Charlotte, NC Family Photographer

My approach to family portrait sessions is intentionally casual, relaxed, and unrehearsed. If there are particular posing ideas you want to explore, I’m happy to go there with you, but my real interest with these photographs is to catch you and your family as you really are. I love capturing that one moment where a little girl looks at her daddy and they share some special, unique communication—whether spoken or not—and then both burst into laughter, because that moment truly means something to them. I may not always be aware of the particulars, but I know magic when I see it.

Just as with any other portrait session, it’s important for me to start with a foundational understanding of your family, so I’ll ask questions. How did you meet your spouse? How old are your kids, and what do they love to do? Do they have special toys they can’t live without? Have they hit any new milestones recently, like sitting, standing, or walking?

Having access to this kind of information about kids is especially important to me for many reasons. For one, many kids will have already spent time in front of a photographer’s camera, and for a lot of them, the experience will have been…less than thrilling. Working with me will be different since my hope, always, is to allow the kids’ interests and passions to lead me through the shoot. I also want the kids to feel immediately at ease with me. Having two kids of my own, I’m already adept at making children feel comfortable, but I can never know too much, so I’ll ask.

One of the best parts of this job is having the opportunity to work with the same families over long periods of time. Families come to know me, and kids start to look forward to portrait shoots. I do, too. The results can be amazing when this kind of reciprocal affection exists between a photographer and her clients.