home in december with sha sha, daniel, and charlie | a rainy saturday in bellevue, washington
when you're shooting indoors in the seattle-area during the winter you know a few things -
that you're going to get super low light situations
which in turn means your potential shooting spots are limited af
lucky for you,
i enjoy this challenge.
in my opinion, these "obstacles" can make for some
truly cozy
and intimate imagery.
sha sha, daniel and charlie were the most wonderful of subjects on this rainy af december day in bellevue.
if you've read my blog post on "why i love family photography"
then you'll recognize some of the language i use to describe my photography work in this session.
for me, photography sessions with all my clients
is all about:
capturing the shape of you and yours.
i could encourage you to stiffen into awkward poses that aren't familiar to you. i could push us to try and get a laugh out of your child (even when they don't feel like it). i could suck out all your originality and create something for pinterest. i could copy all the family photo "trends" that are seen widely on social media.
or.....
i can create images
with you
that are:
honest
raw
authentic
nostalgic
artistic
humorous
when i choose to ditch this idea of creating "cookie-cutter" imagery, i'm going against the grain.
and as my amazing client, you are financially and creatively supporting me in this process!
together, we can create images that
are a
reflection of
your story
we can create images together that feel nostalgic.
by that, i mean images that stand that test of time.
images that are timeless, if you will.
timeless in that your body language is captured in a natural way.
timeless in that your smiles aren't forced and glued uncomfortably to your body.
timeless in how our focus together isn't to get the "perfect photos". rather our focus together is to make images that will bring you back to this very moment in time.
we all know how fleeting our time together is.
anyone with a newborn can understand.
and anyone who has lived through covid - these tumultuous times
that separate us from our loved ones.
we all know, more than ever before,
that life is a powerful and fragile gift.
and so what ought we to do?
celebrate it.
celebrate life in all its forms, shapes, and sizes.
celebrate life as it is with our loved ones today, yesterday, and tomorrow.
i've created family images for clients for 5 years now.
and i can confidently say that
the best sessions i've ever had aren't the ones in a studio.
they aren't the ones with clients who have smiles plastered on their faces.
they aren't the ones in trendy locations.
no, my best most precious most beautiful sessions
often
take place in your home.
or at your local park.
they take place in your neighborhoods, and mine.
my best photography work takes place when
we
(me, the photographer and you, the client)
come together in a space (whatever that space is)
with open hearts.
charlie!!!! you warm our hearts.
you are precious in your contentment
and you are precious in your discontent.
and your mama and dada love you soo much no matter what!!
it's completely important to me that we
get some individual portraits of every member of the family.
including you.
yes you.
just because your baby is the center of
attention much of the time these days
does not mean we can't honor you.
in this instance, sha sha asked me if i could take a photo of her alone!
i loved it and said hell yes!!
once i had my fill of photographing this sweet family indoors, i decided to take myself outdoors to capture them from the outside in.
i was hopeful for some fun reflective photography that kinda looked like double exposures - and this experiment did not disappoint.
if you follow my work at all you know i am obsessed with reflective window photography as well as mirror photography.
i'm also often looking for ways of inserting myself into your session :) just so you don't forgot me! the one who photographed it all!
can you see my peace sign in the shot above? i know i'm cool. you don't have to tell me twice.
gah charlie! you are a true joy at nearly 3 months of age.
there's that peace sign again with the colored version of the above photograph :)
well, i could share every single image, but i won't.
as always, thank you a million to every single client and supporter!
looking to book a family photography session in your home or at a designated location near your home?
i abide by covid social distancing guidelines for all sessions.
xoxo and happy fricken holidays!
we'll all get through it - together :)
