kids will follow instructions. You don’t need to check any boxes. You don’t need to prove anything.
Before every session, I meet with clients to brainstorm and make sure everyone can feel comfortable and relaxed. So on session, all you have to do is show up! If your daughter insists on wearing her princess dress and your son spends half the session running amok, you won’t walk away with a set of perfect traditional portraits. You’ll walk away with something better: captivating photos that capture your kids’ personalities and what it actually felt like to be their parent right now, in Kitsap County, in this season of life.
If you’re a family in Kitsap County — Poulsbo, Bremerton, Silverdale, Port Orchard, Bainbridge Island, or anywhere in between — and you’re tired of the idea of a photo session that feels like a performance, let’s talk. Reach out and tell me what your family actually likes to do. That’s where we’ll start.
